Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee’s Amherstview Golf Course U23 Express women secured a spot at Nationals over the weekend with a bronze finish at fastpitch provincials in Paris, On.
A 16-hit showing helped to pace Napanee’s to a 10-5 win over London on Sunday, which officially locked up their top three finish and punched their ticket for Nationals which take place Aug. 10-14 in Saskatoon, Sask.
Maddy Cronkwright, Tannis Drover, Ashley Wildman and Emily Hughes all had multiple hits for the Express while Megan Morrow picked up the win with Lauren Kennedy closing it out.
Napanee lost its next game to eventual gold-medal winning Oakville to finish 3-3 on the weekend.
“We accomplished our goal, we wanted to be in the top three to secure a spot to go to the Canadians in Saskatoon,” said Express coach Scott Morrow.
Napanee opened the tournament with a loss to Brantford. They rebounded with a 3-2 win over Stittsville, led by Amber Weese and Drover at the plate. Each had a pair of hits including a triple from Weese. Megan Morrow earned the win.
Following a loss to Oakville the Express responded with a 12-4 win over London. Cronkwright opened the game with a homer on the first pitch. Drover and Raquel Gomes also chipped in with multiple hits.
Playing at the U23 level comes with its own challenges as the players balance school, work and other commitments away from the ball field. When September rolls around most of the players suit up for their college or university fastpitch teams.
Coach Morrow has worked with the core of this team since most of them were five years old.
“They keep coming back,” he said. “They obviously love the game and love being around each other. Hats off to them that they still want to play the game and find the time when there are other things they can be doing. I love every minute of coaching them because I know it’s going to end soon.”
This group has seen their share of success over the years, earning gold and silver at the Eastern Canadians. With a strong showing in Saskatoon, they have a chance to make Softball Napanee history.
“We’ll see if we can get in the top three and see if we can get Softball Napanee their first medal for women at a Canadian championship,” said Morrow.
To help cover the cost of their trip out west, the Express are hosting a raffle for a Yeti cooler, stocked with refreshments and some golf accessories. Tickets are $10 with e-transfer available to u23express@gmail.com. The draw takes place Aug. 6.