BRAMPTON, Ont - For the third straight season, the Durham Lords claimed the OCAA women's softball crown after defeating the St. Clair Saint 9-0 in the second of two gold medal games after dropping the first game 4-2.
The Saints came into the game needing two straight wins over the defending champions after defeating the Mohawk Mountaineers in the bronze medal game.
Durham would start OCAA All-Star Ashley Black for game one while St. Clair would have Sara Stiller on the mound for the second consecutive game.
Black would hold the Saints to just one run until the top of the seventh inning where Megan Lumley launched a three-run homer in what could have been St. Clair's final at-bat of the season to put her team up 4-2 and force a winner take all Game 2.
Stiller would get the nod again for St. Clair in Game 2, looking for her third win on the day. Durham meanwhile would send Emily Hill to the bump for he second start of the championship after beating Humber in her first appearance.
The Lords got on the board first thanks to a two-run single by second baseman Jaime Clark scoring Melissa McKnight and Sarah Seifried in the top of the second inning.
The Durham offence would catch fire in the fourth, scoring five runs in the innings off OCAA Softball Pitcher of the Year Olivia Elliott after she entered the game in relief for Stiller.
The big blow in the inning came off the bat of Ashley Wallace as she blasted a three-run home run over the fence in left field, giving her two home runs and 10 RBIs at the championship.
Sabrina Stalteri and Seifried would both tack on one run each for the Lords in the fifth and sixth innings to push the lead to nine.
For Stalteri the single to left field would be her 11th hit of the championship and her fifth RBI.
Hill closed out her three-hit complete game in the seventh inning on a terrific leaping catch by shortstop McKnight giving the Lords the 2017 OCAA Women's Softball Championship presented by belairdirect.
Hill was named Player of the game for Durham while Madisyn Clark received Player of the Game for St. Clair.
Championship Awards
OCAA Championship MVP
Ashley Wallace, Durham
OCAA Championship All-Stars
Aimee Leduc, Mohawk
Megan Lumley, St.Clair
Jordan Taylor, St. Clair
Sabrina Stalteri, Durham
Emily Hill, Durham
Championship Results
Friday, October 20
Game 1: Durham 8, Humber 5
Game 2: St. Clair 10, Mohawk 0
Game 3: Mohawk 10, Humber 4
Game 4: Durham 11, St. Clair 0
Saturday, October 21
OCAA Bronze Medal Game
St. Clair 9, Mohawk 4
Mohawk awarded OCAA Bronze Medal
OCAA Gold Medal Game 1
St. Clair 4, Durham 2
OCAA Gold Medal Game 2
Durham 9, St. Clair 0
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/championships/soft/2017-18/index
Source: Humber College
- OCAA -
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