The Independent Staff

Cole VanKoughnett says being a part of the Ontario Summer Games is an experience he won’t soon forget.

The teen is part of the Oil Springs Bantam Boys’ Softball team, which took the silver medal at the event.

The team, coached by Rick Murray, was 4 and 2 for the tournament, climbing its way out of the losing bracket to get to the final against its Four Counties League rival, Dutton. The game ended with disappointment. Oil Springs was rallying and was down 6-5 with two men on base when one of the players was tossed for chirping at the umpire. That shut down the game since Oil Springs didn’t have enough players to finish the game.

Even with the disappointing end to the games, VanKoughnett says it was a great experience. “I’d never been involved in anything like that… the opening ceremonies were amazing. Most of the teams, there, were from our league and the competition was really, really good… there was no clear-cut best team,” he added.

Murray agrees, “Being in the Ontario Summer Games was something that is once in a lifetime. These kids will never see something like this again.”

Aside from the Summer Games, the team played for the Ontario Rural Softball  Bantam Championship against Dutton, again. They lost that three game series 2-0.

VanKoughnett acknowledges it leads to a pretty strong rivalry. “I don’t really hate Dutton,” he says with a grin “but, I hate Dutton. They really come to play.”