With five straight wins to begin the tournament, the White Rock Renegades '91 are inching closer to capturing the 2009 Midget Girls Canadian Fastpitch Championship.

The team, which finished second at provincials last month in Port Alberni, is 5-0 in Brampton, Ont., with decisive mercy-rule wins over the Winnipeg Lightning and Saskatchewan's Quill Plain Blazers (both by 7-0 scores) on Sunday, followed by a 4-1 win Monday over the Missisauga North Tigers.

Tuesday, the 'Gades rolled to an 8-1 win over the Calgary Diamond Devils.

The wins put the '91s in first place in the 8-team Red Pool

On Wednesday afternoon, the Renegades defeated the Quebec Rebelles '92. With the fifth win, the 'Gades clinched a spot in quarter-finals Friday – the first day of playoff action.

The tournament wraps up Sunday.

Through the early stages of the event, the Renegades '91 hitters and hurlers have been equally hot.

In the first win, six different players drove in runs – led by outfielder Marie Williams, who went three-for-three at the plate – and four different batters had RBIs in the second tilt, against Quill Plains, as well, before the game was called in the fifth inning.

The 'Gades were also aided by five errors from the Saskatchewan club.

Williams has wielded a strong bat in Brampton, with nine hits through the first five games. Catcher Jacqueline Rothenberger, who had three RBI on one hit versus Missisauga, and first baseman Taylor McBeth, who had two hits and four RBI against Calgary, have also hit well in the round robin.

In the pitcher's circle, Nicole Sidor – who starred for White Rock at the Canada Cup last month, once striking out 15 batters in a single game – has been dialed in, as has Marina Demore.

In the first game, against Winnipeg, Sidor struck out 12 in six innings of work, while allowing just four hits, and in Game 2 against Quill Plains, she was even better, pitching a five-inning no-hitter, while striking out seven of the 15 batters she faced.

"Our pitching has been unbelievable. Both Nicole and Marina have been great, only giving up one run in total," White Rock head coach Chuck Westgard said Wednesday afternoon.

The 1991-born Renegades aren't the only locals in the national spotlight, either. The Renegades '92 are also taking part, and were 1-3 in the tournament's Blue Pool, which was being led by the Manitoba Angels as of press deadline.