Another successful Henri Lorieau baseball tournament took place in White Rock over the Canada Day long weekend, with Vancouver's Hastings team winning the event.
Held at Centennial Park every July 1 long weekend, the popular event honours the legacy of White Rock South Surrey Baseball Association (WRSSBA) past president Henri Lorieau. Teams from Whalley, Coquitlam, Hastings, and Mount Seymour, along with two teams from the WRSSBA (Black and Grey), competed in the tournament, which featured a lot of fun as well as great baseball.
Hosted by a team of volunteers and the entire Lorieau family, the opening ceremonies saw Julie Lorieau throw another perfect strike, followed by a skills competition organized by members of the White Rock Tritons coaching staff and players, giving participants an opportunity to demonstrate their talents in front of a packed grandstand. The first two days of action saw Hastings emerge with a 3-0 record heading into July 1's final day of medal-round play.
In the morning's first game, Coquitlam edged White Rock Grey to claim the consolation prize, while the remaining semi-final, bronze, and gold medal games saw some of the most competitive games in the history of the tournament, said John Hogg, one of the event's organizers.
The outcomes of both semi-final games weren’t decided until the final inning, with superb defensive plays resulting in Hastings and WR Black moving onto the gold-medal game, with one-run victories.
Whalley and Mt. Seymour competed in another thrilling game to decide the bronze medal, with Mt. Seymour emerging with a 10-9 victory. The gold medal game featured the undefeated Hastings team against WR Black, with the teams trading leads several times throughout the contest. WR Black competed hard in the final inning, coming up one run short after another outstanding defensive play ended the game at 14-13, and Hastings emerging as the gold medal winners of the annual Henri Lorieau event.
Both the gold and silver medal teams kept the spirit of the tournament alive, posing with their honourary moustaches and celebratory smiles.
Funds raised through the event are evenly split between the Little League Challenger Program and the BC Cancer Society.
