Friesen, Funk, Baldwin power standout performances as teams dominate at the plate
Central Energy softball teams came away with a string of wins and strong showings across all three age divisions over the weekend, highlighted by big bats, timely pitching, and consistent defence in games played in Stonewall and Winnipeg.
The U17 Central Energy squad opened their weekend doubleheader on Saturday with a 7-2 win over the Interlake Phillies. Brooklyn Friesen led the charge at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, single and a home run to centre field in the third inning that drove in two. Third baseman Kara Buhler chipped in with a two-hit game and three RBIs, while Kennedy Funk added a solo shot in the fifth.
Taylor Wall earned the win from the circle, allowing six hits and one run over four innings, striking out five. Gabrielle Hildebrand closed out the final three frames in relief.
Game 2 of the doubleheader also went Central’s way in a 6-3 victory. Molly Cowan opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single before the Phillies briefly pulled ahead thanks to a two-run bottom half, which included a homer by Abi Minnie. Funk responded with a solo homer in the third to tie the game, and Friesen followed with a two-run blast in the fifth to retake the lead.
Funk pitched four innings for the win, with Addison Nikkel tossing three no-hit innings in relief. Offensively, Ava Bonik and Eve English both collected two hits for Central, while Cowan led the team with three RBIs.
Central’s U17 squad split their Sunday matchups with the Manitoba Angels at Optimist Park. In the opener, Central held a 10-8 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh before a triple from Lacey Bayes and a walk-off single by Mia Milloy lifted the Angels to an 11-10 win. Despite the loss, Central put up 10 hits, including three from English and two each from Guffei and Cowan.
The U17 team bounced back in the rematch with a decisive 12-3 win. English hit an inside-the-park home run and finished with two hits and two RBIs, while Friesen and Anderson also delivered multi-hit efforts. Central scored five in the fifth, with RBI hits from Friesen, Toews and Anderson. Nikkel went the distance in the circle, allowing six hits and striking out four.
The U15 AAA Central Energy team also swept their weekend doubleheader against the Manitoba Angels. In Game 1, a five-run second inning put Central in control, capped by a three-run home run from Ella Conrad. Kylie Wiebe and Payton Manness each drove in a run during the inning. Blaine Wiebe picked up the win, striking out four over three innings, while Goertzen pitched two scoreless frames in relief.
In Game 2, Hailey Baldwin led the offensive charge, going 4-for-5 with a triple and three singles in a 10-6 win. Goertzen and Shyanne Wiebe added multi-hit games, with Central racking up 18 total hits. Goertzen earned the win with two clean innings, while Manness and Wiebe also saw time in the circle.
The U13 Central Energy picked up a pair of wins over Westman Magic. In the first game, Reese F. went a perfect 3-for-3, and Brady W. tripled in the second inning of a 9-5 win. Kaitlyn B. and Beaudry E. both delivered multi-hit games. Central played error-free defence behind Addison D., Emma S., and Brady W., who shared pitching duties.
Central Energy followed that up with an 8-3 win in Game 2, powered by a seven-run third inning that included a two-RBI triple from Brady W. Jaidyn S., Brielle F., and Lindsay F. each contributed RBIs. Kaitlyn B. and Jaidyn S. both had two-hit games and drove in multiple runs. Collins V. pitched two scoreless innings to secure the win in relief.
Central Energy’s softball teams will look to carry their momentum into another busy week of games across the province.
