It was a busy weekend of U12 girls’ softball at the Battleford Flats on the weekend.
The Battleford Bandits hosted five other teams in provincial U12 B action. The other competitors were the Saskatoon Hustlers, Moose Jaw Ice, Humboldt Thunder, Watrous Royals and Melfort Spirit.
Round-robin play took place Friday and Saturday with the Bandits winning all four of their games to post a 4-0 record. Moose Jaw was 3-1, Humboldt 2-2 and Melfort 2-2 to qualify for the playdowns Sunday.
In the championship round Moose Jaw beat Humboldt 17-16 while the Bandits also moved on to the final game, beating Melfort 10-3.
In the championship game, the Bandits scored three runs to snap a 1-1 tie over the Ice, giving Battleford a 4-1 lead through two innings.
But the larger issue was the weather, with an impending storm threatening to wash out both the Battleford Flats and the game.
When a massive bolt of lightning created a huge thunderclap, play was immediately halted with the score reading 4-1 for the Bandits with play suspended in the third inning. Players and spectators raced to their cars in order to avoid the huge downpour that followed.
After the storm passed, and after intense efforts by the grounds crew, play resumed shortly before 4:30 p.m. and the Bandits picked up where they left off.
The final score was 7-1, with the Bandits capturing the girls’ U12 B provincial title in front of their home fans. It completed an excellent season for the Bandits who went undefeated in all their tournaments.
