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Take me out to the ball game Danielle Sachs Northern News Services Published Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012
Players came from across the Mackenzie Delta congregated on the Inuvik ball diamond for four days of facing off against each other in friendly competition. Organizer of the tournament, Jeffery Amos, was happy with the turnout. He also acted as umpire for the entire weekend. "The turnout was really good," he said. "There were a lot of spectators and not a lot of bugs." In total, eight teams participated – the Rockies, Huskies, Northwind, Ajays, Rockin' Robins, Native Yankees, Aklak Air and Esso. In the semifinals, duking it out for third place and the $600 prize were Aklak Air and the Ajays. The Ajays won 23-20, making it a close game. "It feels great," said Ajays captain Alison Lennie. "We had players from all over – Tuktoyaktuk, Fort McPherson and Aklavik." The Rockies were the overall tournament champions and ended up winning the grand prize of $2,000. They were playing against the Huskies and the game ended early, using the mercy rule. The mercy rule states that any team leading by 10 runs by the end of the fifth complete inning will be awarded the win. The Rockies won 18-8, but the Huskies as second-place winners still walked away with $1,000. "If you're on fire, nothing can stop you," said Jimmy Kalinek, a player for the Huskies. "The Rockies were on fire and we just couldn't keep up." Amos said the tournament wouldn't have been as successful if it weren't for all the volunteers and scorekeepers. "There's always a big thank you to them," he said. "They make a big difference and the weather didn't hurt either." By the end of the tournament, Justin Simms, a player on the Rockies, had almost completely lost his voice. "It's just awesome," he said after the win.
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