Diamond Diggers strike it rich to win Slo-Pitch championship

The Diamond Diggers are champions of the Slo-Pitch mound, as the Prince Rupert women’s team pulled off an inspiring comeback to claim the Queen’s tournament title.

The 10 team tournament took place in Terrace over the weekend, with four teams from Prince Rupert taking to the field. In addition to the Diamond Diggers, the Beavers, Peaches and Pitch Please made the trip for a shot at the crown.

It was a hot start for the Diamond Diggers, as they cruised through the Round Robin stage unbeaten. This included a pair of wins where the mercy rule had to be enacted, which happens when a team goes up by 10 or more runs.

READ MORE: Provincial stage for Prince Rupert athletes

Their complete control over the opening round saw the Diamond Diggers hold the top record, setting them up against Terrace side Strikeforce in the semifinals. Again the game would not go the full seven innings as the Prince Rupert side went up 14-4 in the bottom of the sixth to claim the win.

Kitimat squad I’d Hit That would be their final opponent. For the first time all tournament the women found themselves trailing, down by three runs heading into the final inning.

With everything on the line the team put on their rally hats and dug deep, scoring two runs to start off the inning. The comeback was completed when Kayla Park smacked in a two-run hit to give the Diamond Diggers the gutsy victory.

There was an emotional scene after the game as Shauna Anderson, one of the founders and captains of the team, informed her squad that this had likely been her last game with them due to an upcoming surgery. Nothing was going to dampen the spirits of the team however after their thrilling victory.

“We have a good squad of girls that know how to come through when they need to come through,” Anderson said.

READ MORE: Prince Rupert girls feature on a team of their own