Tigers bounce back to clinch quarterfinal spot
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2022 (1371 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The opening day of the 2022 Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association softball provincials was an interesting one for the Neepawa Tigers.
As they were driving past the Corral Centre on their way to the Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex, the team found out that its morning game in Pool 4 against the Helen Betty Osborne Huskies had been cancelled after the team from Norway House had to withdraw from the tournament.
Following a longer than expected wait, the Tigers took to the diamond at 2 p.m. and dropped a 10-0 decision to the hosts Neelin Spartans to determine who would earn a bye to the quarterfinal round.
With their season on the line, the Tigers turned in an impressive performance from top-to-bottom as they defeated Manitou’s Nellie McClung Stingers by a score of 7-1 in a play-in game to earn a spot in the quarterfinals this morning against the Pilot Mound Pilots.
“The nerves are high now as we know it’s a win-or-go-home situation from here, but we’re just going out there and trying our best,” said Grade 12 student Brennah McLaughlin, who plays at catcher and third base for the Tigers.
“We definitely had a slow start against Neelin and our spirits weren’t that high. It was the exact opposite in our win. We talked a lot more, we were cheering the whole time and we did a lot better as a team.”
After building up a 3-1 lead over the Stingers through three innings, the Tigers broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth as Peyton McLaughlin hit a three-run inside-the-park home run.
While coach Ryan McLaughlin says that there is still some aspects of the team’s play that can be improved upon, he’s happy with how the Tigers are performing, especially as their campaign was interrupted due to inclement weather conditions this spring.
“We’re probably about three weeks to a month behind from where we would normally be, so there are some little things such as ball IQ that aren’t quite as sharp as they are in a regular season,” McLaughlin said.
“It’s a good mix of veterans with AAA experiences and players who just started the sport when they were in Grade 10, but what stands out the most to me is just how hard they’ve been working to get to this point. We’ve accomplished two of our goals already, which were to win the zone banner and to get to the second day of the provincials.”
The chance to play at the provincials again is what excited Brennah McLaughlin and her fellow graduating teammates the most in making the trip to Brandon.
“The pandemic robbed us of two straight tournaments so just to have a chance to be here again is a great feeling,” McLaughlin said.
“This team has worked so hard and we felt like we deserved a chance to make it to the provincials. It’s great to be playing on Saturday but we just need to keep doing what we have been doing to go even farther.”
The Boissevain Broncos also reached the quarterfinal round with an 8-2 triumph over the St. Joachim Braves.
The Broncos were second in Pool A after defeating the Carman/Miami Cougars by a score of 7-1 and dropping an 8-1 decision to the Beliveau Barracudas.
They will go up against the Vincent Massey Vikings, who finished first in Pool 3 play with wins over the Goose Lake Angels and the Stingers, this morning.
“It’s been an interesting opening day, especially as I felt like we came in a little underprepared with the amount of games that got cancelled this spring,” Broncos head coach Allan Hicks said.
“The girls work hard whenever we get to the diamond and it turned out to be a great day for us. It was a long Friday, but now we have a chance to go for a provincial title.”
Saturday’s other quarterfinal games will see the Barracudas face the Angels, while the host Spartans will take on the Stonewall Rams.
The Rams advanced with a 10-0 play-in win over Carman/Miami, while Goose Lake earned a bye to the quarterfinals after Helen Betty Osborne withdrew from the tournament.
The championship game will take place at 4 p.m.
» lpunkari@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @lpunkari