Quebec golden again at 19U Women’s Baseball Nationals, Team Sask. captures bronze

From the opening pitch Thursday to the final out on Sunday, no team at 19U Women’s Baseball National Championships held a candle to Team Quebec.

In dominant fashion, Quebec was crowned Canadian 19U champions for the third year in a row at Cairns Field in Saskatoon on Sunday night with a 10-0 shutout victory in the gold medal game against Ontario.

Pitcher Elly Lasorsa-Godmer was among those on Team Quebec who wrapped up their time at the 19U level and said it was a special way to go out on top.

“It’s me and a couple of girls’ last tournament at 19U,” Lasorsa-Godmer said. “It’s really fun to be here with the girls and finish on a strong note.”

Read more:

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Lasorsa-Godmer threw a complete game shutout on the mound for Quebec, as she blanked Ontario over five innings with just six hits given up and three strikeouts.

Even more remarkable was the fact that she had never pitched in a gold medal game before.

“I was really stressed before the game,” Lasorsa-Godmer said.

“Yeah, it went great. I’m used to pitching in semi-finals, but I’ve never pitched in a final. Doing that performance is really great and I’m happy for all of our team.”

Unlike some of their previous blowout performances this week in Saskatoon, Quebec started slowly offensively only holding a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.

The two-time defending champions only needed one inning to put the game out of reach, as seven runs trotted across home plate with Samuelle Boivin and Rosalie Boulianne leading the way with two RBIs each on the night.

Quebec clinched the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a pop-fly from Mara Ly Goguen-Lalancette, which allowed Lasorsa-Godmer to score the 10-0 run to trigger the mercy rule.

“Very incredible,” Boivin said. “It’s not a feeling that you live every day. It’s special and you just want to cheer, it’s just incredible.”

Sunday’s win completed a perfect 6-0 tournament for Team Quebec, which included three separate victories against Ontario.

Head coach Remi Doucet said the team was dialed from the first pitch of their national tournament.

“It’s amazing,” Doucet said. “The girls played very well from the beginning to the end. We had some good pitching, clutch hitting and it was a very good tournament from our girls.”

While Quebec entered as tournament favourites, Boivin said the belief came from within their own room that a third straight gold medal was possible.

“We just arrived here with the feeling that we can do it,” Boivin said. “The result is the efforts that we put in this game that (created) us six wins. All my team played so well and it was not always easy.”

Following the medal presentations, dozens of family members rushed the field to greet the newly minted gold medallists at Cairns Field.

A moment Lasorsa-Godmer won’t forget, being greeted by her biggest supporters thousands of kilometres from home.

“I’m really happy, a bit emotional,” Lasorsa-Godmer said. “It was fun to look at them in the stands while I was pitching or at short stop. I was happy to be here, even my grandmother was here too.”

Team Sask. repeats as 19U bronze medallists

Team Saskatchewan posing after receiving their bronze medals at 19U Women’s Baseball National Championships at Cairns Field in Saskatoon on Aug. 2, 2026 (Scott Roblin / 650 CKOM)

With a ground ball hit to third base on Sunday, Team Saskatchewan star infielder Braidy Birdsall knew her job was to track the throw and keep her toe on the bag at first base.

As her glove snagged the cross-infield throw from teammate Beth Sarauer, it secured a bronze medal at home for the host province.

“I knew it was the final out and I felt it coming,” Birdsall said. “The fact that I was able to receive it at first base was awesome.

While it’s not the colour of medal Team Saskatchewan had hoped to end their week with, the team celebrated with a convincing 15-5 win against Alberta in five innings.

Short stop Taylor Schueller, who had a trio of RBIs in the win, said winning a medal at 19U Nationals in front of their biggest supporters meant the world.

“It makes me really proud to win a medal in front of all of our fans, family and friends that came to watch,” Schueller said.

Saskatchewan head coach Tony Black credited the team’s ability to execute in the most difficult moments in Saskatoon to finish on the podium.

“It’s really good to get the hardware for sure,” Black said.

“It’s something that we always worked towards, it’s good for the program and good for the girls. They deserve this and they deserve that hardware, because they worked hard.”

There was not much time for Saskatchewan to re-focus following an 11-7 loss to Ontario earlier in the day in semi-finals, which knocked the host province out of contention for gold.

Less than an hour and a half after that heartbreaking defeat, Birdsall said the team put that loss behind them to come out swinging against Alberta.

“It’s a game of failure, we always talk about that,” Birdsall said.

“It’s a completely different game. We faced these people before, it’s the same pitcher that we faced in the first game. We just wanted to stay up. Our bench was really energetic, which helped us go through and we really didn’t give up without a fight.”

After Alberta staked themselves to a 2-0 lead after the first inning, Saskatchewan exploded in the bottom of the second with seven runs across the plate thanks to clutch hits with runners in scoring position by Schueller, Victoria Bateman, Makenna Dobrowolsky and Andie Marshall.

Ahead 8-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning, it was nearly a carbon-copy showing for Saskatchewan as another seven runs were scored to trigger the mercy rule after they held a 10-run lead after the top of the fifth inning.

“We bring the offensive game, these girls,” Black said.

“I think we had base runners on pretty well every inning. We left a few stranded, but this is the way they play. Even our bench players, they’re there for the support and they’re ready to go.”

Bateman was named Saskatchewan’s player of the game, as she pitched a five-inning complete game with two earned runs given up on six hits against and one strikeout.

Following the final out, Birdsall was given an ovation at home plate and took a bow in front of the fans at Cairns Field following the completion of her time at the 19U level.

She said the entire moment was humbling, as she moves on to the next chapter of her baseball career.

“My whole family is pretty much here,” Birdsall said.

“Just looking out there and seeing their smiling faces just makes it all worth it. I can leave the diamond knowing that I put everything out there and had a great time.”

Team Saskatchewan infielder Braidy Birdsall (left) accepting the 19U Women’s Baseball National Championships top batter award from tournament chair Corey Lenius (right) on Aug. 2, 2026 (Scott Roblin / 650 CKOM)

Birdsall was 3-for-3 in the bronze medal game with a game-high four RBIs, as she starred over the week by going 20-for-23 at the plate with a .700 batting average and a whopping 17 RBIs.

“She’s a great leader for the team,” Schueller said. “On the field obviously the stats show that, but on the bench she’s picking up players and she’s picking up the energy. We’re going to miss her, for sure.”

Following the gold medal game, Birdsall was named the tournament’s top batter while Lasorsa-Godmer took home top fielder honours with Quebec.

Set to enter her fourth year at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., Birdsall is a prospect of the Boston Hunters of the upstart Women’s Pro Baseball League.

While she is starting the league’s inaugural season on Boston’s reserve roster, she is hoping to earn a call-up and make her professional debut at some point this summer.

“Lovely to see 11 Canadians were in the starting lineup there,” Birdsall said. “Super proud and I definitely got my eyes set on it, for sure.”

Read more:

• Semifinals ahead for undefeated Team Sask. at 19U Women’s Baseball Nationals
• Saskatchewan Roughriders win the rematch, defeat Elks in Edmonton
• Borden hurdler Savannah Sutherland nabs bronze for Canada at Commonwealth Games