Thanks to Herb Dower for the latest edition of “The Dower Report” on the NAFA 45+ World Series:
CARSON CITY, NV — Santa Rosa Fastpitch didn’t stand a chance against the very talented QMax team of Calgary, Alberta, but despite two lopsided losses to the Canadian team, Santa Rosa captured third place in the Over-45 Division in the NAFA Masters West World Series held here Sept. 18-20 at Centennial Sports Complex.
Santa Rosa opened Friday night with a 9-3 win over Savala Painting, which recently finished second in the Over-45 Division of the Amateur Softball Association’s Masters Tournament. Matt Smith pitched the win and Tony Lopez, Tom Dower and Dana Faccini led the way offensively. Lopez collected five straight hits, Dower hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Faccini had two extra base hits.
QMax brought Santa Rosa down to earth Saturday morning as Lanky Johnson pitched a four-hitter in a 9-0 victory. Lopez held the Alberta team at bay for three innings as Santa Rosa trailed only 1-0, but QMax erupted for five runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to put the game away.
Lopez continued his hot hitting with a pair of singles, giving him seven consecutive hits to start the tournament. Dana Faccini added a double and Gary Dower had a single.
Santa Rosa then lost 6-3 to the Tulsa Gray Sox, with Gary Dower taking the loss. Lopez doubled in his first at-bat for his eighth straight hit and Tom Dower and Dana Faccini each had two hits.
In the first game of the playoffs, Santa Rosa took on the No. 4 seeded Ladner Masters of British Columbia and rallied for an eight-inning 9-6 victory behind Matt Smith (2-0).
Santa Rosa led 3-1 after three innings, but Ladner came back to take a 5-3 lead going into the seventh inning.
Gary Dower singled to start the Santa Rosa comeback, Lopez was hit by a pitch, Tom Dower singled across a run to make it 5-4, and Tim Grund tripled to right to drive in two runs to give Santa Rosa a 6-5 lead. Grund was left stranded on third.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kelly Wenstrom singled for Ladner’s, Jim Bruce lined out to left, and Sammy Aldridge walked. Troy Grow followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6, but Aldridge, trying to advance to third, fell down and was eventually tagged out. Keven MacDonald flied out to left to end the inning.
In the eighth, Gary Dower ignited the game-winning rally with a two-out bunt single, Lopez doubled, and Tom Dower launched his second three-run home run of the tournament to give Santa Rosa its 9-6 victory.
QMax made short work of Santa Rosa in Sunday’s second game pounding out 13 hits in the first two innings off Matt Smith, including a three-run homer by Tony Davis. Tony Lopez, Tom Dower, Tim Grund and Rick Kane got hits for Santa Rosa. In two games, the Alberta powerhouse outscored Santa Rosa 22-1, and Santa Rosa did not have to face Alberta’s best, pitching legend Rob Scheller.
Three members of the Santa Rosa team received All-World honors. Lopez, who hit .625 (10 for 16) and scored seven runs; Tom Dower, who hit .533 (8 for 15) and had two home runs and seven RBI; and Grund, who was 5 for 14 (.357). It was the second year in a row that Dower received All-World honors, earning it last year while playing for Fat City, when he also hit two home runs.