With Hospital Day, the league championships, and Canada Days all wrapped up, one classic summer challenge remained for the islands’ mixed softball teams: Skidegate Days.
The competition was fierce from the start.
The tournament kicked off with the Traitors defeating the Cousins on Wednesday, July 17. In other opening matchups, the Youngins overcame the All-Nighters, the Grinders bested the Mystery Squad, and the Sons of Pitches pulled off an upset against the Warriors.
On Friday night, the Traitors continued to dominate by dismantling the Youngins, while the Sons of Pitches triumphed over the Grinders in the late game.
Saturday’s action began with the Cousins putting the All-Nighters out of their misery, followed by the Warriors knocking the Mystery Squad out of the tournament.
The Cousins returned to the field and managed to edge out the Grinders in a rematch of the Port Clements Canada Days championship, where the Grinders had previously taken the crown.
The Warriors then faced the Youngins in another Port rematch, but this time, the Warriors narrowly edged out a victory over the impressive Youngins.
The Traitors played their first game of the day against the Sons of Pitches, securing a decisive win and punching their ticket to the finals. The Cousins then took on the Warriors, eliminating their old rivals.
In the semifinals, the Cousins faced the Sons of Pitches, with the winner earning the right to challenge the Traitors in the finals.
The game was tied in the seventh, but the Cousins scored three runs to put pressure on the Sons of Pitches, who responded with three runs of their own, forcing an extra inning.
The Cousins didn’t hold back in the extra frame, scoring seven runs. The deficit proved too great for the Sons of Pitches, who were sent packing.
In an intense and thrilling rematch, the Cousins faced off against the Traitors in their fifth game of the day, a battle that would determine the tournament champions.
This encounter was especially significant, as the Traitors had sent the Cousins to the loser’s bracket in their first tournament game. The Cousins had to fight their way up a long and arduous path to make it to the finals.
The game was a low-scoring affair characterized by stellar fielding from both teams. As they entered the bottom of the fifth, the Cousins’ bats came alive, allowing them to take the lead.
However, the Traitors were not to be outdone.
Adrian Lowther hit a clutch home run to tie the game, and followed up with a remarkable sliding catch to end the bottom of the sixth, covering a lot of ground to make the grab.
As the teams entered the seventh inning, momentum favoured the Traitors.
Damien Fladmark delivered a mighty home run, giving his team a one-run lead.
With a man on base, Jhett Slater-Collinson stepped up to the plate for the Cousins.
In a play that dreams are made of, Jhett remained composed and smashed a two-run homer out of the park, securing the Cousins the glory that has eluded them all season long.
Jhett’s celebration with his team was a sight to behold.
“That felt great, especially to get a home run like that,” he said. “It was a bit of a nervous situation being down one, but it worked out.”
“It was pretty cool.”
A passing fan described the moment as “absolutely amazing,” and league legend Hyland Fraser could be seen seeking out Jhett to congratulate him on his incredible feat.