After a very successful ball season (14-2), the Arthur Atom boys finished in second place overall.
The year-end tournament started in Ponsonby on Aug. 8 with the boys squaring off against Minto 1, the number three team. The Arthur boys defeated the Minto team 24-3.
The following night they traveled back to Ponsonby to take on the number one team in the league, Minto 2 – the team that was the cause of the Arthur squad’s only losses of the season. The Arthur boys wanted a chance to redeem themselves – plus a win that night would guarantee them a spot in the finals.
The Arthur team played one of their most dominating games of the year, with overpowering pitching from Ben Saunders, incredible fielding and timely hitting up and down the line-up. The boys won 12 – 1, bringing them back to Arthur to finish up the tournament.
They played Minto 2 for a second game in a row. It was a well-pitched game on both sides, but Arthur was beat out by Minto 2 by a score of 3-2, forcing these two teams to play each other again.
In a winner-takes-all battle, the Arthur Atom boys once again showed off their batting skills and base running abilities.
With a first inning outburst of five runs, the Arthur boys cruised to a 15-5 win, earning them Intercounty Champs status for the second year in a row.
