by Erich T. Doerr | The Bay City Times
Wednesday June 10, 2009, 3:18 PM
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Delbert Benson and the Munger Vols host the Argentina National Team for a softball exhibition again this season. The Munger Vols are ready for a rematch.
And their rivals are traveling across the continent to make it happen.
The Munger Vols fastpitch softball team plays an exhibition game against the Argentina National Team for the second year in a row, hosting the game Thursday at Munger Volunteer Firemen Field at 7 p.m. with free admission and parking.
“This is something special we are fortunate to be involved in,” said Munger manager Del Benson.
The Argentina team won the matchup 9-2 last season before a packed house. According to Benson, the crowd really enjoyed the game.
“They were impressed by the talent the Argentines had,” Benson said.
The fans were not the only ones who enjoyed the experience, so did the Vols.
“We had a good time,” Benson said. “We got a couple runs early, it was a competitive game until the fifth inning.”
For the Argentina team, the game is a tune-up for the 2009 International Softball Federation World Championship that will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan during July. According to Benson, the team will likely be competitive against other top contenders such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
“They are a world-class team,” said Benson of the Argentines, who he believes to be one of the top five in the world. According to Benson, the team has four of the top-20 pitchers in the world.
The Argentina National Team came to this area to warm up for the tournament in some part due to weather. Because of its Southern Hemisphere location, it is currently fall in Argentina and the team came north to get ready in a warmer climate.
“We choose the area because of the good ball that we can play, but especially because the people are excellent hosters,” said Julio Gamarci of the Argentina National Team. “They were more than good with us last year.”
The game is one of several for the Argentines as they tour the region this month. Following the exhibition in Munger, the team heads to Midland this weekend to play in the Boulevard Lounge Tournament to be held in Emerson Park. The team is also playing games in Ontario during this stretch.
According to Benson, the Vols usually play about 40 to 45 games a year. The team plays in the Thumb Travel League against teams from Frankenmuth, Auburn, Reese, Millington and a second Munger team.
The Vols are sponsored by the Munger Volunteer Fireman Corps, the same group that runs the annual Munger Potato Festival in July.