The Women’s Softball competition started on a scorching day at Southward Community Park in Grimsby, Ont. with the four-time defending champions Team BC and 2017 silver medallist Team Alberta opening the tournament with a pair of wins on Day 1.
British Columbia 7 vs. Prince Edward Island 0
After two scoreless innings, Team BC opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the third highlighted by a pair of run-scoring singles by Camryn Milley and Ella Herrewig. Erin Murphy lined an RBI single for BC in the fourth, with Madelyn McKinnon delivering a two-run single in the fifth. An RBI triple to left by Cassidy Affeldt ended the game after five innings on the run-ahead rule. Kierra Fournier earned the win in the circle for Team BC allowing three hits and striking out six batters, while Ally Hustler singled twice for Team PEI with Andrea Caron taking the loss in the pitcher’s circle.
New Brunswick 6 vs. Newfoundland & Labrador 1
The pitching matchup between Team New Brunswick’s Michaela Vincent and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Jordyn Rose was a great one as neither team was able to score over the first four and a half innings. Team NB got on the board first in the bottom of the fifth when Hannah Fortin singled, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground out. The following inning, NB scored a run on an error, added two more on a triple by Fortin and another two on a pair of walks with the bases loaded to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Rose doubled in the seventh for Team NL and scored on a single by Hannah Healey but that was as close as they would get.
Alberta 5 vs. Quebec 1
In a key matchup in Pool B, the game was scoreless through three innings before Emily Watters singled in a run for Alberta with a second run scoring on an error. The score remained 2-0 until the top of the sixth when Team Alberta loaded the bases before Torrence Clelland delivered a base-clearing double. Quebec’s run came on a single by Laurianne Lecavalier in the bottom of the seventh. Watters delivered in the pitcher’s circle as well, limiting Quebec to four hits with nine strikeouts in the complete game win. Emma Duncan took the loss in the circle for Quebec.
Saskatchewan 7 vs. Nova Scotia 0
Team Saskatchewan scored in each of the game’s five innings for a shutout win over Nova Scotia on the run rule behind a combined no-hitter by Erin Kirkland and Katie Newberry. In the bottom of the first, Makena Simmons tripled and scored on a double by Kristen Davyduke, while Raegan Walter hit an RBI single in the second. Team Sask added three runs in the third when Olivia Woytiuk led off with a triple, followed by back-to-back doubles by Davyduke and Kiana Mulner before Jorde Chartrand drove in another with a single. Takoda Morris contributed with a run-scoring single in the fourth with Grace Pollon leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double and scoring on a single by Taryn Moehler to end the game. Kirkland and Newberry combined to issue one walk and hit one batter, striking out six.
Ontario 14 vs. New Brunswick 0
Ontario got their tournament started on the right foot in front of a solid afternoon crowd, putting up six runs in the bottom of the first and adding another eight in the third for the four-inning run rule win. Amy Hughes drove in the first run of the game with a single and Ontario tacked two more on an error and three more on singles by Cadence Dobranski and Laura Winters. Team Ontario loaded the bases quickly in the third before Kait Achtermaier hit a two-run single, later followed by a hit by pitch and a walk with the bases loaded before two more two-run singles by Kaitlyn Kim and Sierra Baltzer.
British Columbia 5 vs. Manitoba 0
Team BC scored four of their five runs in the bottom of the third inning, with two of them coming on errors, and the others on a run-scoring double to center by Ella Herrewig and an RBI single by Abby McGlynn. Herrewig later led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Madelyn McKinnon. Team Manitoba was able to put runners on base in six of the seven innings but was unable to move them in to score, leaving eight runners stranded. Morgan Reimer fired the complete game shutout for Team BC, allowing only four hits and striking out ten batters.
Alberta 15 vs. Newfoundland & Labrador 0
Alberta’s bats were on fire this game as they scored five runs in each of the game’s three innings for the run rule victory. In the bottom of the first, Gabriela Coderre and Mackenzie Beaudoin each hit two-run singles with the fifth run scoring on a bases loaded walk. The following inning, Avery Terpsma hit an RBI triple later followed by a two-run triple by Emily Greenfield and a two-run single by Katelyn Jeglum. Alberta capped off the scoring with RBI singles by Emily Watters and Jeglum, a sacrifice fly by Greenfield and a two-run single by Coderre. Rayna Cruickshanks and Darby DeRuyter combined to allow one hit and strike out six batters in three innings.
All ten teams will return to the field on Day 2 with seven games scheduled on Monday. To view unofficial results and standings, go to www.softball.ca/canadagames/niagara2022. Official results can be seen on Gems.Pro.
