Red Sox come up just short
The Winchester Bantam Girls Red Sox finished 2018 season in second place as they looked to the Rural Ottawa Softball Association Championship on July 13 and 14, at the Lafortune Ball Diamond in Embrun. The Red Sox won their first two games to get a bye to the semi-final but could not get past Gloucester to move onto the final. Team members are: front from left, Emily Ryan, Alexis Sharpley, Reise Marriner, Megan Thompson and Ashley Wasylko-Fletcher. Back from left, Margot Guy, Mia Ziegler, Delaney Johnston, Sara Sloane, Amanda Shay, Alison Roach and coach, Kim Thompson. Absent from the photo were Adrianna VanBreugel, coach, Greg Thompson and coach, Chris Guy. Moore photo
Jeff Moore
Record Staff
EMBRUN — The Winchester Girls Bantam Red Sox travelled to the Rural Ottawa Softball Association Championship in Embrun this past weekend after finishing the regular season in second place to the Casselman Voltiguers. The Red Sox took on The Greely Hawks and Vars Vipers on Friday night and played Gloucester in the semi-final on Saturday.
Gloucester 24 Red Sox 23: The Winchester Girls Bantam Red Sox were the visitors after a coin toss as they played Gloucester in the semifinal of the Rural Ottawa Softball Association Championship on Sat., July 14, at the Lafortune Ball Diamond in Embrun. The Red Sox were coming off two victories the previous night and looked to go to the championship game with a win.
Gloucester had to win a quarter-final game to qualify so the rested Red Sox had a chance. The Red Sox bats remained hot scoring four runs to open the game but Gloucester matched that in the bottom of the first inning.
The Red Sox notched three more runs in the top of the second inning but again Gloucester answered with four, taking an 8-7 lead. The Red Sox began to sputter a bit scoring two runs in the top of the third but Gloucester showed no signs of slowing down counting another four runs in the bottom of the third making it 12-9.
The Red Sox fell asleep in the top of the fourth inning just getting four batters to the dish with none of them able to score. Gloucester scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 15-9 game.
The Red Sox woke up in the top of the fifth inning scoring three runs but Gloucester showed no mercy scoring four more in the bottom of the fifth taking a 19-12 lead. In the Red Sox’ last at bat there was no maximum runs so they opened the floodgate scoring 11 runs taking the lead 23-19 with a chance to make a trip to the final on the line.
The Red Sox defence laid them down as they gave up five runs in the bottom of the sixth dropping the game 24-23. With the loss, the Red Sox’ season drew to a close after winning the championship for the past three years. Scoring the runs for the Red Sox were Sara Sloan with five, Amanda Shay, Mia Ziegler and Ashley Wasylco-Fletcher all with four, Margot Guy scored three, Alexis Sharpley scored a pair and Reise Marriner scored a single.
Red Sox 17 Vars 11: In their second game on Fri., July 13, the Winchester Girls Bantam Red Sox were the visitors to the Vars Vipers. The Red Sox were coming off a close 15-14 win over the Greely Hawks and were looking to go two for two and leap frog into the semi-final with a win and with a loss they would have to play in a quarter-final.
The Red Sox were quick out of the gate in this game scoring three runs in the top of the first inning but the Vipers answered with three runs in the bottom of the first tying the game at three.
The Red Sox added another three runs in the top of the second inning taking a 6-3 lead. The Vipers scored a single in the bottom of the second to get to within two. The Red Sox’ bats remained on fire scoring the maximum four runs in the top of the third inning taking a 10-4 lead but the Vipers were having none of it and answered with four runs in the bottom of the third to get back to within two.
The Red Sox’ offence was a force scoring four more in the top of the fourth inning to which the Vipers could only muster a single to make it 14-9 for the Red Sox. The Red Sox scored a pair in the top of the fifth inning and Vars added a single and trailed 16-10.
Both teams added singles in the sixth inning as the Red Sox took the game 17-11. With the win, the Red Sox moved right into the semi-final on Sat., July 14.
Scoring the runs for the Red Sox were Delaney Johnston with four, Alexis Sharpley, Sara Sloan, Margot Guy, Mia Ziegler and Ashley Wasylco-Fletcher with a pair each and Alison Roach, Reise Marriner and Emily Ryan scored singles.
Red Sox 15 Hawks 14: The Winchester Girls Bantam Red Sox travelled to the Rural Ottawa Softball Association Championship tournament on Fri., July 13, to the Lafortune Ball Diamond in Embrun and took on the Greely Hawks in their tournament opener. The Red Sox got the early jump scoring three runs in the top of the first taking a 3-0 lead and held the Hawks off the scoresheet in the bottom of the first.
After the Red Sox failed to score in the top of the second, the Hawks scored a pair in the bottom of the second making it 3-2. The Red Sox added another three runs in the top of the third but the Hawks countered with four runs tying the game at six in the bottom of the inning.
The Red Sox scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning but the Hawks answered with four tying the game at 10. The Red Sox made it 13-10 after scoring three in the top of the fifth inning but the pesky Hawks wouldn’t give up scoring three runs of their own to tie the game at 13.
The Red Sox scored two in the top of the sixth inning taking a 15-13 lead heading into the Hawks’ last at bat. The Hawks managed to score a single in the bottom of the sixth but fell short as the Red Sox opened their tournament with a 15-14 win.
Scoring the runs for the Red Sox were Alison Roach with four runs, Ashley Wasylko-Fletcher, Margot Guy, Amanda Shay and Alexis Sharpley with a pair each and Mia Ziegler, Reise Mariner, and Sara Sloan all scored singles.
