Sechelt Minor Softball's Sluggers thought they had finished off their season with the Richmond May Mayhem tournament, until they were invited to play in the Lower Mainland Cup last weekend.
The Peewee boys had a strong start against Cloverdale, with Dylan McLeod hitting three home runs and winning game MVP. In game two, the Abbotsford Hitmen played well and, despite the strong batting of the Sluggers, edged out a win with their tight defence. Ben Drugmand won game MVP for his outstanding effort behind the plate.
The Richmond Royals played well in game three but were no match for the powerful batting of the Sluggers.Colton Vaughn earned game MVP.
The final game in round robin play was against the local favourite, the Richmond Devils. The Sluggers got into early trouble when the starting pitcher was given a warning for clipping a batter with a fast pitch, but Qasim Khan stepped up to the mound and won game MVP as he held the Devils at bay. The Sluggers bats were booming against the Devils and they proved too strong, invoking the mercy rule and taking their third win in four games. After strong round robin play, the Sluggers went into the semifinals ranked second overall and were up against the third-place Hitmen. Veteran coach Randy Younghusband played against the tight defence of the Hitmen, using bunts and base stealing. The Sluggers earned a 6-4 win moving them into the gold medal round against the undefeated Guilford Titans. The final game was well played, with the Titans getting off to an early lead.
Lucas Hayward earned game MVP for stepping to the mound and shutting down the Titans while the Sluggers inched their way back. Despite a strong performance by the Sluggers, the Titans ruled the day, ending the tournament undefeated, with the Sluggers taking the silver medal.
Assistant coach Tim Hayward reports that the Sluggers strong performance would not have been possible without the strong support of the Sechelt Minor Softball Association, the parents of the players and Younghusband. The players demonstrated that they can play head-to-head against the Lower Mainland teams and represented the Sunshine Coast through their athleticism, their sportsmanship, their cohesiveness as a team and their outstanding individual characters.
