The U19 Swift Current Sonic Girls Softball team came away with some hardware over the weekend in Regina, winning a silver medal at the Softball Saskatchewan U19 B Provincial Championships.
After one win and one loss in the round robin Saturday, the Sonic entered the Championship round Sunday needing a win in the semi-final against the Melfort Spirit to play for gold. Swift Current’s bats got going early and often with the Sonic erupting for 20 runs, forcing the game to be called after six innings. Veteran Aurora Van Wormer led the way on offence reaching base and scoring five times from the leadoff spot, while Rebecca Marshall hit two singles, a double, and a triple in the win.
Caitlin McGregor went three innings, striking out two and giving up eight runs, picking up the win on the mound, while Jenna Gronsdahl pitched the final three innings in relief giving up just two runs, striking out one.
That win pushed the Sonic on to the Provincial Championship Final against the Saskatoon Select.
The final saw Marshall taking to the mound against Saskatoon’s Jesse Peterman. The game was a hard fought battle with Saskatoon jumping out to an early 3-0 lead and the Selects strong defence, led by shortstop Amy Funk, kept that lead until Marshall helped her own cause getting on base with a walk before stealing second and being driven home on a double by Ava Geissler in the fifth inning.
With the Sonic trailing 4-1 in the sixth Inning, they finally broke through the Saskatoon defence, scoring three runs on the strength of a McGregor double and a single by Emily Gross tying the game 4-4 heading to the seventh and final inning.
After the Sonic were held off the score sheet in the top of the seventh, Saskatoon brought home the U19 B Provincial gold, scoring on a wild pitch with Alexis Gray on third base.
Swift Current’s Rebecca Marshall pitched five solid innings, striking out five batters and giving up four runs while Reagan Gooding had one strikeout in two innings of relief. Saskatoon’s Selena Fehr pitched in relief of Peterman in the second inning and took the win.
The silver medal marks the first time a U19 softball team from Swift Current has medaled at Provincials. It also brings to an end of the minor softball careers for catcher, Aurora Van Wormer and third baseman, Paris Appel. The two veteran players played every inning of the tournament in the field with Appel pounding a three-run home run over the fence in the opening game of the round robin while Van Wormer narrowly missed her own home run, hitting a massive shot over the wall that just sailed outside the left field foul pole in the semi-final.
