It wasn’t the fairytale finish the AutoOne Midland Carine Cats were hoping for.

In a tension-filled sudden-death preliminary final, the Cats were just three outs away from booking their place in the State League grand final – but a last-innings boilover by a determined Fremantle Mariners side flipped the script, sealing a dramatic 6-2 win and ending Carine’s stellar season in heart-wrenching fashion.

Things started well for the Cats, with Ashlee Harwood shaking off an early Freo double to shut down the top of the first with three straight outs. At the plate, Lauren Brown earned a walk and Liv Kuzminski followed with a centre-field single. A dropped fly on Sara Riou’s left-field shot brought both runners home, giving Carine a promising 2-0 lead after the first innings.

The Cats’ defence, anchored by Harwood in the circle, was superb. Harwood struck out five across the first three innings, including a spectacular performance in the third when, with bases loaded and no outs, she delivered three consecutive strikeouts to strand the Mariners and keep the Cats in control.

But while the defence held firm, offensive chances went begging. Hits from Tabitha Rewell, Michelle Fitzgerald, and Riou couldn’t convert into runs, with multiple innings ending with runners stranded on base.

The game settled into a defensive grind through the middle innings, with a 15-pitch at-bat from Annaliese Daley standing out, but the scoreboard remained frozen at 2-0 in Carine’s favour heading into the final frame.

Then came the unraveling.

Harwood recorded a quick first out in the top of the seventh, but four consecutive hits from the top of Fremantle’s order put the pressure back on Carine. A tight put-out at first gave the Cats the second out they needed, holding a 2-1 lead with the game hanging in the balance.

But an infield dribbler and a wild throw over first base, followed by another errant attempt to cut off a runner at third, saw four runs come home on one chaotic play. A fifth run was added moments later, and just like that, the Cats’ two-run lead had turned into a 6-2 deficit.
With the momentum gone and time running out, the Cats couldn’t claw their way back, as Fremantle shut down the bottom of the inning to end the match — and Carine’s season.

A SEASON TO BE PROUD OF
While the final result stings, there is so much to be proud of in 2024/25 for the Carine Cats, with a top-three finish in a very competitive State League season.

Head coaches Chris McCabe and Drew Herrington deserve enormous credit for their leadership, tactical nous, and a strong belief in developing the next wave of talent, while still delivering results on the field. A massive thank you also to club scorer Cheryl Poustie, whose behind-the-scenes work collecting stats and managing game records week in, week out, helps keep the wheels turning.

This season has also been particularly pleasing to see many current Carine players able to step up to the highest club level, with Annaliese Daley, McKinley Robson, and Scarlett Kelly spending the full season in the squad, and Courtney Dye and Kelsie Hinchliffe joining mid-year and showing they absolutely belong.

Perhaps the greatest win of all is cultural: the continuing return of Cats alumni – players who grew up in blue and black, played their early seniors at Carine, and come back season after season to represent their club with pride. The bond between experience and youth, between past and future, has never been stronger.

Bring on the 2026 State League season, where the Cats will be back, bigger and better than ever!