The MMKL Delisle Pride were hoping for gold, but had to settle for the silver medal at the U23 Men’s Canadian Softball Championship tournament in Saskatoon last weekend.
The tournament host Pride lost 11-1 to the defending national champions Tavistock (Ontario) Merchants on Sunday, August 6.
The Delisle team, bolstered by all-star talent from communities across Saskatchewan, earned a berth in the final after downing Harwood Corners of Ontario 12-4 in a semi-final playoff game earlier on Sunday.
The Pride finished second in round-robin play with a record of four wins and two losses during the tournament at Bob Van Impe Stadium and Joe Gallagher Field in Saskatoon August 2-6.
They beat Harwood Corners 4-1 and lost to Tavistock 7-0 on August 2; lost to Newfoundland 9-0 before going on to beat Alvinston (Ontario) 10-3 on August 3; downed Owen Sound (Ontario) 10-1 and Nova Scotia 8-2 on August 4.
During a quarter-final match-up on August 5, Delisle was edged by Tavistock 10-9.
The loss forced Delisle to take the long road to the championship final by first having to overcome Harwood Corners in the semi-final at noon on Sunday, August 6.
While the lopsided 12-4 win in the semi-final provided momentum for the Pride to take into the final contest at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, Tavistock clearly had the edge because they were rested and fresh.
Delisle catcher Max Major earned the tournament’s MVP award, while his teammate, infielder Oakley Durham was named to the tournament’s all-star team.
The Delisle Pride play in the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association’s Keith McLean Division.
They finished third at last year’s national U23 Men’s Softball Championship. The team includes shortstop Brant Wiebe, who played for Canada’s U23 National Team, which placed fifth at the World Cup in April, 2023.
The defending champion Tavistock Merchants feature five national team members, including Connor Brooks, Reese Yantzi, Thomas Baker, Mason McKay and Mitch McKay.