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INUVIK
The Inuvik Huskies won four games back-to-back Sunday afternoon to clinch the top spot in the slo-pitch league championship tournament.

The championship-winning Inuvik Huskies, back row, from left, Donny Hendricks, Ashlyn Hendricks, Kevin McLeod, Glen Tingmiak, Roy Kasook, Gary Gordon, Stefan Allen and Mickey Ipana. Front row, from left, Wilma Hendricks, Leah Ipana, Cassidy Ipana, Darien Kasook, Tawny Amos and Thomas Anthony. - Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison/NNSL photo

The team, led by MVP-winning shortstop Gary Gordon, won all five games on the last day of the playoffs after not playing a single game on either Friday or Saturday.

The Huskies, who recently competed in the Western Canadian Senior Fastpitch Championships in Stonewall, Man., were scheduled to play against Spare Parts Friday and the Native Yankees Saturday, but both games were cancelled because of a shortage of players.

They won Friday's game automatically but lost Saturday's game by default after failing to provide a volunteer umpire to an earlier game that day.

The team finished the summer slo-pitch season in seventh place, five spots behind second-ranked Northwind, who they beat Sunday night in two consecutive games for the title.

Since Northwind recorded their first loss of the tournament against the Huskies Sunday night by a 13-5 count, the two teams had to play a final, winner-takes-all game to decide first place. The Huskies won the second game 10-5.

Northwind's Josh Campbell was one of the standouts of the tournament, hitting six home runs in two days. On Saturday, in a game against the Aklak Air Falcons, he hit a grand slam, leading his team back from a 10-2 deficit to win the game.

The Falcons came in third thanks to strong outings throughout the weekend and solid hitting from Nolan Kasook.

Kasook won the tournament's home run derby Friday night, hitting two balls out of the park to edge out seven other competitors and take home $80 in prize money.

Between Aug. 19 and 21, 10 games were played while 12 were defaulted, due to a change in this year's playoff rules.

Unlike in past years, all 11 teams in the slo-pitch league were entered into the final league championships. Four teams, including those who came in ninth, tenth and eleventh place after the regular season, were unable to field enough players to compete over the weekend.

Matt Armstrong, president of the Inuvik Slo-pitch Association, said the league executive is considering making changes again next year, such as advertising the playoff weekend so more people attend or adjusting the format.

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