Colonel Gray Colonels pitcher Sydney Halliwell delivers a pitch against the Three Oaks Axewomen on Thursday afternoon. The two teams met in the P.E.I. School Athletic Association Senior Girls Softball League’s gold-medal game in Kensington. The Colonels won the game 9-1.
©Jason Simmonds/Journal Pioneer
KENSINGTON – The Colonel Gray Colonels capped another undefeated season in convincing style Thursday.
The Charlottetown-based Colonels posted two seven-run rule wins in five innings to win their third straight P.E.I. School Athletic Association Senior Girls Softball League championship. The Colonels began the day with an 8-0 victory over the Westisle Wolverines in one semifinal, and then topped Summerside’s Three Oaks Axewomen 9-1 in the gold-medal game. The provincial championship games were played on the diamonds behind Community Gardens.
“We didn’t see Three Oaks all year,” said Colonels coach Gordie Cox. “They are a strong team and well coached.”
Axewomen coach Greg Ellis called it a “huge” accomplishment qualifying for the championship game.
“I don’t know the last time our group has medalled actually,” said Ellis just moments after his players were presented with silver medals. “Gray had an unbelievable season.”
Three Oaks, which entered the final also undefeated, advanced to the title match with a 6-2 semifinal win over the Bluefield Bobcats. Westisle then outscored Bluefield 9-6 in the bronze-medal game.
“We had a lot of big games down the stretch,” said Ellis. “To beat Bluefield, another great team we had a couple of good battles with this year, was huge for us.”
Big inning
The turning point of the final came in the third inning, when the Colonels erupted for five runs to open up a 6-1 lead.
“We had one big inning, and that just broke it all open,” said Cox. “The girls are just pure hitters. They are opportunists, they work hard.”
Winning pitcher Sydney Halliwell tossed a four-hitter and helped her own cause offensively with a perfect 3-for-3 batting summary, which included a triple.
“Sydney Halliwell is a Canada Games pitcher, and one of the best in Atlantic Canada,” said Cox.
Kaelyn White (2-3, double), Sarah Murphy (2-3, double) and Amanda MacBain (2-4) also swung hot bats for Gray, which last lost a PEISAA game 2 ½ years ago.
Tegan Corkum (2-2, double) was the leading batter for the Axewomen.
Caeleigh MacDonald, who earned the pitching win against Bluefield, took the loss for Three Oaks.
“I don’t know the last time our group has medalled actually. Gray had an unbelievable season.” – Three Oaks coach Greg Ellis
