JRW & Associates Gain Pacific NW ISC II Berth at Chissus Memorial

Renton, WA – ISC II 23rd ranked JRW & Associates of Yakima, WA won three straight games in the elimination round for a first place finish at the 33rd Annual Chissus Memorial tournament on Sunday June 5. The ten team Chissus Memorial served as the ISC II qualifier for Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.
JRW & Associates has accepted a berth to the 2005 ISC II Tournament of Champions (ToC) in Chippewa Falls on August 13th-20th.

Not Ranked Runner-up Regal Homes of Everett, who JRW defeated 6-3 in the finals, was a surprise finalist to the championship game. Regal, typically not a traveling team, is not expected to accept the ISC II berth. The third place team, 48th ranked Bucknell Park, playing under the sponsorship of Morgan Transfer, very likely will consider accepting the second berth. (In the absence of an ISC II Travel League in 2005, this qualifier provided the two berths for the Pacific NW).

In the elimination round, JRW beat not ranked Interbay Door of Seattle 6-3 and 48th ranked Morgan Transfer (Bucknell Park) 7-2 to reach the Championship game. Most Valuable Pitcher Dave Drotzmann (JRW) pitched back to back victories with 21 K’s in the two games and allowed only two earned runs. Most Valuable Player Mike Parham (JRW) had a 2 RBI single in the 3 run 6th inning to close out the victory over Morgan Transfer which gave JRW & Associates a berth to the ToC. Mike finished with a .786 BA – See stats below.

In the championship victory over Regal Homes, Pitcher Matt Barnes (JRW), returning from a two year absence from fastpitch softball, struck out 12 and didn’t walk any. Although the pesky Regal team got 11 hits, Matt stranded eight of them, ending 4 of the 7 innings with strikeouts.

JRW’s only loss in the tournament was in pool play on Saturday to 45th ranked Bodle Chiropractic 2-3 in a game with two International Tie-Breaker (ITB) innings. Norm Pipke (BC) of British Columbia struck out 9 in that victory. Bodle lost to eventual runner-up Regal Homes in the first round of elimination play on Sunday.

Game One (Sat)
# 23 JRW & Associates, Yakima 022 360 1 – 14 19 1
N/R Interbay Door, Seattle 400 301 0 – 8 13 1

Matt Barnes, Dave Drotzmann 5th (WP) and Troy Grow; Kevin Rasmussen (LP) and Steve Morrison.

Highlights: HR: Steve Drissel (JRW) Solo
SS Mike Parham (JRW) 4-4, 4 R; DH Dave Drotzmann (JRW) 3-5, 4 RBI; LF Steve Drissel (JRW) 4-4, 2R, 3 RBI; CF Tim Fischer (JRW) 2-4, 2 RBI.
JRW rallied from a seven run tie by scoring 6 runs in the top of the 6th inning. The inning was highlighted by a 2 RBI double by P Dave Drotzmann (JRW), an RBI single by CF Tim Fischer (JRW) and an RBI triple by LF Steve Drissel (JRW).
Game Two (Sat)
# 23 JRW & Associates, Yakima 001 001 000 – 2 6 2
# 45 Bodle Chiropractic, Seattle 101 000 001 – 3 4 1

Dave Drotzmann (LP) and Troy Grow; Norm Pipke (WP) and Link Hawley

Highlights: SS Mike Parham (JRW) 2-4; CF Tim Fischer (JRW) 3-4; LF Steve Drissel (JRW) 2 RBI
Pitching: Dave Drotzman (JRW) 9 IP, 1 ER, 2 W, 9 K’s
Norm Pipke (BC) 9 IP, 2 ER, 3 W, 9 K’s
In the bottom of the 9th with ITB runner Cal Nehren (BC) on second and one out; an unsuccessful bunt attempt blocked the catcher (JRW) and Nehren stole third. The next batter (BC) hit a slow grounder which was errored on an attempt to throw home.

Game Three (Sat)
N/R Rascals Casino, Seattle 100 00 – 1 4 3
# 23 JRW & Associates, Yakima 318 3x – 15 11 1

Duey Christensen (LP) and Nate Collins: Travis Kraft (WP), Dave Drotzmann 5th and Bob Harris
Highlights: HR: Tim Fischer (JRW) Grand Slam; Bob Harris (JRW) 3 Run HR
LF Bob Harris (JRW) 1-3, 2 R, 3 RBI; DH Dave Drotzmann (JRW) 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI; CF Tim Fischer (JRW) 2-3, 2 R, 4 RBI
LF Bob Harris’ (JRW) 3 Run HR in the 3rd and CF Tim Fischer’s (JRW) Grand Slam in the same inning capped a 15 run outburst by JRW & Associates. Pitcher Travis Kraft (JRW), after allowing only four singles, pulled a groin muscle in the 5th with no outs and a walked runner on first. Relief pitcher Dave Drotzmann (JRW) ended the game on four pitches – a 6U — 6-3 DP and a ground out, 6-3.

Game Four (Sun) – Single Elimination Round Starts
N/R Interbay Door, Seattle 000 201 0 – 3 5 1
# 23 JRW & Associates, Yakima 031 002 x – 6 9 2

Kevin Rasmussen (LP) and Steve Morrison; Dave Drotzmann (WP) and Troy Grow;
Highlights: HR: 3B Mike Parham (JRW) 2 Run in the 2nd
RF Steve Allen (JRW) 1-1, 1 R, 1 RBI; SS Mike Parham (JRW) 3-3, 2 R, 3 RBI
Pitching: Dave Drotzmann (JRW) 7 IP, 2 ER, 12 SO, 2 W
After Interbay closed to one run down, JRW scored the clinching runs in B6 on 3 singles, RF Steve Drissel’s (JRW) Sac fly and an OF error.

Game Five (Sun)
Morgan Transfer, Lacey, WA 010 001 0 – 2 4 4
# 23 JRW & Associates, Yakima 011 113 x – 7 9 3

Kory Knight (LP), Trevor Knight 5th and Josh Baumgardner; Dave Drotzmann (WP) and Troy Grow.
Highlights: 2B Don Cawthron (JRW) 2-4, 2 R; Mike Parham (JRW) 2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI.

Most Valuable Player Mike Parham (JRW) had a 2 RBI single in the 3 run 6th inning to close out the victory over Morgan Transfer. Mike finished with a .786 BA.

Game Six (Sun) Championship Game
N/R Regal Homes, Everett 101 010 0 – 3 11 2
# 23 JRW & Associates, Yakima 010 401 x – 6 11 1

Matt Barnes (WP) and Troy Grow; Jerry Rizzuto (LP) and Isiah Piquette

Highlights: 3B Casey Johnson (JRW) 2-3, 1 RBI; CF Tim Fischer (JRW) 1-3, 2 R, 1 RBI; RF Steve Drissel (JRW) 1-3, 1 RBI; Don Cawthron 1-4, 2 RBI
Pitching: Matt Barnes (JRW) 7 IP, 2 ER, 2W, 13 K’s

JRW Tournament All-Stars

Most Valuable Pitcher – Dave Drotzmann (JRW) 3-1, 27 IP, 3 ER, 6 W, 34 K, 0.778 ERA
Most Valuable Player – 3B Mike Parham (JRW) 11-14, .786, 7 Runs, 5 RBI, 1 HR, 3 SB, 1 W
All-Star – CF Tim Fischer (JRW) 8-20, .400, 8 Runs, 8 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 SB
All-Star – OF Steve Drissel (JRW) 6-16, .375, 6 Runs, 8 RBI, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 SB, 1 Sac

Many, many thanks to Tournament Director Joe Bodle who handled lots of adversity in putting on another quality event. A pitching shortage for one team had Joe switching teams and fields even before the tournament started. The change away from the traditional Memorial Day weekend for the Chissus tournament left Joe in a dogfight over field use at the Liberty Complex. The Complex had to be cleared on Sunday by noon for Sally League Co-Ed play. Five of Sunday’s nine games for the Chissus Memorial were played at the Renton Hi School ball fields.

The west coast does not (yet) have teams in the ISC II’s Top 25, with many of the top teams based in Ontario, Canada, the midwest and back east. For readers interested in seeing how the rest of of the continent’s ISC II teams stack up, over the past weekend, the Niagara Snappers hosted 12 teams, including 10 teams in the Top 35. The results give readers their first real look at how many teams who could be headed to the 2005 ISC II Tournament of Champions in Chippewa Falls are shaping up.

Top dog Tavistock was shorted-handed in the pitching department on the weekend, missing both Rob Oliver and Fred Follings, and were knocked off by the ISC II’s hottest team, the Niagara Snappers. The Snappers won the event, beating another team rising in the rankings,
Ashland, OH Merchants. ISC II commish Blair Setford had his Mississauga Arrow teams in the thick of it, knocking off two top-10 ranked teams before bowing out in the quarter finals, and provides this inside look from the tournament:

“This was a real good test for a lot of teams to see where they stand against the top competition in the ISC II,” said Setford. “Unlike in the ISC division, where the top 3 teams seem to be separated from the rest of the pack, you could throw a blanket over the top 25 or even 30 teams in ISC II and we saw that this weekend as no one managed to go 3-0 in the round robin. Only two of the 12 teams failed to win a game and one of them lost three one-run games, so that just speaks further to the closeness of the competition.”

Click here for the complete recap on the Niagara Snapper Shootout.(Editor’s note: Not only the Snappers are on the move up in the rankings. Blair Setford’s own Mississagua Arrows, currently #34 knocked off the #5 and #7 teams in the tournament.)

On June 18, 2005, California area ISC II teams will vie for a bid in the ISC II Tournament of Champions at Santa Fe Springs, CA.

The Gladstone Whips, of Manitoba, Canada, a “Final Four” team from last year’s ISC II Tournament of Champions will be among the 8 teams competing for a bid to the 2005 ISC II Tournament of Champions in Chippewa Falls, WI this coming weeekend. The Whips hold down the #4 spot in the recently released June 1 rankings, just behind three Ontario province teams, Tavistock, Harriston and Norwich.

From Al’s Fastball List: Progress for Portage field Set

The latest set of ISC II rankings have been released, replacing the earlier “Preseason” rankings.

The rankings are significant, as they will form the basis for seeding teams in the fourth annual ISC II Tournament of Champions which will be played August 14-19 at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls, WI. The tournament will feature 40 teams from across North America playing a four-game round robin schedule in eight pools of five teams each. The top three teams from each pool advance to a single elimination playoff bracket.

Smully’s Tavistock Merchants Remain top ISC II June 1 Rankings

June 1, 2005

Tavistock, ON Smully’s Tavistock Merchants remain atop the ISC II Rankings with the two-time defending champion Harriston, ON Mercury’s, the consensus number two.

Oswego, NY McKie’s Sports moved up seven places from #12 to #5, impressing the ranking committee with a strong showing in Erie after qualifying for the ISC II Tournament of Champions as the representative from the Northeast area.

Palermo, ON Athletics also break into the top 10 at #9, up from #14, as the veteran club brought home a solid third place showing at the tough Waterloo May Two-Four Blast tournament.

Making a big move in the rankings is the Niagara, ON Snappers club, moving up 10 spots from #28 to #18. The Snappers are playing in the ISC Travel League of Eastern Canada and have held their own against ISC clubs like the Kitchener Twins and Innerkip Eagles.

Rochester, NY Bombers climbed 17 places from #44 to #27 on the strength of a tournament win in New Jersey.

Falling out of the top 10 were Fargo, ND Chub’s Pub Wizards, Lloydminster, AB Scope Dodgers and Wilkes-Barre, PA Keating’s Fitness Center.

A total of 48 teams received at least one vote from the 12-person panel.

The top 10 teams are:
1. Tavistock, ON Merchants
2. Harriston, ON Mercurys
3. Norwich, ON Razorbacks
4. Gladstone, MB Whips
5. Oswego, NY McKie’s Sports
6. Kanata, ON Team Easton
7. Perkasie, PA KMV Rise
8. Galesville, WI Wilber Lime
9. Palermo, ON Athletics
10. Appleton, WI The Bar of Appleton

To view the full list, please see the ISC II section of the ISC website. (Editor’s note: The full list will be posted in the next couple days)

For more information, please contact:

Blair Setford
ISC II Commissioner
Email: blairjs@rogers.com
Phone: 1.800.268.9374 x 8803