After a two-year hiatus, the 34th annual OPC Baseball tournament was finally back in action. And oh the fun that was had in Niagara over July 22nd weekend!
Reunited and it feels so good
Hosted by IBEW Local 303, registration tallied 15 teams from all across the province. A round-robin tournament saw the teams competing for the “A” Championship and “B” Championship titles.
It was a scorching few days with temperatures reaching the mid-30s. The humid temperatures leading up to the event was cause for concern: thunderstorms. Luckily, the only roaring heard was on the field and in the stands.
“We’ve been patiently awaiting this tournament since 2020. Participation filled up quickly with teams excited to get back on the field and represent their local union,” stated Local 303 Business Manager, Mark Cherney. “We’re thrilled to have this event back on the calendar, and it was great to see both new and familiar faces and watch our brothers and sisters re-connect. As much as this event is about friendly competition between our Local Unions, there’s a huge social element as well.”
The battle of the locals
The “A” Championship saw Kingston (IBEW Local 115) “A” battle it out with Toronto (IBEW Local 353) “A”. And what a battle it was! This high-scoring game kept us on our toes – a great way to end the tournament. Kingston “A” came away victorious, edging out Toronto “A” by one run in a score of 22-21.
On the “B” Championship side, the game was equally exciting. Home team, Niagara (IBEW Local 303) “A” faced off against Toronto (IBEW Local 353) “B”. The home crowd was loud, looking for Niagara “A” to lift the trophy. Both teams battled hard and a nail-biting score of 21-20 saw Niagara “A” emerge victorious.
Full results of the tournament are listed below.
Shoutout to our sponsors!
“The tournament would have not been possible without our amazing volunteers and sponsors,” added Cherney. “A huge thank you to our volunteers from Local 303, as well as the many organizations who supported our efforts.”
Thank you to Lou Olar from Olar Digital Photography who came out to document the action (and a bit of the post-ball fun). We’ve included a link to the gallery below.
We can’t wait to continue the fun in 2023!
34th Annual OPC Baseball Tournament Program
Tournament Results
Round Robin Results
Playoff Results
Thank you to our Sponsors!
