More than 600 players and 37 teams took over Brennan Park for the annual May long weekend slo-pitch tournament, organized by the 麻豆社国产Slo-Pitch Association (SSPA).
SSPA president Dave Southam was pleased overall with how the weekend went.
"I thought it went really well despite the weather being a little shaky on Saturday," he said. "It was really another great tournament and we had a lot of help from our volunteers. Our tournament is really an annual event and folks keep coming back year after year. They enjoy coming to 麻豆社国产and love coming to our fields to play ball."
Southam pointed out that the tournament would not run as smoothly without the tireless efforts of the volunteers.
"Scott Brickell and myself are the two main organizers, but it just wouldn't be possible without the volunteers, the umps and other league officials," he said. "It was also great work by the District of 麻豆社国产staff to get the fields ready and we had donations from Save-On Foods and Coast Mountain Catering."
As for the tournament itself, the A division was won by the Soul Crush, a team made up mostly of players from Whistler but with a few 麻豆社国产players mixed in. The Crush defeated Walk It Out in the A final, which was played on Monday (May 23).
"They weren't necessarily the favourites but a lot of people expected them to be contending," Southam said, noting that Soul Crush will take part in the National Championships in September in Niagara Falls, Ont.
The B Division featured two local teams in the final, with the Eagles eventually besting the Hooligans. Both teams compete in the SSPA league and Southam said it was nice to see the Eagles take home the hardware.
"The Eagles have been around for a number of years and it was nice to see a couple of local teams battle it out for the B division," he said.
Local content excelled in the C division, with the Hammers defeating the Mowers in the final. Both teams are made up of 麻豆社国产residents.
The D division also featured a local team taking home the prize, with Vancouver's Fun Bobby's toppling Squamish's Brew Jays. Southam said it was a good showing for the locals.
"The Brew Jays have been around from our league from the start," Southam said. "They've been able to stick around and re-build and it's good to see them succeed."
Regular league play in the SSPA will return to the fields, with Southam hoping that the weather will change from spring to summer conditions for the remainder of the league schedule. The league is also looking forward to the league wrap-up tournament, which takes place at Brennan Park July 16 and 17.
For more information on the SSPA, visit www.squamish-slopitch.com.
