The 222's fastpitch elite softball program hosted their third annual Battle At The Border tournament throughout Lloydminster last weekend. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Photos
Play ball! Those two words could be heard throughout the Border City over the weekend as the 222’s fastpitch elite softball program hosted their third annual Battle At The Border tournament.
Headquartered in Warman, Sask, the 222’s program has been training elite players for 10 years, with the border battle tournament being one of the biggest.
Dean Holoien, who started the 222’s with Keith Mackintosh, explained the program has seen significant growth over the years, with players now coming to train from as far as Ontario and B.C.
Forty U11, U13, U15 and U17 female division teams from across Saskatchewan and Alberta converged on the Border City for 100 games of ball. Holoien also explained, although there was some serious competition throughout the weekend, many of the girls train together in the winter, so there was a whole lot of camaraderie, too.
“One big attraction for a lot of the teams is the fact you’re not playing the same teams over and over again, we’ve got a lot from Saskatchewan and Alberta and they get an opportunity to play each other,” he said.
“We have kids who play on our teams together during the winter and now they’re competing against each other in these tournaments. You’ll see them hugging and taking pictures together, and it’s something we didn’t plan, but it’s a really cool perk of the program.”
With 100 games played throughout Driven Energy Legion Ball Park, Bud Miller All Seasons Park and Jaycee Hill Park, Holoien also couldn’t help pointing out how impressed he was with the condition of the diamonds.
“Lloyd as a host has been amazing for us,” he said.
“The LASA (Lloydminster Amateur Softball Association) has been great and they worked really hard to make sure everything was in great shape.”
Read More: Liners host U-17 softball provincials
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