Napanee’s Grace Hearns leads Durham Lords to national softball title, establishes franchise records in runs, hits and RBI

Napanee's Grace Hearns wrapped up her four year career with the Durham Lords softball team as the school's all time career leader in hits, runs and RBI. Submitted photo.

Adam Prudhomme
Editor

Grace Hearns re-wrote Durham Lords softball history in more ways than one, capping her storybook college softball career with a handful of franchise bests.

The Napanee native served as the Lords’ catcher and utility player this season, helping the team to an undefeated season, capturing their first CCSA National Championship in school history.

After finishing as silver runner-ups in 2023, the lady Lords topped Humber in this October’s gold medal game to win the program’s first national title.

“It was a surreal feeling, having the support of everybody and making program history that people are going to talk about for years,” said Hearns. “It’s just an incredible feeling and incredible to be a part of something like that.”

Hearns joined the team in 2021 and was a major part of the team’s quest for the elusive national title, experiencing the ups and downs, including the heartbreak of last year.

“I think it motivated everybody, even the first years coming in just because silver medal is almost the toughest one to get,” Hearns said of last year’s finish. “You’re that close. To get a silver medal last year at nationals and then at provincials, we were all aiming for gold this year just because we knew that we were capable of doing that this year.”

Following the national title the Lords wrapped up the 2024 year by sweeping the provincial championship, clinching just the second undefeated season in the history of Ontario college women softball. They matched the feat completed by St. Clair just two years prior.

“I think it was when we played St. Clair the first time and things went our way and it was a close game,” Hearns said of when she thought this year’s Lords team could make history with a perfect season. “Shortly after that we were all pretty excited and then came nationals and the nerves came a little bit. We don’t necessarily play the other teams to know who they are or what they’ve got. We finished our regular season undefeated which was our goal. Going into nationals undefeated and then our provincials we definitely had a feeling that it was going to go our way.”

Achieving team history wasn’t the only record she set. Individually Hearns scored her 138th career run, collected her 168th career hit and drove in her 91st career run this season, all of which stand as new records for the Lords program. Though she entered the season in great position to topple old records, she says she had no idea she was on the verge of school history.

“Some of my friends kind off hinted at it but I don’t like to look at that stuff because then it wouldn’t have happened if I knew,” Hearns said of establishing new records. “I didn’t know and it was pleasant surprise to be awarded with that.”

For the 2024 season she was named a first team all star and was the league’s batting champion with a .475 batting average in 22 games with one home run and 15 RBI.

A graduate of Napanee District Secondary School, she got her start with softball as a member of the Napanee Express, going on to play with Toronto and Oakville.

“I had some great teammates, great coaches in Napanee,” she recalled. “It’s where I developed a love for the game, so much that I’ve decided to continue in Napanee by coaching. It kind of loops around to one big circle.”

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