Geraldton Storm fall short in Northwest Softball Championship grand final but had stand-out performances

The Geraldton Storm travelled to Wickham for the 2023 Northwest Softball Championship, making it all the way to the grand final. The side consisted of players from the Geraldton Softball Association and further afield, competing in the two-day tournament where they would play six other teams from around the Pilbara region from September 22-24. Geraldton started things off with a spirited match against the Vikings, and Alanna Anderson shone with three hits, leading the Storm to a 5-2 victory. Tamara Kuipers took the mound as the starting pitcher, and the Storm tallied 12 hits in total, with Haylee Coker, Stevie Usher, and Tara Hawkins contributing to the score line. The Storm went straight into game two against Port Hedland, where Geraldton had a dominant display with a 12-run lead, after scoring eight runs in the third inning. Stacey Derschow, Coker, and Erin Dawson were instrumental in building an early advantage, along with two early strikeouts by Kuipers’ pitching to help boost the team’s confidence. Geraldton went on to face a formidable opponent in Karratha, and suffered a 10-4 defeat. With their last game for Saturday, the Storm made a remarkable comeback after their setback against Karratha, storming to a 15-5 victory over Tom Price. With 10 runs in the second inning effectively sealing the game. Usher, Derschow, Harrison, and Hawkins contributed significantly to the Storm’s tally. Sunday’s first game against Dampier saw the Storm open with a commanding 16-1 win, they pounced with 13 runs in the first inning, dismantling their fatigued opponents. After a bye, Geraldton had their final match of the round robin tournament against Wickham, where they held on for a 9-6 win. After going up 9-1, Wickham started to build a late comeback, but the highlight of the game was Derschow’s home run straight through centerfield. At the end of round robin, Geraldton and Port Hedland came out as the top two teams, both going 5-1, sending them to the grand final. The Geraldton Storm took an early lead in the final game, going up by four, however, they weren’t able to hold on as Port Hedland mounted a comeback. Port Hedland scored two crucial runs late in the fifth inning to take a 6-5 win against Geraldton. Team manager and co-coach Erin Dawson said the team was exhausted after the tournament. “We had a blast, we’re definitely feeling it after playing seven games, each lasting one hour and 20 minutes, in the scorching 40-degree heat,” she said. “But it was all so worth it, we played exceptionally well and couldn’t have asked for a better championship experience.” Despite the grand final loss, Dawson was still happy how the team performed. “We hold our heads high despite narrowly losing in the grand final, it was a monumental effort from all our players, and the game displayed impressive skill,” she said. Softball coach Deon Harrison said the team played extremely well in the conditions. “The girls in the grand final controlled the game until Port Hedland capitalised through a couple of errors and couldn’t score to tie the game,” he said. “Tamara Kuipers pitched her heart out, throwing most games in soaring heat, Stacey Derschow showed why she is one of the best in Geraldton.” At the end of the grand final, Kuipers was awarded the tournament’s best-and-fairest trophy, while Coker was a runner-up. Coker also won the award for most home runs in the tournament. Kuipers, Coker and Hawkins were all selected to the all-star team from the Geraldton side.