As scrappy as the Burnaby Oakeys under-16 C girls softball team is, the idea of advancing to the provincials could have been classified as a dream if it didn’t unfold as it did.
The squad of 16 players gathered steam during the season and hit the gas at the district championships last month, knocking off Port Coquitlam 15-10 in the final to clinch the berth to the B.C.s.
In just their second season together, the squad has taken huge steps and arrived at a destination most wouldn’t imagine a year ago.
“It’s kind of a bonus for a second-year team to have this success,” remarked coach Don Ladret, a longtime Burnaby coach who took the helm last year with a club that included four players new to the game. “From last year, when we won just five times, to get here is really sweet.”
In three previous encounters with PoCo – including a 12-6 loss in the second game at the districts – Burnaby had managed to dent their rival’s confidence.
But, in the final, the visitors came determined to turn the table. Led by pitcher Amani Korgee, the Oakeys built up a comfortable lead and only saw PoCo pad their run total later in a seven-inning game. Korgee went 4-for-4 at the plate to contribute with the bat.
Getting to the final, Burnaby shook off a 2-0 deficit and scored 10 runs over two innings en route to a 10-5 win over New West. Maya Gutenberg contributed a pair of run-scoring doubles.
It followed the team’s 12-6 loss to PoCo and a tournament-opening come-from-behind effort against Coquitlam. With two out and trailing 8-5, the underdogs scored four times, with Avril Brigden driving Torrey Chapman home for the winning run in a 9-8 victory.
Ladret, who coached the Burnaby junior Hurricanes to a provincial title six years ago, said the team will head to Maple Ridge July 13 to 15 with just a few things on their mind.
“Provincials are something special,” he said. “Most girls never get to go, so it will be a great experience, no matter what. We’d love to win but our goal is to give it our best. We want them to have fun, but since we made it this far I hope they do well.”
In preparation for the provincials, Burnaby also did well at the PoCo wrap-up tourney two weeks ago, finishing second. They once again faced PoCo in the semifinal, and racked up a 6-4 victory thanks to a two-run triple off the bat of Kennedy Beemish. In the final against Abbotsford, the Oakeys fell 11-6 despite a grand slam from Merisa Isovic.
The team, which has posted an impressive 19-10-2 record so far, is also coached by Carrie-Lynn Ladret and Steve Beemish.
