HAMILTON, Ont. - The Mohawk women's softball team will see its fight for a berth in the OCAA championship go down to the wire.
The Mountaineers lost both ends of a twin bill with the Durham Lords on Tuesday while the Conestoga Condors split a pair of games with Fanshawe, leaving Mohawk one game ahead of Conestoga with both teams having two games left in the regular schedule.
Durham, which has won eight in a row, broke open a close game with four sixth inning runs in an 8-3 decision in Game 1 at Mohawk Sports Park.
A three-run double by Nicole Mancini was the key blow for the Lords in the opener. Mancini also had a run scoring single, giving her four RBIs.
Melissa McKnight drove in two runs for Durham, while Ashley Black and Cassidy Scott each knocked in runs.
For Mohawk, Sarah Bell had an RBI triple, Emma Nordoff delivered a run-scoring single and Shanien O'Neill had an RBI single.
Emily Hill was the winning pitcher for Durham. Aimee Leduc absorbed the loss.
In Game 2, Durham scored in every inning, including five runs in the sixth frame, which turned out to be the last inning of the game, in a 15-1 pasting of the home side.
Mancini, Scott, Hill and McKnight each drove in two runs in the nightcap. Emily Glendinning, Ashley Wallace, and Sarah Seifried each singled in runs, two more scored on wild pitches and two on groundouts.
For the Mountaineers, Leduc singled in Bell, who had tripled, but it was their only run.
Glendinning was the winning hurler. Leduc lost. Andie Bomberry came on in relief to start the fourth inning.
It was a tough night for Leduc, who played her last home game in her fifth and final year of college eligibility. On top of that, it was her birthday and her teammates sang 'Happy Birthday' to her after the second game was over.
But Leduc and her mates have at least two games remaining. Mohawk, now 10-12, visit Humber on Sunday, Oct. 15.
Conestoga, who beat Fanshawe 11-5, but also lost to the Falcons 6-3, are now 9-13 and will also finish the regular season at Humber on Saturday, Oct. 14.
Source: Mohawk College