MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It was a bit of the good and a bit of the bad for the Moose Jaw Ice through their first two games at the U13 Western Canadian Softball Championship in Brandon.
The Ice got off to a great start with a 10-0 win over the B.C.’s Tri-City Titans on Thursday morning before dropping an 8-1 decision to the B.C.’s Ridge Meadows Pride on Thursday afternoon, giving the local squad a 1-1 record after the first day of competition.
The Western Canadian U13 tournament is being played for the first time in the Wheat City, featuring nine teams from Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.
Moose Jaw 10, Tri-City 0
Things didn’t take long in the opening game for the Ice, as they scored one in the first, four in the second and five more in the third to invoke the mercy rule after three innings.
Evelyn Stokes led the way for Moose Jaw at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, triple and four runs batted in. Riley Ziffle took advantage of two walks and a hit to score three runs, while Kamdyn Chute crossed the plate twice. Ava Waldenberger-Evans had hits in both of her trips to the plate and scored a run.
Lily Kwasnicki started in the circle and turned in a solid performance, allowing a single hit and striking out eight over the four innings.
Lead-off hitter Karis Fulmer had the lone hit for Tri-City and was one of only four baserunners they had in the game.
Scarlett Irving was the starting pitcher for the Titans and allowed five runs on five hits in two innings, Zoe Malcolm gave up two hits in an inning of relief.
Ridge Meadows 8, Moose Jaw 1
The two teams ended up in a pitching duel early, as both Moose Jaw starter Ziffle and Ridge Meadows’ Rylee Christie held the opposition scoreless through the first two innings.
The Pride got things going off reliever Kaleigh Winslow in the third, though, scoring three runs in the inning and adding another two in the fourth. Ziffle returned to the mound in the fifth but was unable to shut Ridge Meadows down, with the Pride putting up another three runs to invoke the mercy rule.
All told, Ziffle would allow three runs on four hits over 2 ⅔, Winslow five runs on six hits over two innings.
Moose Jaw scored their lone run in the fifth when Chloe Beliveau hit a lead-off single and eventually came around to score on a base hit by Ziffle.
Christie ended up allowing only two hits over four innings of work while striking out nine to earn the win; Maddy Domaas pitched the fifth and gave up the lone Moose Jaw run.
Devyn Botero led the Ridge Meadows offence with a 3-for-4 game that included a pair of runs scored and two runs batted in.
Round robin play for the Ice continues Friday against B.C’s Langley XTreme and Manitoba’s Interlake Phillies before wrapping up Saturday against Manitoba’s Eastman Wildcats and the host Westman Magic.
The top four teams after tiebreakers advance to the semifinals Sunday morning, with the gold medal game Sunday afternoon.
