Put on by the Maison des Jeunes du Pontiac, the tournament featured teams from Campbell’s Bay, Otter Lake, Chapeau/Waltham and Fort-Coulonge/ Mansfield et Pontefract and sizeable crowds of parents on hand to cheer on the young stars.

With most of the games taking place in Waltham, and the others in Mansfield, Campbell’s Bay and Otter Lake, the tournament serves as the culmination of the league’s season, which started at the beginning of July.

Overall, the league consisted of four age groups, including 4 to 6 years (tee ball) with nine teams, 7 to 9 featuring six teams, 10 to 13 with six and 14 to 17 years old boasting six teams as well.

After an eight to ten game season, the top performers from each league were placed in the A division, while the rest of the squads were placed in the B division for their respective end of year tournaments.

While the youngest age group (tee ball) had already wrapped up their season on Sept. 6, the tournament showcased the three older age groups.

According to a member on the tournament’s organizing committee Stéphane Durocher, the league’s popularity has grown significantly since being brought back in 2011 following a 15-year hiatus.

He noted that the league used to boast around 150 players when it was reintroduced, compared to now, where it has more than 400 players on teams from all over the western portion of the region.

For Durocher, the tournament is very beneficial for the community as it has a positive impact on the kid’s athletic and social development while putting the region’s wide diversity of ballparks to good use.

“For a long time, the fields just weren’t being used around here,” he said. “Now, we’re giving them the kind of action they deserve. In total, 162 ball games were played in the Pontiac this summer.”

Scheduled to take place the weekend prior, the tournament was pushed back a week, because weather forecasts were predicted 32 consecutive hours of thundershowers. Durocher explained that the decision was all about prioritizing safety above everything else.

“When the bat gets a little wet, the ball gets wet and the dirt gets muddy it can be dangerous for the players,” he said. “We didn’t want to take our chances with that.”

Capping of their season with a bang, in the 7-9-year-old A division, Campbell’s Bay came out on top after knocking off Chapeau/Waltham 5 in the final.

In the B division, Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield 2 ended up as the victors after defeating their hometown rivals Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield et Pontefract 1.

For the 10- to 13-year-old group, Campbell’s Bay ended up as the top dog in the A division with a win over Chapeau/Waltham 5 in the finals.

In the B division, it was Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield 1 who were crowned as winners after taking down Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield 2 in the big dance.

In the A division of the 14-17-year-old age group, Otter Lake walked away as the big winners with a win over Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield 1.

In the B division, Campbell’s Bay took home the chip after beating out Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield 2 in the final.

Last Weekend, the Pontiac Youth Softball League held its end of year tournament with games taking place in Chapeau and Mansfield. Pictured, Otter Lake pitcher Aidan Dubeau launches a fast one towards the plate on Saturday evening.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!