Just Call Vince take slo-pitch title
Team goes undefeated in playoffs, fending off come-back hopefuls Amirco Barry Pickers
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, August 24, 2017
INUVIK
The Amirco Barry Pickers battled back from the losers' bracket to challenge Just Call Vince in the finals of the Inuvik Slo-Pitch Association's playoffs last weekend, but JCV's bats were too hot to contain as the team went on to win the championship in an undefeated playoff run.
Just Call Vince took home the championship at the Inuvik Slo-Pitch Association playoffs last week. In back, from left, are Jeremy Burns, Eric Cockney, Mark
Robertson, Phillip Jacobson, Kent Pike, Duane Seward, Kevin McLeod, Gary Gordon, Chris Smith, Terra MacNabb, Scott Macbeth, Justin Simms, and team sponsor Vince Sharpe. In front, from left, are Nadine Wagner, Stacey Christie, Natasha Kulikowski, Laurie Robertson, Lisa Burns and Brandon Voudrach. Missing from the photo are Meghan Etter and Jon Amos. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photos
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"We're very happy," said Mark Robertson of JCV. "We were hoping to finish the season off like this."
The team capitalized on something of a weakened field as some of the top teams were missing roster players.
"There were a couple of teams in the tournament that weren't as strong as they usually are, so we took advantage of that and ended up coming out on top," said Robertson.
"It was still a very competitive tournament. Lots of close games and everyone had a lot of fun."
Chloe Larocque catches a pop fly during the finals between Just Call Vince and the Barry Pickers.
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The final between JCV and the Barry Pickers was close until midway through when JCV's bats exploded and the team hit several home runs to take a commanding league.
Robertson said the team's bats got hot at the right time.
"Every ball I pitched to them, they hit out," said Barry Jacobson of the Barry Pickers.
His team repeated last year's finish, coming second in the finals again. Last year, the Native Yankees took the league playoffs.
"My team played hard, had to battle back from the losers' side bracket, came back into the finals," said Jacobson.
"We had a hard game against these guys. They played great."
The league started with nine teams and finished the season with seven.
Jacobson, president of the slo-pitch association, said teams showed a lot of improvement during the summer, pointing specifically to the TNT Dodgers, Fire Department and Swings Both Ways.
The playoffs Sunday marked the end of the slo-pitch season in Inuvik.
