The Hustlers battled to an epic 1-1 tie with the Colts, rallied to defeat the Assiniboia Aces 11-10 and rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Heat in a trio of league games at Caribou Heights.
Alas, those contests marked the end of the season, as the four-week run of games scheduled within the province’s COVID-19 guidelines came to an end.
Hustlers 1, Colts 1
There haven’t been many games as low scoring as the showing between the Colts and Hustlers on Aug. 12, and you have the Hustlers’ Krissy Rusu and Colts’ Jade Waiting to thank for it.
It was the Colts who struck first, when Ceanna Bruce drew a one-out walk and later came around to score. That 1-0 lead stood up until the seventh inning when the Hustlers were finally able to break through against Waiting, as Kianna Avery hit a lead-off single before coming around with the tying run.
Bruce drew her third walk of the game to make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, but that would mark the final baserunner of the night.
For Waiting, it was a matter of escaping trouble no matter what the Hustlers threw at her – bases loaded in the first, a runner in scoring position in the second inning and runners on second and third in the third. She’d retire the side in order the next three frames, though, before the Hustlers managed their tying run. All told, Waiting would allow five hits on the night and strikeout three.
Rusu also found herself facing runners in scoring position in five of seven innings, but used the ole adage ‘bend but don’t break’ to escape each time outside of the third. All told, Rusu would scatter six hits and strike out five.
Hustlers 7, Heat 0
The opening game on Thursday night saw Rusu and Adriana Phillips combine to allow only three Heat hits on their way to the mercy-rule shut-out win.
Things were especially close until the fourth inning as Phillips and Heat pitcher Megan Auger went toe-to-toe, leading to the Hustlers holding a 2-0 lead after three.
Everything changed in the next Hustlers’ next at bat, though – nine batters leading to five runs on three hits and three errors.
Tanya McLean finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, Nicole Ansell 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, Taylor Phillips with two runs scored.
Hustlers 11, Assiniboia 10
Rusu and Sherri Logan scored runs in the top of the seventh to cap a back-and-forth battle in the nightcap on Thursday.
The Hustlers picked up right where they left off in the opening game, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs for a 7-3 lead after the first inning. They led 8-4 when the Aces themselves batted through the order in the fourth, putting up a five-spot to lead 9-8.
The two teams exchanged single runs the next two innings, setting up the comeback finish.
Rachelle Grado went the distance for the Hustlers to take the win, Brianne Welder took the loss for Assiniboia.
Logan reached base five times and scored four runs for the Hustlers, Taylor Logan scored a pair.
Jessie Rood had a three-run night for Assiniboia, Welder and Raina Peterson crossed the plate twice for the Aces.
