Carson City, Nevada – JRW & Associates 40 & Over team parlayed three come-from-behind victories into a Silver Medal at the NAFA Masters World tournament. With the help of four British Columbia players, JRW was 3-2 for the weekend.
At 1-1 in Sat pool play, JRW went into Sunday’s single elimination play as the # 2 seed from Pool A in the six team tournament.
JRW reached the Championship game with two victories on Sunday, but lost to the UTAH juggernaught 10-0. DB Tom Magers singled for the lone hit off pitcher Steve Morgan. Only four JRW players struck out in this game, a great improvement over the Sat 8-0 loss to UTAH in pool play in which P Steve Morgan struck out 12 on the way to a perfect game.
NAFA Utah Director Les Vaughan assembled a squad of Master players from past Miller Toyota and Castlewood teams that went undefeated in the 40-Over category.
In JRW’s first pool play game, the team rallied from a 7-6 deficit in the 5th for a 12-10 victory over KHT Pumpers of Visalia, CA on SS Mike Parham’s 2 RBI single in B6. CF Steve Pidman was 3-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. 2B Don Cawthron was 2-4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI, that coming on a 3 run homer in B5.
In T7, JRW walked CF Todd Budke with 1B occupied. Todd had two 2 run homers and a double in three previous AB’s. With the bases loaded, JRW pitcher Wade Liberty induced a force out at 2B to insure the victory.
(See a related story on NAFA web site later on for Budke’s tourney achievements, which were probably the greatest single batting performance by a player in any tournament).
In Sunday’s opening SE game, JRW 1B and BC native Keven MacDonald (1B) singled home CF Steve Pidman in B7 for JRW’s 2nd come from behind victory, a 5-4 win over Tule Lake, CA. In T7 with 2 outs and first and third occupied with Tule Lake runners and the score tied at 4-4, Manager Jim Williamson ordered an intentional walk for P John Wismuth who had a 2 run homer in the first. A ground out to 3B ended the inning with no score. 2b Don Cawthron was 2-3 with 1 run and 1 RBI. LF Troy Grow was also 1-3 with an RBI. P Kurt Penner allowed only one run in 3 2/3 innings of relief to post the victory.
In Sunday’s next SE game, JRW faced long time nemesis BADEN Sports of Seattle, last year’s 40 & Over champion. (Formerly sponsored by the Hobnobber tavern). Trailing 2-3, JRW exploded for 8 runs in B5 for a 10-3 run-ahead victory. BC native Nick Trasolini (Caught all five games) led the scoring with a 2 RBI double while LF Troy Grow, SS Mike Parham and DB Wade Liberty chipped in with RBI doubles. SS Mike Parham was 3-3, LF Troy Grow was 2-3 and C Nick Trasolini also had an RBI single (2-4). SS Mike Parham and 2B Don Cawthron were selected to the All-World team as well as was British Columbia P Kurt Penner and CF Steve Pidman.