The 4th annual Ruby Rutnik Memorial Softball Tournament is scheduled for the weekend of April 14-16 on St. John.
Both the Winston Wells Ballfield and the V.I. National Park Ballfield will be utilized to accommodate the competing teams. Interscholastic girl's teams from St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix will take part, as will men's modified slow-pitch teams from St. John and St. Thomas.
The tournament is an annual fund raiser for the Ruby Rutnik Scholarship Fund, which awards two $2,500 college scholarships to St. John girls each year. The fund was created as a memorial to the daughter of Janet Cook-Rutnik and Andrew Rutnik. Ruby, who was a top athlete in high school on St. Thomas, was attending college on the mainland when she was killed in an automobile accident four years ago.
Inning sponsorships are $100. Commemorative T-shirts also will be sold to benefit the fund. Proceeds from the sale of food and drinks will benefit St. John public school children.
Eudora Kean High School coach Gayle Deller is coordinating the games. The tournament begins at 3 p.m. Friday, April 14, with varsity girls' games on the Winston Wells field and junior varsity games at the park field. Following the welcoming ceremony at 6:30 p.m., a round of three men's games will be played.
On Saturday, April 15, girls' teams resume play at 10 a.m. and the men's games begin again at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, April 16, following an interdenominational faith service, the playoffs for the divisions will take place — first the varsity and junior varsity teams, then the men's teams.
Games will be 90 minutes or five innings in length. The men's games will be a four-team double elimination. For more information about the competition, call Deller evenings at 774-0352. For details on the fund raising, call the Rutniks at 776-6809 or Connections at 776-6922.
