News Champions Cup

CALGARY — It’s a Battle of Alberta between Edmonton’s Val Sweeting and Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge during Draw 9 action Thursday at the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

Sweeting drew for two and the win in the eighth end to defeat Scheidegger 6-5.

Facing two in the first, Sweeting hit and rolled in for a single. Scheidegger clipped a top rock with her last in the second, but her shooter rolled into the four-foot circle to get away with a point and avoid giving up a steal. Sweeting over-curled in three to concede the lead, but grabbed it right back with a tap for two in the fourth.

Scheidegger made a great throw in five through the hole to make a double tap and push aside Sweeting’s counter for a deuce to jump back ahead. Sweeting just got by the guard in six and hit and stuck around for a single to tie it.

Scheidegger settled for a single in seven.

Sweeting has a 2-1 record and can secure a playoff spot with a win while Scheidegger is level at 1-1.

Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni has qualified for the playoffs climbing to a 3-0 record following an 8-1 rout over Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg (2-1). Cathy Overton-Clapham is playing at third again on Team Tirinzoni with Manuela Siegrist recovering from a knee injury.

World champ Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., fended off Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen 5-4. Gushue climbed to a 3-0 record to qualify for the playoffs while McEwen is now at 2-1.

Gushue blanked the first few ends and his patience paid off in the fourth. After McEwen rolled deep to the back of the 12-foot circle, Gushue made an in-turn tap to score three. McEwen took two in the fifth to close the gap, but Gushue matched in six to restore the three-point advantage. McEwen drew for just a single in seven but put the pressure on in eight sitting five counters and Gushue opted for a draw to concede one but secure the victory.

Peter de Cruz of Switzerland scored two in the eighth to rally past Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 6-5. Both teams are at 2-1 records.

Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock (2-1) scored five in the seventh during an 8-6 victory over Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi (0-4).

Round-robin action wraps up Friday at WinSport Arena with the top eight teams in the men’s and women’s divisions qualifying for the weekend playoffs. TV coverage resumes Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet, online at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or gsoc.yaretv.com (international).