http://www.mcall.com/sports/all-softballjul05.story

Editor's Note: This is from The Morning Call, link provided courtesy of Al's Fastball. We've saved this page here, as newspaper links usually don't last long online. Last year's NAFA "AAA" Champion All Seasons team may be no more, but its players, including Mike Smith, are doing just fine.  Mike tossed a no-hitter and hit a home run in this one.  All in a day's work.....

Windmillers get a little help from a friend on way to semis

New Zealander Gibson and Allentonian Smith lead the way at Pates.

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

July 5, 2003

Chip Savini says his Can-Am Windmillers are a ''rag-tag team'' this weekend.

''We're still short about five ballplayers,'' said Savini, the Windmillers' veteran manager.

But even at less than full strength, the Windmillers have more than enough talent to win the Allentown Patriots' Fourth of July of Classic.

The Windmillers, based in Berkley Heights, N.J., used a pair of wins Friday to breeze into today's semifinals as the eight-team fastpitch tourney concludes at Pates Park.

The Windmillers rode a no-hitter and home run by Allentonian Mike Smith to blast Vanguard Security 11-0 in a five-inning, mercy-rule rout.

Later Friday, Can-Am struggled considerably more with the Maryland Masters, but still prevailed 2-0 behind a Craig Gibson two-hitter to complete divisional play at 3-0.

The Windmillers play at 11 a.m. today against either Keating Fitness or the Armour Rise. Both were 1-1 entering their Friday night matchup.

In the 9 a.m. semifinal opener, the Quaker Riversharks (3-0) play Vanguard (2-1).

The semifinal winners play for the tourney title at 1 p.m.

''We just put together the best team we could for this,'' Savini said. ''We've had a lot of really good teams in the past when we had a lot of money. We don't have the money we used to have. But what we have is a bunch of guys who play ball from the heart. It works best that way.''

It also works when a team can pick up a star pitcher for the weekend. Gibson, an old friend of many Windmillers from the days when they were D.C. Tire teammates, is on a break from his Lafayette Pub team from the St. Louis area.

''Gibby has been our buddy for a lot of years,'' Savini said of the hard-throwing New Zealander. ''He's a good friend. We asked him to come in for the Fourth of July tournament, create some fireworks and that's what he has done.''

Gibson had 13 strikeouts in a three-hitter Thursday and followed that up with a K-9 effort against the Masters.

''This group loves to play the game and loves to play together,'' Gibson said through a thick accent. ''The boys scored a lot of runs in the morning game, but Al Panaro did a good job of tying them up. It stayed 2-0 and helped me to focus more.''

Smith, who homered Thursday and hit a two-run blast against Vanguard early Friday, was hit by a pitch to set the stage for the Windmillers' two-run first inning.

Smith scored on John Hurst's triple and Hurst crossed on Bob Soricelli's RBI single. Can-Am had just three hits the rest of the way.

But it didn't matter, thanks to Gibson, who faced just one over the 21-batter minimum.

''To me, this is relaxing,'' he said. ''I don't have the pressure like when I'm with my regular team. It's great to see the guys again, get caught up with what they're doing. It's like a family reunion.''

Smith, who has played in major tournaments throughout the United States and the world over the past two decades, loves to perform in his own backyard.

''For some reason,'' Smith said, ''I always play well here in my hometown. The adrenaline gets going and you want to put on a show.''

Can-Am is headed to Midland, Mich., for the ASA Nationals this week, but will be back at Pates in three weeks for the Bob Walsh Memorial Classic, which might be the best men's fastpitch tourney in the Lehigh Valley since the 1984 ISC World Tournament.

The three top-ranked teams in the world — Broken Bow Spirit of Nebraska, County Materials of Marathon, Wisc., and The Farm Tavern of Madison, Wisc. — are coming to Allentown to compete for the $13,250 prize money.

''We're already looking forward to the Bob Walsh, which has a chance to be the greatest tournament held on the East Coast or anywhere,'' Savini said. ''If the Lehigh Valley plays its cards right, that's going to be special.

''But in the meantime, we're happy to be here and want to play well and win this tournament. I've been in this business for 38 years and on the Fourth of July, there's no place I'd rather be.''

keith.groller@mcall.com