Two teams from So Cal ASA Alliance won again Saturday to remain unbeaten, and advanced to the Winner’s Bracket Elite Eight at the ASA “C” National Tournament. As the tournament heads into Day 4 of 5, only 8 of the original 65 teams remain unbeaten:
1) Rude Pac, CA
2) Global Pacific, CA
3) El Segundo Rounders, CA
4) Team Taylor, CA
5) Bob Hoffman PA
6) Penn Power, PA
7) West Coast Cardinals, CA
8) Cyclones, OH
The El Segundo Rounders, CA won their fourth game without a loss, a 7-0, 3 hit complete game shutout by pitcher Mitch Mendenhall against Country Club Villa, of California. The game was much closer than the final score indicated, as the Rounders led only 2-0 with two out in the top of the 6th. Linnell Culver drove in Erik Geierman in the first inning, while Gerald Pyle hit a solo shot in the fourth. In the sixth, Tommy Morton led off with a walk, the first issued to a Rounder in the game. After two outs were recorded, catcher Don Younger hit what appeared to be a routine pop-up to the third baseman, but he dropped the ball, and Younger scrambled safely to first, just in front of the throw. Andy Lawry coaxed a walk to load the bases, bringing Erik Geierman to the plate. Geierman drilled his third hit of the day up the middle driving in two. Michael “Spanky” Thomas followed with his third hit of the day, a two run single through the left side to run the score to 6-0. Catcher Donald Younger added an RBI single in the top of the 7th to produce the final 7-0 score. Meanwhile, Mitch Mendenhall allowed just three hits, striking out four and walking none for the win, in what many called his finest outing of the year.
Rude Pac, CA outlasted Black Oak Casino, 11-10 in one of the wildest, and most exciting games of the tournament. Black Oak Casino, with ISC World players Mike Butler and Nate Devine, were averaging 12 runs a game in their first two contests, and 8 home runs. Rude Pac won two earlier games by scores of 16-6 and 9-8, so it was not surprising to see a slugfest develop. Rude Pac was ahead in the early going behind the pitching of Tommy Obregon, leading 11-6 at one point. BOC closed the gap to 11-8, then scored two more in the final frame with the tying run at second base.
Team Taylor, CA handled Nielson Gamblers easily, winning 8-0 and will face the Rounders at 2pm Sunday afternoon.
Global Pacific, OR beat Bay Area High Reach, and will take on Rude Pac in another 2pm Sunday afternoon game.
Bob Hoffman, PA defeated fellow Pennsylvanians, the Allentown Patriots, while yet another Pennsylvania team, Penn Power rallied late in the game to defeat one of the pre-tournament favorites, McLaughlin Air, CA, 5-4, which won the Memorial Weekend Qualifier at the same Louis Park in Stockton earlier in the year.
The West Coast Cardinals, CA topped BMC West, UT, while the Cyclones of Ohio crushed the Crush of Maryland, 11-0 for the final spots in the Elite Eight of the winner’s bracket.
Two other So Cal ASA Alliance teams remained alive into Saturday evening, with RAW winning 11-10, while the Amigos rallied from down 6-1 to win 7-6, on a Hector Spathias hit off the fence, driving in Vincent Garcia in the bottom of the 7th. Anthony Martinez picked up the win in relief. The Amigos were set to face Mel’s Plumbing late Saturday night, with the result not available at press time. The Amigos need to win to survive to Sunday.
Second Round Elimination/Loser’s Bracket Scores from Saturday, September 3 (losers eliminated)
67) RAW, CA 11, Sports Club 10
68) Team Texas, TX 9, Missions II CA, 1
69) Savala Painters Long Beach, CA 5, KHT Pumpers, CA 2
70) Elk Grove, CA 3, Primetime, CA 2
71) Atlanta Blast, AL 11, Oroville Braves, CA 2
72) A-1 Tank, CA 7, Stockton Outlaws, CA 5
73) King Real Estate, 3, Boise Brewers, ID, 0
74) Diamondbacks 12, Santa Rosa Storm, CA 3
75) Cleon’s Auto, WA 8, Frontier Concrete, 5
76) Trexlertown Thunder, PA 5, Savala Painters, Bakersfield, CA, 4
77) Twin Pines, PA 8, Dresslerville 3
78) Bonanza Air, CA 9, Eagle AA, PA, 7
79) Stingers, GA 4, JRW Associates, WA 2
80) Italian Athletic Club, CA 3, CR Adidas, OR 1
81) Mel’s Plumbing, CA 7, Fresno Shockers, CA 3
82) Amigos, CA 7, Party Time Knights, 6
Third Round Winner’s Bracket Scores from Saturday, September 3
83) Rude Pac, CA 11, Black Oak Casino, CA 10
84) Global Pacific, OR over Bay Area High Reach, CA
85) El Segundo Rounders, CA 7, Country Club Villa, CA 0
86) Team Taylor, CA 8, Nielson Gamblers, CA 0
87) Bob Hoffman, PA 6, Allentown Patriots, PA, 3
88) Penn Power, PA over McLaughlin, CA
89) West Coast Cardinals, CA 7, BMC West, UT, 5
90) Cyclones, OH 11, Crush, MD 0
In case you missed our earlier reports, here are all of the scores to date, to save you the trouble of looking for them:
