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BC rallies by BASES, Bay Street wins slugfest

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Petoskey, MI

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

BC Pizza hit three home runs during a five-run bottom-of-the-seventh inning Tuesday en route to a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over BASES in a Petoskey Men’s Fast Pitch Softball League game at Bayfront Park’s Ed White Field.

Keith Young, Scott Cischke and Nick McIntosh each homered for BC, which trailed, 5-1, entering its final at-bat. Tim Pennell and Kory Ciesielski each doubled in the inning as well.

McIntosh, Cischke and Pennell finished with two hits apiece. Winning pitcher Doyle Dustin struck out four, walked one and allowed nine hits.

Aaron Wiers doubled, tripled, homered and drove in three runs to lead BASES. Brian Loper also homered and Chris Loper added two hits. Losing pitcher Jim Potter allowed 10 hits, walked one and struck out five.

Tom Longcore had four hits including a triple and a home run and finished with five RBI as Bay Street Orthopaedics outslugged All State Insurance, 19-14, in Tuesday’s second game.

Dan Kulman singled and doubled, Dave Woods homered, and Dan Wilcox and Wade Leist had two hits apiece to lead Bay Street. Weist and Woods drove in three runs apiece, while Don Richards, Mark Thompson and Stan Neff added two RBI each.

Neff started and picked up the victory. He allowed four runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out two over 3 2-3 innings. Woods and Dave Siegrist each pitched in relief.

The teams combined for 23 hits.

Losing pitcher Bud Ormsbee struck out two and walked five.

Aaron Simon doubled, tripled and homered to lead All State, Ty Averil homered, Josh Bush doubled, and Mike Holmes and Ryan Kalbleish added two hits apiece. Kalbleish and Holmes finished with three RBI each.

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Add Another To the Unfriendly Skies We Fly

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Northwest Airlines has joined the parade of carriers that will charge for checked baggage.

The airline, which has hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, announced the $15 charge today. It takes effect for any tickets purchased starting Thursday, July 10, and applies to travel that begins Aug. 28 and thereafter.

Northwest also will begin charging for frequent-flier tickets: $25 for domestic tickets, $50 for trans-Atlantic and $100 for trans-Pacific flights. The airline also plans to cut 2,500 jobs.

Northwest joins American and United airlines and US Airways in imposing the fee.

Northwest President Doug Steenland, in a media statement, cited energy costs as the reason for the fee, calling the fuel issue “unprecedented.”

The airline also will increase its ticket change fee from $100 to $150.


Editor’s note: $25-50-100 for frequent flier tickets? Uh, thank you for your loyalty, that will be $25-50-100 for the privilege. Audacity, thy name is Northwest Airlines. If you’re buying a ticket on Northwest to Kimberly, note that the change goes into effect tomorrow. Be sure to check the date of purchase on your tickets — they can’t charge you retroactively, though United Airlines tried on my last flight. Flyers beware.

An unpaid advertisement for an airline that DOESN’T charge by the bag:

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Al’s Fastball Coverage of Tri-Nation Challenge

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Al Doran has all the coverage of this past weekend’s Tri-Nation Challenge in Saskatoon:

Full details on the Three Nations Challenge at Alsfastball

Some individual pieces on Al’s News Page as well.

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Mackintosh rounds third, now heading for home

Monday, July 7th, 2008

From the The StarPhoenix:
Dustin Munroe
Saturday, July 05, 2008


Canada’s Craig Crawford is out on second, with Japan’s Yu Nishimori gunning for a double play in the 3 Nations Challenge on Friday at Bob Van Impe Stadium. Photo Credit: –SP Photo by Richard Marjan

Before the music is cued for Keith Mackintosh, he is looking forward to one more dance.

Mackintosh is competing in the 3 Nations Challenge tournament this weekend at Bob Van Impe Stadium, what he calls the dress rehearsal for the International Softball Federation world men’s championship next summer in Saskatoon.

For the first time in his 13-year career with the Canadian team, Mackintosh got to play with the national team in Melfort, where he was born and raised. The Canadians had an exhibition doubleheader against the U.S. there on Wednesday, winning twice.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be introduced in your hometown as part of a national team,” said Mackintosh. “I’m nearing the end of my career, so it’s pretty special for me to experience those moments.

“I played all my minor ball in Melfort, we had a good core of players who lived and breathed the game. Our team, coming from a community of 5000 people, won the bantam western championships, bantam national championships and the junior national championships before we all moved on.”

Canada defeated the U.S. 4-2 in the opening game of the Challenge on Thursday. In the late game Japan defeated the U.S. 8-3. Canada played Japan and the U.S. on Friday. Action continues today, with Japan playing Canada at 6:30 p.m. and Japan against the United States at 8:30 p.m. Playoffs are on Sunday.

Mackintosh lives in Saskatoon with his wife, Kim, and sons Riley, 10, and Matthew, 4, and plays club ball with the Aspen Interiors Black Sox.

“They’ve all been involved in the game, Kim played when she was younger,” said Mackintosh. “They’ve all been really supportive of me travelling around.

“I’ve made a deal with my wife and kids that if I don’t make the ’09 team that will play here, I’m retiring this year. I’m not ready to retire this year, but if the Canadian championships (in Saskatoon in late August this year) is my last tournament, then I’ll be good with that.

“This year will be my 19th senior men’s nationals. It would be nice to make the ’09 national team, finish up 20 years (of senior national play), and call it a career.”

He is one of 20 players vying for spots on the 2009 national team.

Mackintosh’s playing career may be in the twilight, but he looks forward to getting a new generation excited about the sport.

“Both of my kids will be playing and I’ll give them the same kind of support my parents did for me,” he said. “There will also be a few more weekends at the lake in the summer.”

Mackintosh’s favourite softball moment is winning gold at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. You get the feeling playing in the 2009 world championship in front of the home crowd would be even sweeter.
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008

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Friday, July 4th, 2008

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USA Men’s National team loses two exhibition starts to Canadian National Team

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

From Al’s Fastball:

Thursday, July 3, 2008
USA Men’s National team loses two exhibition starts to Canadian National Team

MELFORT, Saskatchewan — The USA Men’s National team went on the road in Saskatchewan to take on the Canadian National team and loss two exhibition games Wednesday night. The team traveled to Melfort, SK and played in front of over 1,400 spectators on a cool night. Team Canada swept the doubleheader by scores of 5-0 and 4-1.

Game 1 – Canada 5 USA 0
In the first game, Team USA could not score against the hard throwing Grant Patterson. Shortstop Blake Miller (Kingsville, Texas) was on base three times going 2-2 and also getting on base after being hit by a pitch. Team USA’s best scoring chance was in the sixth when Chad Seeman (Chenoa, Ill.) led off the inning with a single. After a Steve Pinnochio (Merced, Calif.) strikeout, Miller was hit by a pitch giving the U.S. two baserunners. Third baseman Matt Palazzo (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) then grounded into an inning ending double play. Left fielder Eddie Ketelhut (Canton, Mich.) had the lone extra base hit for the Americans, a double in the fifth inning with two outs. Ketelhut was stranded when right fielder Chase Turner (Stockton, Calif.) grounded out to first.

Team USA starting pitcher Cody Thomson (0-1) (Herriman, Utah) threw well allowing just six hits and striking out seven. The home run was key for the Canadians as they hit three solo home runs. Second baseman Jody Eildt was 2-3 with two solo home runs in the game. Canadian catcher Steve Crawford was 2-2 with three RBI on a double and solo home run.

Game 2 – Canada 4 USA 1
In the second game, Team USA managed only two hits against a pair of Canadian pitchers. The lone USA run was on a long solo home run by Seeman in the fifth inning. The only other hit was a single in the second off of Canadian starter Trevor Eithier. Eithier went five innings and was relieved by Derek Mayson who threw two scoreless innings. American pitcher Gerald Pyle (0-1) (Simi Valley, Calif.) tossed five innings giving up seven hits and walking four. He was relieved in the sixth by Sean Kelly (Homer, Mich.) who gave up just one hit.

Team USA ends their exhibition tour at 1-2 as they begin play tonight in the 3 Nations Challenge at 6:30 p.m. (MST) against Japan. The second game of the evening will feature USAagainst Canada at 8:30 p.m. (MST).

(more…)

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The Dower Report – Santa Rosa Times Two

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Santa Rosa is Red, Santa Rosa is Blue, Both of These Teams to the Nationals too.

From Herb Dower:

SONORA, CA — First there was one and now there are two Santa Rosa fastpitch teams to worry about. Santa Rosa Fastpitch Blue and Santa Rosa Fastpitch Red posted a combined 10-1 record in last weekend’s Class C Sonora Tournament, with the Blue team winning the championship with a 4-1 win over Da Bruddah’s of Hayward on Sunday to cap a perfect 6-0 tournament run. It was the Blue team’s second win over their arch rivals from Hayward. In Saturday’s first game, veteran pitcher Jim Fleck turned in his strongest outing of the season in beating Da Bruddah’s 3-1.

The powerful hitting Santa Rosa team also beat North Bay 16-3 on Saturday and routed Merced 20-0 in a five-inning game on Sunday, at one point collecting 11 consecutive hits, capped by a grandslam home run by Carlos Gomez. Santa Rosa had to struggle to beat North Bay on Sunday, coming from behind to get the win that put them into the finals.

In the title game, losing pitcher Rich (Snake) Rivera issued a bases-loaded walk to Santa Rosa catcher Tom Dower in the second inning to give the Blue team a 1-0 lead, and pitcher Jeff Want nursed the lead until the sixth, when Da Bruddah’s tied the score. Santa Rosa bounced right back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, with Casey Hillman hitting a solo home run to end the rally.

Brian Macler hit two home runs during the tourney, including a long drive high up into the trees beyond the 260-foot left-field fence, while Gomez was 5-for-5 in one game and a young newcomer, 19-year-old Cody Spaulding hit well over .600 in his debut. Nick and Dustin Green, Mark Young, Tom Dower and Danny Macler also had key hits. The new Santa Rosa Red team got solid pitching from Brandon Shearer, who had a 4-1 record. Santa Rosa opened with a 3-1 win but then had to overcome 8-1 deficits in its next two games to win 11-8 and 13-12 in 11 innings over Merced and Romie’s Angels on Saturday. They won their opener Sunday before being routed by Da Bruddah’s 14-4 to be eliminated. The Blue team, which finished fourth in last year’s Class C National Tournament in Killeen TX, will be back in the Nationals this year in Prescott, AZ, and the Red team will also be making the journey.

–Herb Dower

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G’day for Gold

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

From the official ISF Jr. Men’s World Championship website:

Australia Wins Fourth Consecutive World Junior Fast Pitch Championship

>

News Release
Sunday, June 29, 2008

The 2008 World Junior Fast Pitch Championship has crowned a familiar victor. After ten days that included 70 games all told, Australia has their fourth consecutive title after a 2-1 extra inning win against the host Canadians.

The gold medal game was tight all the way as pitchers Matt Stafford of Australia and Canada’s Devon McCullough pitched a scoreless draw into the eighth inning where, although Canada was able to produce a run, Australian pinch hitter Drew Faulkner won the game on a two run single with two outs.

“It’s all about these guys (the players),” said George Arcand, Chair of the 2008 World Junior Fast Pitch Championship during the closing ceremonies. “We’re so grateful the ISF gave us the chance to host this great tournament.”

The game was the second of the day for the Canadian team as they had beaten Japan by a score of 5-3 just hours earlier for the chance to play the Australians in the final game of the championship.

Softball Canada President Kevin Quinn was complimentary of all 12 competing nations during his closing ceremonies address.

“Each team from first to twelfth should be so proud of the entertaining brand of softball they played over the last 10 days. All the medal winners are very deserving.”

The International Softball Federation will now turn its’ attention to next year’s Senior Men’s World Fast Pitch Championship which are being held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Contact:
Media Relations
(867) 334-5203
softballmedia@outsidethecube.ca

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Sonora Tournament – Deadline July 3

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

Ok Managers and Coaches, the deadline is here. I have to know by July 3 if you are going to PLAY in Sonora on the 12 & 13. This should be a good event since there are teams from central and northern CA coming. Once again this event is sponsored by BLACK OAK CASINO. Fun packets will be given to all players. CALL OR EMAIL.

—
Bob Chapel

Checks must be received by Tues. July 8th. Remember our mail is snail mail

Bob Chapel
1165 Capricorn Pl
Billings MT 59105

Posted in General, Nor Cal, Tournaments | No Comments »

Midwest Stampede Wins Albaugh Tournament

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

From Dennis Frye:

The Midwest Stampede in Thrilling fashion WON in the 8th inning, to rally and Capture the Prize against a Very Tough Townline team from Green Bay 8-7 on Sunday afternoon . They also met on Saturday night and went back and forth in a see-saw affair , coming out on top 8-5 ! The Fast-pitch action all weekend had to deal with Strong winds and Sprinkle’s but The Higher Power wanted Softball at it’s Finest to be on DISPLAY for ALL who were here to Experience the Atmosphere .

(more…)

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