Arielle Roy had never played baseball on an all-girls team - so that was nice.

She had never competed in a multi-sport extravaganza such as the 2024 Ontario Summer Games - so that was really nice.

And she has definitely never returned from said Games with an OSG silver medal in hand - so that may have been the icing on the cake.

Earlier this month, Roy and fellow Sudbury female baseball talent Trista Appleby were included as members of the YSBA (York Simcoe Baseball Association) contingent, part of the six-team field that were engaged in the festivities in London.

"For the Summer Games, everyone came from everywhere," said Roy, a 14 year old who begins her high-school career at Collège Notre-Dame in the next few weeks. "I hadn't really met anyone (fellow female ball players) before, so it was a fun experience getting to know each other."

Having cracked the Sudbury U14 Voyageurs PBLO (Premier Baseball League of Ontario) roster this year, the young outfielder to the next step after being initially steered to the diamonds by her mother, a veteran of the slo-pitch scene.

Comfortable in all three outfield positions, Roy suited up in left and centre for Team YSBA, her squad posting wins over the Shamrocks (18-3) and ICBA - Inter County Baseball Association (14-2) and bouncing back from a round robin 21-3 thumping at the hands of the Toronto Baseball Association, making it a game and then some in the final before dropping a 13-12 decision to that same opponent.

"The pitching at first was much slower (than PBLO), but then as we got closer to the finals, it was faster, which was better," said the talented teen who loves to chase down fly balls to the outfield.

While Roy may have lined up differently, positionally speaking, than she might have with the PBLO lads, there were definitely some players in London capable of pounding the ball a good, long way.

"One girl on my team hit two home runs over the fence in the same game," said Roy, who acknowledged that her first year of PBLO action required some adjusting.

"It was a huge step," she stated. "The coaching is different and everyone is a lot bigger now, especially the guys."

All of which made it kind of nice when Arielle Roy and Trista Appleby enjoyed all that playing on an all-female team had to offer - with a silver medal bonus, on the side.