Publisher’s Comments by Mark Linnemann

As the USSSA Men’s B, C, D and E World Tournaments approach each September, an interesting phenomena in Greater Cincinnati softball begins to manifest itself.

Little Northern Kentucky, with less than 90,000 people, two private softball complexes, and a base of about 350 teams, is sending over forty percent - or sixteen - of the thirty eight teams advancing to the World Tournaments.

By contrast, southwestern Ohio has a population of almost two million people, boasts eight private complexes and over 2,000 teams. And yet this incredible softball hotbed, which hosts over a hundred USSSA qualifiers each year, is sending a mere twenty-two teams - just six more than Northern Kentucky.

But perhaps most striking is the disparity in the Men’s D program, which is the most popular level of play in softball. Thirteen area teams are advancing to Overland Park, Ks., for the U-Trip D world, and nine of those - or sixty nine percent - are from Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky also showed up its Cincinnati neighbor in recent state and national participation. Twenty-two Northern Kentucky teams participated in the state tournament last month at Northern Kentucky Sports Park, while a paltry ten Cincinnati teams advanced to state championship play. And an amazing twelve Northern Kentucky teams competed in the Great Lakes National Tournament Labor Day Weekend at Expressway Park in Milford, while only nine Cincinnati teams played in that event, which was held right in their back yard!

A glance at the USSSA National Ranking Points brings to light even more the popularity of the USSSA D program in Northern Kentucky.

No fewer than ten Northern Kentucky D teams accumulated 500 or more points through Labor Day, and four teams hit the 1,000 point benchmark. Conversely, above the Mason-Dixon line in Cincinnati, only four teams exceeded 500 points and only three hit the 1,000 point milestone.

So how does one account for this apparent disproportionate support for the USSSA D program from an area with about five percent of the population, twenty percent of the private complexes, and about fifteen percent of the teams of its northern neighbor?

Bill Chard, the manager of Riverstar Sportsplex, former operator of the nkysoftball.com website and longtime Northern Kentucky softball team sponsor and manager, says that “Northern Kentucky has had a great tradition of having some great D teams, and this year is no exception.”

But, suggests Chard, “I think some of these teams could probably play at the C level. At the top, Northern Kentucky D is a bit stronger than Ohio D if you count the Dawg Pack, which has no players from Northern Kentucky, as one of the Northern Kentucky teams.”

Chard argues that you could make the same point about the superior strength of the B and C programs in Cincinnati to those in Northern Kentucky, where there are only one B and three C teams. By contrast, he points out that there are five B teams in Cincinnati, and some forty seven C teams are shown as having tournament points at usssa.com.

Northern Kentucky USSSA Area Director Kevin Henn shares Chard’s concerns about the classification of some D teams in Northern Kentucky.

“That’s great that Northern Kentucky is going to be so well represented at the World,” says Henn. “But I feel we need to begin pushing some of these teams back up the ladder again.”

But Henn also acknowledges that much of the interest in men’s D softball in Northern Kentucky can be attributed to parity and wanting to avoid a stigma currently associated with playing E.

“I think that teams want to feel like they’re competitive, and there is a feeling that most D teams that play every weekend can accomplish this and still stay above the E level,” says Henn. “That would cast a stereotype on them that says they’re an inferior team.”

Shawn Spoles, sponsor-manager of the Two-N-Out.com/Easton softball team and operator of the most popular Northern Kentucky softball website, two-n-out.com, believes the popularity of the D program in Northern Kentucky boils down to the mindset of the teams and a unique form of camaraderie and solidarity at work among them.

“I think the biggest difference between the two areas is definitely the goals set at the start of the year,” says Sproles. “Most of your Northern Kentucky teams set out with the sole purpose of making it to the world, while many of your Cincinnati teams worry more about winning the Metro and the City Slam. Don't get me wrong, we love playing in those tourneys, but that is not what we set our year around.

“One thing I know that many of the teams over here think is, if you are going to play a lot of ball during the summer, you might as well play something that is going to reward you for the whole year. Thus, they play USSSA all year,” explains Sproles. “Every tourney you play means something. Plus you have a chance to participate in the biggest tourney of the year - the World.

“The Northern Kentucky softball community is a very tight community,” adds Sproles. “You usually see the same players every year. They may be on different teams, but they are the same players. The last couple of years, Northern Kentucky seems to have had its one B team, a couple of C teams, and the rest are in the D division.

“I think the biggest draw to the D division is the competition and the goal of beating your rivals and buddies year after year,” he continues. “The D division in Northern Kentucky is very strong and has a recent trend of producing many competitive team.

“Also there are many fundraisers and these enjoy a tremendous amount of support by the other teams,” says Sproles. “This is what allows many of the Northern Kentucky teams to play each year.”

In My Opinion by Ron Jeffers

I have often wondered why the USSSA organization, which seems so progressive in so many ways, has never placed the importance on their umpire program that the Amateur Softball Association has.

The USSSA organization places little to no emphasis on their umpires wearing the proper uniform or wearing it correctly. I have personally observed, what they call their World Tournament, and saw their umpires with and without caps, some in shorts and some in long pants, some with and some without socks, different shirts and this all by a crew in the same game. One base umpire even went over and sat on the grass between innings, while the plate umpire was chatting for a few minutes with some fans between innings. If this were an ASA National Championship game, these same umpires would not have been allowed to take the field looking like they did, and they would have been sent home, never to return, for their actions on the field.

I do not understand this because I know the USSSA organization does a great job in most every other area of their program. They once had a National Umpire-In-Chief that was a joke, even in his own program, and did little more than operate as a driver for people coming to their National office in Virginia.

At ASA’s National Tournaments they hire their very best umpires, bring them in from around the country, pay for their lodging and transportation, provide them with food and drinks, evaluate their work, usually by a member of their National Umpire Staff, and provide this written evaluation to the umpire’s commissioner and local umpire in chief. The expectation of the ASA umpires is very high, and if they cannot, or do not, meet these standards and expectations, they are not invited or scheduled to return to this competition.

If you take the time to look and compare the ASA rule book to the USSSA book, along with the index in the book you can very quickly tell how much importance and significance the USSSA organization places in the writing and preparation of the rules book they provide to their umpires and teams. The USSSA rules book devotes the same space, or number of pages, to “communicable disease procedures” as they do for the “index to rules”. One page for each. The ASA rules book devotes twenty five pages for their “index to rules.” Now we are not comparing apples to oranges. Both of these organizations are playing the same game, and oftentimes with the same players and teams. Why the difference?

The ASA offers an unbelievable library of training aids for teaching their umpires, including films, books, umpire mechanics manuals, transparencies and etc. They also have a new National Exam each year, and a training program second to none in any sport in the World. They offer many weekend clinics as well as weekend, hands on, umpire schools, where the umpires spend two complete days on the field, and in classrooms with professional instructors. They have these excellent schools from coast to coast each and every year, and if the umpire wants or needs more training, they have a week long umpire school, at their National Hall of Fame Stadium and offices in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I won’t even begin to tell you what the USSSA offers their umpires in a comparable training program, because there is none.

I was hired to conduct one of these weekend umpire schools for the ASA several years ago, and the ASA commissioner asked me if the local USSSA umpires could attend as well. He said “ I have USSSA tournaments at my complex, and their umpires would like to get the training.” I told him that if he wanted them there to go ahead and allow them to come as space became available. All I wanted to do was teach umpires, and I was not hung up on the fact some umpires worked in blue shirts, and some in red shirts. The ASA Metro Commissioner was paying the bills, and I would never have known if they were USSSA or ASA if he had not told me, because we provided the same gray tee shirt to all the students to wear anyway.

I can only assume the USSSA organization has an umpire manual today. I can’t recall ever seeing one, but I know when I was writing their original rules book, they did not request of me to write an umpire manual at that time. The ASA organization did not have an umpire manual for many years, and years ago I wrote one for them, the National Federation of High School Sports and the NCAA, all at about the same time. At least the ASA organization realized their umpire program was in the dark ages, and has continually made several major changes to where it is now World Class.

As smart as the USSSA governing body is - and I give them tremendous credit for being much more in touch with the players and what is going on in the game of softball, and the future of all amateur sports in this country, than their competitors in the ASA group- they still refuse to do anything significant to develop their umpire program. Obviously they do not find it important.

I have been in the game of softball and baseball, at the very highest level of competition in the World, for over forty years, and I do know one thing for certain, you can have the very best fields and teams in a game of any significance and put poorly trained, weak or mediocre umpires on the field, and you have all the ingredients for a major disaster in the making.

Developing and training outstanding umpires does not even have to cost the organization a dime. The umpires will purchase the training aids, they will pay for the clinics and umpire schools, and it can and does make money for ASA. It would pay for itself and bring money into the budget of USSSA too if they would do it right.

The Amateur Softball Association did not want to do all this training of umpires either, so I started it on my own, and paid for it all out of my own pocket. The first umpire school was in Indianapolis, and it made money, the umpires loved it, and ASA’s umpire chairman Pat Adkison, went back and told the group they had best get this started nationally in ASA right away. If the brain trust in the USSSA organization is just half as smart as I have given them credit for, they will get their head out of the sand, and copy everything the ASA already has in place to train their new and veteran umpires. NO GAME IS EVER ANY BETTER THAN THE OFFICIALS WORKING IT. THAT IS MY OPINION. WHAT IS YOURS?

What’s Your Gripe? By Ron Jeffers

Q. In a recent game of the Reds I saw the following play, and it could just have easily happened in a softball game. I was wondering if the result of the play, or the rule governing this play, is the same in softball as it is in baseball.

There was a runner on first base only with one out in the inning when the batter hit a very weak hump back liner to Phillips at second base. Phillips let the ball drop in front of him, and immediately threw the ball to Hatterburg who caught the ball on first base. The runner at first base thought the ball was going to be caught, and did not run. The batter was only about half way to first base, and the umpire at first base made the out call. The runner on first base then started toward the dugout thinking it was he that was out, The coach hurriedly got the base runner to get back on the base before they tagged him, and confusion was everywhere, especially with the Reds television broadcasters.

I know you will be able to figure this mess out, and give me the correct answer. I certainly am not confident in what I heard in an explanation from Chris Welch as being correct.

A. Phillips made a great play by allowing the batted ball to drop in front of him, but unfortunately the Reds first baseman was not as wise or quick to think on this play. The Reds could have, and should have, gotten an easy double play. If Hatterburg had not had his foot on the base when he caught the ball, he could have tagged the runner on first base, then stepped on the base, thus creating a very easy and legal double play. After the first baseman tagged the base the runner did not have to run. He could stay right there safely on the base, as he did.

Sometimes it amazes me that someone can play the game of baseball their entire life, at the highest professional level, and still not have a clue about the playing rules. This rule is exactly the same in softball as it is in baseball too. Always tag the runner before you tag the base, and then hope you have an umpire who knows this rule too.

Q. Ron, we were trailing 8-6 in our league game and had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. We put in a pinch-hitter, who promptly doubled in both runs to tie the score, but he was thrown out attempting to reach third.

All of a sudden, the other team protested that the pinch-hitter was an “unreported substitute,” and the umpire agreed, ruling that neither run should score, and that the pinch-hitter was disqualified, and that he was out at third for the third out of the inning, which ended the game.

Can this possibly be the correct call?

A. In professional baseball the rules do not require a substitute to report to any umpire when entering the game, and any action that takes place with the unannounced substitute in the game is legal. That is the way the rule read in softball for decades, but it did change a few years ago. In softball a substitute must report to the plate umpire, who then is responsible for informing the official scorekeepers of the change. If a player enters the game without reporting to the plate umpire he or she is treated as an illegal player. If this unannounced substitute is protested, after one pitch has been made, he or she is ejected from the game, and with this being the third out of the inning no runs would be allowed to score. It is not a penalty in the ASA softball rules if a pitch has not yet been delivered with the unannounced sub in the game.

The umpire handled the situation correctly as per the rules of the game, however if I were the base umpire or plate umpire, and I saw a substitute come into the game off the bench, I would make certain that player did report to the plate umpire. As an umpire you do not want to see this unfortunate situation occur when it easily could have been avoided. Preventive officiating is a smart veteran umpire tool that will always serve everyone well.

Q. Mr. Jeffers, in a recent tournament game, a runner slid into third and overslid the bag, missing the base altogether. We attempted to make a play on him but an overthrow occurred and the ball went out of play while he was off the bag. He got up and stepped on the bag, then went home. We appealed that since he was off the bag when the ball was out of play, he could not advance, but the umpire disagreed. How can he be awarded two bases which he never legally obtained when time was in?

A. In all my years in the games of baseball and softball I have never ever had anyone present the argument you have put forth, but as sound as it may seem to you, it has no merit.

It does not matter if the runner touched the base before or after the ball went out of play. The runner is awarded two bases from the base he last touched, at the time the ball was thrown, and not from where he was when the ball went out of play.

As long as the runner touched third base, before he proceeded to home plate, and then on to the dugout he did not violate any rule.

Q. Does a runner going into second base have to slide directly into the base or can he slide to either side of the base, to break up a double play opportunity? If so, how much leeway is the runner given before this is considered to be interference?

A. The runner can slide to either the infield or outfield side of second base to make it more difficult for the defensive team to complete a double play, however the runner must be able to reach out and touch second base. If the runner is not able to reach out and touch the base, it then would be a dead ball, an act of interference, and the out would be recorded at first base. The runner does not have to touch second base. He must only be close enough to the base that the umpire thinks he could touch it.

USSSA Announces Fall State Tournaments

Four USSSA “Fall State Tournaments” have been scheduled for men’s C, D and E and mixed couples teams for September and October.

Each event will be co-sponsored by Worth Sports Co. and Bud Light.

The Men’s Class C State Tournament will be held October 7th at Armco Park in Lebanon, Ohio. The tournament deadline is Wednesday, October 4th, and the entry fee is $195. The tournament is open to any USSSA sanctioned “C” team. A maximum of either one A player and two B players, or three B players, who competed on a USSSA A or B team, respectively, in 2006, may compete in the Ohio USSSA Men’s Class C Fall State Tournament. EXCEPTION: Any player who competed on a USSSA A or B team in 2006 and was subsequently released and became frozen on a C team or below may compete in the Ohio USSSA Men’s Class C Fall State Tournament.

For additional information or a tournament packet, call Don Keys at 513-727-3989.

The Men’s Class D State Tournament will be held September 30-October 1 at Expressway Park in Milford. The deadline is Sunday, September 24th at 10 PM, and the entry fee will be $150. The event is open to any Ohio USSSA men’s class D team. A maximum of two players who compeed on a USSSA C team in 2006 may compete in the Ohio USSSA Men’s Class D Fall State Tournament. EXCEPTION: Any player who competed on a USSSA A, B or C team in 2006 and was subsequently released and became frozen on a D team or below may compete in the Ohio USSSA Men’s Class D Fall State Tournament. Call Expressway Park at 831-2273.

The Men’s Class E State Tournament will be held October 7-8 at Ogden’s Softball Park in Mt. Orab. The deadline is Thursday, October 5th, and the entry fee will be $160. A maximum of three players who competed on a USSSA C team in 2006 may compete in the Ohio USSSA Men’s Class E Fall State Tournament. EXCEPTION: Any player who competed on a USSSA A, B, C or D team in 2006 and was subsequently released and became frozen on an E team may compete in the Ohio USSSA Men’s Class E Fall State Tournament.

Call Perry Ogden at 937-444-2274.

July 29-30

Hung Over, P & G Escape Second Round Scares, Take Queen City Divisions

West Chester, Oh.--Hung Over and P & G Softball each survived a second round scare en route to capturing first place in their respective divisions in an eight team, two division Sunday morning round robin July 30th at Queen City Sports Complex.

Hung Over routed Caribbean Storm (1-2) 15-5 in their opener, then battled past Allied Restoration (2-1) 12-11 in the deciding contest before polishing off Bobcats (0-3) 15-3 to complete the sweep.

While in division two, P & G spanked Peanut’s Gang (2-1) 18-8, then clinched their division title with a narrow 13-12 victory over the Niggling Manatees (1-2) before disposing of AIM (0-3) in their finale.

Hoosier Daddies, Here For The Beer Claim Expressway Divisions

Milford, Oh.--Hoosier Daddies went 3-0, while Here For The Beer posted a 2-1 mark to claim their respective division titles in an eight team, two division round robin on Sunday, August 6th at Expressway Park.

Hoosier Daddies romped past Panama Reds (0-3) 14-2 and Ruble (1-2) 18-5 before polishing off Fat Daddies (2-1) 9-6 in the deciding contest.

While in division two, Here For The Beer spanked Clark (2-1) 17-8 in a key first round match-up with the eventual division runner-up, then suffered a 12-8 setback to Swing D Softball (1-2) prior to routing Sandlot (1-2) to nail down their division title.

August 19-20

Northwest Pipe/Bud Light/3N2/Easton Double-Dips Jean Shoppe/Team Mayhem/Worth For Title... Thompson, Birkofer, Reckart Lead Watanabe/Kattus/TTP/B&A/Superior/CHL/TPS To Third Place Finish In USSSA “A” World

Lake Buena Vista, Fl.--Led by All-World selections Tommy Thompson, Kevin Birkofer and Brad Reckart, Watanabe/Kattus/TTP/B&A/Superior/CHL/TPS posted a 4-2 record to earn a third place finish in the USSSA Men’s Class “A” World Tournament August 19-20 at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fl.

Watanabe/TPS suffered both of their losses in the 17-team event at the hands of eventual World Champion Northwest Pipe/Bud Light/3N2/Easton. Northwest spanked Watanabe/TPS 29-14 in the winners’ bracket semi-finals, and then again 33-21 in the losers’ bracket finals.

Northwest went on to upend Jean Shoppe/Team Mayhem/Worth (TN) 27-12 and 20-12 in a double finals.

Late rallies carried the Watanabe/TPS past three of their four opponents. After battling past Kirby Higgs/Easton (FL) 21-17 in their opener, Watanabe/TPS rallied for eight runs in the top of the 7th to slay hometown rival Freeze/Arnold/BW3/Easton. Then, after falling to Pipe 29-14, they scored three runs in the bottom of the 6th to erase a 15-14 deficit and trim KME/Chane’s/Body Glove/Easton (CA)17-15. In their final win, they overcame a 24-20 deficit with a seven run 7th to stun Aubrey’s/MIT/Worth (GA) 27-24.

Sponsor-manager Dave Watanabe said his team said his team was “definitely in the Northwest loss” in the losers’ bracket finals, and felt his team’s momentum was stymied by a rain delay in their first setback.

“I don’t know if we had enough to double-dip Jean Shoppe like Northwest did, but I know we were pretty evenly matched player for player with those teams. We were playing excellent ball, and then the rains came and Northwest gave us our first loss.

“But we battled back and beat a strong KME team, and as an ‘underdog’ handled Aubrey’s to get back to Northwest.”

Tommy Thompson hit .762 to lead Watanabe/TPS offensively, and was joined on the All-World team by Kevin Birkofer (.760) and Brad Reckart (.704). Other hitting leaders included Jeff Edington, Tom Stevens and Shane Spicer.

“Our veterans played well,” observed Watanabe. “Tommy Thompson once again showed he can still ‘bring it’ with the best in the nation. And Jeff Edington, Jim Burbrink and Kevin Birkofer were really bright spots. But young stars Brad Reckart, Jason Roesch and Shane Spicer also stepped up.”

Watanabe/TPS never trailed in their opener after plating eleven runs in the bottom of the 1st, and went on to outlast Kirby/Higgs/Easton 21-17. Back-to-back three run bombs by Tom Thompson and Tom Stevens erased a 3-0 deficit. Rusty Scott followed with a two run shot and Brad Reckart added a three run blast to cap off the inning. Two run swats by Ryan Minges and Tom Stevens accounted for four of Watanabe/TPS’ five runs in the 2nd as the lead swelled to 16-4. Shane Spicer launched a three run belt in the 4th to open up a 19-8 Watanabe/TPS advantage. Kirby made it interesting with a six run 6th, but Jim Burbrink shut down the Florida squad in the 7th to preserve the win.

Stevens, Spicer and Kevin Birkofer combined for twelve hits, and Thompson chipped in three for the winners.

It took an eight run 7th to overcome a 12-11 deficit and lift Watanabe/TPS past Freeze/Easton 19-12 in game two. Brad Reckart’s two run sock put his club ahead to stay. Tom Thompson followed with a three run homer, Jason Roesch a two run shot and Rusty Scott a solo to close out the scoring, as pitcher Jim Burbrink held Freeze at bat in the bottom of the 7th.

Reckart, Thompson and Scott collected four hits each to pace the offense.

After falling to Northwest Pipe in game three, Watanabe/TPS rallied for three runs with two outs in the bottom of the 6th to pull out a 17-15 victory over KME/Chane’s/Body Glove/Easton. Jeff Edington clubbed a two run homer to give his team a 16-15 lead, then Tom Thompson went solo to add an insurance run. Pitcher Shane Spicer then preserved the win, holding KME scoreless for the third consecutive inning.

Edington was perfect in four at bats, and Jason Roesch and Bill Burdine combined for six hits.

Watanabe/TPS won their third straight game in their final at bat in a 27-24 slugfest with Aubrey’s/MIT/Worth. Trailing 24-20 after six, Watanabe/TPS struck for seven unanswered runs in the top of the 7th. AFter cutting the Georgia team’s lead to 24-22 with two outs, Ryan Minges delivered a clutch two run double to tie the score, then Shane Spicer connected for a three run shot to give his team an eventual 27-24 win. Once again Watanabe/TPS pitching proved untouchable in the 7th as Shane Spicer held Aubrey’s scoreless in the bottom of the inning.

Minges, Spicer and Larry Wert each went 4-for-5 in the victory.

Northwest Pipe then eliminated Watanabe/TPS from the tournament and tripped up Jean Shoppe in a double finals.

Dave Watanabe said his team’s strong showing should give them some momentum going into September - and some time to help some injuries heal up.

“I feel good going into the USSSA Major World Series,” said Watanbe. “We’ve got a little layoff but we have been injured all year and this break will give us a little time to get well.”

A & K/Wessel/Blitz Forces “If” Game With 21-17 Win In First Finals... Sandlin Single Lifts Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Past A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz In Worth-Bud Light-Ohio USSSA “B” State Finals At Expressway Park

Milford, Oh.--Brian Sandlin’s two out single in the bottom of the 7th lifted Storm/Wessel/Nixco Plumbing/Flanagan’s Front Porch to a 14-13 victory over A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz in the second championship game of the Worth-Bud Light-USSSA Men’s Class “B” State Tournament August 19-20 at Expressway Park.

A & K took a 13-12 lead into the bottom of the 7th, and after yielding a leadoff single to Jason Kraemer, retired the next two batters to come within one out of claiming the state championship. But Scott Moree tripled to score Kraemer, then Sandlin singled home Moree for the win.

The victory gave the Storm a 4-1 record for the weekend.

A & K had forced an “if” game with a 21-17 victory in the first finals.

Sandlin, who wound up leading the Storm in hitting with blistering .889 mark, was named tournament MVP.

“He was picked MVP for his leadership,” commented Storm manager Chris Craddock. “He’s been around a long time and will not let our team quit. He’s our vocal leader and he was 16-for-18 and had the game winning hit in the last game, and had big hits all day.”

Other hitting leaders for the Storm included All-State selections Kevin Greene (.778), Doug Murphy (.684), Steve Bosch (.619) and Scott Moree (.611).

“Heart and determination” carried the Storm to the title, said Craddock.

“Those are the things that I’m most proud of about our team. They strive to be th best. They’re not content with playing ‘C’ or ‘D,’” said Craddock. “They want to play the best teams they can play. We played ‘C’ and ‘D’ and never won a state, but we pushed to make our team better and finaly won a state at the ‘B’ level.”

Anchoring the defense for the Storm was middle infielder Jason Kraemer.

“We needed him for some shortstop this weekend too,” said Craddock. “It was a long, hot weekend, so we needed to move Jason Brown (ss) to the outfield for a couple of games, and Jason (Kraemer) moved to short and he played really well. At middle infield he turned quite a few double plays, and then he moved over to short and made probably three or four diving catches. Normally playing the middle he doesn’t have to dive to make a lot of plays, but playing at short he really stepped up his game.”

Craddock said his outfield was also stellar.

“All three of them played well,” said Craddock. “Mike Cook wasn’t there the first couple of games, so Jason Brown had to play in the outfield and along with Brian Sandlin and Matt Mason, he ran balls down all day.”

The Storm mercy-ruled two of their three winners’ bracket opponents, including Steve’s Drywall/Jeko Flooring/Jed’s 21-9 in six in game one, and A & K 15-3 in five in the winners’ bracket finals.

Against Steve’s, the Storm struck for eight runs in the top of the 1st, then later blew open a 14-9 contest with seven in the 6th. Steve Bosch broke the ice with a two run shot, and Jason Kramer followed with a three run blast in the 1st. Steve Klute’s two run sock highlighted the 6th. Kevin Greene and Brian Sandlin banged out four hits each, and Steve Bosch went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs.

Next the Storm plated seven in the 1st, three in the 2nd and then five in the 4th to grab a 15-7 lead over Community Cab/Marty’s Pub/Easton and eased to a 19-12 victory. Back-to-back three run bombs by Kevin Greene and Matt Mason and a Doug Murphy solo accounted for the Storm’s seven runs in the 1st. Greene also contributed a two run double to cap off the five run 4th. Greene improved to 8-for-8 for the day with four more safeties, and Steve Bosch homered and shared twelve hits with Mason, Murphy and Brian Sandlin.

The Storm jumped out to a 12-0 lead after four in the winners’ bracket finals and A & K never recovered in a 15-3, five inning rout. Matt Mason cracked a three run homer and Brian Sandlin followed with a two run double in a five run 2nd. Jason Kraemer’s two run sock was the big blow in a four run 3rd, and Steve Bosch’s two run tater in the 4th.

Sandlin, Kraemer, Bosch and Steve Klute combined for twelve hits to pace the offense.

A & K then ambushed the Storm 21-17 in the first finals, and was poised to claim the state title as they held a 13-12 lead with two outs in the bottom of the 7th in the second finals.

But Scott Moree tripled to tie the game, and rode home on Brian Sandlin’s clutch single with the game winner. Moree and Kevin Greene pounded out four hits for the champions, and Sandlin, Jason Kraemer and Rob Coffey each went 3-for-4.

“I’d like to congratulate Blitz on a good tournament,” said Storm’s Chris Craddock. “Playing them three games in a row we got a chance to watch their team, and they really impressed me with how hard they play, and they have a lot of class.”

WORTH-BUD LIGHT-OHIO USSSA MEN’S CLASS B ALL-STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM

Jon Jamison PRI/Easton Brian Alexander PRI/Easton Fred Tippitt A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz Don Rohrer A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz Kevin Williams A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz Kevin Greene Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Jason Kraemer Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Doug Murphy Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Steve Bosch Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Scott Moree Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Jeff Haiber - Co-MVP A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz Brian Sandlin - Co-MVP Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s

WORTH-BUD LIGHT-OHIO USSSA MEN’S CLASS B STATE TOURN. FINAL STANDINGS

1. Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s, Burlington, KY 4 1 2. A & K Tile/Wessel/Blitz, Cincinnati, OH 3 2 3. PRI/Easton, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 4. Journeyman/Monster/Sidelines, Toledo, OH 2 2 5. Community Cab/Marty’s/Easton, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Steve’s Drywall/Jeko Flooring/Jeds, Toledo, OH 1 2 7. Diamond Title, Franklin, OH 0 2

MVP Brian Parrish Perfect At 15-For-15... Mike Foulks Tramples Miller Lite-Kentucky USSSA Men’s “C” State Field At Northern Kentucky Sports Park

Taylor Mill, Ky.--Mike Foulks Auto Body/Team Insanity mercy-ruled all four opponents to capture the Miller Lite-Kentucky USSSA Men’s Class “C” State Tournament August 19-20 at Northern Kentucky Sports Park.

Mike Foulks/Team Insanity ran roughshod over the ten team field, outscoring their victims by a combined 84-25 margin. Team Insanity knocked off Sentry Fire Protection/Apex/LYBC 12-2 in five innings in the finals.

Brian Parrish paced the champions with a perfect 15-for-15 (1.000) weekend and was named tournament MVP.

“They couldn’t get him out,” said Mike Foulks/Team Insanity coach Roger Foster. “They’d shift to a five man over to the left side and he’d still hit it between short and 3rd. No matter what they did he still got his hits. He’s hit between .700 and .800 for us all year.”

Other hitting leaders for Team Insanity included All-Tournament selections Roger Drake at .866, and Ed Weinberg and Chuck Wagner at .800. Craig Johnson chipped in with a blistering .833 performance.

And it was offense, observed Roger Foster, that carried Mike Foulks to the title.

“We batted .730 as a team and outscored our opponents 84-25. We just hit. We were on fire,” said Foster. “Eddie Weinberg had some big, clutch home runs for us.”

While Mike Foulks’ offense was obviously the key to winning the tournament, pitching and defense also played a big role, said Foster.

“(All-tournament selection) Trent Thompson only gave up 25 runs in the four games he pitched, and Jim Burt (3b) and Roger Drake (ss) played outstanding defense in the infield,” said Foster. “Our super sub - Chuck Wagner - came off the bench to play 2nd and made All-Tournament as a sub. That was his third All-Tournament selection of the year. He’s been huge for us off the bench.

“Our outfield of Andrew McGowan (lf), Jason Murphy (cf) and Brandon Johnson (rf) was also stellar,” said Foster. “Jason made two spectacular diving catches in the second game against Check Care.”

Armor Windows took an early 5-2 lead over Mike Foulks after an inning and a half in game one, but the wheels fell off the wagon in the 2nd and the 3rd when Team Insanity exploded for nineteen unanswered runs to forge a 21-5 advantage. Eddie Weinberg broke a 5-5 tie with a three run blast in a nine run 2nd, and Jason Murphy added another three run smack to cap off the inning. Murphy had a big two run double to highlight the ten run 3rd.

Weinberg, Brian Parrish and Roger Drake were all perfect in four at bats for the winners.

Mike Foulks steamrolled Ballers/Check Care 15-5 in six innings in game two on the strength of a six run 2nd and an eight run 4th. A bases clearing double by Seth Tracy broke a 1-1 tie and put Team Insanity ahead to stay at 4-1. Then in the 4th Mike Foulks erupted for eight runs to break open a 6-4 contest, and the Ballers never recovered. Seth Trace had a leadoff solo, Brandon Johnson followed with a two run triple, and Jason Murphy capped off the inning with a three run bomb. Craig Johnson and Brian Parrish combined for eight hits, and Murphy, Chuck Wagner and Roger Drake each chipped in with three hits.

In the winners’ bracket finals Mike Foulks plated four in the 1st, five in the 2nd and eleven in the 3rd to build an insurmountable 20-3 lead and never looked back in a 27-10 pounding of Sentry/Apex/LYBC. Brian Parrish delivered a two run triple to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the 1st. Eddie Weinberg launched a three run homer in the 3rd and a two run shot to highlight the 4th. Parrish collected four more safeties along with Seth Tracy, and Jimmy Burt went 3-for-4.

Sentry held its own half way through the finals, and took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 4th. But there they began to come unglued. Mike Foulks put up five runs to grab a 6-2 lead, then in the 5th they added six more to seal an eventual 12-2 victory. Brian Parrish’s rbi single broke a 2-2 deadlock in the 4th, and Roger Drake followed with a three run swat to cap off the inning. Eddie Weinberg accounted for half his club’s six runs with a three run sock in the 5th to make it 11-2.

Parrish, Drake, Weinberg, and Chuck Wagner pounded out three hits each to power the champions.

“We’re looking forward to to the Nationals and keeping our bats hot,” said Mike Foulks Roger Foster. “Maybe we can bring it back home.”

KENTUCKY USSSA MEN'S CLASS "C" STATE TOURNAMENT FINALS STANDINGS

1. Mike Foulks/Team Insanity, Union, KY 4 0 2. Sentry Fire/Apex/LYBC, Erlanger, KY 3 2 3. Best Way/Nasty Boys, Bellevue, KY 2 2 4. Ballers/Check Care, Louisville, KY 2 2 5. GZG/Beef O’Brady’s, Florence, KY 2 2 Sneaky Pete’s/Noran/Backstabbers, Ft. Th., KY 1 2 7. Armor Windows, Florence, KY 1 2 Prime Time, Crescent Springs, KY 0 2 9. Pelle’s Cafe, Silver Grove, KY 0 2 Pridecast/S & W/DeMarini, Florence, KY 0 2

KENTUCKY USSSA MEN'S CLASS "C ALL-STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM

Randy Fields Best Way/Nasty Boys Randy Lee Best Way/Nasty Boys Chris Daggy Sentry/Apex/LYBC Roger Dunn Sentry/Apex/LYBC Kraig Piper Sentry/Apex/LYBC Roger Drake Mike Foulks/Team Insanity T. J. Thompson Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Chuck Wagner Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Eddie Weinberg Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Joey Ellis - ODP Sentry/Apex/LYBC Brian Parrish - MVP Mike Foulks/Team Insanity

Heitzman, Thomas Power Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints To Third Place Finish In Worth-Bud Light- USSSA “D” State At Kettering Fields

Dayton, Oh.--Larry Heitzman and Jeff Thomas both hit a sizzling .715 to help power Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints to a third place finish in the Worth-Bud Light-Ohio USSSA “D” State Tournament August 19- 20 at Kettering Fields.

Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints battled past three opponents in the winners’ bracket on Saturday before falling to eventual champion OutKast 31-6 and Cooper Auto/Tanel 360 on Sunday in the 28-team event.

“We had two people who couldn’t show up on Sunday and had to move people around and the ground was as hard as a rock and we had a lot of bad hops and made a lot of errors,” said Moe’s player-manager John Tomlinson regarding his team coming unglued on Sunday.

“Our defense carried us through Saturday. Scott Barber (cf) and Darrin Block (rf) are really fast and they covered a lot of ground in the outfield,” said Tomlinson. “And Mike Barone (lf) always gets a great jump on the ball.”

Larry Heitzman and Jeff Thomas led Moe’s/Saints in hitting with a .715 average. Darrin Block followed at .706, Tomlinson hit .637, Kelly Sledge and Scott Barber batted .600, and Tim Duffy chipped in with a .556 average.

Heitzman, Block and Mike Barone were named to the All-State team.

Saturday the Saints mowed down Chris’s Band Box 8-3, Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shop 23-9 and Fitzgerald’s Pharmacy 5-1 to reach the winners’ bracket finals.

A six run 2nd carried Moe’s past Chris’s Band Box. A two run single by Kelly Sledge put the Saints on the board, and Brian McDonald followed with a bases clearing single to make it 5-0. Chris’s never recovered. McDonald banged out three hits, and Sledge, Darrin Block and Mike Barone each went 2-for-3 to pace the offense.

Moe’s plated five runs in the 1st, nine in the 2nd and seven in the 3rd to forge a 21-9 lead over Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shop and never looked back in a five inning rout in game two. A Scott Barber slammer and a two run Scott Reupert triple accounted for six of the Saints nine runs in the bottom of the 2nd. Steve Schreiber’s two run single capped off the seven run 3rd.

Scott Barber and John Tomlinson collected four hits each, and Paul Fiser, Brian McDonald, Darrin Block, Kelly Sledge and Larry Heitzman shared fifteen hits.

An rbi single by Larry Heitzman broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 2nd, then Moe’s tacked on three runs in the 3rd to close out the scoring in a defensive struggle against Fitzgerald’s Pharmacy in game game three. Mike Barone tripled home two runs, then scored the final run of the game on a throwing error.

Barone, Darrin Block, Brian McDonald, Scott Barber, Paul Fiser, Kelly Sledge and Brian Erdman combined for fourteen hits to lead the champions.

The Saints’ 23-9 mercy rule win over a powerful Dawg Pack/Greene’s squad was especially sweet for his club, said manager John Tomlinson.

“We really wanted to win that game,” said Tomlinson. “They beat us twice this year and we just opened up and hit like we know how.”

Herzog, Ryan Lead Champions, Claim MVP Honors… Four Run-Rule Wins Lead AFGM Softball To Title In Worth-Bud Light-Ohio USSSA “E” State At Pastime Park By Andy Zureick

Harrison, Oh. – AFGM Softball only had two of the seven games they played go a full seven innings as they collected five victories via mercy rule and won the Worth-Bud Light-Ohio USSSA “E” State Tournament at Pastime Park on August 19-20.

AFGM got a freebie in their first scheduled game as Clearview Customs turned in a forfeit. Most of their other games were not much more challenging.

Industrial Services provided the competition for AFGM Softball in their first real contest. Mike Campana broke the ice in the bottom of the 1 st with a run-scoring single as AFGM grabbed a 3-0 lead. Six more in the bottom of the third blew the game open, 9-1. Doug Herzog capped the inning with an RBI double. The game ended 12-2 in five innings. Herzog led the team going 3-for-3. Kevin Schaaf was 2-for-3 with three runs batted in.

AFGM kept rolling against JEP. Sean Griffin gave his team the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the 1 st with an RBI double. They added three more in their next at bat. The knock out punch was landed in the bottom of the 3 rd when AFGM plated 11 runs. Bill Ryan drove in two with a triple. Pat Griffin cleared loaded bases with a double. The mercy rule ended the game after five innings with the score at 23-5. Griffin led all hitters by going 5-for-5. Josh Chaney came in at 4-for-5. John Trimboli was a perfect 3-for-3 while Doug Herzog and Kevin Schaff each were 3-for-4. Bill Ryan had a double and a triple while driving in six.

It was another run-rule win for AFGM over Team Redline in the next game. Twelve runs in the top of the 5th erased a meager 12-11 Team Redline lead. Doug Herzog’s two-run double put AFGM up 13-12. Mike Campana had two run-scoring singles in the at bat. The final was 23-12. John Chaney and John Radich were both 5-for-5. Herzog went 4-for-5.

AFGM Softball showed they could also win the close one when they took on OC Softball. They trailed 8-7 going into the bottom of the 7 th when Mike Campana led off with a base on balls. Bill Ryan followed with a single to put runners on first and third with no outs. Sean Griffin then tied the game with a single up the middle. John Radich loaded the bases with a base hit, bringing up Doug Herzog. He delivered a single over the left fielder’s head, bringing in Bill Ryan with the winning run. The final was 9-8. The trio of Sean Griffin, Doug Herzog, and Bill Ryan were all 3-for-4.

The winner’s bracket final pitted AFGM Softball against SW Bombers. Seven runs in the bottom of the third broke open a 5-4 contest. Doug Herzog singled in two; Josh Chaney did the same with a triple to cap the inning. The final was 15-5 in yet another mercy-rule win. Josh Radich had three hits in as many at bats. Pat Griffin was 3-for-4, all three hits being doubles.

SW Bombers won their way back to another chance with AFGM Softball. It looked like they had a chance when they led 6-3 going into the 6 th . AFGM then rallied for seven runs and a commanding 10-6 lead. Sean Griffin and John Radich collected a pair of two-run doubles in the inning. AFGM tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the 7 th , two of them thanks to a two-run Bill Ryan single. SW Bombers could only manage one run in their last chance, ending it at 13-9. Sean Griffin was 3-for-4 with a team-best four RBI. Bill Ryan, Kevin Shaw, and Mike Campana all went 2-for-3.

Doug Herzog, the team’s leading hitter at .696, and pitcher Billy Ryan, who also led the team in runs batted in with 15, were named co-MVP’s. Ryan also hit .579 and scored 12 runs.

Other top offensive performances included Josh Chaney who hit .682 while scoring 12 runs. Pat Giffin collected seven doubles and batted .652. John Raddich (.647), Kevin Shaaf (.600), Mike Campana (.579), and Sean Griffin (.522) also had solid tournaments.

According to AFGM Softball manager Pat Griffin, the main reason for his team’s success was “real good hitting, obviously”. He added, “Defense was huge. We didn’t make hardly any errors the whole tournament. Our outfield only had about two booted balls all tournament long.”

In the infield, pitcher Bill Ryan made several of nice stops on balls up the middle. Third baseman Sean Griffin and Mike Campana at shortstop played mistake-free ball to anchor the infield.

Griffin in left center and Josh Chaney in right center were solid up the middle in the outfield. “Josh had a couple nice diving plays and in the championship game, I made a play on a ball hit to the wall, hit the cutoff and he threw a guy out at home,” said the manager.

“We’ve been together about 13 years,” Griffin explained. “We have some veterans – five guys 30 years old or older, and five guys are 25 or younger and we just jelled together. This was the best we’ve done, we really don’t play a lot of tournaments.”

“We hit really well and we played really solid defense. We didn’t make any mental errors and played real good, sound defense. I just think it was our weekend.”

And, perhaps, fate was on the side of the champions, too. AFGM stands for “A Few Good Men”. In the hotel on Sunday morning the AFGM team turned on the television to find playing the Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson movie classic of the same name. An omen? You make the call.

WORTH-BUD LIGHT-OHIO USSSA MEN'S CLASS “E” STATE TOURNAMENT FINAL STANDINGS

1. AFGM, Dayton, OH 7 0 2. Southwest Bombers, Middletown, OH 5 2 3. Dirty Birds, Mt. Orab, OH 7 2 4. Father Hubbard’s/Hawks, Sidney, OH 5 2 5. Backyard Boys, Leesburg, OH 3 2 OC Softball, Batavia, OH 3 2 7. Old Spice/Win Place or Show, Cincinnati, OH 5 2 Buzzy’s Drive Thru, Washington CH, OH 4 2 9. Chris’ Crew, Georgetown, OH 3 2 Plastipak/A-Team, Wapakoneta, OH 2 2 Royal Z, Wilmington, OH 2 2 Team RedLine, Washington CH, OH 2 2 13. Diamond Freaks, Sabinia, OH 4 2 Herald’s Barber Shop, Maineville, OH 3 2 JB’s, Goshen, OH 3 2 Nextel-Pounders, Columbus, OH 3 2 17. Clarion Hotel/Suites Express, Sardinia, OH 2 2 Industrial Services, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 JEP, Huber Heights, OH 2 2 Nirvana Nutrition, Loveland, OH 2 2 Packaged Home Solutions, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 Prodigy Properties, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 Players, Franklin, OH 1 2 Regulators, Sabinia, OH 1 2 25. Outlaws, Circleville, OH 2 2 Carl’s Body Shop, Dayton, OH 1 2 Cincy Express, Leesburg, OH 1 2 Dynamic Softball, Middletown, OH 1 2 Greenies,Milford, OH 1 2 Maxed Out, Hamilton, OH 1 2 Quality Tire, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Untouchables, Washington CH, OH 0 2 33. Hippo Joes, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Skyline Xtreme, Mt. Orab, OH 1 2 Team Crosley/Eagles, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Walt’s BBQ, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Adkins’ Trucking, Washington CH, OH 0 2 Clear View Custom, Hillsboro, OH 0 2 Fat Daddy’s, Chillicothe, OH 0 2 Goof Troop, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 Rice Homes, Hillsboro, OH 0 2 Rife’s Tree Service, Mechanicsburg, OH 0 2 Ruc’s Rebels, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 Second String, Leesburg, OH 0 2 Who Dey, Amelia, OH 0 2

BUD LIGHT-WORTH SPORTS-USSSA MEN'S CLASS "E” ALL-STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM

Chris Stager Father Hubbard’s/Hawks Don Deaton Father Hubbard’s/Hawks Randall Ryan Father Hubbard’s/Hawks Dan Clevenger Dirty Birds Adam Bollinger Dirty Birds Mike Orick Dirty Birds Boe Tussey Southwest Bombers Brian Knouse Southwest Bombers Aaron Bowley Southwest Bombers Steve Robinson Southwest Bombers Pat Griffin AGM Softball Bill Ryan AGM Softball Mike Campana AGM Softball Josh Chaney AGM Softball Boe Tussey - ODP Southwest Bombers Doug Herzog - Co-MVP AGM Softball Bill Ryan - Co-MVP AGM Softball

Title Earns Champions “E” World Berth... M & M Kroth/Team Xplosion Outlasts Bailey’s 9-8 In Miller Lite-Kentucky USSSA Men’s “D” State Finals At Northern Kentucky Sports Park

Taylor Mill, Ky.--Shannon Dixon hit a blistering .824 and shortstop Ray Nelson hit .778 and anchored the defense to lead M & M Kroth Construction/Team Xplosion to a four game sweep of the Miller Lite- Kentucky USSSA Men’s Class “E” State Tournament August 19-20 at Northern Kentucky Sports Park.

M & M/Team Xplosion fended off a late rally to outlast Bailey’s Car Wash 9-8 in the championship game. Bailey’s scored seven late runs - three in the 5th and four in the 6th - to narrow a 7-1 deficit to 9-8, but failed to score in the 7th.

The victory gave M & M a berth to the USSSA “E” Great Lakes National Tournament September 2-4 in Ft. Knox, Ky., and to the U-Trip “E” World Tournament September 21-24 in Kissimmee, Fl.

Nelson, who Team Xplosiong player-manager Shannon Dixon said led his team on both sides of the line - was named tournament MVP.

“Ray batted .778 and was outstanding at short,” said Dixon. “He was great diving for balls. He kept everybody pumped. He likes to get dirty. There wasn’t much getting past him.”

Following Dixon’s team leading .824 mark and Nelson’s .778 effort were Dan Hodson at .765, Rick Barton at .714, Jaosn Leigh at .706 and Marcus Johnson at .588.

Dixon and Hodson were named to the All-State Tournament team.

Hitting was the key, said Shannon Dixon.

“Everybody really hit the ball. We had a couple of big innings every game. We’d score five or six runs and that would put us up.”

All-State selection Dan Hodson was stellar in left field, said Dixon.

“He was diving for balls. He runs down everything,” said Dixon.

Although shortstop Ray Nelson anchored the infield, Dixon pointed out that “the whole infield was pretty solid.”

M & M never trailed after jumping on top of Team Havoc 9-0 in the bottom of the 1st in game one. Dan Hodson got Team Xplosion on the board with an rbi single and Marcus Johnson’s rbi single capped off the inning. Johnson and Shannon Dixon each went 3-for-4 to pace the offense.

A five run outburst in the top of the 6th broke an 8-8 stalemate and gave M & M an eventual 13-9 victory over the Young Guns in game two. Rick Barton singled home the go ahead run and Corey Scott contributed a big two run double in the 6th.

Marcus Johnson and Jason Leigh banged out three hits apiece for the winners.

Team Xplosion fell behind Huber Lawn Care 11-2 after two innings in the winners’ bracket finals, but outscored the tournament’s top-seeded team 19-5 over the next three and a half innings to pull out a 21-16 victory. M & M knotted the score with four runs in the bottom of the 5th, only to have Huber retake the lead with three in the top of the 6th. But in the bottom of the 6th, Team Xplosion erupted for eight unanswered runs to seal the win. Dan Hodson’s two run double cut Huber’s three run lead to one at 16-15, then Shannon Dixon singled in the tying and go ahead runs.

Dixon and Ray Nelson pounded out five hits each, Danny Hodson collected four hits, and Jason Leigh and Rick Barton shared six.

M & M scored two runs in the bottom of the 3rd to break a 1-1 tie with Bailey’s Car Wash and never relinquished the lead in a narrow 9-8 victory in the finals. Ray Nelson’s rbi single broke the tie in the 3rd. Team Xplosion tacked on four in the 4th and two in the 5th to take a 9-4 lead, but Bailey’s made a last gasp charge with four runs in the 6th to make it interesting before bowing out 9-8. Rick Barton had a key two run double to cap off M & M’s four run 4th.

Shannon Dixon again spearheaded the offense with four hits. Jason Leigh and Corey Scott combined for six.

2005 Runner-Up Win Four Games In Last At Bat... 11th Hour Rallies Lift In Between To 32nd Annual Corn Boil Title At Central Turners

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--In Between doesn’t like to finish second, and this year they’re making teams pay for it.

Last year In Between finished 2nd in the “D” division of the ASA Cincinnati Metro, then again in the 31st Annual Corn Boil Tournament at Central Turners.

This year, both those runner-up finishes have been avenged.

Less than three weeks after capturing the “C” Division of the 2006 ASA Cincinnati Metro tournament, In Between found themselves in the winners’ circle again with a first place finish in the Men’s “C-D” Division of the 32nd Annual Corn Boil Tournament August 18-20 at Cincinnati Central Turners.

Late scoring was the key for the champions, who won four of their six games in their final at bat. Bill Sullivan’s bases loaded single in the bottom of the 7th gave his club a come-from-behind 12-11 victory over the Unknowns in the second championship game. In Between had tied the game in the bottom of the 6th.

The Unknowns had stunned In Between 19-3 in six innings in the first finals to force an “if” game.

“Clutch hitting, good pitching by Bill Sulllivan and steady defense during the whole tournament” carried In Between to the title, said player-manager Chris Conly.

And they never quit.

“We never gave up,” said Conly. “We had three come-from-behind victories.”

Conly said his team’s defense was “nothing outstanding, but we did back each other up.”

Anchoring the defense were infielders Don Drago and Taylor Lawson, and outfielder Matt Lutz.

“Don made every play at 1st base and several diving plays, and Taylor played well at 2nd. Matt brought two or three balls back over the fence out in left field and threw runners out at 2nd and 3rd. He was one hundred percent hustle.”

Bill Able, who batted a torrid .714, was named tournament MVP.

“He had four or five home runs and two or three triples and played awesome defense in the outfield,” observed Conly.

Other hitting leaders included Jesse Conly at .750, Shawn Kelly at .724, Chris Conly at .720, Dave Collinsworth at .643, Randy O’Hara at .583, Bill Sullivan at .556, Tony Arcaro at .538, and Matt Lutz at .500.

The tournament received a foretaste of things to come in In Between’s very first game Friday night, when they rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 7th to tie Chris Wells 12-12, then won the game on a two-out, bases loaded walk to Chris Conly. Shawn Huff and Bill Able singled with one out in the bottom of the 8th. Then, with one out, Chris Wells walked the next two batters to force Huff home with the game winner.

Kelly and Conly each went 4-for-5, and Able, Tony Arcaro and Jesse Conly chipped in with three hits.

Saturday morning didn’t change In Between’s modus operandi, as they ralllied for four runs in the bottom of the 7th to jolt Millcreek 14-13. Consecutive singles by Matt Lutz, Tony Arcaro, Taylor Lawson and Chris Conly cut a 13-10 deficit to one, then, with two outs, Shawn Kelly singled in the tying run and Bill Sullivan’s base hit delivered the game winner.

Randy O’Hara banged out four hits, and Dave Collinsworth belted two home runs and shared twevle hits with Arcaro, Kelly and Jesse Conly.

In Between caught fire in their next two games, routing Who Dey 17-7, then mercy-ruling Alvis 21-10 in six.

A six run 4th overcame a 6-4 deficit and vaulted In Between into a 10-6 lead over Who Dey in game three, and In Between went on to post an easy 17-7 victory. Bill Able, who’s two run triple put his club ahead to stay at 7-6 in the top of the 4th, collected four hits along with Shawn Kelly. Randy O’Hara and Chris Conly added three apiece.

Next In Between used an eight run 6th to blow open a 13-10 contest and invoke the mercy rule against Alvis. Dave Collinsworth connected for his second home run of the game - a grand slam - to highlight the 6th. Bill Sullivan paced the offense with four hits, and Collinsworth, Able, Shawn Kelly, Tony Arcaro, Chris Conly and Randy O’Hara combined for eighteen hits.

That lifted In Between into the winners’ bracket finals against the Renegades, and they promptly reverted to their earlier style of play - winning in the 7th. This time they plated two runs in the top of the inning - one on a Bill Able double, the other on Matt Lutz’s base hit - to pull out a 15-13 victory.

Billy Able helped solidify his selection as MVP, pounding our four hits, including two doubles and a home run. Matt Lutz had a pair of extra base hits, including a double and a triple, among his four safeties, and Dave Collinsworth and Shawn Huff homered and shared nine hits with Chris Conly.

Any throughts of an In Between sweep quickly vanished when the Unknowns walloped In Between 19-3 in six innings in the first finals. The winners exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the 6th to force the slaughter rule.

But In Between would not be denied in the second finals, once again rallying from behind to win in their final at bat. After knotting the score in the bottom of the 6th, In Between won in the 7th when Shawn Kelly singled, moved into scoring position on Dave Collinsworth’s base hit, then raced home with the game winner on Bill Sullivan’s bingle.

Collinsworth homered and went 3-for-4 along with Kelly, Sullivan and Randy O’Hara. Tony Arcaro also homered in the win.

In Between won despite fielding a patchwork team, said manager Chris Conly.

“We had a couple of our guys back in school and a couple had to work, and we had some other players who promised to play with us and decided to play with other teams, and they all lost,” said Conly. “Fortunately we had four subs from our original In Between team and they played really well and picked up the slack.”

32ND CENTRAL TURNERS CORN BOIL TOURN. MEN’S CLASS C/D DIVISION FINAL STANDINGS

1. In Between 6 0 2. Unknowns 7 2 3. Renegades 4 2 4. Chicken Hawks 6 2 5. Alvis 3 2 Kenny’s Sports 3 2 7. Groesbeck Tavern 3 2 Guido’s 3 2 9. Head Shop 2 2 Millcreek 2 2 PBSI 2 2 Who Dey 2 2 13. Always Truckin’ 2 2 O’Brady’s 2 2 Phillies 2 2 Relatives 1 2 17. Advanced Transmission 1 2 GNO 1 2 JTM 1 2 Team Spahn 1 2 Ain’t Scared 0 1 Chris Wells 0 2 Frickers 0 2 Rum Runners 0 2 25. C & M Auto 0 2 Emanon 0 2 North West 0 2 Tubs & Gloves 0 2

UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports Mercies 3 Of 4 Opponents In UAW Region 2B At Rumpke Park By Andy Zureick

Crosby Township, Oh. - UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports averaged nearly 20 runs per game and had only one of four contests last more than five innings as they came out on top in the UAW Region 2B at Rumpke Park on August 19 th .

The first game UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports played was their toughest all day. Facing UAW #863 Sharonville, they needed a comeback in their last at bat to secure the victory. Going into the bottom of the 7th , UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports trailed 11-9. Chris Kennedy led that at bat off with walk. Steve Rickets followed with a single. After the next batter made the first out of the inning, Dwayne Kirkland singled in a run, cutting it to 11-10. Following a fielder’s choice and the second out, Jeff Halcomb blasted a three-run, walk-off homer for a 13-11 final. Halcomb was 3-for-4 with two long balls. Steve Rickets was 3-for-3, also with two homeruns.

From that point on, UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports was nearly untouchable.

They blanked Local #2000 Lakers 19-0 in five innings. Jeff Halcomb had a two-run homer in the decisive 11-run 2 nd . Four members of the UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports team – Dwayne Kirkland, Brett Lewis, Jeff Halcomb, and Jerry Ross, went 3-for-4. Each member of that group also had a homerun; the one for Ross was a grand slam. Chris Kennedy was a perfect 3-for-3.

Local #2000 Crush at least managed to score against UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports, but the result was still the same. The eventual champs jumped out to a 14-3 lead after two innings and cruised from there. Jerry Ross had a three-run bomb in the eight-run first. Jeff Holcomb hit a two-run homer in the 2 nd . Jerry Ross followed that with his second long ball in as many innings. The final would end up 20-10 in five innings. Halcomb finished 4-for-4 with two round trippers. Jerry Ross had three hits, all of them leaving the yard. Tim Meaders and Chris Kennedy each were 3-for-3. Dwayne Kirkland was also 3-for-4. Chad Cumberland and Brett Lewis chipped in a homerun each.

The finals were a rematch between UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports and UAW #863 Sharonville, the only team to go the distance with the champions-to-be. The result this time was much different. UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the top of the 1 st . Todd Haynes got his team on the board with a two-run homer. Chris Kennedy later added a triple that plated two more. They would score in each of the five innings that would be played. In the 5 th , Todd Hayes smacked a two-run homer. Jerry Ross added a solo job. UAW #863 Sharonville could not keep pace and dropped the game 19-8. Chris Chapman was a team-best 4-for-4 in the championship effort. Jamie Hannah, Scott Kennedy, and Chris Kennedy were each a perfect 3-for-3. Jerry Ross was 3-for-4 with another homerun. Todd Hayes was 2-for-3 with a homer of his own.

Chris Kennedy had hits in all eight of his at bats for a perfect 1.000 batting average. Scott Kennedy hit .800. Steve Rickets and Dwayne Kirkland both batted .625. Tim Meaders (.615), Jamie Hannah (.583), Todd Hayes (.571), and Chris Chapman (.500) also made solid contributions at the plate.

Co-MVP’s Jeff Halcomb and Jerry Ross hit .750 and .643, respectively. “Jeff had the walk-off home run in the first game and Jerry Ross out of nine hits had five homeruns,” explained UAW #863 Veterans Cooper Sports manager Steve Ricketts. Halcomb drove in 10 runs on the day. Ross collected 13 RBI.

“We had some pretty good pitching from Dwayne Kirkland and Tim Meaders, and some big hits, big homeruns when we needed them,” said Ricketts.

The manager concluded his comments by expressing his team’s gratitude to some key people. “We want to thank Rumpke Park and Danney Saylor for a well run tournament. And thanks to the veterans serving the country and our sponsors, family, and friends. They helped carry us to a third win and to the world series.”

Owens, Tillery, VonBargen Lead Blue Thunder To Second Runner-Up Finish In Hoosier-Buckeye Classic

Ft. Wayne, In.--Shane Owens and Scott Tillery hit a blistering .833 and .782 respectively, while slugger Dave VonBargen socked six home runs, collected 27 rbi’s and batted .750 to lead Blue Thunder Foundation to a runner-up finish in the 29th Annual Hoosier-Buckeye Classic August 19-20 in Ft. Wayne, In.

Blue Thunder wound up with a 4-2 mark and their second straight runner-up finish following their 2004 championship.

South Bend successfully defended their 2005 title, fending off Blue Thunder 18-11 in the second championship game. Blue Thunder forced the “if” game with an 18-12 victory in the first finals.

“The guys played hard and never gave up,” commented Blue Thunder manager Brad Wargo. “Quite frankly, the defense on the large fields by Jason Grisnick, Dave Rumpler and Dave Hering kept us in most of the close games. The hot weather finally took its toll in the final game as that was our fourth straight game of the day. But, no excuses though. I am proud of the team’s effort.”

Blue Thunder jumped out to a 7-0 lead and went on to outslug Hammond, In. 21-17 in their opener. Shane Owens and Scott Tiller combined for ten hits and Chris Sander added four to pace the offense. Outfielder Jason Grisnick made consecutive fence crashing catches for the final two outs to preserve the win.

Blue Thunder erupted for twenty one runs in the first three innings and went on to rock the home team, Ft. Wayne, 25-5 in game two. The winners clubbed eight home runs, including two each by Eric Marler and Dave VonBargen, who shared twenty four hits with Joel Coomer, Dave Rumpler, Mike Baker, Shane Owens, Scott Tillery and Chris Sander. Coomer’s three hits were all for two bases.

Game three was a re-match of the 2005 winners’ bracket finals, and unfortunately for Blue Thunder, it had the same outcome, as South Bend rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 7th to outlast the Ohio entry 16- 15. South Bend used a one out, two run homer and a two out rbi single to pull out the victory. Dave VonBargen cracked two home runs and combined with Dave Hering, Scott Jones, Shane Owens, Chris Sanders and Joe Fuller for fifteen hits. Fuller also contributed a first inning slammer in the loss.

That pitted Blue Thunder against their first round opponent, Hammond, In., in the losers’ bracket finals, and BTF pulled out an almost identical win - this time by a 20-17 score - to earn a re-match with South Bend. Blue Thunder jumped out to an early 10-3 advantage, then held off a pesky Hammond squad with some stellar defensive plays from Jason Grisnick, Dave Rumpler, and Dave Hering. Steve Remley, Chris Sander, Scott Tillery, Dave VonBargen and Mike Baker banged out three hits apiece.

Blut Thunder never trailed in the first finals, scoring every inning en route to an 18-12 victory over South Bend. Shane Owens and Jason Grisnick pounded out four hits each, and Scott Jones, Dave Vonbargen and Eric Marler chipped in with three to pace the offense. Grisnick, Dave Rumpler and Dave Hering again keyed the with outstanding defense on the 330’ outfields.

But South Bend was not to be denied in the finals, as they took an early lead and held on for an 18-11 win to complete the successful defense of their title. Blue Thunder’s offense sputtered as only three players - Scott Tillery, Shane Owens and Scott Jones - collected more than two hits. South Bend has now saddled Blue Thunder with all four of their losses in the tournament over the past two years.

“We would like to thank Joe Tarner of the Ft. Wayne Fire Department for continuing to host such an outstanding tournament,” said Blue Thunder player-coach Scott Tillery. “We would also like to thank our manager, Brad Wargo,f or organizing the travel plans and team for the incredible selflessness he displayed throughout the tournament.”

Buckeye Club Outlasts Mama’s Boys 18-16 In Ten At Kolping Park

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--Buckeye Club outlasted Mama’s Boys 18-16 in ten innings to complete a three game sweep of a Sunday morning round robin August 20th at Kolping Park.

Buckeye Club trimmed J & N Chargers (0-3) 5-4 in their opener, then spanked No Fear (1-2) 8-2 before outslugging Mama’s Boys (2-1) in the deciding contest.

Nazdar, Pursuit Skip Tracing Romp To Division Titles At Kolping Park

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--Nazdar outscored three opponents by a combined 59-19 margin, while Pursuit Skip Tracing put up 53 runs versus 20 for their victims as they romped to their respective division titles in an eight team, two division Saturday night round robin August 19th at Kolping Park.

Nazdar overpowered 669 Mafia (1-2) 20-10, Kodiaks (2-1) 20-5 and Dirt Devils (0-3) 9-4.

Pursuit Skip Trace bombed the Jackals (0-3) 21-11, Bad Company (2-1) 14-4 and Flying Dirty (0-3) 19-5.

Swing D’s Bombs Sandlot, Vineyard Print Routs Superior Flatwork To Secure Expressway Division Crowns

Milford, Oh.--Swing D’s bombed Sandlot 19-9, while Vineyard Print routed Superior Flatwork by an identical score to secure a first place finish in an eight team, two division Sunday round robin August 20th at Expressway Park.

Swing D’s blasted eventual division runner-up Sac Attack (2-1) 18-9 in a key first round match-up, then escaped with a narrow 12-11 victory over Ruble (0-3) before polishing off Sand-lot (1-2) 19-9 to complete the sweep.

While in division two, Vineyard Print squeezed past Panama Reds (0-3) 5-4 in their opener, then suffered a 10-8 setback at the hands of Max (2-1) prior to drilling Superior Flatwork (2-1) 19-9 in the deciding contest.

August 26-27

Storm/Wessel/Nixco/Flanagan’s Escapes Thornton’s, Routs Cavaliers In NSA “B” Regional Finale

Columbus, Oh.--Storm/Wessel/Nixco Plumbing/Flanagan’s Front Porch rallied for five runs in the bottom of the 7th to escape with a 15-12 victory over Thornton’s in the second game, then mercy-ruled Cavaliers 16-3 in the championship game to complete a four game sweep of the NSA “B” Regional August 26th in Columbus, Oh.

Kevin Hall’s slammer with no outs capped off the Storm’s five run rally in the bottom of the 7th against Thornton’s. Thornton’s had plated four runs in the top of the 7th to overcome a 12-10 deficit.

A nine run 4th blew open a 7-3 contest in the finals against the Cavaliers. Hall cracked a two run homer and Doug Murphy a three run shot to highlight the inning.

Hall, who batted .824 with four home runs, and Kevin Greene, who only made one out in seventeen at bats for a blistering .941 performance, carried much of the offensive load for the champions.

“When Kevin’s on track, he is one of the best hitters around,” praised Storm manager Chris Craddock. “When we need a home run, he hits it, and when we need a base hit he hits the ball to the opposite field for a line drive base hit.”

Greene, who was a near perfect 16-for-17, was named tournament MVP.

“He played great offensively and defensively,” observed Craddock. “He’s been getting base hit after base hit. He’s not trying to hit the ball out of the park. He’s on a roll.”

Other hitting leaders included Mike Cook (.667), Steve Bosch (.625), and Doug Murphy and Scott Young (.615).

Timely hitting and defense, said Craddock, led his team to the title.

“We hit well as a team the whole tournament. And defense had a lot to do with it. We continue to play good defense.”

Craddock said that 2nd baseman Rob Coffey anchored the infield, while all three members of his three man outfield were stellar.

“Rob played really well, and in the outfield Jason Brown, Mike Cook and Brian Sandlin were running down fly balls the whole day,” said Craddock.

In game one the Storm used an eight run outburst in the top of the 3rd to break an 8-8 stalemate and help secure an eventual 24-12 victory over Central Paving (In.). Steve Klute’s two run swat broke the tie, then Doug Murphy followed with a slammer. Klute smacked two home runs in the game and went 4-for-5 along with Kevin Greene and Steve Bosch.

The Storm was almost quieted in game two by Thornton’s, which overcame a 10-8 deficit with four runs in the top of the 7th. But in the bottom of the inning, Mike Cook walked and scored on a Steve Bosch double. Kevin Greene singled and Steve Klute walked to juice the bases for Kevin Hall, who promptly delivered a grand slam walk-off. Hall connected for two home runs in the game and collected four hits along with Cook and Greene.

In the winners’ bracket finals, opponent Cavaliers drew first blood with four runs in the top of the 1st, but it would be the last time Storm would trail in the tournament. The Storm roared back with seven in the bottom of the 1st and seven in the 3rd to forge a 15-4 lead, then tacked on three in the 4th and five in the 5th to seal a 24-17 victory. Kevin Hall and Doug Murphy each swatted a two-run home run in the seven run 1st. Murphy’s blast broke a 4-4 tie and put his club ahead for good. Rob Coffey’s three run bomb highlighted the seven run 3rd, and Coffey and Steve Klute each went yard with a two run shot in the 5th.

Kevin Greene continued to ravage opposing pitching with five safeties, and Hall, Coffey and Jason Brown combined for twelve hits.

In the finals an rbi single by Kevin Greene put the Storm ahead to stay at 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st against the Cavaliers. The Storm added three in the 2nd, then three more in the 3rd on the strength of a Steve Bosch leadoff solo and consecutive doubles by Greene, Kevin Hall and Jason Kraemer. A nine run 4th proved to be the knockout blow as the lead mushroomed to 16-3 - the final score. A two run Kevin Hall tater and a three run rip by Doug Murphy accounted for five of the runs.

Greene, Hall, Kraemer and Jason Brown combined for twelve hits to power the champions.

The Storm’s Chris Craddock said his team - which improved to 73-19 and has now won three consecutive tournaments - is “peaking at the right time.

“We just hope we can continue to play well,” said Craddock. “We started off the season really hot and had a couple of months during the summer when we tapered off and we got concerned. But starting with the Metro, we’ve picked it up a notch and haven’t let off the gas yet.”

Brinkman Leads Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints Past NSA “E” National Field

Lexington, Ky.--Pitcher Bill Brinkman limited six opponents to single digit scoring to lead Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints to a first place finish in the NSA “E” National Tournament August 26-27 in Lexington, Ky.

Moe’s/Saints polished off DKR/EKS 17-2 in a four inning finale to wrap up a 5-1 weekend and best a sixteen team field.

DKR/EKS had forced an “if” game with a 7-4 victory over Moes in the first finals.

But the Saints proved unstoppable in the second finals, sending DKR/EKS reeling after jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st.

Brinkman, who held all six of Moe’s/Saints’ opponents to single digits and never gave up more than seven runs, was named tournament MVP.

“His pitching and ability to field the middle were the keys,” said player-manager John Tomlinson. “He fielded everything and didn’t walk anybody the entire tournament. Also his ability to field the middle enabled us to play a four man outfield.”

Infielders Brian Erdman (ss) and Stan Schreiber (3b), and left fielder Mike Barone gave Brinkman plenty of defensive support, said Tomlinson.

“Brian and Stan covered the hole between them and turned about five double plays. Mike gets a great jump on the ball and covers everything from the fence to the infield. He’s really quick,” said Tomlinson.

Named to the All-Tournament team were Erdman (.667), Schreiber (.612), Barone (.600) and Darrin Block. Other hitting leaders included Scott Reupert (.632), Tomlinson and Brian McDonald (.600).

Late inning scoring carried Moe’s/Saints past After Hours 6-4 and the Outsiders 5-4 in the first two rounds. Troy Brinkman’s two run double broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the 6th and pitcher Bill Brinkman shut down After Hours in the 6th and 7th. Mike Barone banged out three hits, and Matthew Barone and Stan Schreiber added two each for the winners.

An rbi single by Brian Erdman and Darrin Block’s sac fly helped the Saints overcome a 4-3 deficit in the top of the 7th and pull out a narrow 5-4 victory against the Outsiders. Erdman and McDonald were both perfect in three at bats, and Block, Kurt Davis and Scott Reupert chipped in with two hits apiece.

Moe’s rolled past Family Tree 13-5 next, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the 1st, then putting the game away with a four run 4th. Back-to-back two run doubles by John Tomlinson and Kurt Davis accounted for four runs in the 1st. Kurt Davis’ two run single highlighted the 4th as the Saints broke open a 7-2 contest.

Scott Reupert collected four hits, and Tomlinson and Mike Barone added three each.

A six run rally in the bottom of the 5th enabled Moe’s to erase a 7-2 deficit and take an 8-7 lead over DRC/EKS in the winners’ bracket finals. Moe’s tacked on an insurance run on Troy Brinkman’s rbi double in the 6th, and once again Bill Brinkman held the losers’ at bay over the final frames. Scott Reupert had a key two run single to cut DRC/EKS’ lead to 7-5 in the bottom of the 5th. Later in the inning Bill Brinkman’s one out single put his club ahead to stay at 8-7.

Stan Schreiber paced the offense with three hits, while Reupert, Mike Barone, Matthew Barone and Bill Brinkman shared eight.

DRK/EKS then ambushed Moe’s 7-4 in the first finals, but were no match for the Cincinnati entry in the second. The Saints exploded for ten runs in the bottom of the 1st and never looked back in an eventual 17- 2, four inning rout. A two run double by John Tomlinson, a two run triple by Kurt Davis, and a two run single by Brian Erdman were the big blows in the top of the 1st.

Tomlinson, Darrin Block and Brian McDonald pounded out three hits each for the champions.

Championship Ends Seven Year Quest... Miken/No Doubt Escapes Hill & Griffith In Winners’ Bracket Finals, Captures Worth-Bud Light- CRC Ohio USSSA Mixed “C” State Field At Riverstar

Miken/No Doubt rallied past Hill & Griffith in extra innings in the winners’ bracket finals, then polished off H & G 13-7 in the championship game to capture first place finish in the class “C” division of the Worth-Bud Light-Cincinnati Recreation Commission Ohio USSSA Mixed Couples State Tournament August 26-27 at Riverstar Park.

The two victories gave Miken/No Doubt a four game sweep of the seven team affair, and climaxed an eight year quest for the Reedsville, Ohio club.

“This is our eighth year, and even though we never won the ‘D,’ we’ve been moved up because if you finish in the top four, you have to move up,” said Miken/No Doubt player-manager Kendall Church. “This ought to serve as an example to other teams. We didn’t like it, but we did it according to the rules. Our best finish ever in the ‘D’ was 4th.”

Church said that his team’s “attitude” carried them to the title.

“We played our best tournament attitude-wise ever,” said Church. “Everybody had a great attitude. There were no arguments. It’s been our goal all year to stop bickering...to quit finding fault and go on about our business. And we got it done. We made an agreement that nothing would be said on the field, that we would talk it over in the dugout. And that’s what really helped.”

Offensively, Billy Jones (.722), Hurston Richmond (.722), Dennis Jenkins (.647) and Emily Fackler (.625) paced the champions.

Jones and Tara Chalfant were named tournament MVP’s.

“Billy made a catch in the championship game on the out of play line down the left field line where he buried his knees in and caught the ball, which was a huge out,” recalled Church. “The other team argued that his glove was out of play, but you can reach across the line to catch a ball.

“He made two or three outstanding plays like that and batted .722,” said Church.

Church said the Chalfant “had a bunch of clutch hits to put us in a situation to win the tournament.

“She had four, two-out hits that were pivotal for us to win,” said Church.

None was bigger than a two out, bases loaded single to cut a two run Hill & Griffith lead to one in the top of the 7th, allowing Church to drive in the tying run and force extra innings.

An inning later Chalfant singled home Miken/No Doubt’s final run of the inning to give her club a four run lead - again with two outs.

“That was absolutely huge when a girl gets a two-out single in the 7th and 8th in the winners’ bracket finals,” said Church.

Shortstop Chris D’Augustino, 1st baseman Rachel Church and 2nd baseman Dee McKenzie contributed some clutch defensive plays, said Church, especially in the winners’ bracket finals.

“Chris played the best he’s played in two months in that game. He made some absolutely great plays, especially in the 7th,” said Church. “He made a diving catch up the middle for the second out, and flipped to 2nd for the third out. That was huge.

“And Rachel caught a ball that was hit down the first base line in the 6th inning of that game after a leadoff single and doubled the batter off 1st for the second out,” continued Church.

“Also in the bottom of the 7th, Dee McKenzie made a super play at 2nd and threw a guy out at 1st for the second out,” said Church. “When she made that play, I said ‘you just won the tournament with that play.’ And the next girl popped out and we went on to the top of the 8th.”

Miken/No Doubt plated six runs in the top of the 2nd and never looked back in a 12-1 rout of Golden Sluggers in game one. Dennis Jenkins put his club on the board with a two run double. Chris D’Augustino added a two run single to cap off the inning. Miken tacked on two in the 3rd on an Emily Fackler triple, one in the 4th, then put the game away with a three run Hurston Richmond bomb in the 5th. The Sluggers scored their lone run in the bottom of the 6th.

Billy Jones and Dennis Jenkins combined for six hits to pace the offense.

Next Miken/No Doubt erupted for four runs in the top of the 1st, three in the 2nd and seven in the 3rd to forge a 14-5 lead, then held on for a 19-17 win as an eight run Surprise Attack/ADGO rally fell short in the bottom of the 7th. Surprise Attack actually led 5-4 after the 1st, but Miken/No Doubt outscored their opponent 10-0 over the next inning and a half to take command. Billy Jones two run single put his team ahead to stay at 6-5. Then in the 3rd, Chris D’Augustino’s slammer and a Hurston Richmond solo shot accounted for five of their club’s seven runs.

Jones and D’Augustino banged out four hits each, and Tara Chalfant added three for the winners.

That led to the pivotal game of the tournament with Hill & Griffith. H & G held a three run lead after six, but in the top of the 7th Miken/No Doubt rallied for three runs to force extra innings. Chris D’Augustino, singled, went to 2nd on Hurston Richmond’s base hit, then scored on Dennis Jenkins’ two-out, rbi single to cut the deficit to 8-6. Tara Chalfant singled up the middle to load the bases, setting the stage for a clutch, game tying, two- run single by Kendall Church that would eventually force extra innings.

After several defensive gems kept H & G from scoring in the bottom of the 7th, Hurston Richmond launched a three run homer to give Miken/No Doubt an 11-8 lead. Dennis Jenkins doubled and scored an insurance run on Tara Chalfant’s two out single.

Chalfant collected four hits in the game, Hurston Richmond pounded out five, including a pair of home runs, and Kendall Church went 3-for-5.

Hill & Griffith drew first blood with a run in the bottom of the 2nd in the finals, but never led again after Miken/No Doubt answered with six in the top of the 3rd. They added two in the 4th, one in the 5th and 6th, then put an exclamation mark on the contest with three in the 7th to pull away with a 13-7 victory. Pitcher Kendall Church held H & G scoreless over the final two innings after they had cut the lead to 9-7.

Billy Jones delivered a three run bomb to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the six run 3rd, and when Hurston Richmond matched that effort it was suddenly 6-1. Billy Jones’ two run single gave Miken/No Doubt an 8- 5 cushion in the top of the 4th. Rbi singles by Jones, Dee McKenzie and Richmond capped off the scoring in the 7th.

Jones and Richmond went 4-for-5, and Kim Fitzgerald and Emily Fackler shared six hits for the champions.

In addition to Miken/No Doubt’s key win over Hill & Griffith, holding off Surprise Attack’s 7th inning charge was also big for his team, said Church - and helped avenge several losses.

“That was the first time we’ve beaten them in five or six games,” said Church. “They came out (in the 7th) and had base hit after base hit, and had the bases loaded and only one out with the score 19-17. Then they lined out to Rachel (1st baseman Rachel Church) for the 2nd out, and then hit a grounder to Chris D’Augustino, who stepped on 2nd for the final out.

“We always have great games with them, but they’ve always ended up on top. They beat us in the nationals last year in the bottom of the 8th.”

WORTH SPORTS-BUD LIGHT-CRC-USSSA MIXED COUPLES CLASS C STATE TOURN. FINAL STANDINGS

1. Miken/No Doubt, Reedsville, OH 4 0 2. Hill & Griffith, Cincinnati, OH 3 2 3. SWNJ/JT’s Lawn Care, Eaton, OH 3 2 4. Surprise Attack/ADGO, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 5. Advanced Physical Therapy, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Speed Kills, Columbus, OH 1 2 7. Golden Sluggers, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 In House Screenworks, Piqua, OH 0 2

WORTH SPORTS-BUD LIGHT-CRC-OHIO USSSA MIXED COUPLES “C” STATE ALL-STATE TEAM

Advanced Physical Therapy Speed Kills Kelly Throckmorton Surprise Attack/ADGO J. T. Turner Surprise Attack/ADGO Susan Nelson SWNJ/J & T Lawn Care Terry Johnson SWNJ/J & T Lawn Care Shelly Chisman Hill & Griffith Tracy Wharff Hill & Griffith Chad Chisman Hill & Griffith Bryan Tracy Hill & Griffith Andrea Costa - ODP Hill & Griffith Brian Hanlon - ODP Hill & Griffith Rachel Church Miken/No Doubt Kim Fitzgerald Miken/No Doubt Chris D’Augustino Miken/No Doubt Hurston Richmond Miken/No Doubt Tara Chalfant - MVP Miken/No Doubt Billy Jones - MVP Miken/No Doubt

Pitcher Holds Opponents To Six RPG, Goes 17-For-20 At The Plate... Caudill Leads DP Softball Past Worth-Bud Light-CRC Ohio USSSA Mixed “D” State Field At Riverstar

Pitcher Shane Caudill held six opponents to 36 runs and batted .850 to lead DP Softball to a first place finish in the Worth-Bud Light-Cincinnati Recreation Commission Ohio USSSA Mixed Couples State Tournament August 26-26 at Riverstar Park.

DP Softball held off Buckeye X-Press 12-7 in the second championship game to wrap up a 5-1 weekend and best a fifteen team field.

Buckeye X-Press had delayed DP Softball’s victory celebration with a 15-12 setback in the first finals.

Caudill, who also collected a dozen rbi’s, was named tournament MVP along with Amy Schweinefus.

“He was almost unstoppable,” said DP manager Bill Chard. “He only made three outs the entire tournament and he pitched an incredible tournament. He kept hitters off-balance and only gave up an average of six runs per game.”

Chard said that Schweinefus “led out women with a .667 average and made several key defensive plays in right centerfield. And even when she made her outs, she was hitting bullets all over the field.

Other hitting leaders for DP Softball included Josh Kinnett at .809, Chris Young at .708, Tonya Woodruff at .625, Bob Kindoll at .600, Laurie McCauley and Stephanie Sebastyn at .550 and Laura Schuster at .542.

But it was “pitching and defense” that carried his club to the title, said Chard.

“We only had a couple of defensive lapses the whole tournament, and in three of our six games we held our opponents to single digits in runs.

Infielders Laura Schuster (2b) and Kim Perrault (3b) and outfielder Chris Young (lc) were stellar, said Chard.

“Laura made several diving stops up the middle and in the four hole and made good throws to throw the runners out,” said Chard. “And Kim shut down the left side of the infield. You can’t get a ball past her at third base.”

Chard said that Chris Young “just tracks everything down in left centerfield. If it’s in the air, you’re out.”

DP Softball was unstoppable as they marched through the winners’ bracket, winning their first three games via the mercy rule.

A three run 1st and a four run 4th helped carry DP past Sparky’s Pizza 11-1 in game one. Danny Sharp tripled and scored on Laurie McCauley’s single to help account for all three runs in the 1st. Chris Young’s sac fly capped off the 4th as the lead swelled to 10-1. Sharp banged out three hits, and McCauley, Amy Schweinefus, Scott Trame and Jim Gentry combined for eight to pace the offense.

DP jumped out to a 12-1 lead after two innings and never looked back in a 13-1, five inning rout of Golden Jersey Inn/Mader Electric in game two. Bob Kindoll put his club on the board with a two run single in a seven run DP 1st. Stephanie Sebastyn contributed a two run double later in the inning. A two run Josh Kinnett single capped off DP’s five run 2nd.

Amy Schweinefus and Laurie McCauley shared six hits for the winners. Chris Young went 2-for-3 with a double and an inside-the-park home run.

Next DP exploded for seven runs in the 1st and nine in the 2nd en route to a 22-10, five inning shelling of Sizzle/Cherry Grove Lanes. Chris Young capped off the 1st with an rbi single. Shane Caudill drove in two runs with a base hit in the 2nd, and Bob Kindoll followed with an inside-the-park slammer as DP’s lead ballooned to an insurmountable 16-1.

Kindoll and Caudill collected five rbi’s each and combined with Young, Amy Schweinefus and Josh Kinnett for twenty hits. Laurie McCauley and Laura Schuster chipped in with three hits.

The winners’ bracket finals proved to be a defensive struggle with Team Drama. DP put up two in the 1st and two in the 2nd, then held on for a 7-2 victory behind the pitching of Shane Caudill. Doubles by Chris Young and Bob Kindoll, a sac fly by Amy Schweinefus and a triple by Jim Gentry made it 2-0 in the 1st. Shane Caudill and Laura Schuster delivered rbi singles in the 2nd to make it 4-1. DP tacked on lone runs in the 3rd, 5th and 6th to forge a 7-1 lead before Team Drama mustered up their last run in the botto m of the 7th

Caudill continued to spearhead the offense with four hits, and Gentry, Schuster and Jim Gentry each went 3-for-4.

Buckeye X-Press then ambushed DP 15-12 in the first championship game, but in the second DP jumped out to a 10-2 lead after three and a half innings and cruised to a 12-7 victory. DP never trailed after an Amy Schweinefus rbi single in the top of the 1st. The eventual champs added one in the 2nd and four in the 3rd to go up 6-0. Then, after Buckeye X-Press answered with two runs in the bottom of the 3rd, DP delivered the knockout blow with a four run 4th, and Buckeye never recovered. Laurie McCauley and Shane Caudill each singled to drive in a pair of runs in DP’s four run 3rd. Then in the 4th Josh Kinnett connected on a three run inside-the-park home run to make it 10-2.

Shane Caudill sealed MVP honors with four more hits, and Kinnett, Chris Young and Laura Schuster shared nine hits.

DP manager Bill Chard said his team wasn’t concerned after Buckeye X-Press slapped a 15-12 loss on DP in the first finals.

“We came out flat,” observed Chard. “It was our first game of the day and their fourth. They were loose and we were tight, and the tournament was about an hour behind and we had been sitting around for a while, so we just weren’t loose.

“They jumped out to a 13-2 lead, but after that we shut them down and just fell a little short,” said Chard.

WORTH SPORTS-BUD LIGHT-CRC-USSSA MIXED COUPLES CLASS D STATE TOURN. FINAL STANDINGS

1. DP Softball, Cincinnati, OH 5 1 2. Buckeye X-Press Softball, Wash. Ct. House, OH 6 2 3. Team Drama, Cincinnati, OH 3 2 4. Sizzle/Cherry Grove Lanes, Mt. Orab, OH 3 2 5. Sparky’s Pizza, Urbana, OH 3 2 Buckeye II, Lebanon, OH 2 2 7. Storm, Newark, OH 2 2 Team Barbie, Dayton, OH 1 2 9. CES Credit Union, Delaware, OH 1 2 Final Score Sports Pub, Delaware, OKH 1 2 Fun Bunch, Maineville, OH 1 2 Golden Jersey/Mader Electric, Springfield, OH 1 2 13. Acclaim Awards, Eaton, OH 0 2 Gamerz, Bethel, OH 0 2 Grinners, Lewisburg, OH 0 2

WORTH SPORTS-BUD LIGHT-CRC-OHIO USSSA MIXED COUPLES “D” STATE ALL-STATE TEAM

Mike Nies Buckeyes II Jeff Poppe Sparky’s Pizza Ruthie Holden Sizzle Softball/Cherry Grove Lanes Dave Broxterman Sizzle Softball/Cherry Grove Lanes Karen O’Neil Team Drama John Erdman Team Drama Melissa Boysel Buckeye X-Press Softball Becky Slone Buckeye X-Press Softball Brian Cartwright Buckeye X-Press Softball Bill Vernon Buckeye X-Press Softball Lauri McCaulley DP Softball Laura Schuster DP Softball Josh Kinnett DP Softball Chris Young DP Softball Allory Hooper - ODP Buckeye X-Press Softball Steve Hamilton - ODP Buckeye X-Press Softball Amy Schweinefus - MVP DP Softball Shane Caudill - MVP DP Softball

Champions Get Past Local Rival 2-1 In Second Round, Romp To Title… Subway Escapes Midland, Overpowers Worth-Bud Light-CRC Ohio USSSA Mixed Couples “E” State Field At Riverstar By Andy Zureick

Subway went 5-0 and outscored their opponents 65-30 as they took first place in the Worth-Bud Light- Cincinnati Recreation Commission Ohio USSSA Mixed Couples “E” State Tournament August 26-27 at Riverstar Sportsplex.

Subway began their title run against BIR. Corey Bennett’s three-run double in the bottom of the 2 nd led the way to a 5-0 lead. Six more runs in the bottom of the 5th broke open a 9-7 game. Seth Nibert tripled in two runs. Amber Dickey capped the inning with an RBI single. The final score was 15-9 in favor of Subway. Dustin Fout, Seth Nibert, and Teri Gammell were all 3-for-4. Rhonda Gammell went 2-for-4.

Game two of the tournament versus Midland Title was the biggest challenge Subway would face. “We knew it was going to be a tough one going into it,” noted team manager Kevin Gammell. “They’re also from London and beat us both times we played them this year.”

In the bottom of the 1 st , Kevin Gammell drew a walk to lead off the at bat. Rhonda Gammell followed with a second straight walk. Kevin Gammell then came into score all the way from second on Corey Bennett’s sacrifice fly. Later, in the 5 th , Subway scored again in exactly the same way, except this time it was Dustin Fout and Amber Dickey with the free passes, and George Nibert picking up the RBI. Pitcher Tammy Braskett held Midland Title scoreless after the 1 st , giving up only five hits over the final six innings as Subway squeaked out a 2-1 victory. Kevin and Teri Gammell each had a hit and a walk.

Subway faced Weavers in their third game of the tournament. In the bottom of the 3 rd , Seth Nibert singled in a run that put his team up 4-3. Thanks to four runs in that inning, Subway built a 6-3 lead. Three more in the next at bat, including a one-run single from Danielle Gammell, increased the advantage to 9-3. Rhonda Gammell picked up an RBI in the four-run 5 th , making it 13-4. Weavers got a four back over their last two at bats, but fell short in the end, 13-8. Corey Bennett was a perfect 4-for-4 in the win. Kevin Gammell, Amber Dickey, and Danielle Gammell were all 2-for-4.

The Subway offense got into high gear in the semifinals versus Steel. After picking up two in the 1 st , they exploded in the 2 nd with 10 runs. The first 11 batters of that inning successfully reached base. Subway tacked on four more in both the 4 th and 5 th , making the lead 21-4. Steel was unable to stop the bleeding in their last chance and it was over early, 21-5. Seth Nibert led all batters at the plate with a 4-for-4 effort. Corey Bennett, Rhonda Gammell, and Amber Dickey each went 3-for-4. As a team, Subway was 26-for- 38.

The finals brought a rematch with Weavers. Kevin Gammell’s run-scoring single put his team up 3-2 in the bottom of the 1 st . Seven more in the next inning spelled the beginning of the end for Weavers. Corey Bennett doubled in two runs and then came in to score as Kevin Gammell followed with another two- bagger. Weavers never made a serious challenge in the 14-7 final. Bennett led the way with a 4-for-4 effort. Dustin Fout was a perfect 3-for-3. Kevin Gammell went 3-for-4. Teri and Danielle Gammell each collected two hits.

Corey Bennett also led Subway at the dish for the tournament, hitting a solid .737. Other hitting leaders included Seth Nibert (.631), Teri Gammell (.625), Dustin Fout (.600), Rhonda Gammell (.470), and Danielle Gammell (.421).

Teri Gammell was named female MVP. “She was our last female batter and went 10-for-16 and turned the top of the order back over,” said Kevin Gammell, the manager. The male MVP was George Nibert, mainly because of his effort in the game against Midland Title.

“Tami Braskett was awesome on the mound, only walked three or four people the whole tournament.” Another standout in the infield was shortstop Corey Bennett. He had one of the highlight plays of the tournament, a triple-play in the first game versus Weavers. “Bases were loaded and the ball was hit to him. He touched the runner going to third, stepped on second and threw on to first,” explained Gammell.

The outfield was anchored by Seth Nibert in right centerfield. “He pretty much covered the alley in right so we could play Rhonda Gammell in right field on the line.”

The key to the Subway success in the tournament according to Gammell was “hitting, definitely.” He added, “We played pretty much error free softball, didn’t help anybody, didn’t give anybody any runs. They had to earn all the runs they got.”

WORTH SPORTS-BUD LIGHT-CRC-USSSA MIXED COUPLES CLASS E STATE TOURN. FINAL STANDINGS

1. Subway, London, OH 5 0 2. Weavers, Wilmington, OH 5 2 3. Steel, Blanchester, OH 3 2 4. Take It To The Base, London, OH 5 2 5. Bases Loaded, Marysville, OH 3 2 Fayette Co. Choppers, Wash. Court House, OH 2 2 7. AC & R/Deuces, Milford Center, OH 2 2 Midland Title, London, OH 2 2 9. Creature Comforts, Eaton, OH 1 2 Creek Chub Softball, Glouster, OH 1 2 Double Rounders, Newark, OH 1 2 K & L Chimney Cleaning, Newark, OH 1 2 13. Tons of Fun, Springfield, OH 1 2 BBC, Marysville, OH 0 2 Changes/Jay’s Yankees, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 Tim Horton’s, Enon, OH 0 2 17. BIR, Hamilton, OH 0 2

WORTH SPORTS-BUD LIGHT-CRC-OHIO USSSA MIXED COUPLES “E” STATE ALL-STATE TEAM

Brian Roberts Fayette County Choppers Mark Easton Bases Loaded Rachel Whitbeck Take It To The Base Landon McKenzie Take It To The Base Kassie Capp Steel Josh Hunter Steel Joshlyn Ames Weavers Dorthea Penwell Weavers Tim Ford Weavers Howard Johns Weavers Danielle Gammell Subway Tammy Braskett Subway Dustin Fout Subway Seth Nibert Subway Kate Reeder - ODP Weavers Blake Haley - ODP Weavers Teri Gammell - MVP Subway George Nibert - MVP Subway

Blazers Best Cardinals 13-10, 669 Mafia Outduels Maxed Out 18-17 To Claim Kolping Division Crowns

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--The Blazers trimmed the Cardinals 13-10 in the deciding division one contest, while 669 Mafia outdueled eventual division two runner-up Maxed Out 18-17 en route to their division titles in an eight team, two division, Saturday Night round robin August 26th at Kolping Park.

The Blazers spanked Kentucky Chiropractic (1-2) 15-4 in their opener, then whitewashed 1 Eyed Jacks (0- 3) 15-0 before battling past the Cardinals (2-1) 13-10 in a showdown for first place in division one.

While in division two, 669 Mafia battled past Maxed out (2-1) 18-17, then got by Hammertime (1-2) 12-9 before drilling Fox Pizza (0-3) 15-5 in the finale.

Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Falls Short In USSSA Great Lakes “C” Nationals At Midwest Sports Complex

Indianapolis, In.--Mike Foulks Auto Body/Team Insanity posted a 5-2 record to earn a second place finish in the USSSA Great Lakes Division Class “C” National Tournament Septembe 2-3 at Midwest Sports Complex.

Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome of Bridgeview, Il. saddled Mike Foulks/Team Insanity with both of their losses in the 29-team event, spanking the Bluegrass club 14-6 in the third round, then again 14-10 in the championship game.

Mike Foulks rallied to win three games on Sunday after falling to Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome late Saturday in the winners’ bracket.

Jason Murphy and Craigh Johnson carried the big sticks for Mike Foulks, batting .812 and .800, respectively, en route to All-Tournament honors. Brian Parrish (.750) and Andrew McGowan also made the All-Tournament team. Seth Tracy, who led the tournament with nine home runs, won the Outstanding Defensive Player award.

“Jason led us in hitting and he was especially hot on Sunday,” observed Mike Foulks coach Roger Foster. “He also played good defense, tracking down balls and getting a couple of assists.

“Craig Johnson had a good tournament both offensively and defensively at 2nd base,” added Foster, and Brian Parrish contributed a lot of timely hits. Andrew McGowan led off almost every game for us with a base hit. He was our spark plug starting off every game.

“Seth Tracy made some outstanding plays at 1st base and saves us four or five runs in a couple games with his glove,” continued Foster. “He also hit the ball very well and had some timely hits and led the tournament in home runs.”

Foster said that Mike Foulks “played together as a team.

“We never got down after we lost our first game. We fought back through the losers’ bracket on Sunday - something we’re not accustomed to do,” observed Foster.

“Considering our three and four hitters barely hitting .500 for the week, we had a good tournament,” he added. “Our pitcher, Trent Thompson, kept us in a lot of games. And our whole infield - Roger Drake at short, Jim Burt at 3rd, and Ed Weinberg up the middle - fielded the ball really well.”

Mike Foulks/Team Insanity knocked of EZ Cash/Steve’s 13-4 and Max Softball in a 22-17 slugfest before falling to the Hooded Frogs 14-6 in game three. Then a 12-11, ten inning victory over Garrett’s/Shockers seemed to inject some momentum into the Northern Kentucky “C” power. Jason Murphy doubled to lead off the 10th, went to 3rd on Seth Tracy’s base hit, then rode home with the eventual game winner on Roger Foster’s pinch-hit single. Pitcher Trent Thompson held Garrett’s at bat in the bottom of the 10th.

Craig Johnson collected five hits, and Andrew McGowan and Jason Murphy each went 4-for-5.

Next Team Insanity routed Players Inc. 17-8 on the strength of four, four run innings. Players Inc. took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st, but Mike Foulks answered with four in the 2nd - taking the lead on Jim Burt solo - and never trailed again. Jason Murphy’s two run double highlighted the 3rd as the lead swelled to 8-3. A four run 5th featured consecutive rbi doubles by Roger Drake, Murphy and Seth Tracy. The bulge became 16-7 after a four run 6th. Roger Drake delivered a key two run double. Murphy and Craig Johnson combined for eight hits, and Drake, Tracy and Brian Parrish chipped in three apiece.

That lifted Mike Foulks into the losers’ bracket finals against Big Sonny’s. The Columbus club drew first blood with a run in the top of the 1st, but Team Insanity grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning and never trailed again. The Northern Kentucky squad tacked on one in the 2nd, four in the 3rd, two in the 4th and three in the 5th to build a 12-4 lead, then held on for a 13-5 victory. Roger Drake’s rbi double put his team ahead to stay at 2-1 in the 1st. Seth Tracy launched a two run home run in the four run 3rd. Brandon Johnson tripled home a run and scored on a Brian Parrish sac fly in the 4th. Then an rbi single by Roger Foster and a pair of sac flies - one by Jim Burt and the other by Craig Johnson - accounted for Team Insanity’s three 5th inning tallies.

Tracy and Parrish shared six hits for the winners.

Hooded Frogs then stopped Mike Foulks in the finals, 14-10.

“We look forward to carrying our success to the World and bringing back a championship to Cincinnati,” said Mike Foulks’ Roger Foster. “We’ve had a few good tournaments at the end of the year.”

USSSA GREAT LAKES DIVISION MEN'S CLASS “C” CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGS

1. Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome, Bridgeview, IL 6 0 2. Mike Foulks/Team Insanity, Union, KY 5 2 3. Big Sonny’s, Reynoldsburg, OH 4 2 4. Players Inc., Chicago, IL 5 2 5. Garrett’s/Shockers/Bud Light, Indianapolis, IN 4 2 STL Hits/Revamped, St. Louis, MO 3 2 7. Sentry Fire/Apex/LYBC, Erlanger, KY 4 2 Bondsmen/Stucco/Worth, Columbus, OH 3 2 9. Kimball Shirtworks, Springfield, OH 3 2 Target, Morgantown, WV 3 2 D & S Engineering, Loveland, OH 2 2 Max Softball, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 13. Full Tilt Softball, Napierville, IL 2 2 Paul Davis Restoration, Rockford, IL 2 2 Sequa/Kemper/Sexton, Dayton, OH 2 2 Souses/Rogers Drywall, Rockford, IL 2 2 17. Base Line, Indianapolis, IN 1 2 East End/Air Industrial, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 EZ Cash/Steve’s Tires, Grove City, OH 1 2 Loveless/Conveyor/Total Tan, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 TPE/AST/Miken, Trenton, OH 1 2 Empire/Easton, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 No. Chicago Ballers, No. Chicago, IL 0 2 J & R/Mappington Moose, Anmoore, WV 0 2 25. Ballers/Check Care, Louisville, KY 0 2 Design Concepts/M. W. Const., New Rich., OH 0 2 House Rules/Crosley’/Colerain Pub, Cin., OH 0 2 Pure Romance/Premier Sports, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 Team Picnic, Rockford, IL 0 2

USSSA GREAT LAKES DIVISION MEN'S CLASS “C” NATIONAL TOURN. ALL-TOURN. TEAM

Lucas Eads Garrett’s/Shockers Tom Wilkerson STL Hits/Revamped Gary Lofton Players Inc. Kevin Sak Players Inc. Donny Marvin Big Sonny’s Greg Willis Big Sonny’s Chris Woolwine Big Sonny’s Craig Johnson Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Andrew McGowan Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Jason Murphy Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Brian Parrish Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Dennis Bryar Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome Jim Clanton Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome James Heichert Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome Dan Oates Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome Lenny Svoboda Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome Seth Tracey - ODP Mike Foulks/Team Insanity Matthew Walus - OOP Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome Mike Savino - MVP Hooded Frogs/Sports Dome

Pitching, Defense Carry Champions To Title... Trame, Caudill Lead Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shoppe Past Worth-Bud Light-USSSA Great Lakes “D” Field At Expressway Park

Milford, Oh.--Scott Trame batted .783 and pitcher Shane Caudill held seven opponents to eight runs or less to lead Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shoppe to a first place finish in the Worth-Bud Light-USSSA Great Lakes “D” National Championship September 2-4 at Expressway Park.

Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shoppe swept undefeated past the 55-team field, polishing off Lancaster Stampede 11-7 in the championship game.

The victory netted the Dawg Pack $600 in USSSA travel expense. Paid berths to the USSSA “D” World Tournament were awarded to fourth place Paradise Motor Group/Young Guns and fifth place Trailblazers.

The champions were far from overpowering. Aside from a 19-6 spanking of Pharmacy Solutions - a game they led only by a 10-6 margin going into the 5th - the largest run spread in any of Dawg Pack/Greene’s contests was six.

“We never really blew anybody out,” said player-coach Danny Sharp. “We just played everybody good enough to get by. Our defense and pitching were strong. We relied heavily on the strong pitching of Shane Caudill. Scott Trame is really the only guy who hit consistenty for us in every game throughout the entire tournament.”

Trame was named tournament MVP, and Caudill the Outstanding Defensive Player.

Other hitting leaders for the Pack were Jay Eibel at .650, Caudill at .611, Jim Gentry at .600 and Chris Young at .583. Eibel, Gentry and Young were named to the All-Tournament team.

“Jay seemed to get several clutch hits for us,” said Sharp. “And Jimmy was our rbi leader. He kept producing with runners in scoring position. Scott played centerfield the entire tournament and was our leader at the top of our line-up.”

But it was pitching and defense, underscored Sharp, that carried his club to the title. And pitcher Shane Caudill shouldered much of the load for both.

“He actually held every team to under ten runs and anchored the defense in the infield,” lauded Sharp.

In the outfield, Sharp said his team got “solid play all weekend from Bob Kindoll (l), Chris Young (c) and Scott Trame (r).

“Bob made a couple of huge plays in the championship game to stop Lancaster’s momentum and keep us ahead,” said Sharp. “Chris is the center of our defense and our emotional leader. Scott is the guy who can carry us. When he goes, everything else seems to fall into place.”

The Dawg Pack received a 7-0 forfeit victory over the Battlecats in the first round, then routed Pharmacy Solutions 19-6, blowing open a 10-6 contest with six runs in the top of the 5th. Bob Kindoll, whose two run double was the big blow in the 5th, went 4-for-5 along with Scott Trame. Jay Eibel and Shane Caudill chipped in three hits apiece.

Next Dawg Pack used two runs in the 6th and three in the 7th to fend off Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints 9-8. Josh Kinnett tripled home a run and scored on Jeremy Wilson’s sac fly as the Dawg Pack broke a 4-4 tie in the 6th. The Saints answered with one, but Dawg Pack plated three more runs to go ahead 9-5 in the top of the 7th. Scott Trame’s double made it 7-5, a Paul DeMoss sac fly pushed the led to 8-5, and Bobby Kindoll’s rbi single capped off the inning. Moe’s threatened in the bottom of the 7th, scoring three runs, then putting runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. But pitcher Shane Caudill shut down the rally, recording the final out on a fly ball to right.

Jim Gentry went 3-for-4, and Kinnett, DeMoss and Dan Sharp added two hits apiece.

In game three Dawg Pack couldn’t shake free from Good Guys/Patrick’s Hardwood until the bottom of the 6th, when they put up three runs to break a 7-7 stalemate. Jay Eibel’s rbi double put the Pack ahead to stay at 8-7. An insurance run crossed the plate when Shane Caudill hit into a fielder’s choice, then Chris Young’s rbi single closed out the scoring.

Eibel, Jimmy Gentry, Jeremy Wilson and Scott Trame each went 2-for-3 to pace the offense.

The Dawg Pack scored five in the 3rd, one in the 4th and four in the 5th to overcome a 3-0 deficit and grab a 10-5 lead over Paradise/Young Guns and roll to an eventual 14-8 victory. Scott Trame’s rbi single put his team ahead for good at 4-3 in the Pack’s five run 3rd. Brandon Black’s two run single capped of the four run 5th. In the top of the 7th the lead swelled to 14-5 with the help of a Jimmy Gentry two run bingle.

Trame, Black and Gentry banged out three hits each for the winners.

A four run 5th and a three run 6th accounted for all seven of Dawg Pack’s runs in a 7-1 pasting of Lancaster Stampede in the winners’ bracket finals. Paul DeMoss got his club on the board with an rbi single in the 5th. Scott Trame, whose two run double highlighted the 6th, collected four hits, and Chris Young went 3-for-4.

The Dawg Pack never trailed against the Stampede in the finals after erupting for six runs in the bottom of the 1st. The inning featured a two run Bob Kindoll single and an rbi triple by Josh Kinnett. Dawg Pack tacked on lone runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Then - after Lancaster cut the defict to 9-7 - put up two big insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th on sac flies by Chris Young and Scot Young. Shane Caudill retired Lancaster one-two-three in the top of the 7th to preserve the win.

Trame and Brandon Black combined for six hits, and Kindoll added two and shared six rbi’s with Scott Trame.

Dawg Pack coach Danny Sharp said that getting past three local clubs - Pharmacy Solutions, Moe’s and Good Guys - early in the tournament was big for his team.

“The area was well-represented and we know going in against any of those guys it was going to be a battle,” said Sharp. “We’ve seen each other more than once, and Moe’s has had our number a couple of different times this year. For whatever reason, they play us as tough as anyone we’ve seen.”

How did it feel to win the Great Lakes National Tournament, the largest in the nation in 2006?

“It was unbelievable,” said Sharp. “It’s nice to get back on track and there’s no better tournament to get your momentum going before the World than the Nationals.

“Hopefully we can do this one more time.”

BUD LIGHT-USSSA GREAT LAKES DIVISION MEN'S CLASS “D” CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINAL STANDINGS

1. Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower, Cincinnati, OH 7 0 2. Lancaster Stampede, Rushville, OH 6 2 3. Team Bring It, Cincinnait, OH 6 2 4. Paradise Motor Group/Young Guns, Joliet, IL 5 2 5. Dizzy Roosters, Louisville, KY 5 2 Trailblazers, Cincinnati, OH 4 2 7. Buzz, Bellevue, IL 5 2 Veterans Security, Louisville, KY 3 2 9. Lykins Cont./Tower Tee Golf, Cincinnati, OH 5 2 BCP Associates/Mr. Tint/Kahoots, Cols., OH 4 2 Wizards Softball, Schaumburg, IL 4 2 Good Guys/Patrick’s Hardwood, Covington, KY 3 2 13. Extreme Softball/KLM/Turner, Cincinnati, OH 4 2 Budget Door, Columbus, OH 3 2 Cooper Auto/Tanel 360, Huber Heights, OH 3 2 Amer. Legion/Bomb Squad, Cold Springs, KY 2 2 17. Walkers/Tanel 360, McCordsville, IN 2 2 Best Way Frame/Nasty Boys, Bellevue, KY 2 2 Hellyeah, Schaumburg, IL 2 2 Hitmen Softball, Hillsboro, OH 2 2 Yep, Burbank, IL 2 2 Moe’s Southwest Grill/Saints, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Sage/Posse Softball Club, Crystal Lake, IL 1 2 Sneaky Pete’s/Noran/Backst., Ft. Thomas, KY 1 2 25. The Snappy Snappers, Cincinnati, OH 2 2 Accurate Masonry/Beaches, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Meridian Auto Sales/Gallaghers 2, Indpls., IN 1 2 Secret Service, Cincinnati, OH 1 2 Sportin’ Wood, Fairview Heights, IL 1 2 Stifflers, Powell, OH 1 2 Team Softball, Louisville, KY 1 2 Two-N-Out.com/Easton, Florence, KY 1 2 33. Dale’s Truck Parts, Xenia, OH 1 2 Lyndon Merchants, Louisville, KY 1 2 M. J. Lowe, Lancaster, OH 1 2 McGaffers/Caps Fury, Lombard, IL 1 2 Pharmacy Solutions, Florence, KY 1 2 Pridecast/S & W/DeMarini, Florence, KY 1 2 Prime Time, Crescent Springs, KY 1 2 Triple L/Inner Health, Columbus, OH 1 2 Four Baggers, Red Bud, IL 1 2 Armor Windows, Florence, KY 0 2 Hooters, Louisville, KY 0 2 M & M Connection, Carlisle, OH 0 2 Northern Kentucky Thunder, Burlington, KY 0 2 Northwest Pallet/Starbusters, Woodstock, IL 0 2 Playmakers, Sabina, OH 0 2 T & T/Lyons/Tanel, Independence, KY 0 2 49. Battlecats, Wayne City, IL 0 2 Bombers, Fairview Heights, IL 0 2 Clark State/Clark Co. Merchants, Spfld., OH 0 2 Dawg Pound, Sidney, OH 0 2 Ground Texx, Cincinnati, OH 0 2 Lugnuts, Milstadt, IL 0 2 Veteran’s Sec./Friends & Neigh., Dayton, KY 0 2

USSSA GREAT LAKES DIVISION MEN'S CLASS “D” NATIONAL TOURN. ALL-TOURN. TEAM

Jason Brooks Dizzy Roosters Brian Seibert Trailblazers Scott Hodgen Paradise Motor Group/Young Guns Branden More Paradise Motor Group/Young Guns Chris Taylor Team Bring It Jamie Ashford Team Bring It Ron Loveless Sr. Team Bring It John Mowery Lancaster Stampede Shane Duncan Lancaster Stampede A. J. Hurst Lancaster Stampede Jim Gentry Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shoppe Jay Eibel Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shoppe Chris Young Dawg Pack/Greene’s Flower Shoppe Shane Caudill - ODP Dawg Pack/Greene’s Kyle Mackie - Co-MVP Lancaster Stampede Scott Trame - Co-MVP Dawg Pack/Greene’s

Father Hubbard 2-1, Blazers 3-0 En Route To Kolping Division Titles

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--Father Hubbard posted a 2-1 record, while the Blazers swept undefeated past three teams to claim their respective division titles in an eight team, two division Saturday night round robin September 2nd at Kolping Park.

Father Hubbard shelled the Hamilton Hitmen (2-1) 24-14 and Kodiaks (0-3) 15-5 to clinch their division title before being ambushed by Pitt Ohio (2-1) 8-3 in the finale.

While in division two, the routed Peanuts Gang (0-3) 15-5, then outslugged the D-Generates (1-2) 20-14 before rallying for seven runs in the bottom of the 7th to stun Allnet (2-1) 19-18 to complete the sweep.

Bushwackers Level Kolping Park Field; Outscore Opponents 71-17

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--The Bushwackers trampled three opponents en route to a first place finish in a four team Sunday morning round robin September 3rd at Kolping Park.

The Bushwackers steamrolled Caribean Storm (0-3) 25-4, Railers (0-3) 25-10 and Rush Auto Sales (2-1) 21-3 to complete the sweep.

September 9-10

M & M Connection Steamrolls Lou Schmidt Memorial Field At Kolping Park

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--M & M Connection outscored six opponents by a 128-38 margin en route to a first place finish in the Lou Schmidt Memorial Tournament September 9th at Kolping Park.

No team got closer than ten runs to the champions, who steamrolled With Ourselves 16-1, Blazers 19-9, Watson’s 31-13, J & N Chargers 26-0, J. D. Trucking 25-14, and the Diamond Freaks 11-1 in the deciding contest.

The final standings: 1. M & M Construction 6-0, 2. Diamond Freaks 4-2, 3. J. D. Trucking 3-2, 4. Maxed Out 3-2, 5. Blazers 2-2, 6. With Ourselves 1-4, 7. J & N Chargers 0-4, 8. Watson’s 0-4.

Offense Carries Hamilton Hitmen, 669 Mafia To Kolping Division Titles

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--The Hamilton Hitmen and 669 Mafia averaged 19 runs per game on their way to a first place in their respective divisions in an eight team, two division Saturday night round robin September 9th at Kolping Park.

The Hitmen spanked eventual division runner-up Lights Out (2-1) 18-11 in a key first round match-up, then romped past D-Generates (1-2) 16-2 and Bilstein (0-3) 22-13 to complete the sweep.

While in division two, 669 Mafia routed Sports Machine (0-3) 15-5, then outslugged The Filthy Finest (2- 1) and Guido’s (1-2) by identical 21-17 scores.

DeClaire Shells Worth-Bud Light-USSSA One-Pitch Field At Expressway Park

Milford, Oh.--DeClaire Insurance recovered from a 1-1 performance in pool play to shell three elimination round opponents and capture first place in a six team, Worth-Bud Light-USSSA One-Pitch tournament on Monday, September 4th at at Expressway Park.

DeClaire knocked off Airway (0-2) in their opener, but suffered a 19-11 setback at the hands of M & M Connection (2-0 in game two.

Then in the elimination round, DeClaire’s offense kicked into high gear, as they averaged 27 runs per game to slug their way past Team Fox 27-4, Gale Construction 24-13 and M & M 29-23 to avenge their only loss.

G-Troop took first place in the lower bracket, erasing Gale Construction before besting Airway 6-3.

McKinley’s Pub Trims Shananigan’s 8-7 In Field Of Dreams “Make A Wish” Benfit At Kolping Park

Mt. Healthy, Oh.--McKinley’s Pub outdueled Shananigan’s 8-7 in the championship game to capture first place in the “Field of Dreams” benefit tournament for the “Make A Wish Foundation” Sunday, September 10th at Kolping Park.

Both McKinley’s and Shananigan’s won their division titles to advance to the finals of the eight team, combination round robin-single elimination affair.

McKinley’s flattened Drink-Drank-Drunk (0-3) 28-3 in their opener, then battled past eventual division runner-up Fighting Hellfish (2-1) 9-6 in a key second round match-up before polishing off F. M. Hop (1-2) 13-4.

Shananigan’s was never challenged en route to the division two title, as they steamrolled Master Batters (1- 2) 17-2, Epps General (2-1) 15-4 and Boy Band Ballers (0-3) 14-0.

The event raised over $1,800 for the Make A Wish Foundation.