A road trip to the Lower Mainland last weekend was well worth the time and effort for the Kelowna U14 Heat, as they earned a silver medal at the Abbotsford rep girls fastball tournament.
The only two losses the Heat suffered came in the round robin and in the final, both to the Belligham Bash U15 girls team.
Losing a round robin game forced the Heat to take the long way to the finals, first knocking off the 11th seeded Tri City Titans 17-4. Racquel Bennett hint a three-run homer while Niah La Roy scored three times. Gracie Barbour took home the pitching win.
Next up was the No. 3 seeded South Delta ‘01 team. The girls turned a tight game into a route late scoring 10 runs in the final two innings to win 11-4. Gracie Barbour led the way scoring three runs and hitting a bases-loaded triple for three RBIs. Winning pitcher Brooke Lambert helped her own cause by scoring twice.
In the semifinals, the Heat got the better of the previously unbeaten South Delta ’00 team with a 6-3 win.
“The girls executed our game plan flawlessly,” said Heat coach Bernie Penner. Winning pitcher Niah La Roy led the way stealing four bases and scoring two runs, while Emma Caron picked up the save.
The finals pitted the girls against Bellingham for the second time. Kelowna was up 3-2 in the fourth until a series of unfortunate miscues resulted in the final lopsided score and a second-place finish.
“Coming in second is an extremely good outcome, very proud of the girls,” said Penner. “As coaches we feel we are well on our way to becoming a provincial medal threat.”
Kelowna Heat players are Gracie Barbour, Racquel Bennett, Brooke Lambert, Haley Martin, Niah La Roy, Julia Paulson, Taylor Callow, Dallas MacMillan, Emily Elsom, Carleigh Maniago and Emma Caron. Coaches are Bernie Penner, Rachel Penner and Nelson Hughes.
Next up for the Kelowna Heat is a tournament south of the border in Wenatchee. Then on May 30 to June 1 Kelowna will host its own tournament at High Noon Park.
