STRATFORD, P.E.I. — The Stratford Truck and Auto Stars are off and running.
Prince Edward Island’s under-16 fast pitch team has won back-to-back tournaments to start the season as it gears up for a summer that will see them compete at nationals in Calgary from Aug. 14-18.
The Stars opened the season by winning the Spudchuckers tournament in O’Leary earlier this month and recently captured the East Coast Games fast pitch competition in Quispamsis, N.B.
In O’Leary, Kylee Campbell, Andrea Caron and Darcie Kelly combined for 33 strikeouts while allowing a combined three runs as the Stars posted a 3-0 round-robin record.
In the semifinal against the Western Wildfire, an under-14 squad from Prince Edward Island, the Stars bats were hot in a 13-5 victory to set up a rematch with the Cole Harbour Comets Angels from Nova Scotia. The Island squad won the round-robin contest with the Angels 1-0.
Caron went back to the circle in the final and struck out nine in a 5-1 victory.
Emily Thistle was clutch, delivering a bases-loaded triple to break the game wide open as the Stars scored all their runs in the third inning. Caron also went 2-for-3 at the plate.
The Stars dealt with some early adversity at the East Coast Games, going 1-2 in round-robin play.
They lost the opener 3-2 to Kennebecasis Valley from New Brunswick, defeated the Fredericton Twins 12-3 before losing 9-6 to Cole Harbour.
The Stars regrouped for a semifinal rematch with Cole Harbour.
Lefty Kylee Campbell threw five shutout innings and went 2-for-3 in a 7-0 win. The score was 1-0 until Sophia Jeffery hit a three-run triple in the bottom of the fourth inning to put them up 4-0. Ashley Cullen followed with an RBI double.
Needing to score two runs in the bottom of the fifth to enforce the mercy rule, the Stars didn't disappoint. Campbell drove in one while Belle Ashley (2-for-4) hit a double to cash in the game-ending run.
Kelly went the distance in an 8-3 win in the final against Kennebecasis Valley while also contributing a pair of hits.
The teams traded runs early on before P.E.I. blew the game open in the sixth when Ashley (2-for-5), Brenna Ing (1-3), Lindsay Drover (1-3) and Kelly (2-3) all scored.
The Stars head to Fredericton, N.B., for a tournament July 6 and 7 and will play in a tournament in Summerside July 19-21.
