Softball tournament to run in Gyeongju

A local expat is running a softball tournament in Gyeongju on Oct. 26 and 27.

The tournament will use a knock-out format for eight teams, with seven innings per game. Teams will have 10 players on the field, with at least two women, and up to 12 hitters.

Teams that lose in the first round will go through to a separate knockout stage in a repechage format, meaning all teams will play three games each.

Organizer Stephen Craig plays in the Daegu Softball League, which involves teams from cities in the area and recently ran a separate men’s tournament in Daegu. The organizers spoke with Craig about a follow-up tournament.

“I’ve wanted to host a softball tourney here for a while, but the biggest obstacle was booking a field,” said Craig.

He explained that the fields in Gyeongju could usually only be booked on short notice, so events that required planning were difficult. When a new owner took over the field, however, the tournament was made possible.

“He agreed to let me book the field six weeks in advance. This gave me the opportunity to try to set something up.”

Registration costs 200,000 per team and the winners will receive 600,000 won. Winners of the second string tournament will win 400,000 won.

To sign up, visit the “First Annual Gyeongju Softball Tourney” Facebook page and complete registration by Oct. 13.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)