SUBMITTED PHOTO The under-12 Thunder softball team smiles at provincials in Edmonton this past weekend.
Medicine Hat News
The first of Medicine Hat’s softball teams took their shot at a provincial title this past weekend, coming up just short of the medal round.
The Thunder were in Edmonton for the under-12 D championships and went 2-2, including an absolutely wild opening game.
Julia Plouffe’s home run and Jordan Weisgerber’s ground rule double highlighted the Thunder attack, but the Nose Creek Chaos were equal to the task — at least for seven innings. Tied 12-12, an extra-inning tiebreaker saw Chaos score twice, but Medicine Hat persevered with Avery Weisgerber driving in the winning run in a 15-14 decision Friday.
On Saturday the Hat bats weren’t clicking, as the Thunder fell 19-3 to Bonnyville and 21-4 to West Valley. By the time their third — and final — game of the day rolled around, they were essentially already eliminated from playoff contention.
No matter, the Hat girls put up a decisive 20-7 win over the host High Park Flyers to finish the weekend 2-2. Only two teams in each of two eight-team pools advanced to Sunday’s semifinals.
Eight of the team’s 12 players are eligible to return to the same age division next year.
Under-14
The under-14 Thunder will head to Lacombe this weekend for C provincials, but tuned up with a couple exhibition games in Drumheller this past weekend.
Medicine Hat split the doubleheader, losing 11-10 before picking up a 16-8 win.
The loss featured a lot of walks from the Thunder pitchers and errors from the defence, as Drumheller only managed three hits. The team tightened up in the second game according to a press release.
Berlin Mastel struck out 15 batters in six innings, walking seven but only letting up two hits. Fellow hurdler Hailey Hudson struck out 11 and walked six in five innings, giving up six hits.
Hudson, Leah Mason and Ryan Harvey-Zenk all had four hits on the day, with Hudson knocking in five runs and Mason crossing the plate five times.
