In a battle of two hometown skips, Rod MacDonald stole a single in the final end to edge Mike Gaudet by 4-3 score in this afternoon’s final to win the Labatt/Journal-Pioneer Cashspiel at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside. Gaudet’s final shot, a draw to the button, came up just short of MacDonald’s counter, and a measurement gave MacDonald the win. The MacDonald foursome, which includes Mitch O’Shea,  Mark O’Rourke, and Andrew Robinson, go home with $2500 for their first place finish, while the runner-up Gaudet team, with third Tyler MacKenzie, second Tyler Harris, and first stone Sean Clarey, takes home $1600.

In the all-PEI semi-finals at noon, MacDonald defeated Robert Shaw 7-3, while Gaudet got by Robert Campbell 6-5 in an extra end. The Shaw and Campbell rinks each pocket $1200.

MacDonald and Gaudet both had byes into the semi-finals. This morning’s quarter-finals saw Campbell double Martin Gavin 6-3, while Shaw stole a triple in the fifth end and a triple in the 6th in a 7-1 victory over Jamie Christianson. The Gavin and Christianson rinks each return to Halifax $800 richer.

MacDonald, Gaudet, Gavin and Christianson finished round robin play on Saturday with 4-1 win-loss records, while Shaw and Campbell went 3-2. Eighteen teams from around the Maritimes began play Friday in this annual Atlantic Curling Tour event.

The Tour travels to Moncton Dec. 8-11 for the Molson Canadian Hub City Shootout, with 24 teams taking part, including MacDonald, Gaudet, Shaw, and Campbell, along with Brett Gallant, who won the $12,000 top prize in the Challenge Casino de Charlevoix World Curling Tour event in Clermont Quebec this afternoon.

(with info from the Journal-Pioneer)