Kuehl scores winning run in tight 2-1 final

Pontiac High School graduate Cade Kuehl scored the game-winning run for Team Quebec in the U17 national fast-pitch championship final over the weekend, propelling his team to a gold medal finish.

The tournament, which was held in Saint-Gervais, Que., featured eight teams, some from as far away as Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, as well as four from Ontario and one from Quebec.

Kuehl, a lifelong Shawville resident, was proud to bring a gold medal to his province, saying the team really gelled over the course of the season.

“It feels good, and it was a great team to play with,” he said in an interview with THE EQUITY.

Team Quebec’s only loss in the tournament came in the qualifying round against Ontario’s Napanee Express, who were undefeated at the time.

In the playoff round, Quebec won its semifinal matchup 18-11, setting up a rematch with the Napanee Express in the tournament’s final.

In the bottom of the sixth inning the score was tied 1-1, and Kuehl was on third base when his teammate hit a single to left field.

Kuehl booted it to home plate, putting Quebec ahead by one run, a tally that proved to be the game-winner as Quebec ended up coming out on top 2-1.

“It was a pretty cool feeling, but I knew the job wasn’t finished,” he said of scoring the go-ahead run.

“We had to go out and play defence and try to finish it off.”

He said his team’s pitching and defence are what allowed them to finish on top, adding that one of their pitchers won the top pitcher award, while another won MVP of the preliminary round.

“Our defence was solid, we didn’t make many errors,” he said. “But when you have pitchers like that it kind of makes it easier on defence.”

Kuehl split his time between third base and catcher during the tournament, manning the plate when his pitching partner Jérémy Breton was on the mound.

He said at the start it can be tough getting used to catching for a new pitcher, and that off-field chemistry is an important part of forming that bond.

“First few times you catch somebody it’s obviously going to be a struggle, and you’ve just got to get used to them and what they throw.”

But he and Breton had the added benefit of having played together last summer, as they both helped win a gold medal for Quebec’s U20 team.

Kuehl said his bond with Breton has helped them become great friends off the field.

“Off the field, some of your closest friends become your pitchers because you’re working so tightly together.”

Whatever the duo is doing must be working, because Quebec only allowed nine total runs in their seven preliminary round games — that’s just over one run a game.

Team Quebec head coach Mario Lavallée said Kuehl was one of his standout players and was a key factor in their championship victory.

“He’s a player who likes to learn. He’s intense, he’s animated. He listens to his coaches and is always open to feedback,” he told THE EQUITY in French.

Coach Lavallée said fast-pitch softball doesn’t have as much uptake in Quebec as it does in other provinces, making their gold medal victory all the more impressive.

“We had a training camp of 18 players, and I kept 14,” he said, adding that other provinces, such as Ontario, field several teams at nationals instead of just one, like his province does.
Kuehl was proud that his team was able to win the tournament despite the smaller player pool.

“I think our top talent is right up there with anybody, as we demonstrated this week.”

Kuehl is 17, so next year he won’t be eligible for the U17 team. Instead, he will compete at the U20 tournament, an event he’s already taking part in this year.

He, alongside Campbell’s Bay resident Hunter Beauregard, will compete in the U20 national championships next weekend in Carp, Ont.