[Lacey, WA] – JRW & Associates of Yakima, WA and Cleon’s Auto of Tacoma, WA met in a 4 game series this past weekend at Bucknell Park in Lacey, WA to tune up for their respective Championship play.
JRW & Associates will travel to Kitchener, Ontario for the ISC II Tournament of Champions. Cleon’s heads for Appleton, Wisconsin for the NAFA World Series.
For those of you who have been asking, we’ve posted the photos that Maddy took at the 16th Annual Best of the West Tournament in beautiful Santa Barbara, California last weekend.
Click the link here, then the menu buttons on the left for Gallery 1 and Gallery 2. The photos are of the semi-finals and championship game, only, as we didn’t make it up there until Sunday. You’ll also note that the photos are posted at Maddy’s (new) site, www.maddysphotos.com, as we’ve run out of space temporarily at Fastpitchwest. By the way, Amtrak proved to be a great way to go, should you get the chance in the future. The fields were just blocks from the train station, and a good portion of the ride runs right along the beach.
Circle Tap Garners First National Title in “if” Game of ASA Major
From Al’s Fastball, courtesy of ASA’s Bill Plummer:
SOUTH BEND, IN — Denny Bruckert, manager of the Circle Tap men’s fast pitch softball team had won five ASA national titles entering the 74th ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship, which concluded here Sunday.
Make it six after Circle Tap decisioned a scrappy Florida Fast Pitch team of Jacksonville, FL 4-1 to win the 74th ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship at the Belleville Softball Complex.
Circle Tap, which had never finished higher than third in this event, was forced to the if game after Florida Fast Pitch won 15-3 in five innings, pounding out 16 hits including four homers.
The second and if necessary game figured to be different and was as Circle Tap struck for a run in the first inning, added one in the fourth and two in the sixth. Circle Tap finished the tournament 6-1, Florida Fast Pitch was 7-2 and finished runner-up for the second year in a row.
Florida Fastpitch in Finals for Second Year in a Row
From Al’s Fastball, courtesy of ASA’s Bill Plummer:
SOUTH BEND, IN — One swing of the bat can turn a game from a loss to a defeat. Ask the Circle Tap softball team. Trailing 5-3 entering the seventh inning, Circle Tap of Green Bay, WI got a grand slam homer from Matt Bramwell to defeat the Heflin Gremlins of Balston Lake, NY 7-5 and advance to the championship round of the 74th ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National hampionship. The championship will be played Sunday morning at 10 with an “if” game scheduled at noon.
Circle Tap trailed 5-3 entering the seventh before Bramwell hit his first grand slam of the tournament to straight away center field off losing pither pitcher Brian Uruqhart. Urquhart fanned seven and allowed 11 hits in going the distance. Collin McKenzie was the winner with a complete game and allowed five hits and walked three, striking out seven.
Blair Setford to Broadcast Live at 9pm Thursday Night
Kitchener, Ontario – August 4, 2006 – The Golden Horseshoe Fastball League and the South Perth Men’s Fastball League are pleased to announce the creation of a brand new event taking place at the site of the 2006 ISC World Fastball Tournament.
The PROforma ALL-STAR Challenge Cup, sponsored by local promotional products distributor PROforma Promotions, will be held on Thursday, August 10th at 9:00 PM at the Peter Hallman Ball Yard in Kitchener. The event will pair all-star teams from the GHFL & SPMFL in a tournament kick-off challenge match.
“I am very excited to sponsor this new event,” states Ken Doucet, owner of PROforma Promotions, the official merchandise supplier of the 2006 Schneiders ISC World Men’s Fastball Tournament. PROforma also supplied the merchandise for the 2002 Schneiders ISC World Men’s Fastball Tournament.
“We’re doing everything we can to try to re-fire interest in men’s fastball in Ontario and events like the PROforma All-Star Challenge are a great way to build some friendly rivalries between leagues,†said GHFL President Blair Setford. “South Perth is widely recognized as one of the top leagues around, but we think that we’re going to surprise a lot of people with how good the GHFL team will be.â€
“South Perth teams have won the past three ISC II Championships and we’ve got a lot of great players, but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” said South Perth president George Nahrgang.
“We’re thrilled that PROforma has stepped up to be the title sponsor and I expect that competition for the PROforma All-Star Cup is going to be fierce every year,” said Setford.
Fans who can’t make it to the park can listen in via
www.ballparkradio.com.
Rosters for the teams are as follows: (more…)
Match-ups for Saturday, the last full day of competition at the ASA Major at South Bend, Indiana, with the Championship game slated for Sunday at 10am (“if” game to follow at noon if necessary)
(All game times EDT)
Loser’s Bracket
11am-MVD, OH vs. Townline, WI
9am-Dolan & Murphy’s, IL vs. Minn Dak, MN
Winners of these games square off at 1pm
9am-Florida Fastpitch, FL vs. Keatings, PA
9am-Midland, MI vs. Patsy’s NY
Winners of these games square off at 1pm
Winner’s Bracket
Semi-finals
11am-Circle Tap WI vs. The Farm, WI
11am-Bloomington, IL vs. Heflin, HY
Losers of these games square off with the winners of the 1pm Loser’s Bracket games. (see above)
Semi-final winner’s bracket winners will play in Winner’s Bracket Final at 5pm
Loser’s Bracket Final at 7pm.
All game times EDT.
Circle Tap vs. The Farm, Bloomington vs. Helfin in Semi-Finals
2006 ASA Major Bracket (Updated)
From Al’s Fastball
SOUTH BEND, IN — Four teams advanced to Saturday’s semi-finals of the 74th annual ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship after 17 games were played Friday at the Belleville Softball Complex.
Saturday’s semi-finals are scheduled at 11 a.m. and will match two teams that know each other well because they are both from Wisconsin, Circle Tap of Green Bay (3-0) and The Farm Tavern (2-0) of Madison. In the other semi-final, the Bloomington (IL) Stix (2-0) will oppose Heflin Builders (2-0) of Balston Lake, NY.
[KITCHENER, ON] -The activity and storms around the ball parks these days are impressive. Copious, rainfall has the turf in the best condition itÂ’s been in for a long time and it was good before. Parking lots have been graded, grass cut, the lighting has been improved, and the enhanced dugouts are getting great reviews. The permanent bleachers behind home plate are now in place and look great. Many sponsors have stepped forward and signs, advertising and talk among players, fans are helping to build excitement. The present heat wave in Ontario is set to break and the tournament forecast is sunshine and low 70Â’s so the weather and facilities are ready and in excellent shape. (more…)
A couple of Southern Californians are playing for The Farm Tavern at the ASA Major. One is a regular, Todd Budke, and another, a pick up from Team Rainey, Stan Grebeck. They both played a key role in the Farm’s 2-1 squeaker over Keatings Thursday:
“The only run Gorreau would need came in the sixth inning when Todd Budke, a second-team All-America last year, singled, scoring Stan Grebeck. Grebeck walked to open the inning and advanced to second on a ground out before Budke laced an RBI single to right field.”
Thanks to Bill Plummer for this report from the ASA Major National Tournament at South Bend, Indiana:
FARM TAVERN EDGES KEATING FITNESS CENTER 2-1 IN ONE OF SIX OPENING GAMES IN MEN’S MAJOR FAST PITCH NATIONAL
SOUTH BEND, IN – Sometimes one run is the difference in an ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship.
It was Thursday evening at the Belleville Softball Complex as the Farm Tavern of Madison, WI, nipped Keating Fitness Center of Wilkes Barre, PA 2-1, in one of six opening round games.
Seventeen teams are entered in the annual major fast pitch championship, which was held at this complex two years ago when The Farm Tavern repeated as national champion after winning in 2003 and finishing third last year in Florida.
In its opener, The Farm got an outstanding performance from right-hander Korrey Gareau who fanned 12 batters and walked one before he was replaced after giving up a lead-off triple to Travis Wilson in the seventh inning.
After the triple, Farm Manager Rod Peterson replaced Gorreau with another right-hander, Dean Holoien, who was the outstanding pitcher in this event in 2004. Dean, who had surgery on his right shoulder in January, got the next three batters in order to close out the game. Wilson scored the only Keating run on a passed ball as Holoein fanned two of the three batters he faced.
Holoien doesn’t have any pain throwing but he still isn’t where he wants to be.“I still have a long ways to go with the shoulder,†said Holoien who threw a no-hitter in the 2004 championship game, striking out 14 as the Farm beat Broken Bow Spirit of Broken Bow, NE, 6-0. “Korrey threw a good game for us. It’s crunch time for us with the ASA Nationals and the ISC Tournament.â€
Besides the triple, the only other hit Gorreau allowed was an infield single in the fourth inning by Justin Stock.
The only run Gareau would need came in the sixth inning when Todd Budke, a second-team All-America last year, singled, scoring Stan Grebek. Grebek walked to open the inning and advanced to second on a ground out before Budke laced an RBI single to right field. The Farm added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on second baseman Derrick Zechman’s one-out solo homer over the left field fence off losing pitcher Bill Hillhouse. It was the first homer of the tournament.
Hillhouse allowed three hits and fanned three in going the distance as Keating dropped into the loser’s bracket.
The Farm Tavern 000 001 1 – 2 4 0
Keating Fitness Center 000 000 1 – 1 2 0
Korrey Gareau, Dean Holoein (7) and Todd Twachtmann. Bill Hillhouse and Steve Sell.
W – Gareau. L – Hillhouse. HR: Farm Tavern – Derrick Zechman.
Editor’s note: Yes, that’s the same Derrick Zechman approved for play by PA ASA to play in last year’s ASA “C” Nationals.
(more…)