Our final home series of the season was Sunday, as we hosted the 1st place Brock Badgers. Brock would prove to be quite a challenge as they knocked the ball all around the park to sweep the series and in the process eliminate the Warriors from the post-season. Prior to the game we honored Nina Gabert who will be graduating this spring for her time served with the Warriors program.

Game 1: Brock 12, Waterloo 1
From the opening batter the Badgers would pound the ball with several bombs and extra base hits, the unrelenting offensive attack was too much for the Warriors who only managed 6-hits. Guen O'Hara led the team with 2-hits. Darcy McVicar (freshman) came into the game in the 3rd inning and provided some good pitching to extend the game for a while, but in the end Waterloo just wasn't able to string together enough hits in succession to mount any sort of come back in the series opener.

Game 2: Brock 11, Waterloo 4
Waterloo came out hot and fast and tallied four runs in the opening top half of the first. Lauren Beattie delievered the key hit in the inning which generated some excitement as it looked like the Warriors might have a better fate in game 2. However once again the Badgers immediately replied with some offense of their own, and took control of the game once again by the end of the first inning. Waterloo countered wth Guen O'Hara on the mound in the 2nd inning, and like McVicar in the first game she was able to keep the Warriors in the game for a while. Marissa Melanson drove in a team high two runs in this game.

The weather certainly didn't look good when we looked out the window Saturday morning. Rain had fallen most of the night and it continued throughout the morning. However, the City of Kitchener's grounds crew did an amazing job keeping our Budd Park diamond playable, and we were able to get our important games in against McMaster with no delays.

Game 1: Waterloo 8, McMaster 1
Nina Gabert, allowed only 1 hit throwing a complete game to help propel the Warriors to a series opening win vs McMaster on Saturday. Nina worked the batters with a variety of different pitches keeping the Mauraders off of the bases. On offense Gabert also was a key contributor, with two base hits to keep rallies going for the Warriors offense. Rachel Sothern continued her great 2019 year at the plate with two hits, including a triple that helped break things open in the middle of the game.

Game 2: Waterloo, 8, McMaster 1
After a short break the two teams took the field again, and when the dust settled the result was the same... another Warriors win. Waterloo would score 5-runs in the 2nd inning and never look back in this game as the team won their 3rd straight game at home. Nina Gabert, and Sarah Schywiola each drove in three runs (Schywiola homered), while Darcy McVicar knocked in two runs with a double off the bench. The win moved the Warriors into a tie for the final playoff spot with McMaster with two games left to play for each team.
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Sunday the Warriors hosted the Guelph Gryphons for our 2nd home series of the season at Kitchener’s Budd Park. The weather was once again amazing and players & fans had a great time watching these two games on a nice and sunny afternoon. These games were of super importance for both teams as each needed wins in the push to secure a playoff position
 
Game 1: Guelph 5, Waterloo 4
Waterloo led this game early, scoring 1-run in the first on a single by Sarah Schywiola that plated Rachel Sothern. However the Warriors would leave runners on base in this inning and many of the next few as well. Heading into the 7th Waterloo held a 4-0 lead, however the Guelph squad would rally behind a walk, base hit, fielder’s choice, and then two big hits and would take the lead 5-4. The Warriors stunned, couldn’t get that run back in the 7th and Guelph would steal a 5-4 win over the Warriors. Nina Gabert went the distance on the mound for the Warriors and was cruising until that final inning. Most would argue it was Gabert’s best performance on the mound of the season, and it was very unfortunate that she didn’t get the win. On offense the Warriors earned 7-hits, but nobody in the lineup managed more than 1. The team stranded 7 base runners, all of whom now seemed key in the narrow defeat.
 
Game 2: Waterloo 8, Guelph 0
After a quick break the two teams engaged once again in the 2nd half of the doubleheader. Waterloo had two stars in this game, Marissa Melanson earned the win allowing only 1-hit over the course of the game. Darcy McVicar made a key catch in RF mid-way in the game when the score was 0-0 and then on the same play she completed the double play throwing a strike to catcher Sarah Schywiola who tagged the runner and prevented the run from scoring. McVicar & Kaitlyn Satchell collected multiple hits for the Warriors in this game. Rachel Sothern set the table on numerous occasions as she was on base all four times she stepped to the plate. Guen O’Hara, and Melanson led the team each with two RBI’s.

Friday evening the Warriors battled cross town rival Wilfrid Laurier. Heading into the series the Golden Hawks led the OIWFA with a perfect 7-0 record. A nice size crowd was on hand at Hillside Park for these evening games, and the weather was excellent for a September evening.
 
Game 1: Laurier 8, Waterloo 4
The Warriors took an early 2-1 lead in this game taking advantage of singles by Gale Moore and Kaitlyn Satchell, who both scored on a 2-out double from Rachel Sothern. The lead however was short lived as Laurier tallied three runs in their half of the 3rd nning on some hits, and a few defensive mistakes by the Warriors out in the field. The Hawks built up an 8-2 lead, and into the 7th withstood a nice rally from the Warriors to take the opening game by a final score of 8-4. Sarah Schywiola led the team offensively with three hits. Marissa Melanson got the starting pitching assignment, and she was relieved in the 4th inning by Guen O’Hara.
 
Game 2: Laurier 10, Waterloo 5
In the nightcap game Laurier scored early and often and led 6-0 at the end of two innings. The Warriors would shore up the defense for the final 5-innings, and battled hard scoring 5 runs before the final out was made in the 7th.  The top of the Warriors order was on fire in game 2, with Gale Moore collecting three hits, as did Rachel Sothern including a two run HR in the 5th inning. First year player Kate MacNeil tallied her first two RBI’s of the season with an extra base hit in the 7th inning.

The Warriors headed down to London Sunday afternoon to play the defending league champion Western Mustangs, the day was minor softball day at the park so the Warriors got to see a number of local youth players take part in some fun games and competitions in between innings and during the game break as well. It was also the first time in recent memory that the program took a bus to an away series. A pretty awesome experience for sure!

Game 1: Western 8, Waterloo 0
Western took advantage of the Warriors pitching team who struggled to find the strike zone early in this game. A couple of big hits with runners on base put this game out of reach early. In the end it was Western coasting to an 8-0 win. Waterloo only tallied three hits on offense, one each for Paige Sweeney, Amanda Clarke and Lauren Beattie. Darcy McVicar made her pitching debut, and the first year player held the Mustangs line-up in check during her time on the hill.

Game 2: Western 7, Waterloo 6
A close game throughout, slowly became a 7-2 Western lead into the 5th inning but then the Warriors rallied for 4-runs in the 6th inning capped by a bases-loaded double from Darcy McVicar. The Warriors would get another two runs in the inning to make the game close at 7-6. Nina Gabert shut-down the Mustangs in the 7th, but the Warriors couldn't muster up the tying run in the 7th. Final score was 7-6.

Saturday was the team's first chance to play at our new home (Budd Park) as the Warriors hosted the Windsor Lancers. Once again the Warriors managed to earn a split between the two games to even up the club's record to 3-3 on the OIWFA season.

Game 1: Windsor 6, Waterloo 5
Waterloo playing in front of a nice size crowd got off to a good start and led the game 4-1 until the 5th inning in which the Lancers evened the score at 4-4. Waterloo would regain the lead in the bottom of the inning when Lauren Beattie delivered a 2-out double scoring Kaitlin MacNeil. However that lead was short lived as the Lancers tallied two runs late on a sac fly and a defensive miscue by the Warriors on the infield. A last attempt to tie the score came up short in the 7th when the team couldn't cash runners on 1st and 2nd with no out.

Game 2: Waterloo 7, Windsor 3
Rachel Sothern, and Guen O'Hara led off the top of the first with back to back hits, and a sac fly one batter later scores Sothern to give the Warriors an early lead. The lead was extended in the 2nd inning when Paige Sweeney scored on a bomb triple from Kaitlyn Satchell. While the Lancers battled back mid game to cut the lead at one point to 4-3, the Warriors never surrendered the lead and eventually pulled away to a 7-3 win. Nina Gabert earned the win for the Warriors, pitching the complete game and scattering only 7-hits across the 7-innings of work.

Waterloo 9, Mohawk 1
Waterloo opened the pre-season series with a 9-1 victory over the Mohawk Mountaineers. Marissa Melanson started the game for the Warriors and pitched three scoreless innings. Guen O'Hara then came into the game in the 4th, and closed out the final four innings for the save.
Offensively, the Warriors got on the board first in the 2nd inning, when veteran player Rebecca Rayner doubled to left, scoring two runs. Freshman Kaitlin MacNeil followed that up with an RBI single and after two innings Waterloo led 3-0. It was a lead they wouldn't surrender, and managed to extend the lead with another big inning in the 3rd, Rayner added another RBI in that frame as well. When it was all said and done Rayner would tally 4RBI, Kaitlyn Satchell led the team offensively with 3-hits including a triple.
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Waterloo 9, Guelph 4
The Warriors used a 6-run 4th inning to pull away from the Gryphons in the second game of the pre-season games on Labour Day Monday. In the 4th rookie Darcy McVicar started the run scoring with an RBI single, Erin Poirier followed with a 2-run single, and then additional runs were scored in the inning on a defensive miscue, before Guen O'Hara knocked in two more with a single. Veteran pitcher Nina Gabert started the game and went the first three innings, striking out 7 batters. McVicar pitched the final four innings, allowing only 1-unearned run. In addition to Poirier's extra base hit, Sarah Schywiola and Gabert also hit extras. Waterloo pounded out 14 hits, over the course of the game showing that the team is ready offensively.