Chisasibi dominates at the 2017 CREE Senior Softball and Fastpitch Tournament
Some of the Cree Nation’s most talented ball players put their talents on display in early September at the 2017 edition of the CREE Annual Senior Softball and Fastpitch Tournament in Val-d’Or. Over 30 teams participated in five categories, including Men’s Fastpitch, Men’s Softball–competitive, Men’s Softball–recreational, Women’s Softball, and Women’s Fastpitch.
Squads from Chisasibi enjoyed the greatest success at this year’s event, taking home the hardware in two categories, and reaching the finals in a third. The Chisasibi Nouchimi opened the tournament on a losing note, dropping a 7-5 decision to the Lac Simon Eagles, but rebounded to tally three straight wins, including a decisive 16-11 victory to capture top spot in Women’s Softball.
Daisy House-Lameboy earned MVP honours for the Nouchimi, while teammates Nora Bobbish and Joanne Pash were named Best Infielder and Best Pitcher, respectively. Lac Simon claimed the remainder of the individual awards, with Rose Dumony named Best Hitter and Manon Deschenes getting the nod as top outfielder.
The Chisasibi Jays gave their hometown fans even more reason to celebrate as they romped to the Men’s Fastpitch title with a lopsided 12-2 victory over the Waskaganish Falcons. The Jays dominated in three straight victories at the tourney, outscoring opponents by a massive 17-2 margin, including shutout wins over the Eastmain Fireballs and Oujé Tomahawks.
Chisasibi’s Mitch Hardy claimed both MVP and Best Pitcher awards, and teammate Mathieu Roy was named Best Hitter. The two remaining awards went to members of the Waskaganish Falcons, with Donovan Hester earning Best Outfielder and Derian Hester going home as Best Infielder.
The Chisasibi Fire fell just short of earning that community a third title at the tournament, as they lost 14-5 to Eastmain SSC in the Women’s Fastpitch final. The loss didn’t prevent the Fire’s June Moar from getting the nod as Best Infielder, while teammate Doreen Bobbish picked up the award for Best Outfielder.
The champion Eastmain SSC took home the remainder of the Women’s Fastpitch individual awards, with Destiny Blacksmith named Best Pitcher, Rena Gilpin earning Best Hitter honours, and Phyllis Gilpin leading the way as MVP.
Ball clubs from Lac Simon emerged triumphant in the two remaining categories at this year’s Senior Softball and Fastpitch Tournament. The Aces edged out the Waswanipi Wolfpack by an 8-7 score in the Men’s Softball-competitive final, but Vern Cooper and Brett Blacksmith earned some consolation by taking home Best Outfielder and Best Pitcher honours.
The Chasseurs dominated in their drive towards a championship win in Men’s Softball-recreational, outscoring opponents by a lopsided 46-22 margin including a stunning 21-10 win over the Kitcisakik Expos in the category final.