Reds Alumni bring trophy home

By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter

In the most important game of their season, in fact in the only game of their season, the Strathmore Reds Alumni softball team left it all on the field, winning the 2019 Alumni Border Wars tournament to tie up the four-year rivalry tournament.
The Reds Alumni, started unofficially years ago by past Reds Midget AAA team coaches Darwin Armitage and Zane Anderson, was started for past Reds players to play each other in several exhibition games each year and to continue being a part of the Reds family.
Now the Alumni team, made up of 19 to 30-year-olds, usually only pulls together for one practice a year and for one two-team tournament a year: the annual Alumni Border Wars Tournament in Libby, Mont. against the Libby Loggers.
“When you don’t play for a whole year it’s pretty hard to get out there on the baseball field and give it your all, but they did. Everybody left it out on the field,” said Armitage, adding that only nine players made it out for the tournament this year instead of the usual 15 players.
“It’s very hard because as guys get older there are more commitments and everything so it’s quite challenging for everyone to play,” he said.
The tournament on July 12-13 consisted of two seven-inning games. The winner of the two-team tournament is decided by who has the highest final combined score at the end of the weekend.
The Reds Alumni started the tournament with a 7-3 win before falling to a 11-9 loss against the Loggers. In the end the loss didn’t matter however as the Reds came out on top with a higher combined score, winning the tournament 16-14 and bringing the trophy home.
The Reds had previously won the inaugural tournament four years ago, before returning from south of the border defeated by the Loggers two years in a row. This year’s win ties up the trophy count 2-2.
“We’re definitely going back next year guaranteed because we have to do a tie-breaker for sure,” said Armitage, adding how even though the team only plays one game a year, it’s an important game to the players.
“Over the years, they’ve all bonded and have pretty good friendships … it’s kind of cool to get together with old teammates and some of the younger guys coming out of the midget AAA Reds.”