WINDSOR, Ont. - The St. Clair College Saints won their second Canadian Collegiate Softball Association national title with a convincing 9-0 victory over the Western University Mustangs Sunday afternoon at the campus SportsPark Diamond.
In the gold medal game, the teams played scoreless for two innings before St. Clair scored three runs in the third with Championship All-Star selection Amy Claydon (Cambridge) singling home fellow All-Star Sierra Baltzer (LaSalle) to open the scoring. Catcher Emily Erskine (Brampton) doubled to drive in Judy Lafleur (Essex) along with Bryanna Kressler (Kitchener) to make it 3-0.
The Saints added two more runs in the fifth for a 5-0 advantage when Kressler carried the left field fence with a two-run homer. St. Clair put the game out of reach with four more runs in the sixth on a two-RBI single by Baltzer, a triple by Saints Player of the Game Kressler which was followed by a Jacklyn Yewchyn (Windsor) RBI single that completed the scoring. To preserve the mercy shortened win St. Clair needed only a clean sheet in the bottom of the sixth by starting pitcher Kressler who obliged by sitting the Mustangs down in order.
For her efforts Kressler was named the Championship MVP along with the Tournament Top Pitcher selection which included a nine-strikeout shutout performance in the final game while surrendering just three hits with no walks but was equally impressive at the plate where she fell just a double short of the cycle with three RBI. Lee Miranda (London) was named Western's Player of the Game after notching one of her team's three hits in the contest.
Earlier in the morning the University of British Columbia Okanagan claimed the bronze medal defeating the Durham College Lords 7-0 with starting pitcher and Championship All-Star Mikhaela Muir (Okotoks, Alta.) surrendering just one hit over six innings to go with five strikeouts. Shortstop Sheyanne Lawrence (Kelowna, B.C.) had two hits including a triple and an RBI to earn UBCO Player of the Game honours. Durham right fielder Abi Suffel (Whitby) capped a fine tournament for her team's Player of the Game Award.
Final Placings
Gold Medal - St. Clair College Saints (5-0)
Silver Medal - Western University Mustangs (4-1)
Bronze Medal - University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat (4-2)
4th Place - Durham College Lords (2-4)
5th-6th Place - University of Calgary Dinos (2-2)
5th-6th Place - Humber College Hawks (1-3)
7th Place - University of Ottawa (1-3)
8th Place - University of Toronto (0-4)
Championship All-Star Team Selections
Bryanna Kressler (St. Clair) - MVP & Top Pitcher
Amy Claydon (St. Clair)
Sierra Baltzer (St. Clair)
Aimee Leduc (Western)
Megan Hamilton (Western)
Kasey Wright (UBCO)
Mikhaela Muir (UBCO)
Grace Hearns (Durham)
Alexis Ferreira (Humber)
Emma Stephens (Calgary)
Source: St. Clair Saints