PIC tourney starts tonight—really

While the women of the Saipan Softball Association’s Island-Wide League have already got the ball in motion for their race for the pennant, the men have at least a couple of weeks before their nightly schedule gets underway.

In the meantime, local lords of the longball are all set to warm up their bats with a little extra curricular activity at the Oleai Sports Complex as they fire up the underhanded arcs tonight to start the 12th Annual Pacific Islands Club Thanksgiving Softball Tournament.

According to tournament coordinator Jon Cramer, the first pitch should lob its way toward Tan Ge Softball Field’s home plate at 6:30pm, but the three-day celebration of sluggers has been shortened into a two-day frenzy across from the lagoon

“I’m a little disappointed with the turnout, but was thrilled that the teams that entered wanted to play no matter how many others signed up,” he said.

Cramer said that the games should be exciting as the power-packed team from PIC Guam, No Ka Oi, and the Survivors (formerly Bomsoro/Bombers) have all finished well in previous tournaments. As for the local team from PIC Saipan, Cramer said that they will just try to pull off an upset of the big guns.

The tournament gets underway tonight as the defending champion No Ka Oi squad faces the host team PIC Saipan at 6:30pm, followed by the much anticipated showdown between PIC Guam against and the Survivors at 7:30pm.

Action continues an hour later as the losers of the first two games square off against each other at 8:30pm while the undefeated teams settle the score at 9:30pm.

The tournament activities continue the following day as games start on Saturday, Nov. 19, and roll throughout the day until they wrap up around 3pm.

Last year, there was little doubt that No Ka Oi would take the title, and now that they have just returned from Palau with a new passion for the game, it will take another local team of monster mashers to knock of the champs

While the winner of tournament stands to take home a substantial amount of cash, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association.

For more in formation about the annual softball-athon, contact Cramer by calling 235-6231 ext. 5148. (Brad E. Ruszala)