The Lakers added another feather in their ball caps Sunday at the Esler Sports Complex, winning the Williams Lake Slo-Pitch League Year End Tournament ‘A’ division title after finishing atop the regular season standings.
The Lakers defeated the Rowdies in the final, 19-8, after losing to them earlier in the tournament and having to play through the back door to advance to the championship game.
Linda Barbondy, league president and Rowdies captain, said the difference was in the batter’s box.
“They batted and we didn’t,” Barbondy said. “That’s pretty much all it came down to.”
En route to the finals the Lakers beat the NDNZ in the quaterfinal and the Rookies in the semifinal, while the Rowdies downed the Beer-O-Crats and the Lakers to advance through the top side of the draw.
In the ‘B’ division final it was the Brew Jays winning a close game over the Bears, 13-11, to win the championship.
On the ‘C’ side the Wild Chickens thumped Qweqi, 17-7, to take the crown, while in the ‘D’ final Those Guys beat the Sluggers, 15-2.
The tournament began last Thursday with each of the league’s 20 teams playing two seeding games before a double-knockout playoff format ensued Saturday prior to Sunday’s finals.
“The weather was great for the tournament,” Barbondy said, noting everything went smoothly. “The year went well.”
Barbondy said tickets will also be for sale for the upcoming year-end banquet at the Longhouse Sept. 15, featuring band Chilcotin Dreams, for $20 each. Year-end prizes and awards will be presented then.
For tickets contact Barbondy through Facebook or get a hold of respective team captains.
“We’re going to have lots of prizes,” she said. “We’ll have some bats, ball jerseys, T-shirts and lots of door prizes. It’ll be fun.”