Hornsby go down 9-1 to Cumberland Nepean in softball state champs

Hornsby District Softball Association stumble at the final hurdle to finish runners-up at the 2019 Softball NSW under-18 women’s state championships

Hornsby District Softball Association finished runners-up of the 2019 Softball NSW under-18 women's state championships. Picture: Softball NSW

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A CONSISTENT tournament and strong momentum wasn’t enough for Hornsby District Softball Association to retain their state title.

The side went down to Cumberland Nepean 9-1 in the final match of the 2019 Softball NSW under-18 women’s state championships.

As defending champions, the Rouse Hill, Hills and Hornsby representative squad went into the competition in strong form and with plenty of confidence.

Hornsby’s positivity paid off early as the girls went through their pool games undefeated to lock up first place on the ladder headed into the finals.

Day two of the competition saw Hornsby take on a game Penrith outfit for a spot in the grand final.

Although Penrith’s defensive effort kept the match competitive, it ultimately wasn’t enough to keep Hornsby from securing their grand final ticket with a 5-1 victory.

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Despite Hornsby’s incredible momentum, the opening few innings of the grand final were a very tight affair as neither side was able to make an impact o the scoreboard.

Cumberland Nepean finally struck first blood in the top of the third and, despite some strong pitching from Amy Tilley, were able to run away with a shock eight-run win.

Despite the end result, Hornsby District Softball Association president Paige Hyslop said she was proud of the team’s performance.

“Being the defending champions of the under-18 state championship title, the performance from our under-18 team was again very high and of consistent form, reaching the grand final undefeated,” she said.

“The team prepared well for the tournament, bonding well in the lead up. Not only did the team perform well but they had fun doing it.

“The team performed strong in the grand final, however Cumberland were able to capitalise on their opportunities to take away the game. Scoring runs is important and unfortunately we couldn’t in the grand final.”