Cassidy Cup Championship Wrap-Up
/ GPLS.ca | 8:55AM
B Division Championship Weekend wrap up
The B Division in Girls Prairie League Softball concluded their season over the weekend in Unity, as all four divisions took to the field looking to win the Cassidy Cup, the newly named championship for B Division teams. And by Sunday night, each division had crowned their champion in what was a competitive weekend of softball across all divisions, with some upsets along the way in the double-elimination tournament style playoffs.
Rage win U19B in rematch over Tigers
The Red Deer Rage entered the U19B Division Playoffs as the top seed, finishing undefeated at 10-0 during the regular season. They earned the first-round bye and took to the field in the second round where they defeated the Unity Panthers to move forward. But their smooth run to the final and their undefeated season came to an end, as the second seeded Irma Tigers booked their ticket to the final with a close 10-8 victory.
That meant the Rage had to go into the elimination bracket, where they would meet the Lacombe Matrix in the semi-final game. Red Deer would ensure the rematch with Irma with a 14-3 victory, setting the stage for the top two teams in the division to meet in the final. The Rage would keep their bats alive and slow down the Irma offence, as Red Deer picked up the Cassidy Cup with an 6-1 victory in the Championship Game.
Pistols complete undefeated season in U12B
The Olds Pistols entered the GPLS playoffs in the U12B Division undefeated at 10-0, and they wouldn’t let anything stop them from completing the perfect season. Olds had to wait to see who their second-round opponent would be after earning a bye in the first round. Red Deer would get by St. Albert in a 20-13 final to earn the right to play the top seed, but Pistols offence would come alive for 11 runs in an 11-2 final, moving them on to the second round to take on the No. 4 seed Irma Tigers.
Olds would continue their path to the final with a 9-2 victory over the Tigers, and book their spot in the Championship Game with a close 9-7 victory over the Edmonton Warriors 06. Edmonton, who had upset the No. 2 seed Calgary Adrenaline, would go to the elimination bracket where they would face the Irma Tigers for the final Championship Game spot. Irma would take the semi-final game and get a second chance at the Pistols in the final, despite losing to them earlier in the tournament.
However, Olds would finish the season with a 12-6 victory, completing their undefeated season with a 14-0 record and more importantly, a Cassidy Cup as the U12B Champions for 2018.
Panthers earn U16B Cup with rematch victory
Much like the U19B Division, the top seed needed an extra game to make it to the final, and needed to beat the team that sent them down to the elimination bracket. Unity entered the playoffs with a 10-0 record, and added two more victories with a 13-1 victory over the Olds Pistols in the first round and a 6-3 victory over the Calahoo Erins in round 2.
However, the second seed Medicine Hat Thunder would hand them their first loss of the season in a close 7-5 victory, moving themselves into the Championship Game, while Unity had to go into the elimination bracket. There they met the Erins, and just got by the fifth seed with a 1-0 victory to set up the rematch in the final. There, the Panthers would hand the Thunder their first loss of the playoffs at the worst time for them, winning 7-2 to capture the U16B Cassidy Cup.
Eagles earn U14B Championship through all-around effort
Five teams in the U14B Division had seven wins or more this past season, and the Elnora Eagles were firmly in the middle, as one of the three teams to finish 8-2 during the regular season. That earned the Eagles the No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs. In the first round they defeated the Sherwood Park Storm 13-0, and blanked the Innisfail Hawks 10-0 to start the playoffs off with two shutouts.
That would set up a meeting with the second seed St. Albert Angles, who had a bye in the first round. But the Eagles, who were already coming in hot, would continue their streak of shutout softball, while also scoring double-digit runs for the third straight game, defeating the Angles 10-0. That would move to the winner’s side semi-final game where they would take on the Calgary South Bow, who upset the top seed Unity Panthers in the second round, and the fifth seed Edmonton Rivercity in the third round to book their spot in the semi-final. Elnora, however, continued their all-around great tournament, limiting Calgary to just one run, the first anyone had scored on the Eagles so far, while Elnora scored another double-digits, earning the 10-1 victory and Championship Game berth.
Calgary would go down to the elimination bracket where they would face the Unity Panthers, who they defeated earlier in the tournament. Unity fought back through the elimination bracket with three straight victories to make the semi-final. It would be a close semi-final game, however, the Panthers would best Calgary in the rematch, winning 14-12 to set up the Finals.
Waiting for them was Elnora, who continued to swing hot bats all weekend, putting up another double-digit run performance in the final, as they upset the Panthers in a 11-6 victory to earn the U14B Cassidy Cup.
