FINAL FOUR PLAY FOR OCAA WOMEN'S FASTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

OSHAWA, Ont. - Following a unexpected layoff, a condensed schedule and occasional battles with Mother Nature, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) will determine its 2011 women's fastball champions this weekend.

The 2011 OCAA Women's Fastball Championship is hosted by Durham College with four teams engaging in a double-knockout tournament Friday and Saturday.

Durham is the defending champions, having struck OCAA gold a record 15 times. The Lords remain the team to beat after an undefeated record in the regular season.

St. Clair remains Durham's nemesis, having won three of the last six OCAA championships. St. Clair did not face Durham this regular season, as an originally scheduled doubleheader between the teams was cancelled due to poor field conditions.

Humber plays the role of new kids on the block, making its OCAA tournament debut in its first year of women's fastball competition. Seneca looks to earn its first medal since being awarded bronze in 2009.

In the double-knockout tournament, teams play a minimum of two games. Teams are eliminated from the competition after their second loss. The team that avoids a second loss wins the tournament and the championship.

1. Durham College (8-0)

The Lords outscored the competition this regular season, scoring 75 runs despite playing two less games. Durham has also allowed an OCAA-low six runs in 2011.

Pitchers Shannon Galea and Kristine Miles both have 4-0 records for Durham, with Miles leading all of OCAA with an ERA of 0.00. Galea's ERA of 1.50 hardly pales in comparison, and has 31 strikeouts to her credit, good for second in OCAA.

Offensively, outfielder Janna Hagan led OCAA with a .577 batting average, and ended the regular season tied for second place in hits with 15. Shortstop Brittany Bell led OCAA with 13 RBI, and Hagan and Kristin Servinis were among a trio of OCAA leaders with 12 runs scored.

Durham has won an OCAA medal every season since 1996.

2. St. Clair College (7-1)

St. Clair had a front-loaded OCAA schedule, and combined with last weekend's cancelled doubleheader at Durham, has not played a regular season game since Oct. 1.

The Saints have been dormant for nearly three weeks, but recent history suggests they will be a force to be reckoned with at the OCAA tournament.

Melissa Bowyer led all OCAA pitchers with 33 strikeouts and 37 innings this season, with St. Clair playing two less games. She was also tied for the OCAA lead in wins with a 4-1 record. Her ERA of 2.92 was also best on the Saints.

Caitlyn Stiles is the OCAA co-leader in runs scored with 12. Keri Bagley was third in OCAA with 11 RBI, while Lisa Ternosky led all St. Clair batters with a .480 average.

3. Seneca College (6-4)

The Sting were the only team to hand St. Clair a loss during the regular season, which should help Seneca's confidence heading into their opening game against the Saints.   

Seneca has turned to pitcher Maryann Tumanguil its last three regular season games, and she has responded with a pair of victories. She has struck out 11 batters in 14 innings of work. At the plate, Tumanguil was the team co-leader in base hits with 12, along with outfielder Jody Waltho who had a .522 batting average.

Amanda Boismier led the Sting with 10 RBI to go along with her .440 average. She also contributed from the pitcher's circle, with 22 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.

4. Humber College (5-5)

Humber defeated Conestoga 7-1 in the OCAA qualifier to earn the final bid into the championship tournament.

Jessica O'Quinn was among the OCAA leaders in victories with a 4-1 record. Her 2.90 ERA in 31 innings pitched was the best among non-Durham pitchers. Shelby Robblee was also a key contributer for the Hawks from the rubber with 27 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. Robblee also led Humber with a .481 batting average, driving in a team-high 12 runs.

Quinn Hall led Humber with 14 hits resulting in a .467 batting average. She scored eight times and drove in five runs.

Humber needs to improve on its regular season record (1-5) against tournament opponents if it wants to medal in its first women's fastball season. Humber opens the competition against Durham.

Website: www.durhamlords.com/ocaafastball

Championship Schedule
Friday, October 21
Game 1: Durham vs. Humber - 11 a.m.
Game 2: St. Clair vs. Seneca - 1 p.m.
Game 3: Losers of Games 1 and 2 - 3 p.m.
Game 4: Winners of Games 1 and 2 - 5 p.m.

Saturday, October 22
Bronze Medal Game
Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 - 10 a.m.
*Loser awarded Bronze, winner advances to Gold Medal Round

Gold Medal Game #1
Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Bronze Medal Game - 1 p.m.

Gold Medal Game #2
If Necessary - 3 p.m.

- OCAA -

ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 31 members sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.

For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com