By By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
YEATESVILLE — Although the Northside baseball and softball squads failed to place in the Northside/PCS Phosphate Easter Tournament this past weekend, the school still came out a winner.
The tournament, Northside Athletic Department’s biggest fundraiser of the school year, raised over $6,500. The money was made through $5 admission fees and concession sales. It will be used to buy uniforms and other necessities for the school’s athletic programs, according to Northside baseball head coach and tournament organizer Keith Boyd.
Based on ticket sales, the tournament welcomed between 400 and 500 fans on both Friday and Saturday. Add in the tournament teams’ players and coaches, and children admitted for free, and the ball park held up to 800 people at any given time during the weekend, Boyd said.
Boyd attributed the tremendous turnout to some cooperative weather.
And he said the tournament wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many.
The longtime Northside coach, who has been helping with the annual tournament in some form for nine years, said, “This has been the best turnout in the history (of the tournament).”
And Boyd is already planning ways to make the tournament bigger and better next year.
This year’s baseball bracket featured three teams — Northside, Southside and Washington. With three teams, the tournament held only three games.
Boyd would like to see the baseball tournament expanded to eight teams, and played out like this year’s eight-team softball tournament.
While the wonderful spring weather helped get fans through the gates, Boyd said some entertaining games helped keep them around.
The softball tournament featured several one-run games, including a couple of walk-off wins. Playing in the tournament were six teams from outside the county — Pamlico County, Edenton/John A. Holmes, Farmville-Central, Jamesville, Bear Grass and Currituck.
Boyd noted that all the teams traveled well.
And all the fans helped create a fun, family atmosphere throughout the tournament.