The Manitoba Premier Softball League (MPSL) regular season kicked off on Sunday May 5 with all three Central Energy clubs in action.
On May 5, the U17 Central Energy team earned a split on the opening day of the Manitoba Premier Softball League.
The Central Energy softball club has been preparing for the season all the way back in mid-September with tryouts for the 2024 season. Since then, teams have been busy practicing throughout the winter, getting into full swing after spring break. This year Central Energy boasts three teams (U17, U15, U13) that have representation from all over the Central region of the province.
The U17 Central Energy squad is more than ready for the MPSL season as the girls had recently travelled to Nebraska in April for a tournament to kick off their season and get some dirt on their cleats.
Central Energy bested Winnipeg Lightning 5-4 in the first game of the doubleheader after taking the lead late in the game. The game was tied at four in the top of the fifth when a passed ball scored one run, which won them the game.
In the rubber match, Winnipeg Lightning got the best of Central Energy by a 14-9 score. Central Energy was up 9-8 in the final inning when Winnipeg scored five unanswered runs to get the win.
“It was a good start to the season as the hitting got progressively better as the games went on and the players settled into their roles,” said U17 Central Energy coach Cam Zacharias. “A couple of in-the-park home runs and some other extra base hits showed a lot of potential power in the lineup.”
Zacharias notes that his team had great pitching using four of its six pitchers on the afternoon to get them their first pitches of the regular season.
“The team is looking very strong with a lot of good hitting, pitching and defence,” said Zacharias. “The big thing right now is just getting enough reps to get our consistency where we want it for the season.”
U17 Central Energy will return to the diamond on May 18 with a doubleheader starting at noon against the Smitty’s Terminators
The U15 Central Energy team was also in action on May 5 and split its doubleheader with an 8-1 win over the Winnipeg Lightning and a 5-4 loss to the Westman Magic.
Central Energy scored in multiple innings to take down the Winnipeg Lightning 8-1 in their season opener in Brandon on Sunday. Kennedy Funk earned the win for Central. The righty allowed four hits and one run over six innings, striking out six and walking six. Central piled up 10 hits in the game. Rory Perrin went 3 for 3 at the plate to lead the Energy in hits. Mya Richard, Perrin, and Shyanne Goertzen each drove in one run for Central. Bree Pearce collected two hits in three at bats.
Game 2 of the day saw Central at rivals Westman Magic. Even though the Energy club collected five hits to Westman Magic’s two, they still fell 5-4. Goertzen led the Energy with two hits and two RBIs. Central Energy opened the scoring in the first after Goertzen singled, scoring one run. The club added two runs in the second when Funk singled after a 6-pitch at-bat, making the score 3-0. They scored another run in the top of the third on a home run by Goertzen on the seventh pitch of the at-bat. Taylor Wall went the distance in the circle for Central Energy. She surrendered two hits and five runs (one earned) over six innings, striking out nine and walking four. Some fielding errors helped the Magic claw back into the game and eventually get the win.
Central Energy’s next game will be on May 12, when they play a doubleheader against Smitty’s Terminators. Game time is noon and 2 p.m. at Moffat Diamond 2 in Winnipeg.
The U13 Central Energy also split its season opening doubleheader on May 5, dropping the first game 7-1 to the Manitoba Angels, while defeating them 11-7 in the rematch.
Bianca Lanthier led things off in the circle for Energy. She allowed three hits and two runs (zero earned) over three innings, striking out eight and walking none. Beaudry English was ready at the plate going 1 for 2. Lindsay French also pitched three innings, allowing 2 hits, and whiffing 6.
In Game 2, Central Energy got on the board in the top of the first inning after French singled, scoring two runs, and a passed ball scored one run. They added to their early lead in the top of the third inning after a double and two singles, each scoring one run. Collins Vrooman stepped in the circle first for Central. She gave up four hits and five runs over three innings, striking out six and walking six. Cassandra Lanthier appeared in relief, allowing 1 hit, and getting 9 strikeouts in 3 innings. Central Energy amassed 11 hits in the game, led by Vrooman who went 2 for 2. English and French were tough to manage back-to-back in the lineup, as each drove in two runs for the 13U club. Central Energy also had a strong eye at the plate, totaling nine walks for the game.
The U13 squad is back in action with a doubleheader on May 10 against the Westman Magic.
Standard Photo by Rick Hiebert
