This weekend, for the fourth straight year, softball players from throughout the Virgin Islands and their fans will gather on St. John to play ball for a doubly good cause: to honor the memory of Ruby Rutnik, a former Antilles School softball star who died in an automobile accident during her senior year of college in 1996, and to raise funds for a scholarship created in her memory.
This year's Ruby Rutnik Memorial Softball Tournament will be held at the Winston Wells and the National Park ball parks, Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, April 14-16.
Girls' softball teams competing will be Addelita Cancryn, Antilles, Charlotte Amalie and Moravian in the junior varsity division, and Antilles, Charlotte Amalie, Central, Educational Complex, Eudora Kean and Good Hope in the varsity division.
In the men's modified slow-pitch division, the As Man, Latinos, Marlins, Sea Dogs, Smith Bay Posse and Without A Doubt squads will compete.
Proceeds from the event will go toward two college scholarships of $2,500 awarded annually to young women from St. John. The funds are raised through the sponsorship of innings in the games, at $100 apiece.
"It's the biggest softball tournament in the Virgin Islands," Ruby's mother, Janet Cook- Rutnik, said. "The participation of girls' softball teams is the heart of the event."
There are still innings looking for corporate and angel sponsors, she said.
"Contributors are announced on a sound system throughout the games by Ruby's brother, Amos, who comes home from Tampa, Fla., each spring to serve as deejay and announcer for the event," Cook-Rutnik said. "It's a great way to advertise your rental home or your boat — or even announce your wedding engagement."
In its first three years, the scholarship fund reached one-third of its goal to create an endowment that is self-perpetuating, she said.
The first winner of the Ruby Rutnik Memorial Scholarship was Tessa Williams, who attends Ruby's alma mater, American University in Washington, D.C. The current scholarship holders are Khania Dawson, now in her second year at Hampton University, and Tiffany Rogers, a freshman at Florida Atlantic University. Applications for this year's awards will be available in late May.
The game schedule is as follows. Junior Varsity play is on the National Park field; all other games are in Winston Wells Ball Park.
Friday:
3 p.m. — junior varsity Antilles A vs. Moravian; varsity Complex vs. Antilles
4:30 p.m. — junior varsity CAHS vs. Cancryn; varsity Good Hope vs. EKHS
6:30 p.m. — opening cereminies with music by the Pan Dragons
7 p.m. — Smith Bay Posse vs. Sea Dogs
8:30 p.m. — Without A Doubt vs. Marlins
10 p.m. — Latinos vs. As Man
Saturday:
9:45 a.m. — junior varsity Antilles B vs. Game 1 winner; varsity Central vs. CAHS
The double elimination tournament will then continue with winners playing winners and losers playing losers in 90-minute games. The junior varsity championship game is to begin at 5:15 p.m. Saturday in the National Park field. The men's championship game is scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday. The varsity girls' championship game is to begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Those wishing to sponsor innings or obtain more information should call the Rutniks at Guavaberry Farms at 776-6809, Connections in Cruz Bay at 776-6922, or Connections in Coral Bay at 779-4994.
