Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

BURNABY, B.C. (Mar. 25) -- The Central Washington University softball team took leads into the bottom of the seventh inning of both of its contests on Sunday, but a pair of walk-off home runs by Sammie Olexa of Simon Fraser University ruined the Wildcats' hopes of victory at Beedie Field as the host Clan defeated the Wildcats, 2-1 and 8-5. The second game went eight innings.

The Wildcats fell to 8-14 overall and 7-10 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, while Simon Fraser improved to 18-7 overall and 14-6 in conference play after completing a four-game series sweep of CWU.

Senior Carrina Wagner (Tacoma/Spanaway Lake HS) hit a solo home run with two out in the top of the first inning of the opener, and sophomore pitcher Maria Gau (Woodinville) made that lead stand up all the way until the seventh inning, as she took a two-hit shutout into the final frame. However, the right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Megan Durrant and then a home run to Olexa to spoil an otherwise strong start as she fell to 5-7 on the season.

The Wildcats, who finished with six hits, had chances to extend their lead after leaving runners on base in the second, third, and fourth innings, including the bases loaded in the fourth. They also left the bags full in the sixth inning without scoring, and were retired in order in the seventh before Simon Fraser's game-winning heroics.

Senior first baseman Liz Jusko (Snohomish) was the only player for either team with more than one hit in the game, as she went 2 for 2.

In game two, Central Washington took a 3-2 lead with two runs in the fourth inning, and added what appeared to be two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, but three-run frames by Simon Fraser in both the seventh and eighth innings enabled the Clan to complete the series sweep.

The Wildcats and Clan scored one run apiece in the first inning, with CWU junior Elena Carter (Olympia/Black Hills HS) driving in the game's first run with a two-out single. Central Washington's two-run fourth inning was started by another solo home run from Wagner -- her sixth round-tripper of the season -- and senior Jen Schwartz (Spokane/Shadle Park HS) gave the Wildcats the lead with a RBI groundout.

The lead reached 5-2 after two runs in the top of the seventh, as senior Bre Thomas (Vancouver/Columbia River HS) drove in a run with a groundout and senior Molly Coppinger (Belfair/North Mason HS) followed with a RBI single. Freshman pitcher Heidy Wells (Tacoma/Stadium HS) took that three-run lead into the bottom of the inning but surrendered a leadoff home run to Leah Riske, which chased her from the game. Reliever Kim Kocik (Mukilteo/Kamiak HS) induced a groundout to the first hitter she faced, but a walk and consecutive singles followed and Wells re-entered in the pitching circle while holding onto a 5-4 lead. After a foulout, Trisha Bouchard doubled to tie the game and force extra innings.

In the eighth, Jusko led off with a single and her pinch-runner, senior Natasha Wood (Graham/Graham-Kapowsin HS), advanced to second on a sacrifice and to third on a groundout, but she was left stranded at third without scoring.

Wells allowed back-to-back baserunners to start the bottom of the inning, but then retired consecutive hitters on a strikeout and foulout, but Olexa then launched her second straight walk-off blast to left-center field.

Simon Fraser finished with a 15-8 advantage in hits, with 13 of those hits coming against Wells (1-5). Riske, Olexa, and Carly Lepoutre all had three-hit outings for the Clan, while two others had two hits each.

Central Washington was balanced offensively, with seven different players recording hits. Jusko went 2 for 4 to finish as the lone Wildcat player with more than one hit in the contest.

The Wildcats will hope to return to the win column on Monday, as they visit Western Washington University for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.