Article by Jen Stults

The Montpelier Ballpark buzzed with excitement once again this summer as the Montpelier Youth League hosted their first adult softball tournament on Saturday, July 20th. The tournament was for co-ed teams (having at least 3 female players) and drew in 5 different teams from the Montpelier area, Dunkirk, and even some players from as far as Decatur.

Montpelier Youth League hosts tournament

The tourney was the first major fundraising effort for the Montpelier Youth League, which hopes to host another tournament yet this year, possibly in October. According to Shaina Roberts, one of the tournament organizers, despite some early hiccups, the rest of the day went smoothly.

Teams arrived bright and early with an 8 a.m. start time for the double elimination tournament. Teams competing were Sugar Creek Fellowship, Hall of Shamers, Ump Yours, Party Time, and Run Like the Winded. Ultimately, Ump Yours took first place with the grand prize of a trophy filled with candy and, of course, bragging rights. Coming in second was Sugar Creek Fellowship.

The concession stand was also open during the day with choices such as hot dogs, nachos, and meatball subs. Over all, the league was able to raise $900 dollars from the event! According to Roberts, the league has plans to use the funds for a variety of things but mainly upkeep for the ballpark and for keeping registration costs low.

“We want to continue building funds to offer baseball for kids each season who cannot afford to join. By raising funds, we can have low-income families still join, keeping their children active and not having the cost be what stops them,” Roberts commented.

The league would like to thank the community and tourney players for their support, as well as the city department for the hard work prepping the fields and parking lot prior to the tournament.