Beginning their 2024 OUS campaign on the road, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's softball team split their doubleheader versus the Guelph Gryphons on Friday (Sept. 6) night in Guelph.

The defending 2023 OUS champion Blues opened their new season with an impressive 12-3 win over the Gryphons. Following a slow start, which saw just three runs scored between the two teams, U of T's offence exploded for 11 runs scoring in each of the next four innings. In total, the Toronto bats produced 14 hits, while the offence also took advantage of six Gryphons errors. Leading the charge at the plate was first-year catcher Alexia Verches, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs. Additionally, second-year second base Jamie Cho added another two hits and two RBI, finishing 2-for-4 with a run as well. The Blues bats saw seven different batters record a hit in the win. Meanwhile, in the pitching circle second-year pitcher Olivia Mather went four total innings registering four strikeouts while conceding just four hits and one unearned run. First-year pitcher Alexa Aquannos appeared in relief, striking out five Gryphons across three innings of work, while giving up just two hits and two earned runs.

In the second match of the late night doubleheader, the home side responded as the Blues fell 7-5 to the Gryphons, despite a solid seventh inning comeback attempt for Toronto. The big play for U of T came in the bottom of the third, when first-year infielder Sydney Bacheller hit a three RBI triple to put the Blues ahead 3-2. However, Guelph answered right back in the next inning and with a three run seventh made the deficit just a little too much for the Blues to close. Both third-year pitcher Joely Ma and first-year pitcher Vanessa Jeffrey split time in the pitching circle for the Blues, with the pair combining for seven total strikeouts in the closely contested loss.

U of T's season opening road trip will continue as they next challenge the Waterloo Warriors in a Saturday (Sept. 7) afternoon doubleheader, before also facing the Laurier Golden Hawks in back-to-back action on Sunday (Sept. 8) in Waterloo.