SUNDRE – Going into provincials, the Sundre U17 Stealers fast-pitch softball team had finished regular season play without losing a single game in the Central Alberta Softball League.
“We went undefeated for our league,” said coach Lyndsay Edgar.
Needless to say, their first-place finish in regular season play paved the way forward for the squad to take a crack at the bat at provincials, which were hosted July 7-9 in Blackfalds where they found themselves going up against some rather stiff competition.
“It was not the results that we were hoping for,” the coach told the Albertan when asked how provincials panned out.
“But the girls faced some of their toughest competition this year, so that’s a bonus; they got to play some good ball.”
They played four games, winning two and losing two, she said, expressing a preference to coming up short and losing a couple of hard-fought games that at least offered an invaluable opportunity to gain experience against a challenging team over an effortless sweep to victory that doesn’t really provide a chance for the team to improve.
And with such a stellar season under their belt, the girls had every reason to keep their chins up and hold their heads high.
“The entire season overall was great. I’m proud of every single girl; I’ve seen each girl grow as a player and that alone I think is a huge success for a year,” said Edgar.
“Even in provincials, some of the girls made some of their best plays that they did all year. And the last game that we played on Saturday, they played with their hearts so that’s all I can ask for. That’s, I think, a very successful season.”
St. Paul won provincials, which had nine teams competing in their division. Squads needed at least three wins to place in the standings, and so the Stealers did not rank.
Even so, the coach reiterated the pride she felt in how well the team performed throughout the season.
“We only had two losses, and that was this weekend (at provincials),” she said.
“I don’t really think I can point out only one thing that they shined on,” she said when asked about the team’s strengths.
“Some games, they excelled in their stealing, and in a next game our pitchers crushed it, and in the next game they were swinging the bats really well. I found every single game, they worked on one element and worked hard on it that game,” she said.
That all culminated on the field during provincials despite the two losses.
“I did see all the aspects of the game come together in a few games at provincials,” she said. “So, it’s hard to say that it was one thing they really excelled at. In the last game, I seen it all come together; I really did.”
The coach plans to stick around for at least one more year and hopes there will be enough players in 2024 to field another team with those who aged out at the end of this season.
Provided a team comes together, “our plan next year is to go and win provincials,” the coach said.
