May 25, 2010

DECATUR, Ala. - Simon Fraser (B.C.) (26-14) defeated Shorter (Ga.) 1-0 in the second round of double-elimination play of the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championship Tuesday at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex. The Clan will move on in to face Oklahoma City in a semifinal game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CDT, while the Hawks (51-15) fall to the losers' bracket and will face California Baptist in an elimination game Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

Reliever Myriam Poirier (7-5) took the win for Simon Fraser, throwing four innings on the mound and allowing just two hits with five walks and two strikeouts. She came in to pitch for Jennifer Van Egdom, who went three innings in the circle and allowed four hits on one walk with two strikeouts. Libby Munson suffered the loss for Shorter, throwing all seven frames and allowing one earned run on seven hits. Munson issued three walks and fanned four batters, as she fell to 29-6 on the season.

Both teams went six scoreless rounds, leaving runners on base in all but one inning each.

In the top of the seventh, the Clan got the offense going as Jessie Harris hit a one-out infield single. With two down, Kelsey Haberl was hit by a pitch and Harris moved to second. Carly Lepoutre entered to pinch run for Haberl. Carly Moir was pegged by a Munson pitch to load the bases and Leah Riske singled past the shortstop to advance the runners and score Harris. One run would be all that Simon Fraser could get in the inning, as Brittany Mayers struck out for out number three.

Shorter came back and threatened in the bottom of the frame, beginning with a two-out walk that was issued to Elisabeth Barber. Anna Durham entered to run for Barber, as Kara Pollock singled past the second baseman to send Durham to second. Kayla Lewis came on to run for Pollock and on a Poirier wild pitch, both Durham and Lewis advanced 60 feet. With the tying run on third and the winning run on second for the Hawks, Emily Clements popped out to end the game and give Simon Fraser the 1-0 win.