Now they’ll have a chance to add a league title to their first-place showing in the Regina Minor Softball League standings.
The Ice capped the regular season with three straight wins, including a pair of one-run battles with the White Butte Storm that saw the Ice win 6-5 and 5-4 to go along with a 13-4 victory over the Regina Royals Raptors in their final regular-season contest.
That gave Moose Jaw an 11-2-1 record, good enough for top spot in the U12 A standings, and the top seed when they take on a yet-to-be-determined opponent in their first-round game on Wednesday, Aug. 26 in Regina.
Ice 6, White Butte 5
Blake Maltais forced an error to the shortstop on the final play of the game, bringing home Kensington Demassi and Kyra Menzies with the tying and game-winning runs as the Ice overcame a 5-1 deficit by scoring five runs over the last three innings.
That included three in the seventh, as the Ice went into the final frame trailing 5-3.
The run was Demassi’s second of the game, while Marisa Montgomery was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in.
Avery Garthus got the start and was lights out, striking all but one batter she faced over two innings of work. Kiarra Adrian took over in the third and had a rare rough outing, allowing five runs – three earned – on three hits and striking out a pair, but that would be the last offensive hope for the Storm. Montgomery struck out four over the next two innings, and Demassi closed things out with a pair of Ks in the final frame.
Ice 5, White Butte 4
The Ice fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but would never trail again, scoring a pair of runs in the second and taking a 4-3 lead out of the fourth inning. Each team would score one run the rest of the way, but that’s as close as the Storm would get.
Adrian was back to her old self in the circle, tossing two solid innings and allowing the two early runs on a hit while striking out four. Montgomery surrendered a run on two hits and struck out five, while it was Demassi’s turn to mow through the order in the fifth and sixth, not allowing a hit and striking out five. Garthus finished things off, allowing a run on a hit and striking out three.
Zoey Chesney was 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI; Rachel Ward had a hit in three trips to the plate, scoring a run and knocking in one.
Ice 13, Raptors 4
There were no late-game dramatics in the final game of the regular season.
The Ice racked up the maximum five runs in the first inning, led 6-1 through two and 7-1 through four when Regina clawed a handful of runs back in the fifth. They’d get no closer, as the Ice finished things off with six runs over the final three innings.
It was Montgomery’s turn to lead the way at the plate with a 2-for-3 showing that included a two-run inside-the-park home run in the fifth inning. She’d finish with three runs scored and three RBI.
Maltais and Adrian each crossed the plate twice, while Chesney, Ward and Tara Bell had two RBI each. Gracelyn Blanchard contributed a triple and scored in the second inning.
Adrian tossed two scoreless innings and struck out three, Demassi allowed a run and struck out three in her two innings, Garthus gave up three runs – one earned – while striking out five and walking four, Montgomery struck out one in the final inning.
