The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
Brie Grantier gets a piece of the ball while at bat in game Sunday.
Jerum AuClaire of the Bent Nail team helps Mandy Lundberg to her feet after a collision with a runner.
The pitcher for Great Falls team the Zoners lofts a pitch toward Lauri Granteir on Lincoln's Bent Nail team Sunday
Zoners outfielder AJ waits for a fly ball to drop into his mitt.
A runner leads off first base during Sundays game between the Grubstake and the Sting Sunday morning.
Kevin Grantier serves up a pitch.
After 35 years, the annual Bob Purdy Memorial Softball Tournament is still growing strong.
The tournament got its start in 1983, shortly after Bob Purdy, a strong advocate of sports, died in a logging accident.
Sponsored by the Wheel Inn, this year's tournament saw the maximum number of teams -15 – sign up, but only 14 participated.
The Wheel's Laurie Richards said they had several teams on standby, but the team that pulled out did so at the last minute due to too few players and the standby teams didn't have time to pull everything together.
The Wheel Inn team was knocked out of contention early Sunday morning. According to Dave Sitch, the team lost several players Saturday due to a fire call and were forced to pick up replacement players on the fly Sunday.
Overall, the tournament had one bump in the road since the final plumbing for the restrooms at Hooper Park remained unfinished.
In addition to hosting the tournament. Richards said the Wheel also prepared 80 fire meals for firefighters, for both lunch and dinner, provided the bar for a wedding and was a stop on a poker run for a group of Harley riders.
Nevertheless, Richards considered the weekend a success. "It's beena great weekend. I think everyone had fun," she said. "The much-needed rain didn't put a damper on things."
Richards thanked Dave Sitch for all his wisdom and help, Kevin Grantier for running the Home Run Derby, Bill Frisbee for helping her husband Doug rake and chalk the fields ahead of the tourney, as well as the umpires, who come up for the tournament every year.
She also singled out the "amazing staff" at the Wheel Inn who kept this place rocking all weekend, and thanked the teams and the spectators for their continued support.
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