Beckwith brilliant as Spartans drop Vikings

Emily Beckwith made the best offensive and defensive plays of the game at Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex on Tuesday.

Her favourite play, however, was neither of them.

“My favourite play was when my sister caught the ball and I ran into her and we got a little hug over there in right centre,” Beckwith said of Hayley’s huge catch to help seal a 12-5 run-rule victory for the Spartans over the Vincent Massey Vikings.

“It was like a foot away, it was close to being over.”

Last year’s provincial finalist Vikings and the Spartans have split the Brandon High School Softball League season series. Since Crocus Plains is only participating in exhibition games this year, the two will meet again next Tuesday for the city title.

After the Vikings dominated the matchup for the past two years, Beckwith was ecstatic to earn a convincing win.

“It was really fun, it was nice to have our bats firing and our defence was really good too,” said Beckwith, who is committed to Dickinson State University in North Dakota.

“I was really proud because I feel our team for the past couple of years has been the underdog, so it’s nice to take that victory.”

Neelin let a few runners on base in the first inning, but pitcher Layla Desjardin recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.

The Spartans’ bats were hot from the start, with Katie Bell blasting a ground-rule double and Lila Oldcorn driving two in right after.

Elli Pomehichuk and Ella Kulchyski drove in two more to put Neelin up 5-0 through one.

The Vikings got a few back in the second as Olivia Wilson and Quincy Haggarty got their side going. Kasia Baranyk scored to cut the deficit to 5-3. It could, and probably should, have been more, but Beckwith chased down a short pop fly and made a fantastic sliding catch to end the inning.

Neelin went back to work as Beckwith nearly homered before Desjardin mashed a no-doubter to go back up 7-3.

The Vikings got two back in the third inning and kept it 7-5 as Brynna Andrew pitched a quiet bottom half in relief of Jayce Whiteside.

Neelin stayed up two after leaving a runner who was in scoring position with none out stranded at third.

In the bottom of the fourth, Beckwith unleashed a bomb to dead centre field, another two-run shot for Neelin, before Bell, Oldcorn and Desjardin piled on to lead 12-5.

From there, freshman Hayley Beckwith made her big leaping snag before Desjardin forced two groundouts to invoke the run rule.

The lefty pitcher finished with four strikeouts.

“She knew exactly where she needed to pitch it to, when she needed to,” Beckwith said. “She was really great just shutting it down.”

Only one team automatically qualifies for provincials out of Brandon, but the league finalist can typically apply for a wildcard.

It already feels safe to say both teams belong there.

“I think we’re both very strong teams who deserve to play at (provincials) and showcase our talents,” Beckwith said.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com