MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- With the way things had gone for the Moose Jaw U15 A Ice this season, it seemed almost inevitable that this past weekend would be a coronation of sorts.
After putting together an incredible 43-9-1 record through tournament and league competition throughout the spring and summer, the Ice went into the Softball Sask provincial championships this weekend as prohibitive favourites.
And other than a close call in the quarter-final, they’d get the job done with flying colours.
The Ice went undefeated through the weekend in Prince Albert, eventually going on to an 8-1 victory over the Regina Fighting Saints to claim the provincial title.
As a result, the Ice will now be the top seed from Saskatchewan at the Softball Canada U15 Championship beginning Aug. 14 in Ile-Perrot, Que.
Moose Jaw made short work of their opponents throughout the round robin, winning by mercy rule in each of their three games. That included an 11-0 win over the Regina Royals Elite, 12-2 win over the Saskatoon Lasers and 10-2 win over the East Central Wolverines.
Then came their closest call of the weekend, and at a critical juncture -- the Ice eked out a 4-3 win over the Twin City Angels, where a loss would have seen them knocked from contention for a berth in Canadians.
The Ice didn’t leave anything to chance from there.
Moose Jaw made quick work of the White Butte Storm in the semifinal, taking a 12-3 win in five innings.
Every member of the Ice had at least a base hit in the game, lead by Avery Garthus with a 3-for-3 outing that included a pair of runs scored and four runs batted in. Callie Bell went 3-for-4 with three runs and a triple, while Tara Ball also went 3-for-4 with a three-bagger and a pair of runs. Charlize Hillmer had a pair of hits and knocked in three runs.
Garthus had a solid game in the circle, holding White Butte scoreless until the fifth inning, by which time Moose Jaw was up 12-0. She ended up allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out eight over her five innings of work.
That sent the Ice into the championship final against the Saints, and it was more of the same.
A four-run first and three-run second gave Moose Jaw a 7-1 lead through two, and with Taryn Friesen in the circle, things were all but academic from there. Friesen would hold Regina to a single run on seven hits over six innings, striking out five, as the Ice once again took a mercy-rule win.
Tara Bell paced the offence, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Garthus and Callie Bell each hit triples and knocked in a pair of runs, while Georgia Fowler was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Friesen 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Ice will be joined by the Saints and White Butte at Canadians after the Storm took an 18-7 win over the Regina Lazers in the bronze medal game. The Lazers, Twin City and Prince Albert Aces advance to Western Canadians in the Battlefords during the Aug. 2 weekend.
