Trojans heading to provincials

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2017 (2526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Vincent Massey Vikings had only allowed 14 runs in five fastpitch games — all wins —this season.

But the Brandon High School Girls’ Fastpitch League champions allowed nearly that many in the first four innings of Tuesday afternoon’s interzone contest against the visiting Major Pratt Trojans, falling 10-9.

A wild pitch in the top of the fourth inning by Sydney Cobbe that allowed Laura Zimmer to score from third base proved to be the difference as Major Pratt earned an automatic berth at the provincial championship in Steinbach on June 2 and 3.

Massey, which finished fourth at provincials each of the last two years, has applied for a wildcard berth and is expected to find out its fate later this week.

Hailey Rubeniuk, who pitched the first four innings for the Russell-based Trojans, picked up the win despite allowing all nine Massey runs. She also garnered the save, coming in for Melissa Bezan, after Bezan pitched two scoreless innings, in the bottom of the seventh.

“The past two years that I’ve played high school ball I’ve never had a chance to go to provincials,” the 16-year-old Rubeniuk said. “We came here two years ago and we lost against Massey and then last year we got beaten in our zone.

“This year is pretty exciting.”

The Trojans opened the game with three runs in the top half of the first, with Rubeniuk, Anna Garnett and Zimmer each coming around to score.

Massey head coach Christine Curtis said Major Pratt’s quick start caught her players a bit by surprise, considering they hadn’t been in a close game all season.

“The fact that you only play the other high schools here (in Brandon) and just to have that opportunity to see somebody new is a little nerve-racking in itself so I think nerves played a little part in there at the beginning,” she said.

The Vikings countered with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Ainsley Nelson drove in Hailey Curtis with a single.

An RBI single by Karissa Cullum and a throwing error that followed allowed Garnett to score for the second time in as many innings. Before the top of the second ended, Zimmer drove in Cullum on a double to make it 6-1 Major Pratt.

The Vikings again cut into the Trojans’ lead in the bottom half of the inning when Curtis’s RBI single plated Josie Grift. Nelson then singled home Curtis, who stole second base just before.

But the Trojans got another run on the board in the top of the third when Brandon University Bobcats women’s volleyball commit Karissa Zimmer blasted a Cobbe pitch over the head of right fielder McKenna Penner for a solo home run that made it 7-3.

Massey closed the gap to 7-6 in the bottom half as Taryn Gwynne hit a leadoff homer before Penner hit a two-run single with the bases loaded that brought home Brooke Schoonbaert and Cobbe.

An error by centre fielder Savannah Richardson to begin the top of the fourth proved costly as Major Pratt tallied three unearned runs.

It could have been worse but a base-running gaffe on a passed ball resulted in a double play.

Another outfield error, this time by Major Pratt’s Emily Welscher in left field on a fly ball off the bat of Kaitlyn Slator, brought the Vikings to within three at 10-7 in the bottom of the fourth.

A two-run home run to right field by Schoonbaert trimmed Massey’s deficit to 10-9.

Both teams had opportunities to tack on runs in the final three innings but none was better than Massey’s chance in the bottom of the sixth.

With Gywnne at third base with one out, Schoonbaert blasted a ball toward Rubeniuk, who was in centre field. Thinking the ball was going to land, Christine Curtis sent Gwynne home.

Instead, Rubeniuk made the play and doubled up Gwynne when a simple sacrifice fly would have tied the game.

“Brooke’s hit was huge to centre field.” Curtis said, admitting to her team after that it was her mistake. “I’m thinking from my perspective it’s falling in so I sent my runner home but obviously the fielder came up with an awesome catch and we’re calling back our runner and she didn’t make it back in time.

“It was an on-the-money throw to third to get the double play.”

The Vikings had one more chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh with Grift on third and two out, but Rubeniuk got Nelson to pop out to Garnett between first and second base.

“I had my second pitcher (Bezan) go in there, which switched up the speeds, and then I threw my starter back in to see how it would work out and we did it,” Major Pratt head coach Suzy Paradine said.

“I really have that faith in her on the mound and she knows that and she’s just got it for her team and herself,” Paradine continued about Rubeniuk. “She likes being the one to finish.”

» nliewicki@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @liewicks