Blyth U13 Girls team wins Huron-Perth A Division Championship in Stratford

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Over the weekend, the Blyth Gritty’s - also known as the U13 Girls team - claimed the A Division Championship in the Huron-Perth Fastball League’s 24-team year-end tournament, held in Stratford.

 

The team squeezed out a win in the finals against the Cambridge Cougars on Sunday afternoon, beating the finalists and winning the championship by a score of 8-6. The team began the day with a 10-4 win over the Seaforth Wolverines in the semifinals that morning.

 

The team began the tournament on Friday night with a 8-7 win over the Elma Express, followed by a 4-4 tie with the Ingersoll Ironbirds on Saturday afternoon and an 11-6 victory over the Cambridge Cougars later that day. Little did they know that they would see the Cougars again in the finals the next day.

 

The U13 Girls Brussels Tigers team was also in action on that same weekend, beating the Wilmot Thunder by a score of 11-2 in the C Division semifinals before falling to the Wingham Wildcats in the finals by a score of 8-4 later that morning.

 

Kelly Wharton, coach of the team, said she was very proud of the team and all it had accomplished over the course of the season and at the year-end tournament in Stratford. She also said that the team couldn’t have done it without skills coach Scott Bromley, pitching coach Daryl Shannon and assistant coach Jennifer Williamson.

 

She also noted a number of people responsible for the team’s success through their support and guidance, such as Ruth Feeney, the team’s scorekeeper, manager Andrea Shortreed and the entire Blyth Minor Ball executive, in addition to the players’ parents and fans, who were plentiful at games throughout the season.

 

A special piece of inspiration came, Wharton said, from Blyth’s Jeff and Janice Peters, who gifted the team the book Winning Without Winning by Gerry Crowley.

 

Wharton said that the championship trophy will soon be displayed at the Blyth and District Community Centre alongside so many other championship trophies and plaques.

 

“This championship is a reflection of an entire community’s effort and spirit, and I am so grateful to everyone who played a part in making the season so memorable,” Wharton said in an e-mail to The Citizen.

 

This season has been one of growth for the newly-reinvigorated Blyth Minor Ball, which had four teams this season after sitting dormant for many years. The increased interest in baseball in the village has been a boon for the association, which continues to grow and see interest increase every season.