The first week in Winnipeg wraps up with no medals for NL

Province’s softball team has best finish so far, taking fifth place

A fifth place-finish, recorded by the men’s softball team with a 9-6 win over P.E.I. on Friday, was the best any Newfoundland and Labrador entry in team sports could muster after Week 1 of the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

Newfoundland scored four times in the first inning at the John Blumberg Softball Complex to get past a pesky P.E.I. squad, which made things half-way interesting in the top of the seventh inning with two runs. Two P.E.I. runners were tagged out at home in the seventh.

Catcher Gerald Wall went three-for-three at the plate for Newfoundland, including a sixth-inning home run. Mitch Stack and Jordan Noftall each collected a pair of hits. Noftall also homered.

Noftall got the win in relief of starter Nick Pittman.

On the hardwood at the University of Winnipeg, the Newfoundland and Labrador men’s lost 76-65 to P.E.I. Friday morning to finish 10th of 12 teams in the men’s basketball competition.

Only the Yukon and Northwest Territories placed behind the undersized Newfoundland team.

The loss came despite a big 23-point, 10-rebound game from Devin O’leary. Liam Chislett netted 24 points.

The men’s beach volleyball team finished sixth in their competition following a 21-12, 21-16 loss to Manitoba. Marcus Baker and Brent Wareham reached the quarter-finals, but lost to Nova Scotia.

The province’s women’s basketball and soccer teams both placed ninth, and the baseball team was 10th of 10 provinces, failing to win a game.

Week 1 athletes return to St. John’s today with the Week II athletes heading to Winnipeg today and the Athletes Village at the University of Manitoba.

Week II sports on the agenda are golf, men’s soccer, women’s softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.

The men’s soccer team, which has been playing in the provincial Challenge cup circuit, has what is considered a good draw, with New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories in their Group D.

Week 2 competition doesn’t start until Monday.

CANADA GAMES PHOTO/KEITH LEVIT While the majority of the competitions during the first week of the Canada Summer Games was held in the host city of Corner Brook, sports that were conducted ion the water were held elsewhere. Games sailing was in Gimli, Man., while rowing was held in...