Sechelt Minor Softball batted out the last inning of the 2010 year in its annual Fathers Day Tournament. The smell of barbecued hotdogs and cut grass floated on the breeze as 22 teams in six age divisions participated in weekend games.
Athletes ranged in age from five to 19, with trophies awarded in all age divisions. T-Ball and mite divisions focused on basic skill development, and all players received awards for their participation.
In the mite division, competitive fast-pitch rules were introduced, with awards for first, second and third place finishes. Claytons Heritage Market took third place with Butch's Trucking turning the tide against Pharmasave with some excellent plays at third base in the final game to take first place.
Coach Tracey Lloyd commented that she was particularly impressed with the level of improvement in players over the course of the year.
The squirt final ended in a nail-biter. Suncoast Lumber and Milling was behind by five runs going into the bottom of the seventh inning. They mounted a charge and were able to move within one run before the third out cinched Canadian Tire's first place win. Stockwell Sand and Gravel, Suncoast Lumber and Milling and Canadian Tire were all tied at the end of the round-robin portion of the tournament, and the runs-for-and-against tiebreaker was determined by a difference of only four runs between the three teams.
Coach Colleen Vaughn confirmed that the teams had been very close all season, and tiebreaker rules had also been used to determine regular season team placements.
In the peewee division, Coast Reporter team edged out Sechelt Plumbing to earn a title shot against Flemming & Sombrowski. The final game saw Coast Reporter starting out strong, but in the end Flemming & Sombrowski pulled away for a convincing first place win.
Coast Reporter coach Lynn Wilson reflected the values of this community league in her praise of the players as both individuals and team members and in her recognition of the many volunteers who make this program possible.
In the bantam division, the Inlet Raiders went into their final inning one point ahead of Marsh Landscape and were able to narrowly hold on to a third place finish.
The final game for first place, held as the tournament finale, was between the BC First Aid and Gibsons Building Supplies teams. Both teams played well, with many outstanding individual and team efforts. The lead changed hands several times during the game, with BC First Aid taking advantage of their last turn at bat to pull ahead by one run in the end of the last inning.
Long time board member and current Sechelt Minor Softball Association president Ann Hayward reported it was one of the closest and most exciting finals she can remember.
Hayward highlighted comments by coaches underlying the positive character of these youth and the many contributions of community organizations and individual volunteers. She adds that more than a few players and volunteers have already started to look forward to next year's season.
