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Stars & Stripes Tourney
ScheduleTonight:
6 p.m. — Hustlehogs vs. Rockford;
8 p.m. — Shamrocks vs. Rockford.Saturday:
10 a.m. — Shamrocks vs. Hustlehogs;
Noon — Hustlehogs vs. Bar of Appleton;
4 p.m. — Shamrocks vs. Bar of Appleton (at Judson Univ., Elgin).Sunday:
10 a.m.– Rockford vs. Bar of Appleton;
Noon — 3rd place vs. 4th place (for 3rd);
2 p.m. — 1st place vs. 2nd place (for title).
By RICK ARMSTRONG rarmstrong (at) stmedianetwork.com
A local men’s fastpitch softball tournament will be interrupted by a road show but it makes good sense, says team manager Robin Reder.
“This will be a unique opportunity to promote our sport by exposing more fans to top-level men’s fastpitch,” said Reder, who leads the Dolan & Murphy Shamrocks of the Aurora Fastpitch Softball Association.
The Shamrocks host three other teams in the 2010 Stars & Stripes Tournament, a round-robin event this weekend at the Stuart Sports Complex. It begins tonight when the Hustlehogs take on Rockford in the 6 p.m. opener, followed by the Shamrocks meeting Rockford at about 8 p.m.
On Saturday, the Shamrocks open action at 10 a.m. against the Hustlehogs. Then, they take to the road, traveling to Judson University in Elgin. It’s the home of the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch, a professional women’s league.
The Bandits, who feature Olympian pitcher Jenny Finch, are playing a doubleheader that day against the Tennessee Diamonds with games at 2 p.m. and 7:05 p.m.
Sandwiched in between at 4, the Shamrocks will meet Bar of Appleton in a pool-play game of the Stars and Stripes tourney.
“It’s still exciting to be playing in Aurora,” Shamrocks’ shortstop Dave Perkins said. “But it’s also a chance for us to play in front of a larger crowd.
“(The AFSA) has nine women’s teams. And last year when the Bandits had their Battle of the Sexes II game against the (minor league baseball) Schaumburg Flyers, we provided the Flyers with pitchers.”
The Shamrocks are off to a 21-6 start, having won a tournament in Kelso, Mo., and taking second in a DeKalb tourney.
Ales Jetmar, the 35-year-old import pitcher from the Czech Republic, leads the Shamrocks with a 14-3 record and Joe Crouch (3-3) has returned to the team after spending the past couple years with Bar of Appleton, which now features a 20-year-old Australian import in the circle.
“It should be a good matchup,” said Reder, whose team is dominated by players in the 25-35 age range.
Tickets for the game at Judson are $11.75 for outfield seats and $13.75 for first base line seats and also admit the ticketholder into one of the Bandits-Diamonds games. The Bandits’ night game will be followed by fireworks.
“Most of (the Shamrocks’ lineup) have been here awhile and most are hitting the age where they’re in their prime for softball,” Reder said. “Mike Drew, who is almost 60, is still playing with us, but as far as mobility and putting the ball in play, (25-35) is the prime age. This team should have a good run.”
The Shamrocks are ranked No. 17 in the International Softball Congress rankings and the Bar of Appleton is No. 10.
One youngster on the Shamrocks who is still coming into his own is Reder’s son, Robert. The Shamrocks catcher is only 20 and will be a junior this fall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he also serves as a volunteer coach for the school’s women’s fastpitch team.
“It’s a real good group,” said Perkins, who is among the under-30 ‘veterans’ on the team.
“It’s been a fun dynamic. We’re hitting well and relying on a lot of different guys. And for Robin, I think having Robert on the team has been good as well. I think it’s renewed his enthusiasm.”
Action concludes on Sunday, with games at 10 a.m. and noon preceding the 2 p.m. title game between the two teams with the top pool-play records. Men’s Fastpitch Softball