Sunday, February 26, 2012

Cara Lukawesky won both games as Simon Fraser swept a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from Western Washington 11-1 and 7-5 Saturday at Beedie Field in Burnaby.

The victories were No. 499 and 500 for Clan head coach Mike Renney, who has a record of 500-188 in 18 seasons.

Meanwhile in Selah, Carrina Wagner drove in six runs with a pair of home runs as Central Washington defeated Western Oregon 8-4 in the opening game of a GNAC twinbill at Carlon Park.

The Wolves bounced back to win the second game 7-1 as Hannah Pomeroy tossed a five-hitter.

Cara Lukawesky tossed a two-hitter in Simon Fraser's first game five-inning victory.

The Clan offense produced 11 runs on 14 hits including three by shortstop Leah Riske and right fielder Sammie Olexa and two each by Carly Lepoutre and Trisha Bouchard.

Olexa and Bouchard each drove in three runs and Riske had two RBI and all three hit home runs during a six-run third. Olexa's was a solo shot and Bouchard and Riske's each came with one on base.

Amanda Flores singled to drive in WWU's only run in the fifth as Lukawesky walked two and fanned four in the win.

In the second game, Lukawesky came into the game after the Vikings had rallied from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game at 5-5 in the sixth on a three-run double by Jessica Carey. Earlier in the inning Melissa Becker had a run-scoring single.

Lukawesky allowed two hits over the final 1 2/3 innings and got her fifth win in five decisions when catcher Brittany Ribeiro hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to snap the 5-5 tie.

Ribeiro had three hits, including a pair of doubles. Her first double drove in a run in the third. She then led off the fifth with a double to key a two-run frame.

Kelsey Haberl and Rosie Murphy also had two hits for SFU, while Krista Becker and Jackie Rothenberger had two each for Western Washington.

At Selah, Wagner gave Central Washington a 2-0 lead in the first inning in its win with a two-run blast, then capped off a six-run fourth, extending her team's lead to 8-1 with a grand slam.

Western Oregon got one run back in the fifth on a home run by Danielle Harcourt and two in the seventh on a home run by Ashley Cashin and a single by Andrea Bailey to cut the final margin to four.

CWU's Maria Gau went the distance, scattering 10 hits to even her record at 3-3. Gau walked one and fanned eight.

In addition to Wagner, CWU also got two hits from Breanna Thomas. Bailey and Amanda Evola led WOU with two hits. Evola homered for WOU's first run in the fourth.

Pomeroy took a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning of the nightcap before the Wildcats got their lone run. With two out, Liz Jusko walked and Natasha Wood doubled. Pinch-runner Kori Butterfield then scored on an error.

Andrea Bailey led a 10-hit attack for the Wolves with three, while Evola had two safeties. Bailey and Evola each homered in the third to give WOU an early 3-0 lead.