LONDON, Ont. - The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women's Softball Championship takes place this Thursday through Saturday at Alumni Field at Fanshawe College in London, Ont.
While the host Fanshawe Falcons aim to win gold on their home field, all eyes will be on the St. Clair Saints, and whether they can complete a perfect season, the OCAA's first since 2011. St. Clair swept the competition in the regular season going 24-0.
The reigning gold medalist Durham Lords may have something to say, winners of a record 21 OCAA championships. The Lords have won five of the last six championships, with only the Humber Hawks interrupting their streak in 2019.
A total of six teams will compete for a chance to take home the crown. Eight or nine games will take place between Thursday and Saturday in a modified double knockout tournament. Thursday's games will be sudden death affairs with the losing teams being eliminated.
Thursday's winners will join St. Clair and Humber to begin the double-knockout phase of the competition, playing two games each on Friday. Teams are eliminated from the competition after their second loss. Schools are seeded based on regular season record.
The team that wins both games on Friday advances directly to Saturday's gold medal game, with two chances to win the championship. The team that avoids a second loss wins the tournament and the OCAA title.
Sunday is reserved as a rainout date if necessary.
St. Clair Saints (24-0, 1st OCAA)
Twenty-four straight wins is an enormous feat, but 27-0 will be that much sweeter for the St. Clair Saints.
Truthfully, 27-1 or 28-1 will also be acceptable for the Saints as that would mean they are OCAA champions. St. Clair has been stuck with the "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" label of late, having advanced to the OCAA gold medal game at four of the past five championships, always falling short against Durham. St. Clair's last OCAA championship was in 2014.
If the time is now, fifth-year first baseman Amy Claydon (Cambridge) will no doubt have something to do with it. Claydon led the OCAA in several offensive categories, including 18 doubles, nine home runs, 55 RBI and 94 total bases. Claydon's slash line of .600/.621/1.253 was also tops among OCAA players.
Oh, and Claydon can pitch too. In 17 innings of work Claydon has a 0.82 ERA.
Humber Hawks (18-6, 2nd OCAA)
Humber earned the No. 2-seed an bye into the double-knockout round on account of a 2-1 regular season series record against Durham.
Second-year outfielder Christina D'Angelo (Mississauga) was one of the top batters in OCAA this season with a .508 average. Along with D'Angelo, first-year outfielder Shea Hilpert (Waterloo) and fourth-year player Alexis Ferreira (Mississauga) all combined for 35 stolen bases, exhibiting team speed on the base paths.
From the rubber, hurlers Meagan Muir (Brampton) and Cheyenne Sears (Cambridge) combined for 79 1/3 innings of work and a 1.50 ERA, striking out 64.
Durham Lords (18-6, 3rd OCAA)
The Durham Lords are most dangerous when you least expect them. In four of its past five OCAA championship seasons, the Lords were the second seed once, the third seed twice, and a fourth seed in 2015. At last year's championship they had to win a sudden-death play-in game, then went on to win the whole thing.
Durham has the second-longest active winning streak in OCAA, winners of six straight.
Second-year utility player Grace Hearns (Napenee) is the straw that stirs the drink on the Lords with team-highs in runs (35), hits (44), triples (4), home runs (2), RBI (30) and batting average (.489). Hearns also led all OCAA players with 23 stolen bases.
Fourth-year right-hander Emily Glendinning (Plattsville) was the team workhorse from the pitcher's circle, throwing 70 2/3 innings, striking out 88 while sporting a 1.88 ERA. Glendinning had a 9-2 record.
Fanshawe Falcons (17-7, 4th OCAA)
Fanshawe fell within a victory of being in the mix for a potential bye into the double-knockout phase, but will still benefit by playing at the friendly confines of Alumni Field.
Fourth-year outfielder Kennedi Roth (Stratford) did a number on opposing pitchers this season, with 33 runs, 47 hits, 32 RBI and a .528 batting average. Roth was second in stolen bases with 21.
Third-year pitcher Morgan Lowry (Middlesex-Centre) did a number on opposing batters this season, striking out 139 to set a new single-season OCAA record.
Conestoga Condors (12-12, 5th OCAA)
Everything came up even steven for Conestoga this season, good for the fifth seed at the championship.
With an 8-5 record, second-year pitcher Hayley Breen (Rostock) made the majority of starts for the Condors this season, pitching 70 2/3 innings, striking out 53.
Second-year player Ashley Coverdale (Guelph) led the Condors offence with 19 hits and a .322 batting average, scoring 15 times.
Seneca Sting (7-17, 6th OCAA)
Seneca erased an ugly 0-8 start to October by sweeping a twin-bill at Lambton last Saturday to secure the sixth seed at the OCAA championship.
First-year middle infielder Caity Allen (Colpitts Settlement, N.B.) had a 20-20-20 season for the Sting with 25 runs scored, 26 hits and 20 RBI. Allen contributed 10 extra base hits during the season with seven doubles, two triples and a home run.
First-year player River Johnston (North York) led all Seneca players with 27 hits and 26 RBI.
The 2022 championship has a similar vibe to the 2021 event in that the six seeds are positioned the exact same as last year. When Fanshawe opens the competition against Conestoga, it will be a rematch of last year's sudden death game in which the Condors prevailed 2-1. Durham won last year's meeting against Seneca 11-1 en route to the title.
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/soft
Live Webcast: www.ocaa.com/ocaalive
Thursday, October 20
Game #1: Conestoga (5th) vs. Fanshawe (4th) - 1 p.m.
Game #2: Seneca (6th) vs. Durham (3rd) - 3 p.m.
Friday, October 21
Game #3: Highest Remaining Seed vs. Humber (2nd) - 9 a.m
Game #4: Lowest Remaining Seed vs. St. Clair (1st) - 11 a.m.
Game #5: Loser Game #3 vs. Loser Game #4 - 1 p.m.
Game #6: Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4 - 3 p.m.
Saturday, October 22
OCAA Bronze Medal Game
Game #7: Winner Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6 - 10 a.m.
Losing team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of game
OCAA Gold Medal Game(s)
Game #8: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #6 - 1 p.m.
Game #9*: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #6 - 3 p.m.
*If necessary
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at the conclusion of final game
- OCAA -
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