The Williams Lake Rowdies slo-pitch team were part of a 15-team tournament from March 11-13 in Trelawny, Jamaica, bringing a bronze medal back to Canada.
“We played well,” said Linda Barbondy, captain of the Rowdies. “It was a lot of fun — probably one of the best tournaments we’ve ever been to.”
The Rowdies kicked off their tournament with a 10-7 win in round robin play over Calgary X-Rated, before knocking off Jamaica’s Dinthill, 9-3.
For their two-win round robin, the Rowdies received a bye into the first round of the playoffs.
There, the Rowdies downed Fort McMurray’s Triple X, 14-11, to stay on the ‘A’ Division side of the draw.
In the semi-final, the Rowdies were pitted in a rematch with Calgary’s X-Rated, dropping a close 7-6 game.
The loss landed the Rowdies in the bronze-medal match against Edmonton’s Longballz, where the Rowdies earned a 12-6 decision and the bronze medal.
“It was great,” Barbondy said. “We played on a cricket field. The field is so big that they were able to setup three slo-pitch fields on one cricket field, and it was right beside the Caribbean Sea. It was the best facility we’ve every played at out of country.”
Winning gold at the tournament was X-Rated, followed by a Jamaican team taking silver.
Thirteen players attended the tournament for the Rowdies, who attend out-of-country tournaments once every two years.
“Next time, in 2013, we’re going to be going to a tournament in Panama.”
Barbondy, also the president of the Williams Lake Slo-Pitch League, is now preparing for the upcoming Williams Lake slo-pitch season.
“We’re going to have our captains meeting during the second week of April,” she said.
The meeting, once a date is nailed down, will be at 7 p.m. at the Overlander Convention Centre.
“Teams and players interested in signing up for the upcoming season can contact me,” she said.
For more information call Barbondy at 250-392-6643.