Staff
There will be a new top gun in the Rainy River District Fastball League this season.
Amy Penner scored from third on an error in the bottom of the seventh to give the top-ranked Fort Frances Her-icanes a 10-9 win over the defending champion Northwest Bay Beavers in the Rainy River District Women’s Fastball League losers’ side semi-final last night at VanJura.
Fort Frances now will host the eighth-seeded Emo Renegades this Monday at 6 p.m. at VanJura in the losers’ side final.
The winner will advance to face the sixth-ranked Red Gut Babes in the best-of-three championship final, which starts next Wednesday in Red Gut.
Emo beat the ’Canes 14-11 in the second round of the playoffs back on July 25 at VanJura.
With the game tied 9-9, Penner ended up at second to lead off the inning after her roller in front of the plate was thrown wide of first by Beavers’ pitcher Darcy Smith.
Then after moving to third on a wild pitch and one out after Jenn Wall was hit by a pitch, Penner broke for home on Jess Woodgate’s grounder to first.
Beavers’ veteran Joyce Smith misread the hop and pulled her glove up too soon—letting the ball get through her as Penner touched home plate.
Woodgate, Stacy Caul, Charity McMahon, and Laureen Hill all had two hits apiece for the ’Canes, while Tracy Morningstar tossed a five-hit complete game.
The ’Canes led 6-0 after three innings but nine errors, including four in a five-run sixth inning, helped the Beavers go up 9-7.
But Fort Frances tied it in the bottom of the frame on Morningstar’s RBI double to centre to plate Woodgate and Hill’s single that cashed in McMahon.
The Beavers played with heavy hearts as indicated by the tribute sign they hung by their bench saluting family member Megan Johnson, who passed away late last month in Toronto but only was identified by authorities on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Rainy River District Fastball League playoffs are in full swing, starting with Tuesday night’s first-round action.
In the East Division, second-ranked Sight & Sound Wolves crushed the seventh-seeded Northwest Bay Juniors 18-1 at VanJura.
Aaron Caul, Matt Dunne, Nick Wepruk, and Ian Tookenay all homered off Juniors’ pitcher Tanner Smith to back the pitching of John Desaulniers,
The Wolves next will host third-seeded Couchiching Raiders, who routed the sixth-ranked Northwest Bay Chieftains 23-3 at the Rodrick and Telford Bruyere Ball Field last night.
Mike Jourdain drilled two homers while Chris Morrisseau and Sheldon Kelly Jr. added one apiece.
Sheldon Kelly Sr. picked up the win over Don Smith.
The other East game Tuesday night saw fourth-ranked Windey’s Warriors beat the fifth-seeded Manitou Thunderbirds 15-7.
Marcel Pagee outpitched Nathan DeBungee while Rob McGinnis cranked a homer for the Warriors, who now face the top-seeded Fort Frances Braves tonight at 6:30 p.m.
Couchiching will host the game after the Braves elected to give up home-field advantage rather than play at the St. Francis Sports Field.
The Braves had a first-round bye after finishing second overall during the regular season with a 16-3 record.
In the West Division, the fourth-ranked Big Grassy Lightning bombed the fifth-ranked Sabaskong Lakers 17-1 on Tuesday in Big Grassy.
Austin Jack homered while Jeff Morrison picked up the win over Merlin Kelly.
Big Grassy next will try to hand the top-ranked and defending champion Barwick Blue Knights their first loss of the season tonight at Oltsher Field.
The Knights rode their 19-0 regular-season record to a first-round bye.
Also Tuesday, the second-ranked Dawson Tigers dumped the seventh-seeded Rainy River Royals 17-4 in Pinewood.
Matt Comegan homered and earned the win, over Chris Stone.
The Tigers next face the third-seeded Stratton Eagles tonight, who erased an early 7-0 deficit to beat the sixth-ranked Sabaskong Cubs 15-10.
Jackson Arpin earned the win despite yielding two homers to Lawrence Norwegian.
Kevin Copenace took the loss.
The double-elimination format will see its first two victims tonight when Rainy River visits the Cubs while the Juniors and Chieftains tangle in an all-Northwest Bay battle.
The winners will remain alive while the losers will be done for the season.
