Women's Softball Open OCAA Season with Four Wins

Windsor, ON – The St. Clair College Women's Softball team collected four wins to open their 2022 OCAA season including a pair on Saturday in Hamilton and two victories on Sunday at the SportsPark campus diamond. 

Saturday's first win came over host Mohawk College in the morning by a 12-2 margin followed by a 17-2 defeat of Conestoga College (Kitchener) in the afternoon.  Rookie pitcher Mckenna Copley (Dover Centre, ON) collected the win over Mohawk as the starter but was helped by Rya Cowan (LaSalle, ON/Sandwich) in relief as the duo surrendered only two hits combined while striking out 9 batters.  Offensively the Saints battered 21 hits total with outfielder Tiana LaChance (South Woodslee, ON/Essex) leading the way in a 4 for 4 game while adding 3 runs scored.  Shortstop Shae-Lyn Murphy (Windsor, ON/Holy Names), outfielder Judy Lafleur (Essex, ON/Essex District), third basemen Bryanna Kressler (Kitchener, ON) and centerfielder Sierra Baltzer (LaSalle, ON/Sandwich) all had 3 hits apiece with Murphy driving in 4 runs. 

In the Conestoga win, the Saints needed just three innings to force the mercy as Claydon took the win on the pitching strip while adding a home run at the plate with 3 runs driven across the plate.  LaChance moved her consecutive hit streak on the season to 6 with a double and a single to go with 3 RBI's with teammate Kressler knocking in 6 runs with three hits including a pair of triples. 

In the home openers on Sunday St. Clair held their opponents scoreless with a 14-0 morning win over Lambton College (Sarnia) and finished off the day with an 11-0 victory over Fanshawe College (London) in the afternoon.  Baltzer and Claydon each clubbed a home run in the Lambton win with Baltzer collecting 4 RBI's on a 3-hit day.  Cowan earned her first pitching win of the season in short work over 3 innings. 

Copley carried a no-hit bid into the 5^th inning in the Fanshawe victory but settled for a shutout as the offense forced 2021 OCAA Pitcher of the Year out of the game after seven runs crossed the plate in the first four innings.  Kressler cleared the bases with a double as Claydon and Jacklyn Yewchyn (Windsor, ON/St. Thomas of Villanova) each notched a pair of hits and RBI's. 

The Saints take their OCAA leading 4-0 record on the road next weekend continuing their league schedule with doubleheaders at Humber College (Etobicoke) on Saturday and Sheridan College (Brampton) on Sunday.