The Saugeen Shores U17 Sting and their 12 players, Head Coach Michelle McNabb, and Assistant Coaches Darryl McKinnon and Shawn Detzler, travelled to Stratford this past weekend to play in the PWSA Provincial Grand Championships.  The team, that is made up with players from Clifford, Mildmay, Port Elgin and Hepworth, competed in a 46 team tournament to determine this year’s Ontario T2 softball champions while playing for a birth to represent Ontario at the Eastern Canadian Softball Championship to be held in Fredericton, New Brunswick August 20th to 23rd.
After competing Pool Play Saturday morning, the Sting Team lead by pitchers Helena Detzler, Peyton Myatt and Raelyn Huber took a 3-0 record only allowing 5 runs over 3 games, ranking them 3rd out of 46 teams and pushing the team into the top division of the Ontario Championships with 13 of the best in the province. The three wins saw the ladies defeat Alvinston 17-2, Barrie 12-1 and UTM Morriston 12-2.
On Saturday afternoon, the team took on a tough opponent in Huron Perth in the tournament’s first elimination game in the round of 16. Thanks to some timely defence by Centre Fielder Chloe McKinnon, timely hitting by Gwen Doherty and Celia Detzler with two hits a piece, Raelyn Huber driving in runs when it counted with 5 RBis, and a close out performance by pitcher Peyton Myatt who only allowed 1 hit over the final four innings, the Sting eliminated the Nationals with a resounding 10-4 win moving the team to the round of 8.
Sunday morning the team took on the Mississauga North Tigers for the right to get to the semi-finals and the girls came out hot and strong with the bats from the first inning on, led by three hit outings by both Brooke Lamont and Ella Huber while Madeline Thede saw her second out of the park home run land beyond the 199 foot fence! Helena Detzler pitched an absolute gem throwing a four-hitter, striking out seven. With a resounding 12-2 win the Sting marched into the Semi Finals!
Their toughest opponent, Napanee Express, was waiting in the on deck circle in the semi-final where a win would clinch a birth to the Eastern Canadian Softball Championships. The ball was handed to Peyton Myatt in the circle, who came out strong striking out 7 over 4 and 2/3 innings. Timely hitting by Gwen Doherty and Brooke Lamont, who drove in 2 each, and Claire Parker, who drove in a timely run in the 4th inning, gave the Sting a 7-4 lead heading into the 5th. After a two-run home run with 2 out by Napanee in the 5th that brought the game to a 7-6 score, Helena Detzler was given the task to bring it home for the Sting to get the last 4 outs. And with a pop up caught by Ella Huber in the 6th, the Sting clinched their first ever birth to Eastern Championships with a 7-6 victory over Napanee!
The PWSA Provincial Championship Gold Medal Game was the final piece of the weekend where the Sting moved on to play the Haldimand Heat who also clinched their birth thanks to a win over Woodstock. Haldimand brought their bats to the table in the final accumulating 12 hits.  The Sting didn’t give up finding 10 hits of their own including timely hits from Gracie Bye, Avery Ullman and Claire Parker which saw the Sting score 10 runs. In the end however, with a final score of 11-10, the Sting came up short walking away with Provincial Silver Medals.
A weekend to remember that saw this resilient team of young ladies elevate to the top of the softball scene in Ontario had concluded, but what lies ahead August 20th to 23rd in Fredericton, New Brunswick will now see the girls take on the best teams from Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and Ontario in a 12 team Eastern Canadian Championship tournament.
As part of this amazing opportunity for the girls, we are embarking on fundraising to help them get to Easterns! Â We ask for your consideration to help this team as they head to the Eastern Canadian Championships to represent Ontario, but more importantly our amazing community here in Saugeen Shores.
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The teamwill be fundraising for this amazing experience from the end of July through until their departure in the middle of August and we ask local residents and businesses for their support by donating to their fundraising efforts.
