UBCO Heat Win Bronze at National Championship

The UBC Okanagan Heat won the bronze medal at the 2022 CCSA National Championship hosted by St. Clair College in Windsor, ON. UBCO defeated Durham College Lords in the bronze medal game by a score of 7 to 0. Mikhaela Muir pitched a shutout allowing only 1 hit. Sheyanne Lawrence had a triple and home run to win Player of the Game honours. It was a complete team effort all weekend with highlight plays, excellent pitching, and hitting contributions throughout the lineup. Congratulations to head coach Michelle Webster and all the players and coaching staff!

Mikhaela Muir (pitcher) and Kasey Wright (centerfield) were recognized as CCSA National Championship all-stars. From University of Calgary, Emma Stephens (pitcher) was a championship all-star.

The following are game summaries for UBCO and Calgary as provided by Ted Beale (St. Clair College). University of Calgary and UBCO appreciate the excellent hosting effort by St. Clair.

UBCO Game Summaries

University of British Columbia Okanagan vs. University of Toronto: Game #1 featured the defending CCSA Champions UBC Okanagan (UBCO) taking on the Toronto Varsity Blues on the SportsPark Diamond. UBCO hung a crooked number in the first inning, taking a 3-0 lead after 1 before adding another in the 2nd inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Varsity Blues got one back in the 6th inning but that’s all their offense could muster as UBCO took the first game of the tournament 4-1. UBCO’s Mikhaela Muir (Okotoks, AB) pitched a complete game, scattering 7 hits over the 7 innings and allowing 1 run while recording 7 strikeouts. Muir earned the win and Player of the Game honors for UBCO.

University of British Columbia Okanagan vs. Durham College: The final game of day #1 had UBCO squaring off against the Durham Lords in pivotal pool play that saw the biggest offensive output of any game in the tournament thus far. This seesaw battle saw both offenses put up crooked numbers in multiple innings. Durham scored five in the 1st inning, UBCO answered with three in the 3rd and five in the 5th to take a 9-5 lead. Durham responded with three runs in the bottom of the 5th to claw back within one run. Unfortunately for the Lords, that is as close as they would get as each team exchanged a run in the 6th inning before Mikhaela Muir (Okotoks, AB) slammed the door shut in the 7th inning to secure the save for UBCO in a 10-9 victory, while Sheyanne Lawrence (Kelowna, BC) earned the win. Taylor Roeseler (Port Coquitlam, BC) went 2-3 at the dish with 1R and 4RBI for UBCO earning herself Player of the Game.

St. Clair College vs. University of British Columbia Okanagan: In a rematch of last year’s National Championship Final, the St. Clair Saints went toe to toe with UBCO for top spot in Pool A and a bye to the semi-finals at 8pm. Pitchers Bryanna Kressler (Kitchener, ON) and Sheyanne Lawrence (Kelowna, BC) came out throwing gas, holding these powerful lineups scoreless through 2 innings. In the 3rd inning, the St. Clair lineup gave Kressler all the support she would need, tallying 6 runs in the top half to take a commanding 6-0 lead. From there the Saints never looked back, tacking on 4 more runs in the top of the 5th before Kressler slammed the door in the bottom half to secure a 10-0 victory in the mercy shortened 5 inning game. Kressler led the way for her team on the rubber and at the plate, going 3-4 with 4RBI while also punching out 7 UBCO batters to earn a well deserved Player of the Game nod. Player of the Game for UBCO was Catcher Katelyn Harman (Abbotsford, BC).

University of British Columbia Okanagan vs. Humber Hawks: The UBCO Heat clinched a berth into the semifinals with a wild 6-5 victory over the Humber Hawks. Both teams traded blows over the first 6 innings, but the drama ensued in the top of the 7th, as UBCO held onto a 6-3 lead going into the last frame. The Hawks put together quality at-bat after quality at-bat before Alexis Ferreira (Mississauga, ON) came to the dish with the bases loaded and only 1 out. Ferreira roped a single into left field to score 2 runners and advanced to second base on the throw home to pull the Hawks within 1 run.

1B Jessica MacPherson (Essex, ON) came to the plate with the tying run on 3rd and the go-ahead run on 2nd with a chance to pull Humber even in the national quarterfinal. UBCO called upon relief pitcher Sheyanne Lawrence (Kelowna, BC) to slam the door for the Heat and that is what she did in epic fashion. MacPherson hit a rocket comebacker to Lawrence on the mound who caught it for the out and doubled off the runner at third base to clinch the game for her squad. Middle Infielder Cheyenne Simicak (Surrey, BC) was named Player of the Game for the Heat going 2-4 at the plate with 1R, 1RBI and some very timely defense for her squad. Ferreira was named Player of the Game for the Hawks going a perfect 4-4 at the plate with 4RBI and 1R.

University of British Columbia Okanagan vs. University of Western Ontario: In the first semi-final of the night, the Western Mustangs pulled off the upset over the defending CCSA National Champion UBC Okanagan Heat by a score of 6-4. After a scoreless first inning, the Western Mustangs opened the scoring in a big way in the bottom of the 2nd tallying 4 runs to take a stranglehold on the game that they would not relinquish. Hanneke Isert Bender (Plattsville, ON) drove in the first run of the game with a Sac Fly RBI that scored a second runner on a UBCO throwing error. Blythe Hilpert (Waterloo, ON) cashed in another runner with an RBI single before UBCO committed their second error of the inning, yielding the Mustangs’ 4-run inning.

UBCO responded with 3 of their own runs in the top of the 4th inning to close that gap to 4-3 when SS Cheyenne Simicak (Surrey, BC) pushed in a runner to get within one. Western added 2 more runs in the bottom of the 6th inning as Blythe Hilpert continued to carry the Mustang offense with 2 more RBI. UBCO threatened in the top of the 7th to tie the game with runners in scoring position and 2 outs, but Mustangs Pitcher Aimee Leduc (Princeton, ON) finished what she started as she slammed the door on UBCO’s repeat championship aspirations. Leduc hurled a complete game for Western, striking out 7 batters. UBCO’s Player of the Game was CF Kasey Wright (Richmond, BC) going 2-4 with 1 RBI in a losing effort.

Bronze medal game: The University of British Columbia Okanagan claimed the Bronze Medal defeating the Durham College Lords 7-0 with starting pitcher and Championship All-Star Mikhaela Muir (Okotoks, AB) surrendering just 1 hit over 6 innings to go with 5 strikeouts.  Shortstop Sheyanne Lawrence (Kelowna, BC) had 2 hits including a triple and home run to earn UBCO Player of the Game honours. 

University of Calgary Game Summaries

University of Western Ontario vs. University of Calgary: Game #2 highlighted two USPORT programs as the Western Mustangs competed against the Calgary Dinos on the first ever softball game held at Acumen Stadium. This was a pitcher’s duel from the onset, with both Emma Stephens (Lloydminster, SK) of Calgary and Aimee Leduc (Princeton, ON) of Western pitching a shutout through 6 innings. Leduc pitched another scoreless inning in the top of the 7th, giving her team a chance to walk off the Dino’s in the bottom of the frame. The bats for Western finally woke up and provided the only run of the game courtesy of a Megan Hamilton (Glencoe, ON) walk off RBI single for the 1-0 Mustangs victory. Both Stephens and Leduc were named Players of the Game for their respective teams after a dazzling display of pitching. Leduc also picked up the win for the Mustangs as they moved to 1-0 for the tournament.

University of Calgary vs. University of Ottawa: Game #7 featured the Calgary Dinos taking on the Ottawa Gee Gees at Acumen Stadium. After a shaky opening game for the Gee Gees, they showed their toughness by jumping on the Dinos early and tallying 3 runs in the 1st inning, taking a 3-0 lead into the 2nd inning. Ottawa held the lead until the 5th when Calgary stormed back to take the lead. Ottawa would respond and tie the game up at 4 apiece but that was the last of their offensive output as Calgary tacked on 4 more runs in the 6th inning and won the game by a final of 8-4. Calgary’s leadoff hitter McKenna Regier (White Rock, BC) went 2-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored to earn herself Player of the Game honours.

Humber College vs. University of Calgary: In the final pool play game of the tournament, the Calgary Dinos defeated the Humber Hawks 7-5 to earn 2nd place in the pool. The Dino bats were feasting early scoring all 7 runs in the first 4 innings as they never gave the Hawks a chance to settle into the contest. Humber was able to score 4 runs in the 4th to narrow the gap to 2 but that was as close as they would get in this one, dropping the game to Calgary to finish 3rd in Pool B. Chloe Maher (Delta, BC) of Calgary went 2-3 at the dish with 2Rs and 1RBI to earn herself the Player of the Game for the winning side. With little time to lick their wounds, the Humber Hawks will quickly move diamonds to take on the defending CCSA Champs UBCO in a loser leaves town quarterfinal contest. With the win, Calgary earned themselves a 1 game break before taking the diamond against the reigning OCAA Champion Durham Lords in the other quarterfinal.

Durham College vs. University of Calgary: In the second quarterfinal matchup of the afternoon, the defending OCAA Champion Durham Lords defeated the Calgary Dinos 7-2 to secure a spot in the CCSA semifinals against the host St. Clair Saints. Durham opened up the scoring in the top of the 1st inning with a Abi Suffel (Whitby, ON) RBI single to give her squad the 1-0 lead and the Lords never looked back from there. The Lords went on to tally 3 more runs in the 3rd inning courtesy of a Hannah Oke (Brooklin, ON) RBI double and a Kaylen Wilson (Pickering, ON) 2 run single to stretch the lead to 4-0. Durham Pitcher Sydney Redick (Alvinston, ON) threw 6 innings of 1 run ball, scattering 6 hits and recording 1K while also going 2-4 at the plate as she was named Player of the Game for the Lords. The Dinos scored 2 runs in the 7th inning to get on the scoreboard but weren’t able to muster up enough offense to hang with the Lords. Player of the Game for Calgary was Shaye Holzinger (Lloydminster, AB) as she went 2-3 at the plate.

2022 CCSA National Championship Bronze Medalists UBC Okanagan Heat
2022 CCSA National Championship All-Stars for UBCO: Kasey Wright (Centerfield) and Mikhaela Muir (Pitcher)