CARP, Ont. - For the first time in program history, the Durham College women's softball team have won a national gold after defeating the Humber Hawks 7-1 at the 2024 CCSA National Championship.

The Lords swept through the group stage, defeating Ottawa, UBC-Okanagan and Toronto by a combined 28-8 score to earn a bye through the quarter-finals, and defeated Western 11-0 in the semifinal en route to the gold medal game.

The national gold medal game would be Durham's fourth meeting with Humber across all softball competitions this season, winning three of three times in OCAA action.

Batting in the top half of each inning, Durham took an early 1-0 lead in the first as Peyton Jones put the ball in play with two runners on base, sending Grace Hearns to score.

Jones was the starting pitcher on the mound for the Lords, throwing a 1-2-3 bottom of the first inning to quickly get the defence back to the dugout.

In the second inning, Hearns hit a double on a line drive to centre field with two outs on the board and Natalie Clemens rounded the bases from first to score and make it 2-0.

The Lords added another pair of runs on an error in the top of the third when a mishandled ball by the shortstop gave Jessica Benz and Jayden Bennett enough time to double Durham's lead. Clemens scored her second run of the game in the fourth before Durham was held off the board for the first time in the game in the fifth inning.

Humber scored one run when a double was hit with a runner on second, but the Lords responded when a triple hit by Hearns sent Emily Rowe to score and two batters later Jones hit a double to send Hearns home.

Durham had nine hits in the game, including three from Hearns who went 3-for-4 at bat with two runs and two RBI's. Hearns was named the player of the game in the gold medal showdown.

Jones threw 101 pitches over 7.0 innings in the game, striking out 12 of 27 batters faced. Jones was also named the most valuable player for the championship.

The win is Durham's first gold at a CCSA championship, and their sixth overall to go along with two bronze (2010, 2011) and three silver (2012, 2018, 2023).

Durham will now turn their focus to the 2024 OCAA Women's Softball Championship, which is being hosted right at home at Babcock Field between October 17-19. Following a perfect 24-0 season, the Lords advance through to day two of the competition.

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