The Cousins battled their way through the losers’ bracket Friday night to capture the 2026 Haida Gwaii Softball League championship, completing their run with a dramatic 21-12 victory over the Traitors.
After opening the playoffs with a win over the Youngins, the Cousins were knocked into the losers’ bracket following a loss to the Sons of Pitches. With no room left for error, they defeated the E-Lemonators before edging the Warriors by a single run to keep their championship hopes alive.
That set up a Friday semifinal rematch against the Sons of Pitches.
The game featured momentum swings throughout, with neither team able to pull away. The Cousins eventually prevailed 12-10, earning another opportunity to play for the championship.
The victory carried added satisfaction after the Sons of Pitches had won four of the previous five meetings between the teams in recent tournaments.
Waiting in the championship game were the Traitors.
The teams traded runs through the early innings before the Traitors took a two-run lead in the fifth. According to Cousins player Mikey Hughan-Blazic, the Cousins' defence then held the Traitors scoreless for the next three innings, keeping the game within reach while the offence searched for a breakthrough.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Joel Richardson reached base to keep the inning alive. Hughan-Blazic followed with a game-tying two-run home run, breathing new life into the Cousins' comeback.
The Traitors answered with another run to regain the lead heading into the seventh and final inning.
The Cousins responded by putting several runners on base before eventually loading the bases with two outs. Hughan-Blazic returned to the plate with the championship hanging in the balance.
He fouled off the first pitch, narrowly avoiding what could have been the final out of the season. Given another opportunity, Hughan-Blazic drove the next pitch over the fence for a go-ahead grand slam, setting off a celebration and completing the dramatic comeback.
The Traitors managed to put a runner on base in the bottom of the inning but were unable to answer. The Cousins recorded the final outs to complete their championship run from the losers’ bracket.
"The Cousins played a great game. We definitely felt like we had momentum going into the open inning, and all it took was a couple of great swings for them to take the wind out of our sails. They definitely deserved that title defence," said Traitors player Damon Fladmark.
Hughan-Blazic said the Cousins had trailed for much of the championship game before rallying late. Their defence kept the deficit manageable before the offence erupted in the final innings.
The 21-12 victory completed the Cousins' successful title defence and capped one of the most memorable finishes in recent Haida Gwaii Softball League playoff history.