We’ve mentioned a “Golden State Renaissance”, and the strong finishes in national and world tournaments by California teams in 2007. With Vancouver’s gold-medal performance at the Sr. Canadians in St. John’s and CR/Adidas’ title in the ASA “B” National, it is only fitting to note that things go further north, to a couple more west coast teams, so we at Fastpitchwest tip our cap to those teams as well.
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Best of the West
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007CR/Adidas Tops PA Power for ASA “B” Title
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007
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CR/Adidas, Oregon was unbeaten throughout the 2007 ASA “B” National tournament, besting PA Power in the winner’s bracket final, and again in the title game, after PA Power outsted the third place River City Rockers of Sacramento, California.
Golden State Renaissance
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007Editor’s note: We’ve reposted this a third time, with the addition some additional high finishers in the ASA Nationals this weekend.
California teams are enjoying a resurgence of success at the national level in 2007 post season play:
1st: Rude Pac, NAFA A-Major Champions, Des Moines, SCIFL
2nd: So Cal Bombers, Palm Springs, runner-up at ISC World Tournament
2nd: Bakersfield Lumberkings, runner-up at ISC II Tournament of Champions
3rd: A-1/Taylor Farms, Castro Valley, CA, at ISC II Tournament of Champions
3rd: River City Rockers, Sacramento, CA at NAFA “AA” World Series;
River City Rockers, Sacramento, CA at the ASA “B” Nationals; and
Italian Athletic Club, Stockton, CA, at the ASA “A” Nationals
4th: Santa Rosa Fastpitch, at the ASA “C” Nationals
Judging from my email bag, the post season successes have renewed fan interest in California fastpitch as well. Waking up on the final day of the ISC World Tournament and ISC II Tournament of Champions, and seeing all three California teams (Bombers in ISC, Lumberkings & A-1/Taylor in ISCII) still in the hunt and then later in the day, a California team in each final was something to see.
This comment appeared in a story reflecting on the 2007 ISC and ISC II tournaments, by Dave Birnie, from Ontario Canada:
What’s up with California teams ? Although they didn’t win a title they had the SoCal Bombers in the ISC Final and the California Lumber Kings in the ISC II Final with another Cali team in the ISC II Semi Final, the A1 Taylor Farms. California well represented in 2007 !
Vandalia wins ASA A National Championship over New Image, WI for ASA “A” Title
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007From Timothy Hatten at the FPW/Illinois Fastpitch forum:
New Image moved back to the final game by holding of Travis Price and his fellow California teammates 4-3. Jeremy Holeman comes in relief to strike out the final batter to put out a late inning rally by So Cal.
WP Brian Lathrop
LP: Travis PriceVandalia went ahead with a 2 run single by Nick Casey in the 6th.
WP: Brad Sturdy
LP: Jeremy HolemanJohn Reed will be posting final results later on in the evening.
Tim Hatten
BHAC Pride Fastpitch
Gold for Vancouver at Sr. Canadians
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007Softball Canada Senior Mens FP National Championship @ St. John’s Newfoundland
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Championship Game – (completed at 2:45 pm PDT)
Vancouver Grey Sox 1
St. John’s, Newfoundland Roebothan,McKay,Marshall 0
WP – Korrey Gareau
LP – Frank Cox
An exciting championship game played before a large and pro – Newfoundland crowd. Grey Sox 3B Rob Giesbrecht reached base on an error in the 5th inning and scored when DP Doug Cain doubled, thus providing the BC side with the margin of victory. In the bottom of the 7th the hosts led off with a double to make things very interesting, but Grey Sox pitcher Korrey Gareau battled his way out of the jam and the Vancouver side turned a double play to end the game.
(click logo for official team website)
The Grey Sox become the first BC based team to win the National Championship since the 2001 Victoria Travellers Inn accomplished the feat at the annual event held that year in Summerside, PEI. They also become the first Vancouver based team to win the Nationals in 41 years since the Vancouver Blue Boys last did it in 1966 when the event was held that year in Calgary, AB.
Final Order of Finish
Gold – Vancouver Grey Sox
Silver – St. John’s Newfoundland
Bronze – Kitchener, Ontario Hallman Twins
4th – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Aspen Interiors
5th – Stony Plain, Alberta Twiliters
6th – Newfoundland Impact Signs
7th – St. Thomas, Ontario Centennials
8th – Jarvis, Ontario Merchants
9th – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Diamondbacks
10th – Charlottetown, PEI Fawcetts
11th – Brookfield, Nova Scotia Elks
12th – Newfoundland Grumpy Stump
Santa Rosa Bows Out, Finishes 4th at ASA “C”
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007
(click logo to visit official site, with brackets and more)
The run by Santa Rosa Fastpitch through the loser’s bracket of the Class C National Tournament in Killeen, TX, ended this morning with a 12-6 loss to Marysville V.F.W. of Marysville, Pennsylvania.
Santa Rosa finished fourth in the 30-team field with a 6-2 record. Both losses were to teams from Pennslyvania, the first being a 10-0 setback to Twin Pine that dropped the team into the loser’s bracket. While Santa Rosa advanced through the loser’s bracket with a powerful hitting attack, Marysville, which lost its tournament opener, got some great pitching to stay alive in the loser’s bracket. They defeated the Albuquerque Hitmen 7-1, Memphis Dawgs 10-0, Twin Pine 1-0, and the Wolfpack 1-0 before eliminating Team Killeen in the game leading up to their meeting with Santa Rosa.
Thanks to Herb Dower for all of his reports throughout this tournament.
Rockers Eliminate Luna, One Win from Title Game(s)
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007
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Update from Kary Moore from Altamonte Springs, FL:
The River City Rockers avenged a first round loss to Luna Towing, 9-1, and is one game away from the ASA “B” Championship game.
CR/Adidas, Oregon defeated PA Power, PA, 1-0 and will await the winner of the loser’s bracket final between the River City Rockers, CA and PA Power, PA.
Editor’s notes: River City has been on a roll ever since their 7-5 first round loss to Luna Towing of Arizona. Since then, they have reeled off five consecutive wins, with an average margin of victory over 7 runs:
River City Rockers 8, Romie’s Angels 0
River City Rockers 10, Tiffany’s 1
River City Rockers 7, Florida Fastpitch 4
River City Rockers 9, Wabash, IN 0
River City Rockers 10, Luna Towing 2
Teams Remaining
Unbeaten (1)
CR/Adidas, OR
One Loss (2)
River City Rockers, CA
PA Power, PA
Santa Rosa Notches Another Win, Within Two of Title
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007
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Herb Dower’s report on Santa Rosa Fasptitch at the ASA “C” Nationals in Killeen, TX:
Good news and bad news:
The Santa Rosa Fastpitch team remained alive in the Class C National Tournament in Killeen, TX, by defeating Rico Motors of Gallup, NM, 5-1, in a losers’ bracket game Sunday morning but may have lost its No. 1 pitcher, Jeff Want, in the process. With Santa Rosa holding a slim 3-1 lead in the fifth inning, Want suffered a leg injury while delivering a pitch and was forced to leave the game. He may be out for the rest of the tournament. Jim Fleck relieved Want and completed the game, with Santa Rosa getting two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Santa Rosa will be on the field again against the winner of the Team Killeen-Marysville VFW game, and the winner of that game will play again at 2 p.m. in the losers bracket finals against the loser of the Tatis-Piper Lake game. It would take two more wins to win the championship.
Here is the latest bracket from the official ASA website, which does not yet reflect Santa Rosa’s win over Rico Motors, of Gallup NM. (bracket *.010.pdf”)
Unbeaten (2)
Tatis, El Paso, Texas
Piper Lake, Shawnee, Kansas
One Loss (3)
Team Killeen, Killeen, Texas
Marysville VFW, Marysville, Pennsylvania
Santa Rosa Fastpitch, Santa Rosa, CA (waiting for the winner of the Team Killeen vs. Marysville game)
Participating teams
Team Killeen faces long road to fastpitch title game from losers bracket
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007From the Killeen Daily Herald:
By Princess McDowell
Killeen Daily Herald
Team Killeen lost to Tatis, 8-4, Saturday at Killeen Athletic Complex, dropping them into the losers bracket of the Men’s ‘C’ Fastpitch National Championship.
The team will face Marysville VFW at 9 a.m. today on Field 3. In order for the team to win the tournament, it will have to win five consecutive games.
Pitcher Benito Flores had a busy day on the mound. He tossed a one-hitter in the early game against the Titans, but gave up seven runs on nine hits in the night game against Tatis.
Jason Hooten, Team Killeen coach and shortstop, said he didn’t think Flores was fatigued – it was just that the Tatis hitters were connecting with tough pitches.
Flores was relieved after plating the inning’s 10th batter.
Tatis would have scored eight in the sixth, but its second batter pulled up with an injury running to third. He was tagged out while limping to home plate.
While Team Killeen’s pitching struggled, the team’s offense could not get started. Team Killeen had three players reach base in the final three innings.
“We were able to get those three early off him, but they just got hot when it was time to,” he said. “That’s how softball works.”
Hooten said he probably would not start Flores for their first game today since he may have to be used later.
The team defeated the San Antonio Titans, 8-0, in six innings to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Team Killeen’s offense turned up the heat, scoring three in the first and second innings. The game was called in the sixth because of the run-rule.
Catcher Ed Solis hit a two-run home run in the first to put the team ahead 3-0. After Mike Garza grounded out to the third baseman, the next four batters reached base, with two crossing home.
Team Killeen added insurance runs in the third and sixth before the game was called.
Hooten said the team played really well in the early game.
“We hit the ball great and had our momentum going,” he said.
Killeen’s other hometown team, Killeen Fastpitch, was eliminated late Friday after being defeated by Garden Spot Bowl, 13-9.
Rockers Lead Florida ….
Saturday, September 1st, 2007
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A Blackberry report from Kary Moore of the Rockers from Altamonte Springs, FL:
Bostick hits one hopper off fence to drive in Periera who singled…Rockers 6-2 in 5th.
The tournament was delayed earlier in the day due to inclement weather. The Rockers are one of four remaining teams in the loser’s bracket, with four more in the winner’s bracket. Should they hold this lead, their next game would be against a “drop down” team, the loser of the winner’s bracket semi, Wabash IN vs. CR Adidas.
Winner’s bracket (4)
Luna Towing, AZ
Penn Power, PA
CR Adidas, OR
Wabash, IN
Loser’s Bracket (4)
Florida Fastpitch, FL
River City Rockers, CA
Adco Tool Shed, NY or Innovative Communications UT (winner unreported on bracket)
Romie’s Angels, CA