Catcher Jeff Twist delivered in the clutch once again, driving in the game winner for the South. (click photo to enlarge)

South Tops North in “California Challenge”, Best-of-Three All Star Series

First Ever California Challenge All Star Series Does Indeed End with a Twist*

*As part of the “Pick-the-Winner Poll” at Fastpitch, voters could also post comments. One proved to be Nostradamus-like with this one, posted 5 days before the event:

can bakersfield end with a Twist? 10/09/06 10:17:17 AM MST

[BAKERSFIELD, CA] The California Lumberkings hosted the first ever
“California Challenge”, a best-of-three All Star Series boasting most
of the best players in California. (rosters below). The event was
headed up by Lumberkings manager David Weldin, assisted by players
Brian Teeters, Greg Hicks and other members of the team. Nate Devine
helped assemble the roster for the North. Half of the players on
each squad were from ISC World team rosters, while the other half were ISC II level players.

ISC Top 10 team, the So Cal Bombers saw their pitching staff split up,
with Tony Peeples going to the North, and Travis Price to the South.
The North added A-1 Tank’s Ed Gaspar, while the South added Portland’s Mark Bennett (who resides in Santa Barbara, Southern California).

The All Star series was held at Dave Frye Field in Bakersfield, CA,
with longtime ISC booster Dave Frye throwing out the first pitch to
former Dave Frye catcher, and present day ISC broadcaster, Ron
Chambers. Bakersfield, CA was a hotbed of fastpitch during the 1970’s
and 1980’s, with Dave Frye and Ed Smith Welding among their top teams.
The area is undergoing a fastpitch revival with the California Lumberkings bringing the sport back front and center.

The California Challenge All Star event included special All-Star
jerseys provided by the Lumberkings’ Brian Teeters, navy blue for the
North and red for the south, with a Bar-B-Q and ticket and T-shirt
sales providing a fund raiser for the California Lumberkings, who hope
to return to the ISC II Tournament of Champions in Kitchener, Ontario,
Canada, where they advanced to the second round of the playoffs in
2006.

*A “Pick-the-Winner” poll was held at Fastpitchwest.com in the days
leading up to the event, with the voting neck-and-neck until the final
tally of 113 to 103 favoring the North.

The best-of-three series was scheduled as a Saturday night
doubleheader, with a single game Sunday, “if necessary”. As it
turned out, Game 3 was necessary.

The two teams proved to be very evenly matched, trading 6-5 wins in
Games 1 and 2 Saturday, with Sunday’s rubber match to decide the
winner. Through 7 innings, it was tied 1-1, sending the game into the
international tie breaker. The North loaded the bases with nobody
out, but the South dodged the bullet and escaped. In the home half of
the 8th inning, the Lumberkings’ Shawn Mandolesi took his place at
second base, and came home to score the game — and series — winner, on an RBI single by South catcher Jeff Twist.

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First Ever California Challenge All Star Series Does Indeed End with a Twist*

After trading 6-5 wins, the North and South All Stars squared off in a deciding game 3 on Sunday morning at 10am. At the end of regulation, the two teams were tied, 1-1. With the international tie breaker in effect, the North failed to score in the top of the 8th. In the bottom of the 7th, Shawn Mandolesi took a spot at second base. With a flair for the dramatic, South Catcher Jeff Twist (California Lumberkings) stroked an RBI single for the game winner. Key to the South’s win was getting out of two bases-loaded-nobody out jams. In the 4th it was Mark Bennett, while in the top of the 8th, it was eventual winning pitcher, Travis Price.

WP-Travis Price (4) in relief of Mark Bennett;
LP-Tony Peeples
HR-Paul Rosebush (The Farm), South.

*As part of the “Pick-the-Winner Poll” at Fastpitch, voters could also post comments. One proved to be Nostradamus-like with this one:

Click here for our 2005 Red Rock tournament recap “Red Rock Ends with a Twist”, for earlier heroics from the bat of Jeff Twist, which appeared in Softball Magazine. This time, Twist and Travis Price were teammates.