Danielle Smith, a member of the Durham Lords women's softball team, recently participated in Softball Canada's Women's Junior National Championship, held in Prince Edward Island from August 3 to 10.
Coming off a second straight Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship, Danielle Smith, a top pitcher on the Durham Lords women's fastball team, headed into the summer break looking forward to helping her Whitby Eagles junior softball team qualify for the annual national championships.
While her team came up short, Smith's efforts did not go unnoticed, as she was invited by the Port Perry Angels to join their team at Softball Canada's Women's Junior National Championships held in Summerside, Prince Edward Island from August 3 to 10.
As a member of the Angels, Smith's tournament record was 0-2 in 12.2 innings, with eight strikeouts. The Angels' overall record of two wins and six losses wasn't enough to qualify them for the playoff rounds, but Smith was pleased with the chance to play on a national level.
"It gave me the opportunity to play with new players since my team fell just short of making it to nationals," said Smith. "I gained a lot of experience playing against top teams in pressure situations. I feel well-prepared for the upcoming (Lords) season."
Smith, a student in the Business Administration program, finished last season on a high note, taking home the OCAA championship MVP award after the Durham Lords clinched their second-straight and 14th all-time provincial title. Smith was also named Top Pitcher and Team MVP at Durham College's annual athletic banquet.
"Having Danielle on our team is great and it brings instant credibility to our program and the success that we have had," said Jim Nemish, head coach of the women's softball team. "It also helps in recruiting that we have a pitcher of her calibre, which players look at and see that, as a team, we are tough and competitive."
Smith, along with her teammates, will try and make it three provincial championships in a row, when they open the 2008 varsity season on Friday, September 19 at 7 p.m. as they host the Mohawk Mountaineers.