Minor Men’s and Mixed Finals Roundup – Emo Crowned Double Champions

It was a day to remember at Myshall GAA grounds as Emo of Laois and St Martins of Wexford met in both the Minor Men’s and Mixed Finals. Two thrilling encounters followed, showcasing just how far the standard of juvenile rounders has risen in recent years.

Minor Men’s Final

St Martins won the toss and elected to field, but it was Emo who seized control early. With the St Martins pitcher struggling to find his range, Emo punished every opportunity, blasting 13 runs in the opening innings. A couple of sharp catches from Ralph O’Gorman finally stemmed the tide, but with only a single run in reply, the Wexford side were left with a mountain to climb.

A pitching change steadied St Martins and made for a closer contest, but Emo had already laid down their marker. Both sides produced flashes of brilliance — from daring catches to crisp base play — in a game that zipped along, lasting just 65 minutes. Emo edged the remaining four innings 10–8, enough to seal victory and secure yet another title for the Laois club.

Mixed Final

If the Men’s Final was dramatic, the Mixed decider raised the bar even higher. Emo won the toss this time and put St Martins in to bat, with pitcher Liam Horgan immediately setting the tone. Just four batters faced his opening salvo, and St Martins were blanked in their first attempt at the plate.

Their own pitcher, Alfie Canning, had clearly warmed up during the Men’s game, and his mix of pace and variety kept Emo equally at bay. After one inning it was 0–0, both teams trading rapid outs and top-class fielding. Emo drew first blood in the second, capitalising on small errors to move two runs ahead, before St Martins roared back to take the third inning 5–4.

The momentum shifted again in the fourth. St Martins loaded the bases with their first three batters and eventually brought all three home, edging ahead 8–7. Emo managed just a single run in reply, setting up a nail-biting final innings.

St Martins looked poised to push on until Emo catcher Ava Murphy produced a spectacular grab, followed immediately by a razor-sharp double play from Rachel McMahon at second to kill the Wexford charge. Emo now needed one to tie, two to win.

Lucy Browne got to first and was moved to third by Murphy’s big hit into right field. With the tying run now home thanks to a sacrificial hit from Eoin Keegan-Loughlin, it fell to Dan White to finish the job. He waited patiently, ignored the tempting high ball, and then met the third pitch sweetly. The hit soared skyward, Murphy raced home from third, and before the ball had even begun to drop Emo were celebrating another championship.

A Season to Remember

Two superb contests, capped by a walk-off win, were a fitting end to the juvenile rounders season. The standard of play has climbed yet again, and with talent like this on display, the future of the game looks brighter than ever.