A young baseball team from New Westminster emerged victorious from the fourth annual Henri Lorieau Memorial Tournament earlier this month, defeating Vancouver-based Hastings Little League in a rematch of last year’s Mini-8 tourney championship.
The New West crew lost to Hastings at the 2018 event, which is held annually at White Rock’s Centennial Park in honour of Lorieau, a former White Rock-South Surrey Baseball Association executive member who passed away in 2015 after a battle with cancer.
Avenging their loss from a year ago, New West won the championship game – held July 1 – on the strength of its offence, which came alive in the game’s early stages and propelled them to a multi-run margin of victory.
In semifinal action, New West defeated Langley 9-5, while Hastings edged Mount Seymour 12-11 in the other semifinal, thanks to a walk-off hit in the bottom of the final inning.
Langley defeated Mount Seymour in the bronze-medal game, giving them two medals in the past three Lorieau tournaments.
In 2017, they finished second after losing to White Rock in the final. This year, White Rock finished its tournament with a consolation-game win over West Vancouver.
This year’s event also featured a Challenger Baseball game, which was played immediately after opening ceremonies on June 29.
All funds raised from the tournament will be donated to the BC Cancer Society as well as the Challenger program, which gives children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball.
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