CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Aug. 6, 2020
The Shawville Men’s Fastpitch League kicked off their season on Aug. 6, with players trying to recoup what remains of the summer of 2020.
Organizer Matt Greer said that the shutdown of the Greater Ottawa Fastball League (GOFL) meant that the level of competition will be a lot higher this year, as members of . . .
the Quyon Flyers had filled out the rosters.
“Some of the guys from the Flyers and other teams decided to come over here,” he said. “The league’s definitely a lot stronger than it’s been in the past couple years. It’s going to be some good ball.”
Greer said that the same week he found out the GOFL wasn’t running, Softball Quebec put out their policy for the resumption of play. He added that a league in Quebec City has been up and running for the past three weeks without a hitch.
“When I saw that happening, I thought OK, I’ll start pursuing it, everything just kind of came together,” he said. “I’m happy to be out playing ball again.”
The change of plans meant that things had to be organized quickly, but Greer said it wasn’t too hard to entice everyone back to the ball diamond.
“Normally we start prepping in March and start in May, so we usually have a month and a half, two months to get everything going, it’s been kind of … on the fly, but it wasn’t really hard to get the guys out,” he said.
Greer said the four teams in the league will play nine games each for this abbreviated season, culminating in a double elimination tournament in late September or early October.
“It will be short and sweet, a month and a half, but at least we were able to get it in,” he said.
The season opened up with the Trudeau Collision Brewers prevailing 8-4 over the Gannon/Blackburn Electric Inc. Bucks. The late game saw the Bristolview Ent. Athletics triumph over the Tubman Auto Body Twins 3-2.
