The familiar cry of “play ball” could be heard throughout Orrville Independence Day weekend when the Orrville Firefighters Association played host to the 8th annual Fire in the Sky Fast Pitch Softball Tournament.

Starting July 1, for three days some of the top softball players in the area took to the field to vie for a chance to compete for a spot in the U.S. Amateur Softball Association National Tournament later this summer.

During the Nationals qualifying tournament, more than 30 teams of girls 14 years of age and younger competed on six fields in and around Orr Park.

Each team was guaranteed to play a minimum of four games, with the first three games being pool games to determine their seeding in the brackets for the single elimination games that determined the winners.

The first place winner received an automatic bid to the Class A Eastern Nationals, while the second place winner received an automatic bid to the Class B Eastern Nationals.

Throughout the tournament, softball fans were able to keep track of the status of their favorite teams and see who won the coveted spots at the National tournament by logging on to the Ohio Fast Pitch Connection website at http://www.game-ex.com.

The Fire in the Sky Fast Pitch Softball Tournament was one of a series of events held in Orrville to commemorate the Fourth of July holiday. The Orrville Firefighters Association also hosted a five-day carnival, the Independence Day parade, a cornhole tournament, a baton twirling exhibition and the fireworks display. Proceeds from all of these events go toward the fireworks display.

Over the holiday weekend, the Orrville Rotary Club also held its 13th annual Firecracker 5K run and one mile fun run and walk and the Orrville Area Young Professionals Network held a Pump and Run weight lifting and running event.

For more information on the work of the Orrville Firefighters Association, log on http://www.orrvillefirefighters.org.