The Interlake Phillies have made history as the 2024 U13 AAA provincial champions. Their journey this season has been nothing short of spectacular, showcasing their skills and determination in the Manitoba Premier Softball League. With only one loss throughout the season, they proved to be a dominant force.
“Being the host and winning gold at home is pretty special,” said head coach Karli Reimer. “It was a really good feeling. The girls played so well all week and to win at home is something they will always remember.”
The Phillies gold medal win came against the Eastman Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at Quarry Park by a score of 2-0.
Throughout the tournament, the Phillies went 7-1, only losing one in the preliminary round to the Wildcats in a tight 9-7 game.
The win in the gold medal game secured their spot as team Manitoba One in the 2024 Western Canadian Championships.
This was a goal Reimer and the Phillies set back at the beginning of the 2024 MPSL season.
The Phillies will now shift their attention to Westerns, which are beginning this week in Brandon.
The Phillies are using the two days off to rest and reboot before heading off for the Western’s banquet on Wednesday.
“It’s a tight turnaround,” said Reimer on Monday morning. “Today is a day of rest. I want all of our players to take the day off and recover from playing eight games over the tournament. We’ll have a light practice tomorrow.”
At Westerns, the Phillies will be thrown a curveball in the form of a smaller game ball.
Westerns will use a slightly smaller 11-inch MPSL ball instead of the standard 12-inch ball they have used all season.
Reimer said Tuesday’s practice will focus on getting comfortable with the new ball.
“That shouldn’t be an issue, those are usually easier to handle especially when you have smaller hands,” said Reimer. “That will be our focus. It’ll be a light practice. Making sure everyone’s healthy once tournament play starts.”
The Phillies, Wildcats, and Central Energy, finished, one, two, three, will all be Manitoba representatives at Westerns this year.
As the top team coming out of Manitoba, Reimer said the Phillies are honoured to represent the Interlake, and the province of Manitoba at the event.
Westerns begin this Thursday, Aug. 1 and will wrap up Sunday, Aug. 4 with the championship round.
At the tournament, each team will play six round-robin games before determining playoff matchups for Sunday.
The U15 Interlake Phillies had the week off after qualifying for the U15 Western Canadian Championships at provincials last week.
For the U15s, Westerns will also go to North Battleford, SK, this coming weekend from Friday, Aug. 2 to Monday, Aug. 5.
The U19 Manitoba Phillies also had the week off after qualifying for the U19 Western Canadian Championships at their provincials last week.
The Phillies will get an additional week off before heading to the Westerns from Aug. 8-11 in Irma, Alberta.
Tribune Photos by Jo-Anne Procter
