Friday, May 3, 2013

BILLINGS, Mont. -  Third baseman Megan Miller lined a three-run double to right center in the eighth inning to put the icing on the cake as Saint Martin’s defeated Simon Fraser 7-3 Friday at Bjorgum Field to advance to Saturday’s GNAC Softball Championship game.

The win means the Saints (38-13) will have two opportunities to win their first GNAC title – and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament - Saturday. 

They will play third-seed Simon Fraser which eliminated fourth-seed Central Washington 2-0 after the Wildcats had ousted No. 2 seed Western Oregon 3-2.

The first SFU-SMU game will start at noon.  If a second game is required it will follow at approximately 2:30 p.m.

After tying the game in the fifth on RBI singles by Miller and winning pitcher Sam Munger, the Saints loaded the bases in the eighth on two walks and a single by catcher Aubree Pocklington.

Lacey McGladrey then walked to force in the go-ahead run before Miller, who came into the game with just nine RBI on the season, cleared the bases with her two-base hit.

After her two hits Friday, Miller is still hitting just .246 on the season.

“Sometimes you just need a spark from someone and you never know who it is going to come from,” SMU coach Rick Noren said.

Miller liked the pitch she got from losing pitcher Cara Lukawesky.  “I fouled off the first pitch, but the second pitch was probably one of my favorite pitches right on the outside corner and I was able to drive it.  It felt good.”

“It was a classic battle,” Simon Fraser coach Mike Renney said.  “Both teams were in it to win it and on this day the best team won.”

And the best pitcher as well, though on this day she got two tries.

Munger, who had four of the Saints’ 10 hits to extend her hitting streak to 20 games equaling the second longest in GNAC history, was pulled by Noren in the third after hitting Trisha Bouchard to force in the go-ahead run, but re-entered two innings later and allowed just one hit over the final three frames to record her 22nd win.

“There was actually one (re-entry situation) earlier that I had forgotten about, but my wife (assistant coach Leanna Noren) had reminded me to watch for that. Sometimes the situation just comes together, and fortunately it did.”

Munger finished the game throwing six innings and giving up five hits.  She walked one and fanned four.

In addition to Munger and Miller, Pocklington also had a multi-hit game for the Saints, going two for four.  SFU catcher Kaitlyn Cameron and Bouchard, who had two RBI, had two hits each for the Clan.

Central Washington 3, Western Oregon 2

Maria Gau pitched a four-hitter and designated hitter Cassi Ellis drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh with a single in CWU's victory.

The Wildcats earlier had taken a 2-1 lead in the fourth scoring twice on a single by catcher Alexa Olague and an error.  Olague had three of CWU seven hits.

The Wolves, who scored in the third on a home run by center fielder Amanda Evola, pulled even in the sixth on a single by Danielle Harcourt.

Central, however, used a walk, sacrifice bunt by Remy Bradley and a  ground out to set up Ellis' game-winner.

Jourdan Williams (9-11) took the loss for Western Oregon, which finished its season with a record of 27-26, equaling its third most victories in the 12-year history of the conference.

Simon Fraser 2, Central Washington 0

Catcher Kaitlyn Cameron's two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth and stellar pitching from Cara Lukawesky and Kelsie Hawkins kept alive the Clan's NCAA post-season hopes.

Lukawesky and Hawkins combined to one-hit the Wildcats - a single by shortstop Andrea Hamada in the fourth.  Lukawesky pitched five innings, walking three and fanning six.  Hawkins retired all six batters she faced, striking out two, to earn her 16th win in 24 decisions.

SFU managed just three hits off CWU pitcher Maria Gau, a single by Cameron in the first and a single by Danielle Raison in the fourth prior to Cameron's game-winner.

“It was just a little bit up and a little in, a good pitch to hit," Cameon said.   "I had a good swing on it honestly didn’t think it was going to go over I was just running hard.”