<html><head></head><body class="hmmessage" data-blackberry-caret-color="#00a8df" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: initial;"><div style="width: 100%; font-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br style="display:initial"></div> <div style="width: 100%; font-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br style="display:initial"></div> <div style="font-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.</div> <table width="100%" style="background-color:white;border-spacing:0px;"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: initial; text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <div id="_persistentHeader" style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 3pt 0in 0in; font-family: Tahoma, 'BB Alpha Sans', 'Slate Pro'; font-size: 10pt;"> <div><b>From: </b>Matt Allen <matt_allen44@hotmail.com></div><div><b>Sent: </b>Tuesday, October 21, 2014 11:02 AM</div><div><b>To: </b>Al Doran</div><div><b>Subject: </b>Laurier Softball wins silver at Ontario championships</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(186, 188, 209); border-top-width: 1pt; font-size: initial; text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><br><div id="_originalContent" style="">
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<div dir="ltr">After a successful regular season in which the
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks softball program had an impressive 17-5
record, good for second place in the OIWFA, the Hawks were red-hot this
past weekend at the Ontario University Championships, capturing a silver
medal. Laurier went 3-0 in round robin play, advancing to the
semi-finals against the third place Windsor Lancers, prevailing 3-1
before falling short against the undefeated Western Mustangs in the gold
medal game.<br><div id="Content"><br><br>In what seems to be a yearly ritual for the
cross-town rivalry, the Golden Hawks opened Championship weekend against
the Waterloo Warriors. Opening up an early lead, <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9353&PCID=20896" class="PL">Alanna Hentges</a> singled and was scored off a line shot from <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9349&PCID=20893" class="PL">Kristen Van Den Neucker</a>. <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9355&PCID=20900" class="PL">Amy Campagnolo</a>
then belted a home-run to left field which would prove to be the
game-winning run as the Hawks downed the Warriors 2-1 to open the round
robin competition.<br><br><br>Under chilly and misty rain on Saturday
morning, the Golden Hawks faced off with the seventh place Brock
Badgers, a team that gave them a big challenge just two weeks before.
The Badgers’ pitcher kept the Hawks offence off-kilter for two innings
with seven straight pop fly outs and broke the deadlock in the third
inning for the 1-0 lead. It didn’t take long for the bats to come alive
as the Hawks answered in the bottom half with six runs, batting through
the order to open the six run lead. Four more were added in the fourth
inning as the Hawks mercied the Badgers 9-2 with <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=8282&PCID=20895" class="PL">Rachel Warmington</a> getting the win on the rubber for Laurier.<br><br><br>It
was the matchup the Hawks were expecting heading into the final round
robin game against the third place Windsor Lancers with the winner
taking first place in pool B and advancing into Sunday afternoon’s
semi-finals. Laurier got ahead early and never looked back, scoring
three runs in the second inning. Van Den Neucker singled to lead off,
followed by a single from third year <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=8682&PCID=20881" class="PL">Marissa Woodburn</a>. The bottom of the order was clutch for Laurier as Campagnolo and <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9354&PCID=20897" class="PL">Emma Scanlon</a> both doubled back to back to give the pivotal early lead. Windsor would claw back in the fifth, however <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=8282&PCID=20895" class="PL">Rachel Warmington</a> had a seeing eye double that would score <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9350&PCID=20884" class="PL">Nicole Gagnier</a>
and Hentges to give the Hawks the three run lead again. Woodburn then
added to the lead when she opened the bottom of the sixth with a home
run to dead-centre field as the Hawks took their third win and secured
first place in pool B with a 6-2 win and 3-0 record.<br><br><br>Waiting to
face the winner of the Ottawa Gee Gees and the Windsor Lancers, the
Hawks would eventually have a rematch of Saturday evening's contest with
the Lancers as they prevailed in a thrilling 10 inning affair with the
Gee Gees. For the second straight game, Laurier opened up an early lead
and never looked back. Three runs in the bottom of the first would be
all the Hawks needed in a 3-1 victory. A walk from Gagnier followed by
four straight hits from Warmington, Van Den Neucker, <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=8284&PCID=20883" class="PL">Alicia Helmond</a>,
and Woodburn was enough to put the Lancers away. Campagnolo was lights
out again against the Lancers, allowing only one run in the top of the
seventh before the Hawks defence shut down any hopes of a rally with a
picture perfect relay from <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9352&PCID=20890" class="PL">Lyndsey Allingham</a>
to finish off the game. With that win, the Golden Hawks advanced to
their first championship game since winning in 2007 in London against
the very same Western Mustangs.<br><br><br>Sunday's Championship game was a
battle of the top two seeds in regular season play and the two
undefeated teams over the weekend.<br><br><br>It was going to take everything
Laurier had to take down the undefeated and four-time defending
champions from Western but they proved to be too strong for the young
Laurier squad. Three runs in the top of the first, the Mustangs kept
plugging away and eventually took down the Golden Hawks 7-0, giving
Laurier the silver medal. This is Laurier’s third Ontario medal, being
added to two National Championship medals as well in the programs 11
year history.<br>“We gave the girls the challenge of getting better
every game over the Championship weekend and they did just that. Every
game we ramped up our intensity just a little bit more and that was a
huge part of our success,” said Head Coach <a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=7276&PCID=20902" class="PL">Matt Allen</a>.<br><br><br>“I
am so proud of this group of girls. They fought hard all season long
and deserved to come away with this silver medal. I know it is something
they will look back on and think of how hard they worked for this,
particularly our four graduating athletes who have played four years and
had no medal to show for it. I am particularly proud of them and their
accomplishments to this program” added Allen.<br><br><br><a href="http://laurierathletics.com/peopleprofile.php?PeopleID=9355&PCID=20900" class="PL">Amy Campagnolo</a> was named best pitcher of the tournament, with a 3-1 record, giving up just four runs in her three wins.<br>The Golden Hawks will now qualify for the 2015 Canadian Collegiate National Championships, host sill yet to be determined.<br><br><br>For information on Laurier Softball, please contact <a href="mailto:womensfastpitchclub@laurierathletics.com">womensfastpitchclub@laurierathletics.com</a><br>
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