The Central Energy U15 AAA softball team brought home silver from the 2025 Softball Manitoba U15 AAA Female Championships, which concluded Wednesday in Winkler after rain delays paused play the previous weekend.
Central fell 10–6 to the Eastman Wildcats in the rescheduled gold medal game, despite a strong offensive performance. The squad collected 15 hits to Eastman’s seven but couldn’t hold a late lead, surrendering eight runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ella Conrad went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI, while Payton Manness, Shyanne Goertzen, and Bree Pearce each added multiple hits. Central opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single from Zoey Shantz and led 4–2 by the fourth, but Eastman capitalized on defensive miscues and timely hits to secure the championship.
Earlier in the day, Central earned a berth in the gold medal game with a 14–5 comeback win over the Interlake Phillies, who took home bronze. Down 5–0 in the first, Central exploded for five runs in the third and seven more in the fourth.
Hailey Baldwin powered the comeback with two hits and four RBIs, including a key two-run single. Manness, Pearce, and Conrad also drove in runs, while Goertzen picked up the win in the circle, allowing one earned run over five innings.
The strong finish capped a dominant run through round-robin and early playoff play, where Central posted shutout wins over the Manitoba Angels, Winnipeg Lightning Slatch, Westman Magic, and Interlake Phillies, as well as high-scoring victories against Smitty’s Terminators and others. Their only losses came at the hands of eventual gold medallists Eastman.
With their silver medal, Central Energy now turns its attention to the U15 Female Canadian Championships, which they will host in Winkler from Aug. 13–17. Eastman and one other top-finishing team will join them at nationals, while Interlake and another qualifier will represent Manitoba at the U15 Female Western Canadian Championships in Calgary, Aug. 1–4.
