By Kaitlyn LeBoutillier
Finn Barton, Colton Lecuyer and Bryce Rebertz have been playing softball for years. They’ve played in a lot of big games, including national championship finals, but what may have been the most important game of their lives came on July 20 in Carp.
Their under-17 boys’ team was entered in the Carp Shootout, a men’s fastpitch competition, and in the second game of the tournament, they faced off against their toughest opponents yet – their dads.
It was West Carleton Fastball’s second year hosting the Shootout at the Carp Fairgrounds, attracting teams from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
The group-stage opponents were drawn at random, and the excitement began to build when the dream fathers vs sons matchup came true.
Due to limited local boys’ fastball opportunities, the three boys play for the Napanee Express. Men’s fastball is less sparse in the Greater Ottawa Area, however for teens, baseball is the main option.
Barton, Lecuyer and Rebertz all tried their luck in baseball for two years, playing a year for St. Anthony’s West Angels and a year with the Capital City Reds before it became Canada Reds Baseball Academy.
“I grew up playing fastball since I was four and fell in love right away,” Lecuyer says. “I ended up switching to baseball with a couple of my buddies to try and persue my dream of playing pro ball.”
Despite their stint in hardball, the boys found their way back to fastball with the Express.
“I never really felt pressured to play baseball growing up. I always played softball and was surrounded by a family of softball players,” Barton explains. “Although there might be more opportunities to go somewhere in baseball, I find softball more enjoyable.
“What would be really cool though was if (NCAA) D1 schools started a men’s softball program. I think this could help grow the game across the world.”
With a history of success provincially and nationally in the U17 age group, Napanee was keen to enter the Carp Shootout to face off against older players and gear up for the remainder of their season.
And that set the stage for the Napanee Express to take on their dads’ Ottawa Valley Grains on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
“Having the chance to play close to home was awesome,” Barton highlights.
“My whole family was able to come out to one of the games and cheer myself and my team on, which was super cool.”
Lecuyer adds that having the tournament in a small town like Carp is the perfect way to spend a Saturday.
“It brings out more fans and also introduces people to the unique sport,” he outlines. “It’s so nice, especially being able to spend more time at the diamond and getting to watch ball without having to drive back and stay the night in a hotel.
“That comforting feeling of just seeing people you know and friends and family have the opportunity to come out and watch some games.”
The buzz was especially big for the young trio taking on their fathers.
Despite winning the coin toss, the Napanee chose to hit first in the contest. The U17 Express got off to a quick start, using their youth to beat out groundballs their dads perhaps couldn’t.
The first run of the game came as Finn Barton was on third. His teammate hit a ground ball right to the second baseman, Trevor Barton. The elder Barton fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw was in the dirt, and upon the error, his son reached home and put the kids on the board.
In the bottom of the first inning, Finn Barton took to the mound for the start. After retiring the first batter, his dad walked up to the plate.
“Playing against my dad was a super cool experience,” Finn reflected. “Not many kids can say that they were able to face off 1v1 against the person who taught them everything they know about the game at a high level, which I am very grateful for.”
Finn would win in the first at-bat, forcing his dad to pop up for an out, but his old man got the upper hand in the next at-bat with a single.
“Being able to pitch against him was also a very cool experience, although he got the best of me this time,” Finn shrugged. “I’m sure when the next time comes, I’ll strike him out.”
A couple of innings later, Colton Lecuyer kept the offence going for the Express with a triple, spurring an unusual interaction between rivals.
When Colton arrived at third base, he got a fist-bump from his opponent on defence, Sean Lecuyer, who appreciated his son’s good piece of hitting.
“Growing up, I was always either in the backyard playing catch with my dad or at the ball diamond watching him play,” recounts the younger Lecuyer with a smile. “By watching him, I’ve definitely taken some skills of his, not only at the plate, but in the infield.”
Both Lecuyers play third base for their respective teams.
“Looking up to my father and seeing what position he plays just made me want to play that position even more,” Colton notes.
“We both had played shortstop before joining new teams, but coincidentally we both switched to third.”
The two also swung a hot bat, meeting at third on numerous occasions. Sean Lecuyer helped his own team get back into the game with a solo home run, high-fiving his son as he rounded the bases.
“Playing against him and sharing that moment at third is something special that I can hopefully experience again,” Colton signals. “I’m proud to say I’m my father’s #1 fan and he’s my biggest role model when it comes to anything, and not just fastball.”
The Express held the lead most of the game, scoring seven runs early. The Ottawa Valley Grains, however, chipped away and eventually tied it up.
It wound up being a long car ride home for the kids (despite living just down the road) when the dads walked the game off in the bottom of the seventh.
Ottawa Valley went on to play Micksburg in the semi-finals, but came up short against the defending tournament champions. In the other semi, Kingston defeated Nova Scotia to move on the finals, but Micksburg made it back-to-back titles with a 5-3 win.
Despite not making the playoff round in Carp, the experience did bear fruit as Napanee wound up winning its way all the way to the final game of the Aug. 6-11 U17 Boys’ Canadian Fastpitch Championships before falling to Team Quebec 2-1.
“Playing for Napanee is a great experience with a deep history of great softball,” Finn Barton underlines. “And being able to be coached by such great people makes it easy to want to improve and do better.”
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