By Aymee Godmaire, Delta Heat ’01
After five years of hard work and determination, players of the Delta Heat ’01 fastpitch team captured the gold medal at the 2017 Softball BC Provincial Championships, held July 14-16 at Softball City in South Surrey.
The team went undefeated through the round robin portion of the tournament, rising above other clubs such as the White Rock Renegades and the Surrey Storm.
“We went into this tournament wanting to beat every team who crossed our path, and that’s what we did,” said shortstop Jessie Weststrate. “We all had a championship mindset and because of that, we became champions.”
Playoff day started with the quarter finals against Fraser Valley Fusion ’01. The Heat knew it would be a battle, but they came out victorious. The final score was 6-2 for Delta.
For the semi-final game, they came up against the Victoria Devils ’01. The Devils had taken first place overall in round robin play, and proved to be a back and forth battle for Delta. A home run from Heat pitcher Kianna Jones helped the team finish that game with a 6-2 final and a spot in the finals.
“There was definitely a lot of superstition the whole weekend,” said catcher Liv Malesku. “Some girls didn’t wash their jersey the whole weekend and ate the same thing every day, but it ended up working out.”
In the final game, the Delta Heat were up against longtime rivals, the Surrey Storm ’01. As the away team, the Storm started off the game scoring one run, but Delta came back the next inning with one of their own.
For the next two innings the score remained tied, but with the bases loaded in the fourth, third baseman Gabby Dorval scored batted in all three runners, pushing the score to 4-1. Surrey came back with two runs, but the Heat answered with two more, making the final score 6-3 for Delta.
This talented group gave 110 per cent every game, and the effort of all 13 players along with the countless hours their coaches offer has given the team a recipe for success.
Delta Heat ’01 will be the host team at the U-16 Girls Canadian Fastpitch Championships Aug. 9-13, held locally in Delta at Brandrith Park in Tsawwassen and the North Delta Community Park. Going in with the same mindset, the Heat hope to take the national title as well.
Delta Heat ’01 is comprised of Emily Horne, Aymee Godmaire, Gabby Dorval, Amy De Ste Croix, Hanna Hansen, Jessie Weststrate, Rawnie Weststrate, Kianna Jones, Veronica Sawatzky, Maya Gauley, Megan Hendrickson, Liv Malesku and Stephanie Schina.
They are coached by Bill Olexa, Bob Houtman, Doug Harris, Francais Olexa, and Tory Cardinal.
Aymee Godmaire is 16 years old and going into Grade 11 at Burnsview Secondary. She plays second base with Delta Heat ’01 and has been with the team for four years.
