By Heather Black/News contributor
Not only has Sicamous produced a number of NHL hockey players, but it is also home to a number of up-and-coming, female softball players, including Madison Dewitt.
The 14-year-old joins the ranks of fellow pitchers Gina Selfe, who is in her first year of college on full scholarship in North Dakota, and Ann-Marie Crandlemire who played for a team at the Coast last year, as Dewitt helped take the White Rock Renegades to the top. The team had wins at all local tournaments, earned a provincial title in Duncan and, to top the season off, earned gold at the 2016 U14 Girls’ Canadian Fastpitch Championships in Winnipeg Aug. 17-21.
As the ultimate highlight to that, Dewitt, along with co-pitcher Amanda Pillkahn, combined forces for a no-hitter against the host team Smitty’s Terminators for a 5-1 win as the Winnipeg team got a walk.
“They’ve had a phenomenal year, and Madison’s a huge part of that team,” proud mom Bev Dewitt said of the season. “She’s definitely excelling at the highest level for her sport. It’s kind of neat because she’s representing the Shuswap at this level.”
That doesn’t, however, come without sacrifice. Dewitt was hitting the road every weekend this summer, from the end of March to the beginning of July for regular season tournaments. And, while not travelling to such locales as Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle — twice — and the Coast, the young athlete played with a local Sicamous team during the week.
The Renegades, coming off a career-high season of 99 wins, 13 losses and one tie, have hit their stride as a team, which is good as they’re all the same age as a 2002 team and will, therefore, move up to the U16 level together to continue taking the softball world by storm.
