Paris Predators U11 Girls battle heat and top-tier talent to finish fourth in year-end tournament

The Paris Predators U11 Girls Softball team wrapped up its season with the year end tournament in Hickson this past weekend pictured left to right, front row, Lahara, Brynlee, Kynlee, Erin, Harper, Lucy, back row, Casandra, Olivia, Avery, Kaylee, Maeve, Addie, Kali and Heather.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor 

Young softball squad caps off season with thrilling extra-inning win, strong growth and grit under pressure

The Paris Predators U11 Girls Softball team wrapped up its season with a gutsy fourth-place finish this past weekend, showing resilience, heart, and steady development throughout their final tournament.

The action opened Saturday morning against Innerkip, with Kaylee Carr setting the tone from the mound. Carr struck out three of the first five batters, giving Paris a chance to respond offensively. And they did just that—exploding for six runs in the opening inning.

Carr followed her first-inning performance with three more strikeouts in the second. Though the bats quieted somewhat, Paris added a run in the third and held off a late Innerkip push to claim a 7-3 win.

Paris then faced a tough test in Sweaburg, the top team in the league. Carr and Lucy Witt shared pitching duties against the well-disciplined squad, but despite a few solid defensive plays, the Predators couldn’t get the bats going and dropped an 11-0 decision.

Sunday morning brought one of the most exciting games of the season—a 9-8 extra-inning nail-biter over Embro that had fans on the edge of their seats.

Embro got on the board early with two runs, but strong defence from Olivia Turnbull at first base and two Carr strikeouts ended the rally. In response, Avery Peterson crushed the first pitch for a solo home run. Witt followed with a two-RBI triple and later scored on a heads-up base running hit, which turned into a homerun by Maeve Emmott. Carr added a single and was knocked in by Peterson as Paris built an early lead.

Embro countered with five runs in the second, tying the game 7-7. Witt struck out two in the third but Paris allowed one run, putting Embro up by a narrow margin. Carr and Kynlee Crawley responded with singles, and Carr crossed the plate to even things once again, sending the game to extra innings.

With bases loaded in the top of the fourth, Carr dug deep and struck out the final batter, her third of the inning to keep things level. In the bottom half, Kali Novak walked and stole second and third. Emmott then drove a ball into left field, bringing Novak home for the walk-off win.

The quarter-final matchup against second-place Hickson proved tough, as Paris struggled to connect against strong pitching. Carr, Witt and Turnbull each pitched, with Carr rebounding from a slow start to collect three strikeouts. Witt added three more over two innings, and Turnbull struck out two and cleanly fielded a grounder to end the game. The 9-1 loss ended Paris’ tournament run, but not without a valiant effort in sweltering heat.

Paris finished fourth out of nine teams, capping off a remarkable season marked by steady growth and team spirit.

First-year players Harper Laskoski, Erin McGuiness, Kali Novak and Addie Robinson demonstrated tremendous improvement, showing confidence at the plate and dependable defence in the field. Brynlee Ross transformed into a confident and consistent hitter as the season closed, earning a reputation for her plate vision and patience. Crawley also found her rhythm late in the season, building confidence with every game and showing she’s not afraid to stay in front of the ball. Lahara Lockett and Emmott stepped up to take on the challenging role behind the plate, showing rapid development in catching responsibilities.

With evident improvements across the roster and a commitment to teamwork, the U11 Predators ended their season with pride and promise for the future.