Photo by Sam Riches
PLAYS TO FIRST 鈥� Whitehorse Wounded Deer play defence in the Dawson City Labour Day mixed slo-pitch tournament. Nineteen teams from the Yukon, Alaska and N.W.T competed (top). HERE COMES THE HEAT 鈥� The Fairbanks Skeeters deliver a pitch. The Skeeters placed third overall while the Alaskan Roadkill Dingoes were first and Northern Air Cargo were second.
Local ball players headed north over the long weekend for the annual Dawson City Labour Day mixed slo-pitch tournament.
Local ball players headed north over the long weekend for the annual Dawson City Labour Day mixed slo-pitch tournament.
Running for more than 25 years, the tournament draws teams from across the Yukon, Alaska and the Northwest Territories.
The action took place on the Crocus Bluff and Minto ball fields with the teams playing 64 games over four days.
"It's getting bigger and better each year,鈥� said Dawn Kisoun, who has organized the tournament for the last three years.
Nineteen teams took part this year, with the top three at the end of the weekend hailing from Alaska.
The Roadkill Dingoes placed first overall while Northern Air Cargo was second and the Fairbanks Skeeters were third,
The top Whitehorse teams were the Fountain Tire Mudders , who placed fourth overall, and the Terrorizers.
Two other local teams took part in the tournament, Whitehorse Wounded Deer and the Rabbit Creek Thumpers.
Most valuable player honours went to Justine White from Inuvik, who took home the female award and Lewis Grant from Alaska who was voted the top male player.
Kisoun said White's play stood out from the first game.
"She was great, an all-around player,鈥� she said.
"She should be playing major league.鈥�
The Dingoes took home $2,000 for the win, while NAC and the Skeeters won $1,000 and $500.
Run as a non-profit, the tournament will be looking to donate remaining money for the development of a new softball building in Dawson.
"Our goal is to possibly, one day, have a new softball building,鈥� said Kisoun.
Last year, organizers donated $500 to the women's shelter.
After the preliminary round, teams were seeded and moved into the playoffs in four pools.
For many of the teams, it was their last chance for softball glory before the season ends.
"It's just an all-around good tournament. It's the last one for a lot of people and everyone looks forward to coming to Dawson City, especially with good weather,鈥� said Kisoun.
"Everybody from Alaska says this is the fun tournament that they come to each year. They really enjoy it.鈥�
With the sun shining for most of the weekend, the playoffs began on Sunday morning with soggy fields after rain had poured down the night before.
With the fields acting like a sponge, the first few games were filled with slow rolling grounders and slippery base paths but by noon the conditions had begun to improve.
The players weren't the only ones who traveled to Dawson for the action.
The tournament also brought in umpires from Alaska and the Northwest Territories.
Several members of the Inuvik team were also able to take over the concession stand and beer gardens at the Crocus Bluff field.
"They did a great job opening that up and keeping it running,鈥� said Kisoun, who is hopeful the tournament will attract more volunteers next year.
"We're always looking for more people to help out so that was great for us,鈥� she said.
Three of the Alaska teams also held a moment of silence for Sharon Keaton of Old Crow.
"We all had a moment,鈥� said Kisoun. "She was one of the biggest supports for softball in Dawson and hockey in Whitehorse.鈥�
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