Everyone on Humber’s softball team pitched in right down to the wire to finally bring home the gold.
Humber Hawks outfielder Rilee Rothwell said she was extremely excited for the opportunity to be in the gold medal game and possibly win again.
Rothwell said this season has been the best one the girls have had in a while, despite dropping seven straight in the middle of the season.
The Humber women’s softball team captured its fourth gold medal at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) finals, defeating the St. Clair Saints 9-2 on Oct. 18 in front of their home crowd at Connorvale Park in Etobicoke. The team ranked third in the conference when they arrived at the final, with a record of 16-9 in the regular season.
Head coach Duaine Bowles said even though the girls had a tough season, he was extremely proud they were able to “battle back from the depths of despair.”
Bowles, in his ninth season with the team, said he gives credit to St. Clair, who got this far even with a new coaching change. The Saints, who came out of the gates red-hot, were able to capture the first game 12-1 against the Hawks at home.
In the second match, the Humber hoped to come back, knowing rookie Maddy Friesen would make an appearance on the hill, who was locked in from the dugout.
Friesen, who later went to bat at the top of the fourth, smashed a three-run homer, increasing her squad’s lead to six.
The Altona, Man., native said she was glad she could contribute in more than one moment to help her team secure the victory.
“I was pitching, but I was giving them a lot of work, I was giving them ground balls, fly balls to catch, and they were helping me out a whole lot,” Friesen said.
Also recognized as OCAA All-Rookie, she recorded four RBIs in this match and ranks second in the OCAA with a 2.10 ERA.
Rothwell stood out on the team as well, making her the biggest contribution to the game in the bottom of the sixth, flying over the fence to record the final out of the inning, as the crowd looked on in awe.
The Cambridge, Ont., native was also named OCAA Player of the Year. Rothwell said the recognition by the league was the cherry on top of this season.
Rothwell led the OCAA in batting with an average of .489 in 24 games played and was named the 2025 batting champion.
Bowles also commends Humber softball alumna Haley Plasma for sending the message to the coaching staff that the process cannot be the same for every group because everyone is different.
In the end, the Hawks kept this message in mind to close out the game on a 9-2 win with whatever energy they had left.
As for what’s next, everyone on that team strives for the same goal: to make the improvements and tick the last box off their list, winning a national gold at the Canadian Collegiate Softball Association (CCSA) National Championships.
To do this, Bowles said the girls need to get better in the circle and make sure those who are doing well continue to become the best versions of themselves.
