Park Hotel Colts win seventh-straight league championship
Women’s fastball dynasty continues with 30th city title in last 34 years.
The Park Hotel Colts in the Moose Jaw Senior Ladies Fastball League know a thing or two about winning. They have won seven straight league titles and 30 championships in 34 years.
The Colts gathered for the customary post-final team photo after defeating the Hustlers in three straight games in the league championship series last week – taking a 3-1 win in Game 1, dominating Game 2 12-4 and battling to a 3-0 win in Game three to close out the best-of-five final. “Everyone played as a team and there weren’t many errors, so it was really good,” said Colts pitcher Darby Fiddler, who gave up only thee hits in holding the Hustlers scoreless in Game 3. “They all play smart, they’re really good behind me and that really helps. I’m used to playing quick ball, but they play smart ball, and it’s nice to learn.”
A first-year member of the Colts, Fiddler was well aware of the kind of legacy she was becoming a part of. “They’re really welcoming to me, I was a little nervous at first because I’m 30 years younger than them, but they’re awesome girls and a really fun team to play with,” she said.
The ‘fun’ part of being part of the team included some extracurricular activities, all of which led to the team becoming closer and closer as a unit. Fiddler said there’s lots of team bonding in between games at tournaments and after league games. “We always celebrate and never get down, even after losses, so it’s always fun to be part of the team.”
Both Fiddler and Hustlers starter Krissy Russo made the most of their defence in the series finale, resulting in a rapid-fire contest that took only an hour-and-15 minutes to play.
The Colts scored the only run they’d need in the second inning when Nicole Whitehead led off with a single and came around to score on a base hit by Melanie Hopkinson.
The Hustlers made things interesting in the sixth when Russo singled, went to second on an error, and third on a wild pitch. She then tried to scored on a Nicole Ansell ground out, but Colts first baseman Jasmine Jackman relayed a perfect throw home to catcher Deleigh Brentnall for the tag out. The Colts padded their lead in the bottom of the inning, as Ali Gallagher and Jocelyn Wigmore each crossed the plate for the 3-0 lead.
The Hustlers got the lead-off runner on in the top of the seventh, but Fiddler retired the rest of the side in order to secure the win and the title.
Colts perennial standout Kim Neithercut put together an impressive game in the circle and at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and scoring three runs to go along with holding the Hustlers to a single run on one hit through the first four innings.
By that time the Colts offence had done more than enough to secure her the win – a six-run third inning saw to that, with Park Hotel adding two more runs n the fourth and closing out the contest with four more runs in the top of the fifth.
Hopkinson, Keri Legare and Caralie Wait each scored a pair of runs, while Gallagher had a pair of run-scoring singles and crossed the plate once herself.
The Hustlers put together a bit of a rally in the fifth, as Ansell knocked home Tanya McLean and Erin Heatherington with a two-run single as part of a three-run inning, but that’d be as close as they’d get. Heatherington finished the game 2-for3 with two RBI; McLean scored a pair of runs.
Neithercut went the distance in taking the win, Rachelle Grado was the losing pitcher.
The opening game of the series played out similar to the last, only this time it was the Hustlers who struck first. Sheri Logan gave the Hustlers a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, reaching on a fielder’s choice and eventually coming around to score on an error. Hustlers starter Adrianna Phillips and the Colts’ Sandi Gray went toe-to-toe through the first four innings, with Gray giving up the one run on three hits and Phillips holding the Colts scoreless on four hits.
The Colts broke things open in the fifth, scoring all three of their runs for the game on three hits, a walk and an error. Gray helped out her own cause with the key knock of the inning, a two-run single that scored Jade Waiting and Brentnall.
Gray held the fort from there, giving up a single hit over the last two innings to secure the Game 1 win.