While the start of the day didn't go as planned, the U15 AAA Central Energy showed a lot of heart, battling to win their second game of the day, giving the group a strong 3-1 record after day two of nationals being held in Winkler and Morden.
No quit in the group
"It was truly a character building day for us," coach Kevin Convery said at the end of the day. "The opening game loss against BC2 was tough, but the girls really learned from the experience of playing on of the best teams in Canada. They bounced back and overcame giving up a late lead, earning a dramatic extra inning victory over the Alberta champions."
Where they stand after day two
An even day after being 2-0 after day one, means the team is in good position heading into Friday. "The evening victory moves us to 3-1," Convery explains. "It really gives us a good chance of making the A-side playoffs. The momentum from the thrilling extra inning win will hopefully carry into the last day of pool play (Friday)."
Positives and room to improve
After four games, there are positives and areas where Convery believes the group has some room to grow. "Our team defense really carried us in our second game today," he says proudly. "The offense has gone a little quite, but when you face a pitcher who recently represented Team Canada at the U15 World Cup, you can expect some challenges at the plate."
Caring community
Convery says the play on the diamond has been amazing, and everything around the games has been special, thanks to the community. "The host committee have been working tirelessly to ensure things are running smoothly. They've built great subcommittees who are covering all aspects of making this event a success. The amazing volunteers also deserve a huge thank you."
Up next
With more pool play on Friday, Convery details the schedule. "We finish off the pool play with two games. We meet the Ontario champions at 11:00 a.m., and then the Saskatchewan 2 team at 3:00 p.m. Both games are in Winkler on diamond 2.