Busy weekend with three softball age-group provincials

Softball Newfoundland and Labrador will be hosting three minor fastpitch tournaments this weekend, with action beginning today in all events.

The under-14 girls tourney will take place at Kelly Park in Outer Cove with five teams —Placentia, Southern Shore, an entry representing the Kelly’s Park Sports Association and two from Conception Bay Central, The event also serves as an Eastern Canadian qualifier with the top two teams representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the Eastern Canadians in Cobourg, Ont, Aug. 24-27.

Eleven teams will play in the under-14 boys tourney on the Southern Shore, with games being played at Bay Bulls and Witless Bay. Entries are from Bay Roberts, Butlerville, Carbonear, Goulds, the Kelly Park Sports Association, Placentia, Shea Heights and two each from Conception Bay Central and the Southern Shore.

This event also serves as an Eastern Canadian qualifier with the top three teams representing Newfoundland and Labrador in New Brunswick Aug. 24-27.

Four teams — host Placentia, the U16 boys provincial side, C.B.C. and C.B.S. — are entered in the provincial boys U18 event.

Provincial junior A baseball tourney starts today in Mount Pearl

Mount Pearl is site of the 2017 Molson provincial junior A baseball championship beginning today. The host Blazers, St. John’s Capitals, C.B.S. Raiders, CBN Bulldogs and Corner Brook Barons are competing at Smallwood Drive Field. Starting with a 10 a.m. game between the Blazers and Bulldogs, the teams will play a single round robin today and Saturday, leading to the championship game 11 a.m. between the top two finishers.