Solid Start for University of Ottawa Gee-Gees

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 9/18/06 11:16:21 PM 
From:  Scott Searle <scottsearle(at)rogers.com> 

  
Subject:  Solid Start for University of Ottawa Gee-Gees  


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A solid weekend for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Softball
as they opened the 2006 season.  The team was ready for a tough
weekend as they prepared to face the reigning bronze medalists
from 2005 in the University of Western Ontario and a perennial
favourite in the Windsor Lancers.
 
The Gee-Gees sent Ashley Sands to the circle to open the season
against the Lancers Saturday afternoon.  She went a strong 5
innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks before turning
the ball over to Elissa Sivel to finish the game.  Elissa displayed
her ability to keep hitters off balance and superior control
in her 3 innings of wok allowing one run on one hit with a walk.
The Gee-
Gees offence started slow but asserted control in the 4th inning
with a 4 run flurry to give them a one run lead.  The team revealed
their depth as 3 singles in a row loaded the bases before a triple
from Nicole Dunlop cleared them to cash all 3 runs. This brought
Gee-Gee rookie, Jen Alexander to the plate who smoked a double
to left field to drive in the teams 4th run and give them the
lead.  Windsor responded in the 5th and the game went to extra
innings knotted at 4.  Lindsey McLaughlin headed to 2nd base
to start the Tie-Breaker and a clutch single from another rookie,
Allie Rutherford drove in the winning run for the Gee-Gees. 
Elissa Sivel took the win with a flawless 8th inning. 
 
The team’s offense kept rolling with 3 runs in the first inning
to give Gee-Gee started Isabelle Richard a cushion to work from.
 Isabelle is a recent import to Canada after spending the last
4 years in Miami, Florida. A walk to Vanessa Homiak, a single
by Erin Duran, and a double from Sarah Thompson did most of the
damage before another single from Sam Pantalone notched the 4th
run. The bats went quiet the rest of the game as the Windsor
defense was very strong.  Jillian Taylor came into the game in
relief in the 4th inning to shut the Lancer offense down and
held them scoreless through 3 innings of work.  The Gee-Gees
went to the bottom of the 7th inning tied at 3 before a single
by Vanessa Homiak and a monster double from Lindsey McLaughlin
drove in the winning run.  Lindsey has already renewed her reputation
as the most dangerous hitter in the OIWFA who turns heads at
every park when she has a bat in her hands; the reigning Female
Athlete of the Year was dominant all weekend with 5 hits and
4 RBI’s, all in clutch situations. Vanessa was very impressive
in her Gee-Gee debut with 4 hits and scoring 4 runs to go along
with 4 walks at the top of the order.
 
The Gee-Gees traveled to London Sunday morning to face an old
rival in the University of Western Ontario.  Mutual respect and
admiration for each others program has been the call sign of
this rivalry over the past 5 years.  The Mustangs defeated the
Gee-Gees in front of a home crowd in 2004 for the Bronze medal
and the Gee-Gees returned the favour in 2005, knocking them out
of the Championship game. As always between these two teams the
game was a classic and scoreless through 4 as Gee-Gee hurler,
Jillian Taylor threw a gem with 2 hits and 5 strikeouts in 4
innings of work before giving way to Ashley Sands.  Sands took
the ball for the last half giving up only 2 more hits and another
run. The Gee-Gees maintained their reputation as the cardiac
kids heading into the bottom of the 7th inning down 2-0.  The
team has gained an early confidence in their hitting and there
was no doubt in the outcome as a pair of walks to Vanessa Homiak
and Ashley Sands and an RBI single by Elissa Sivel brought Lindsey
McLaughlin to the plate with another chance to win the game.
 Lindsey didn’t disappoint with a double to drive in the winning
run. 
 
The final game of the weekend featured a dominant pitching performance
from Western hurler Kristina Lemon.  She kept the Gee-Gees of
the scoresheet until the 7th inning, but this time the late inning
heroics were not enough as the team took a 4-1 loss. Another
rookie, Allie Rutherford had a very strong game defensively and
a pair of walks and the only run scored in a losing cause. Erin
Durant did her best to contribute with a pair of singles and
Erin Mulvihill was very strong in her Varsity debut at 1st base.
 A very promising weekend for fans of the team, after a second
place finish in 2005 the team looks as strong as ever with a
strong crop of rookies to complement an excellent returning team.
 The team heads to Guelph and Toronto next weekend to take on
the last two OIWFA Championship teams.  Directions to the parks
and a full schedule is available at www.oiwfa.org  

Scott Searle <scottsearle(at)rogers.com> 


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