Back-to-back cliffhangers didn't frazzle the nerves of the Coquitlam Classics midget B softball team on Sunday, as they held on to capture the District title and a berth to next month's provincial championships in Cloverdale.
Photograph by: Submitted photo , for Coquitlam NOW
Back-to-back cliffhangers didn't frazzle the nerves of the Coquitlam Classics midget B softball team on Sunday, as they held on to capture the District title and a berth to next month's provincial championships in Cloverdale.
The Classics clipped the Maple Ridge Rage 2-1 and 3-2 to complete a strong tournament.
In the double-knock out final series, Coquitlam grabbed the lead in the first inning when Kirstyn Yee, on base with a lead-off walk, scored on Jessica Mackinnon's base hit.
The teams then became locked into a pitching duel between the Classics' Alia Stachoski and the Rage's Jackie McCurrach. In the sixth inning, Coquitlam again struck, with Bridget de Jong heading home on Cassandra Andrade's single.
Ridge cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the sixth and had the tying run on third before Stachoski, who surrendered just three hits while fanning five on the day, got the final out on a ground out.
Gabi Trainor picked up a pair of singles, while the infield of shortstop Amanda Ollson, second baseman Madison Desjarlais and first baseman Mackinnon did a stellar job behind Stachoski.
In the second game, with the Rage needing a victory to force a deciding game, Coquitlam again took the lead when Mackinnon, aboard with a single, scored on Ollson's RBI hit.
At the top of the second inning, a Stachoski single was converted into a 2-0 lead when Ollson drove in pinchrunner Alanna Hofer with a triple. Ollson was then driven home by Megan Rempel's sacrifice fly.
Up 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Classics saw a desperate Ridge crew put up two runs and put the tying run on third with one out. Stachowski posted her eighth strikeout of the game for the second out. The next batter popped out to complete Coquitlam's district championship march.
The Classics are: Cassandra Andrade, Bridget de Jong, Madison Desjarlais, Alanna Hofer, Megan Luder, Jaimie McCorkindale, Jessica McKinnon, Amanda Ollson, Megan Rempel, Alia Stachoski, Gabi Trainor, Connie Xie and Kirsten Yee, and coaches Mike Hofer and Jeff Stachoski.
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