MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Ice reached the medal round at the Softball Canada U19 national championship in Saskatoon but saw their stellar season come to an end after falling to Fraser Valley in their first playoff game on Saturday afternoon.
After going 1-2 in their first three games, the Ice proceeded to pick up back-to-back wins with a 5-4 victory over B.C.’s Cloverdale Fury on Thursday evening and 3-0 win over Ontario’s Vaughan Vikings Friday morning. They then wrapped up their preliminary round with a 16-1 loss to the Fraser Valley Fusion on Friday afternoon, but their 3-3 record and fourth-place finish in the Black Pool was enough to advance to the championship round.
There, they’d rematch the Fusion and see their season come to an end with a 7-0 loss.
Moose Jaw 5, Cloverdale 4
Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh and down to their final strike, the Ice put together a last-chance rally for the ages with three runs to secure what would turn out to be a crucial win.
The rally culminated when Brooklyn Miller hit a bases-loaded single to bring home Rayelle Cooley with the game-winning run.
Moose Jaw led 1-0 after the first inning when B.C. put up runs in three-straight frames to build a 4-1 lead heading into the fifth. The Ice got one back there, setting up their miracle comeback.
Cooley finished the game with three runs scored while Alexa Edmands, Macy Litzenberger and Grace Blanchard each had 2-for-3 games at the plate.
Katie Newberry started in the circle and gave up four runs, two earned on seven hits over five innings, striking out six. Ava Unser pitched the final two innings and gave up a hit, striking out five.
Moose Jaw 3, Vaughan 0
A two-hit performance from Newberry and shut-out showing in relief from Unser led the Ice to their shutout win.
Newberry started and went five innings, striking out three and walking a pair before Unser tossed the final two frames and shut down Vaughan the rest of the way, giving up two walks and striking out four.
At the plate, Raegan Walter was the definitive hero of the game, hitting a solo home run in the fourth and then hammering a two run shot that also scored Cooley in the sixth, providing the Ice with all the offence they’d need.
The Ice had four hits total in the game, with Makena Simmons going 2-for-3 with their other two hits.
Fraser Valley 16, Moose Jaw 1
As well as things had gone earlier in the day, they were equally as tough in the nightcap against the Fusion.
Things were actually relatively close through four innings, with the Fusion holding a 6-1 lead. That all changed in the sixth whe Fraser Valley sent 14 batters to the plate, taking advantage of five walks and seven base hits to put up 10 runs and invoke the mercy rule.
Unser started and allowed four runs on three hits while walking six in 1 ⅓ before Kate Zukewich took over and surrendered six runs on three hits and three walks in 3 ⅔. Jamison Langlois finished things off, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks.
Miller scored the lone run for the ice in the first inning, with Edmands picking up both of Moose Jaw’s hits in the game.
Lauren Lugtigheid led the Fusion at the plate with a 3-for-5 game that included three runs scored and five RBI.
Fraser Valley 7, Moose Jaw 0
While there wasn’t a big inning that resulted in a lospsided score, the Ice were unable to rebound in their playoff opener, falling behind 2-0 in the first and trailing 3-0 through before the Fusion scored four in the fifth to invoke the mercy rule.
Litzenberger had two of Moose Jaw’s four hits, with Cooley and Simmons picking up their other knocks.
Unser got the start and allowed six runs, three earned, on four hits and three walks over 4 ⅓. Zukewich finished things off, allowing a run on three hits in the fifth.
As she did in the previous game, Jordyn Ruppel picked up the win for Fraser Valley, giving up four hits and striking out five in her four innings of work.
