Staff
In what was the pure definition of role reversal, the player who had been hitting all game scored the winning run thanks to a teammate who hadn’t had a hit until the very end.
Trish Smith raced home on Misty Perreault’s RBI single to centre as Team Genny Brown topped Team Kayla Windigo 10-9 in an extra inning in the Rainy River District Women’s Fastball League’s annual all-star game at Oltsher Field in Barwick last night.
With the teams tied 8-8 after seven innings, the game reverted to international fastball rules, with the hitter who was the final out of the previous inning automatically getting on second base to start the frame.
Losing pitcher Darcy Smith (Northwest Bay Beavers) filled that spot for Team Kayla in the top of the eighth.
She took third on a passed ball and later scored on an RBI groundout to second by Danielle Jackson (Fort Frances Juniors).
Karma Andy (Manitou Blaze), who got the win in relief, then walked Laurie Fairfield (Dawson Diggers) but retired Dana Ward (Fort Frances Her-icanes) on a grounder back to the mound to end the inning.
Laurie Brown (Blaze) took second to begin the bottom of the frame as the automatic base runner for Team Genny.
Brown wasted little time stealing third, then raced home on an RBI groundout to third by Alyssa Windego (Red Gut Babes).
Smith (Beavers) promptly stepped up and cracked a single to left off her Northwest Bay teammate before stealing second.
Devyn Kelly (Sabaskong Tebinaak) popped out to third to bring up Perreault (Couchiching Lady Raiders), who had been hitless to that point.
But Perreault came through against Smith by pounding the ball past the outstretched glove of Fairfield at short.
Taylor Windego (Babes), widely-regarded as having the best outfield arm in the RRDWFL, came up firing as Trish Smith sprinted home.
But the throw to catcher Tammy Horton (Sabaskong Cougars) was one stride too late to nail Smith at the dish.
Team Genny had built a 7-1 lead through five innings, including a three-run third against the league’s winningest pitcher, Team Kayla starter Nancy Indian (Big Grassy).
Meanwhile, Team Kayla had no end of trouble against Team Genny starter Erika Paulsen (Fort Frances Mud Dogs), who was sensational through her four innings of work in allowing no runs.
But that evaporated in a 12-batter, seven-run sixth
inning that put Team Kayla in front 8-7.
Ward capped the rally with a two-run single to centre to bring in Darcy Smith and Katie Mowe (Lady Raiders).
But Team Genny forced extra innings in their last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh with a thrilling two-out rally that began with a four-pitch walk to Andy.
Rylee Redford (Juniors), who had the most impressive drive of the night with a soaring triple to centre in the second, lashed a sharp liner off the glove of Ward at third.
Fairfield picked up the deflection but her throw wasn’t in time to get Redford at first—giving Andy enough time to come across the plate with the tying run.
