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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2008 47 Softball Tigers claw way to extra-inning victory Late rally lifts Blakelock to second straight title By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER SAFELY HOME: Holy Trinity's Nicole Cerpnjak (in white) slides safely into home plate as the ball eludes Blakelock catcher Alex Saunders during yesterday's Halton high school girls' softball final in Milton. The threerun homer by Cerpnjak appeared it would be the decisive blow in the game, but Blakelock tied the game on a three-run homer of its own in the seventh inning and then won 5-4 in the eighth. MILTON -- With an injured pitcher and without their MVP, the T.A. Blakelock Tigers knew repeating as Halton girls' softball champions wouldn't be easy. It nearly didn't happen at all. Blakelock needed a three-run home run by Alex Saunders to tie the game in its last at-bat of regulation, then pushed another run across in the first extra inning to edge the Holy Trinity Titans 54 in yesterday's (Thursday's) Halton final at Milton's Lions Sports Field. The dramatic ending was in stark contrast to last year's regional championship contest, when the Tigers concluded a dominant season by pounding the Nelson Lords 17-0. But Saunders, when asked to compare the two titles, said she wouldn't have had it any other way. "This year was more fun, more intense games, more of a challenge," said the catcher, who reached base in all four of her plate appearances. Saunders' homer, a line drive down the left field line, scored Carling Watson and Nerissa Kinsman, who led off the inning with singles. Blakelock then won the game the following inning as Dana Kondo hit a hard grounder with the bases loaded that took a bad hop on Trinity second baseman Alexa Grudzinski. Jessica Stanley, who started the inning on second base in accordance with international extra-inning rules, crossed the plate with the decisive run. "There was a lot going through my mind. I was very excited, with all that adrenalin going through me," said the 18-year-old Kondo. "I was just trying to score my teammate. I don't like that situation at all. I don't like it on my shoulders." It was a devastating finish for the Titans, who felt they had the game in hand going into the bottom of the seventh. Nicole Cerpnjak gave Trinity its three-run advantage when she crushed See Titans page 49 OFSAA-bound Hawks win Halton MILTON -- The Loyola Hawks had already secured a return trip to the provincial high school senior girls' soccer AAA tournament, so they could be forgiven for looking ahead a little bit. The Nelson Lords rallied to tie yesterday's (Thursday's) Halton senior girls' AAA soccer final in Milton but, for the second year in a row, the Hawks won the title in overtime. Stacey Cusan chipped the ball over the head of Nelson keeper Laura Yurinicic in the final moments of the first overtime to give the Hawks a 2-1 victory. Now Loyola can return its focus to next week's Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) tournament in Hamilton. Loyola struggled at the provincial tournament last season, but hopes to improve in its second trip. "Last year we really didn't know what to expect," said Loyola keeper Monica Maher. "Now we've got that experience and we'll take that with us." The Hawks will go into the tournament on a winning note, in large part thanks to Maher's save on Nelson's Brynn Metherell. Loyola's Emilie Clarke scored the only goal of the opening half after Yurinicic slipped while coming out to field the ball. Loyola generated several more chances early in the second half but couldn't find the mark. Julia Marchese redirected Jennifer Chuey's corner kick over the crossbar and minutes later fired a shot just wide of the left post. Cusan's nice touch pass sent Marchese down the sideline and her cross went through the crease to Chuey but Yurinicic dove across to knock it wide. Nelson would start to generate its own chances in the latter part of the half. Courtney Richardson made a nice play, hustling back to break up Nelson's first good chance but Metherell would tie the game shortly after, breaking in on the left side after delivering a strike just inside the far post. Minutes later, it looked like Metherell would put Nelson ahead as she got in behind the Loyola defence. However, Maher charged out and dove to redirect her shot just wide of the post. The end of regulation gave Loyola a chance to regroup. "In the second half, when they started to push, it was a wake-up call for us," said Maher, who will play for the University of Toronto next season. Loyola again seized the momentum and was rewarded with Cusan's goal just as the first 10minute overtime drew to a close. Loyola's defence and midfielders did a good job clearing the zone in the second overtime and Nelson never seriously threatened to tie the game. -- Herb Garbutt HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER HEAD GAMES: Loyola Hawks player Jennifer O'Brien (right) and Nelson's Morgan Brooks joust for the ball in front of the Lords' Lauren Brick yesterday in Milton. Loyola defeated Nelson 2-1 in the Halton senior girls' AAA soccer final. www.icesports.com 905-845-6989