Softball tournament to be featured at SummerFest

The co-ed slow pitch softball tournament is making a comeback this year for SummerFest after having to limit itself last year due to COVID concerns.

The softball tournament is usually host to around 60 teams depending on how many people sign up, all to play a some games with each other near the end of summer. Starting on Aug. 13 and ending on Aug. 15, the event is planning on being held at K.C. Geiger Park.

Neil Green, who has helped organize the event for the past seven years, has plenty of things to say about it.

“A lot of St. Marys explayers and old players get back together and play some softball,” Green said as a basic explanation for the event. As for team composition and planning, it usually depends on several factors. “It matters how many teams sign up. We can have anywhere from 25 to 60 teams that show up.”

The tournament is slated to start on a Friday evening, with it hopefully being wrapped up on Sunday. Registration for teams will last up until Aug. 3 at about 4 p.m., and people are expected to bring a team roster and $200 to cover the team’s entry fee to the St. Marys Chamber of Commerce Office at 301 E. Spring St.

“I usually collect the checks at the drawing,” Green said when it came to how the process is done. “The drawing is a week before the tournament, or they can send them to the chamber. It doesn’t matter either way.”

The drawing will be held at the K.C. Geiger Park Diamond 5 at about 6 p.m. Rule and instructions will be given out to all present teams, and it is expected that each team should have at least one member show up. Whoever does show up will be named team captain, with no exceptions made.

While checks will be made out to the Chamber of Commerce, most of the funds will go back into the event itself.

“You got expenses, your trophies, your championship T-shirts that get handed out, and your umpire fees,” Green explained where the money usually goes. “The rest goes back to the chamber, whatever’s left.”

Again, the deadline for registration will be Aug. 3, with the drawing taking place two days later.

Staff photo/Bob Tomaszewski At 2:15 p.m. Wednesday a two-vehicle accident was reported at the intersection of Buckland Holden and Wrestle Creek Road near Uniopolis. One of the vehicles flipped and one person became entrapped. A Mitsubishi hatchback was southbound on Wrestle Creek Road, and pulled out into the intersection from a stop sign and was struck by a westbound Chevrolet sedan, which had the right of way. The Mitsubishi overturned and entrapped the lone driver. That driver was transported to Lima Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. The investigation is ongoing, although troopers do anticipate issuing a citation. Uniopolis and Perry township departments responded.