Crowds gathering around during one of the slo-pitch matches at the Fred Milne Park ball diamond. This year 20 slo-pitch teams from all over the Island are expected to take part in the year-end tournament B.C. Day Long weekend.

Crowds gathering around during one of the slo-pitch matches at the Fred Milne Park ball diamond. This year 20 slo-pitch teams from all over the Island are expected to take part in the year-end tournament B.C. Day Long weekend.

Slo-pitch to finish with a bang this season

The sport is coming to an end this year, but it's putting on a show before the final curtain.

With other ball sports of the season coming to a close, slo-pitch is bidding its adieu for the year with one playoff final and a tournament within the next two weeks.

The first was last night at Fred Milne Park with the slo-pitch final.

“It’s [the season] been pretty smooth,” said Jason Dumont, a player in the slo-pitch A division and Sooke Slo-pitch Association president.

“The league has been pretty competitive and very tight in the playoffs, so it’s been a lot of fun.”

The slo-pitch tournament on the B.C. Day long weekend will be even bigger, with 20 teams participating. It’s the association’s usual end-of-the-year tournament.

It hasn’t been an easy year for the slo-pitch association, Dumont said.

The number of players has been low this year. Dumont hopes there will be an added interest next year, particularly from the younger generation.

Even slo-pitch itself has changed in Sooke; Dumont noted the games’ fluidity has changed, more so towards tighter scores.

“The games have been really tight and competitive; the semi-final the other day was 6-7, which for slo-pitch is unheard of,” he said. “Traditional times you’ll see 15-22, so it’s interesting to see.”

For more info on the upcoming slo-pitch playoffs and the tournament over the coming long weekend, check out Sooke Slo-Pitch on Facebook, or follow it on Twitter @SookeSloPitch.

Those who are interested to sign up can contact Jason Dumont at 250-744-8852.

news@sookenewsmirror.com

 

Sooke News Mirror