The History of Softball

Softball developed as a younger version of baseball. Softball was started by elements of other sports of which were boating, boxing and football. A boating club, a boxing glove and a football game were key parts in the very first game of softball. Cont'd 

NWT Slo-Pitch Championships – A Tournament of Firsts

Yellowknife, NT (August 14, 2012) – It was a tournament of firsts at the NWT Men’s and Women’s Slo-Pitch Championships in Yellowknife, which wrapped up on August 12, 2012.

For the first time since the early 1980’s, a team from Inuvik took home top honours on the ladies side as the Benchwarmers defeated the Yellowknife Royals by a score of 23-12. The Benchwarmers had gone into the playoff round in third place, but were unanimously considered the best team on the final day of play.

For the Royals, it was a disappointing end to what was a fine tournament. The ladies had gone unbeaten all weekend long, but the one game they lost was the one they didn’t want to.

On the men’s side, the Fastball Freaks, a rag-tag bunch of players from the Yellowknife Men’s Fastball League, were the runaway winners after beating the Brew Jays of Yellowknife by mercy, 25-10. Freaks pitcher Ryan Sheppard put the game on ice by hitting a walk-off home run to seal the deal in the fifth inning of the final.

Both teams and the runners-up have now qualified for the 2013 Slo-Pitch National Canadian Championships and have the full support and encouragement of NWT Softball to do so.

The softball season is beginning its downward swing in Yellowknife as the YK Men’s Fastball League will have its playoff tournament beginning on August 17, 2012 at Tommy Forrest Park. Everyone is invited to come out and take in the action.

The YK Slo-Pitch Association playoffs kick off shortly thereafter, culminating with the NWT Co-Ed Slo-Pitch Championship in Yellowknife on Labour Day weekend around the city.