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STK silences hometown Blazers' thunder in John Cho fastball final

Chase squad wins open division $10,000 pot, qualifies for ISC world tournament in Minnesota
Ted Clarke
Ted Clarke
pgc-john-cho-fastball-2025-14
Burns Lake Bandit Travis Alec hits a home run over the centre field fence in a game against the Burns Lake Redskins at Ron Wiley Field during the John Cho Cup fastball tournament. Friday, June 27, 2025.Citizen photo by Chuck Nisbett

After a rainy Friday to open the 43-team John Cho fastball tournament, the weather gods cooperated the rest of the weekend.

Fastball fans who attended the fifth annual event were treated to an international array of top-notch talent on the ball diamonds at Carrie Jane Gray Park and Freeman Park and champions in five divisions were crowned on Sunday.

In the open division final Sunday afternoon, STK of Chase defeated the Broken Bow Blazers of Prince George 8-3.

Choco Munoz hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give STK a 5-3 lead and they cruised to the title they didn’t get a chance to claim last year when rain ended the tournament  prematurely and they had to split the winners’ share of the loot with JB Bombers of California.

Scott Leiph of Sooke was the winning pitcher for STK and also was named the tournament’s top pitcher.

STK went undefeated at 4-0. Their win Sunday guaranteed a $10,000 cash prize and an automatic berth in the International Softball Congress world tournament in North Mankato, Minn., July 26-Aug. 2.

Blazers pitcher Maiker Pinentel, a Venezuelan national team player, was selected as the MVP on the open division, while Blazers shortstop Ladislao Malarczuk earned the Golden Glove award.

Broken Bow was forced to go through the back door to get to the final and played two other games Sunday, including a 2-1 semifinal win over the Grande Prairie Pirates. Cole Stevens drove in the winning run in the fifth inning to decide that game.

In the intermediate division final, the Yellowknife Merchants defeated Grande Prairie Masters 4-3.
The BC Ravens of Victoria won the women’s division title for third consecutive year, beating Alexandra Rampage of Alberta 5-2.

In the U23 final, the Okanese Thundersticks of Regina topped Team BC 4-1, and in the U18 championship game the Yukon Sundogs edged Shuswap Wolfpack 9-8 in eight innings.

See Thursday's Citizen print edition for a gallery of John Cho fastball tournament photos captured by Citizen photographer Chuck Nisbett.