The annual Big Moose Ball Tournament was held this past weekend at the Kenosee Lake and Carlyle ball diamonds. The tournament, which is split between the two communities, saw teams come from as far away as Beulah, North Dakota. Competition at this year's tournament included teams from the Saskota Baseball League such as Estevan, Carnduff, Kenosee and Carlyle, in addition to two teams from Saskatoon, one from Regina, and one from North Dakota.
As a result of rain on Friday evening, the tournament was postponed to a later start time on Saturday. Games took place on both July 9 and 10, with a home run derby scheduled for Saturday evening. The eight teams provided some stiff competition with the Saskatoon Outlaws beating out the Regina A's in a 4-3 game to win the tournament. As a result, the Outlaws went home with $1,000.
The home run derby saw 10 individuals participate with players raffled off Calcutta style. The derby is a chance for players and teams to have a little fun away from the competitive aspect of the tournament. The highest bidder during the Calcutta received their choice of player with this year's derby champion being Justin Wendt.
People packed the stands all weekend and organizers of the event thought the tournament went very well overall. David Lemieux, one of the organizers of the event, attributed the success to all of the work that goes on behind the scenes. "The Cardinals would like to thank all of their sponsors, volunteers, the Kenosee Lake Park staff, and players on the teams for their hard work and support this weekend. The Cardinals would also like to thank their fans who once again showed strong support. Without the above mentioned, tournaments like the Big Moose would not be possible."
