Langley teen Morgan Reimer making pitch as softball’s next Danielle Lawrie

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A powerhouse right-hander from Langley dominated in the pitcher’s circle at the Canada Cup tournament this weekend.

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It wasn’t Danielle Lawrie this time, though.

Morgan Reimer, a 15-year-old who lists longtime national team stalwart Lawrie as one of her softball heroes, helped Team BC capture the Under-19 Futures Gold Division at the Softball City event. Reimer tossed a two hitter, which featured seven strikeouts and one walk, in a 6-0 win over Pacific Elite in the division’s championship game on Sunday.

Reimer shares a hometown with Lawrie, as well as the same jersey number, opting to wear No. 15 partially as a tribute to her.

Reimer, too, has that pitching repertoire that leaves opposing hitters flailing at air with regularity. In 27 innings spaced over fives games at the Canada Cup, she didn’t give up an earned run and allowed just eight hits while striking out 43 and walking just three. And she was two years junior to BC’s next youngest player.

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Lawrie, 35, a mainstay at the Canada Cup for years, retired last summer after helping the national team capture the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She was at Softball City this weekend, as part of a medal ceremony meeting for the squad.

Reimer and Lawrie didn’t get a chance to connect at Canada Cup. They have still yet to meet.

The new-look senior national team went 5-2, getting eliminated from international level championship contention on Saturday afternoon with a 4-1 loss to Chinese Taipei.

“I’d want to ask her a bunch of different questions,” Reimer said of a possible meeting with Lawrie. “About pitching, about life.

“She’s from Langley, I’m from Langley. She was a good pitcher. That’s what I want to be.

“I definitely want to be like Danielle Lawrie one day.”

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Reimer, who just finished Grade 10 at Walnut Grove secondary, plays her club ball with the Fraser Valley Fusion. She’s been working as well with noted Lower Mainland pitching coach Kim Wright for several years now, and it was Wright who helped land Reimer a spot on a Georgia Impact, a travel team based in Atlanta. She’s played two tournaments with them so far this summer and has another coming up in Colorado.

“It gives me a lot of different opportunities, with things like (NCAA) recruiting, and a chance to play at another level,” she said.

Reimer is aiming for an NCAA scholarship. She smiled widely when it was suggested the University of Washington might be a fit. Lawrie, of course, starred at UW and led them to the Women’s College World Series crown in 2009.

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Team BC, which is preparing for the Canada Summer Games in Niagara Aug. 6-13, went 10-0 at the Canada Cup. Among those to pace the offense were Cameryn Milley (.481, nine runs, six runs batted in), Erin Murphy (.458, 12 runs, two RBI), Shae Sever (.318, four runs, 13 RBI) and Ella Herrewig (.407, six runs, 10 RBI).

“I think this shows we’re a team to compete with. We’re going there (Canada Games) to win it,” Reimer said.

The US senior national team won the top division, dispatching club team TC Colorado by a 5-1 count in Sunday’s championship game. TC Colorado has surprised the US 3-2 in the first semifinal and then the US needed a 7-0, mercy ruled five-inning win over the Netherlands to get back into the title match-up.

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The US had pushed Canada to the consolation bracket with a 9-2, five-inning win on Saturday.

That 4-1 loss to Chinese Taipei that followed and eliminated Canada saw Chinese Taipei score once in the fifth and then two more in the sixth to break open a 1-1 game.

Canada had seven hits for the game. They wound up leaving eight runners on base.

Canada’s upcoming schedule includes Celebration Tour stops in Saskatchewan (Melfort, Prince Albert and Saskatoon) from June 29 to July 1. From there, the team will travel to Florida for a few games against the Florida Vibe (July 3-4) before moving on to Birmingham, Ala. for The World Games July 9-13.

Lawrie was among eight players who retired after the Tokyo Olympics. The group also included longtime catcher Kaleigh Rafter, who took over the head coaching job from Mark Smith, who also retired at the end of last summer.

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After being back on the Olympic docket for Tokyo, softball isn’t part of Paris 2024. Softball folk are hopeful that it’s part of Los Angeles 2028.

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