There was a lot of hard hitting and team play coaching strategies last weekend at the Sechelt Minor Softball year-end fast-pitch tournament for youth. The squirt, pee wee and bantam divisions started with round robin playoffs Thursday night to determine which teams would be advancing to the seeded finals and to the championship games Sunday. "You never know what is going to happen when your team enters tournament play because it is like starting a new season of ball, and every team starts off on an equal basis again," said association president Sid Quinn.
The 10 to 12-year-old squirt division had their first round robin playoff on Friday night with Paul's Paintin' Place edging Pharmasave 9-5.
The semifinals were very exciting with Insta Glass taking on Deluxe Landscaping and Paul's Paintin' Place again facing Pharmasave with Insta Glass and Pharmasave winning their games to advance to the final.
The final was a nerve-racking game with lots of cheering from parents and other teams as the game battled on through all six innings with Pharmasave winning 20-6.
In the 13 to 15-year-old peewee division final, a close battle was fought between Coast Reporter and Pepper Creek Pizza. Tied with two innings left, Bradley Kohuch and Stephanie Lawson were locked into a pitcher's duel. In the end, Coast Reporter's hard hitting line up was too strong as they came away with a 25-16 victory. In the third place game, BA Blacktop out-lasted the league champions, Gibsons Building Supplies, 15-14.
In the 16 to 18-year-old bantam division, Sechelt Plumbing and 101 Contracting played six extra innings, until 101 edged out the win in the 13th inning, helping them advance into the semifinals. Sechelt Plumbing and PawPrint also played extras with PawPrint hammering out the win in the eighth inning, and setting them on their way to their third place finish. In another nail biting game, Lucys and PawPrint finished the sixth inning with just two minutes remaining before the time limit expired, allowing the game to go into a seventh inning. Pawprint rallied in the top of the seventh and managed to hold Lucys off, cinching their birth in the finals. The bantam finals were exciting, with some of the closest and lowest scoring games of the season. Both final games were decided in the bottom of the seventh inning by a margin of one run. Battling for first place were the Inlet Raiders and Popeye's Lockers and Storage. The Inlet Raiders were down two runs coming up to their last bats. Lead off hitter Jodi Dennis got on base, followed by Callum Vaughn, who hit a stand-up double. Rhys Amber, who played an outstanding game, hit his first homerun of the year, tying the game and sliding safe into home, cinching a 6-5 win and a first place finish for the Inlet Raiders. Popeye's finished second overall in the tournament.
To determine third place, PawPrint and 101 Contracting played a nail biter. First Baseman Sheryle Quinn started off the bottom of the seventh for PawPrint with a stand-up double and a steal on third. Kyle Trousdell who won one of the game MVP awards knocked the ball over second base to bring in the run for a 5-4 win. PawPrint finished third and 101 fourth in the tournament.
"Congratulations to all of the teams for a super softball fastpitch season," said Quinn. "It is such a tremendous feeling for the coaches and young athletes to see how far everyone comes during the season. They really showcase their talents at the tournament and they should all be extremely proud of themselves. Until next ball season, keep those arms loose and have a wonderful summer. See you all again in the spring and a big thanks to Coast Reporter for keeping everyone updated on our yearly standings."
