The Laurier Golden Hawks Softball team kicked off the 2026 season with a series of four neutral-site games in Cobourg against Eastern Conference teams they haven't played often in the past few years. This is a new event for the league this season as Ontario University Softball celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
The season began with a Saturday morning game against the York Lions; Laurier wasted little time putting a run on the board in the bottom of the first as a Maddy Halstead walk would drive home first-year player Millie Blamauer with the game and season's first run. Blamauer is one of eight first-year players who, together with five second-year players, are part of a retooled Golden Hawks squad looking to continue a string of OUS podium finishes, including Gold in '25 and Silver in '24. A pair of doubles, a triple and a number of walks would blow the opener wide open in the bottom of the third as the Golden Hawks struck for 7 runs to take a commanding 8-0 lead. First-year pitcher Maryn Partridge led things off in the circle, going 3.2 innings, giving up just a single hit and a pair of walks. Lily Wynberg, another member of the all-first-year pitching staff, closed out the game with 1.1 innings of shutout relief.
Game two was a rematch of the 2025 playoff semifinal as Laurier took on the University of Toronto. The Golden Hawks remained strong in the circle as pitcher Cassie Dollard retired the first 6 Varsity Blues batters in order. A pair of singles and a Laurier error loaded the bases in the top of the third, and a fly ball just out of reach of the Laurier fielder gave Toronto an early 3-0 lead. The Blues would add another run in the seventh to push the lead to 4-0. The Golden Hawks tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as a series of three singles from Natalie Donelle, Lauren Artt and Liv Faulhafer loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate. The Blues' defense held, however, and handed Laurier its first loss of the year.
Sunday morning, the Golden Hawks took on the TMU Bold. Laurier scored first on a Halstead single, and a double from first-year Chloe Vander Byl put two in scoring position for Jules Merritt to drive in the first run. The Bold and the Golden Hawks would trade runs and the lead until the 5th inning, when Laurier opened up a three-run lead, initiated by an Annika Pocock triple, singles by Addi Nugent and Dollard, and a double by Zoe Ramkalawan. A bat around 6th inning was kicked off by a double by first-year Ella Shantz that resulted in a 9 run burst that put the Golden Hawks up 15-3 for their second win of the season.
The final game of the weekend series was against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, another Eastern Conference team they faced the year before at provincials. Unfortunately for Ottawa, the bats, which came alive earlier in the day against the Bold, continued just as hot. Blamauer led the way with 3 hits and five RBIs. Dollard, and first-year Autumn Hachey, provided a formidable pitching duo, yielding just three GeeGee hits en route to an 8-0 final score in favour of the Golden Hawks.
Laurier, who is headed to the Canadian Collegiate National Championships in Durham next month, has a very busy fall schedule. They face Windsor on Friday in Dutton before heading home for their home opener against McMaster on Sunday at Waterloo Park.
