Offence continues to struggle as Softball's losing streak hits six straight
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheridan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 0 |
|
Humber | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheridan | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
|
Humber | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – After a strong start to the season, Humber softball (10-6, 3rd OCAA) has hit a slump after losing another doubleheader, this time to the Sheridan Bruins (8-6, 4th OCAA) at Connorvale Park. The Hawks are now looking to snap a six-game losing streak.
It was also Orange Shirt Night at Connorvale Park, where the Humber Hawks came together to acknowledge this country's history and honour the Survivors of the residential school system, as well as the children who never returned home. Reconciliation is a shared responsibility that calls on all of us to commit.
Game one (Sheridan 9, Humber 6)
The Hawks were back at Connorvale Park looking to recharge with the energy of their home crowd. After leaving their home diamond with a hard-fought sweep of the Mohawk Mountaineers on Sept. 21, Humber hit a rough patch, dropping the doubleheader against the St. Clair Saints before two disappointing losses to the Lambton Lions. With the postseason approaching, the Hawks needed a spark at home to get back on track.
After a quiet first inning, the Bruins broke the ice in the second with a few hits to jump ahead by two. Down 2-0, the Hawks answered quickly and in style. In the home half, Maddy Friesen blasted her career-first home run, Peyton Fitzgerald tied it with a single up the middle and Victoria Lopez followed with an RBI to put Humber ahead. The Hawks scored two more runs to end the inning with a 5-2 lead.
Humber added another run in the bottom of the third and appeared to be in control of the ball game. However, Sheridan had more left in the tank, mounting a late rally in the top of the sixth. The Bruins scored three runs, narrowing the lead to one at 6-5.
With victory in sight, head coach Duaine Bowles called Michaela Brown from the bullpen for relief in the top of the seventh. Brown struggled in the circle, and the Hawks were shaky defensively, allowing Sheridan to surge ahead with a 9-6 lead.
The Hawks were unable to recover and dropped the first game of the doubleheader. The Bruins managed to snap their nine-game losing streak at Connorvale Park.
Game two (Sheridan 5, Humber 4)
The crowd in the stands watched as Sheridan picked up right where they left off in game one. The Bruins jumped to an early 5-1 lead in the top of the second inning, prompting Humber to call on Maddy Friesen as an early reliever in search of answers.
The Hawks struggled to find solutions to a good mix of Olivia Weiss' pitches, keeping Humber's bats cold through the early innings. Humber only managed to break through in the bottom of the fourth when River Johnston drove in Rilee Rothwell with an RBI single to right field, giving Humber a glimmer of hope.
In the bottom of the fifth, Rothwell provided another spark with a two-run double to left, bringing in Blair Naughton and Lopez to narrow the gap to 5-4.
Although Humber managed to collect a few hits, they couldn't convert them into more runs. Ultimately, the Bruins completed the sweep and extended the Hawks' losing streak to six games.
Game Notes
- Humber holds a 9-6 all-time record against Sheridan.
- The Hawks have lost their first game to the Bruins since 2019, ending a nine-game winning streak.
- Humber is now tied 5-5 against Sheridan at Connorvale Park.
- Rilee Rothwell sits second in the OCAA with a .500 batting average and seven stolen bases.
- Humber's offence has cooled off sharply, with production dropping from 8.5 runs and 11.2 hits per game during the winning streak to just 4.0 runs and 7.2 hits per game in the losing streak.
- Power and consistency have also declined, as extra-base hits fell from 3.9 per game (including 10 triples) to just 1.7 per game with no triples, while strikeouts nearly doubled from 3.7 K/G to 6.0 K/G.
What's Next?
The Hawks continue their homestand on Saturday, Oct. 4, hosting the Conestoga Condors (4-10, 6th OCAA) in a doubleheader at Connorvale Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., with both games streaming live on the Hawks Sports Network.
