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This Prince George fastpitch team finished seventh at national championships

Big Guy Lake Kings had close games against nation’s best in Alberta
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

The experience was worthwhile for Prince George’s top men’s fastpitch team.

Playing in their second national tournament in a single month, the Big Guy Lake Kings were up against nine other teams at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Fastpitch Championships under the Alberta sun on the Labour Day long weekend.

Though they were able to muster 50 hits and seven home runs in eight games at the Softball Canada-governed tournament, the Prince George squad was only able to come up with a 2-6 record.

That was good enough for seventh place as one of only two teams to represent B.C. at the 10-team event.

B.C.’s other team, the Sooke Loggers, made it to the gold medal game, settling for silver after losing to the Galway Hitmen of Newfoundland.

The Kings were outscored 47-28 on the fields in Grande Prairie.

Jeffery Thomas pitched in seven of Big Guy Lake’s eight games, helping earn both of his team’s victories while throwing 53 strikeouts and allowing 39 hits.

Impressively, the Kings were one of the best defensive teams in recording just one error, the least of any other team at the national tournament.

The best batter for Big Guy Lake was Chad Ghostkeeper, who had a .421 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage.

He also had two home runs and five RBIs for a .895 slugging percentage.

The round-robin results for the Kings are as follows:

  • 5-4 loss to Irma Tigers (Alta.)
  • 3-1 loss to Grande Prairie Pirates (Host)
  • 8-4 win over Elmira Expos (Ont.)
  • 3-1 loss to Galway Hitmen (N.L.)
  • 10-9 loss to Saskatoon Angels (Sask.)
  • 17-0 loss to Oshweken Hill United Chiefs (Ont.)
  • 3-1 win over East Hants Mastodons (N.S.)
  • 4-2 loss to Grande Prairie Pirates (Host)

During the first weekend of August, the Kings won the bronze medal at the Canadian Native Fastpitch Championships in Winnipeg.

They also placed fourth at Prince George’s 50th Canada Day Fastpitch tournament at Spruce City Stadium.