Thanks for our friend Martin Jorge for providing this information on the Argentine Natinonal Championships.

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(Batting Champion Bruno Motroni)

Last Sunday finished in the city of Santiago del Estero, the Argentine Men’s and Women’s Softball National Championships, and as indicated by all odds Parana won the Men’s Tournament and Buenos Aires did it in the Women’s Tournament.

There was no surprise in the diamonds of Santiago, and both teams confirmed their favorite status with good game, crowned as winners of their championships. Fourteen teams from across the country took part of both events, which ran smoothly under the warm Santoago’s sun.

Paraná Men’s National Champion

Paraná met all odds, and was crowned Argentine Men’s National Champions, beating Bahía Blanca in the final game by 6 to 0. Paraná took the championship undefeated, and repeated last year achievement in La Pampa. By his way, Bahía Blanca came from below in the playoff, beating Tucumán and ASBA (Buenos Aires) to reach the final. However, in the decisive game could not handle the powerful team of Parana, which was consecrated as National Champion.

The big name of the game was the pitcher Max Montero, who not only won the game, but also took a “no hit no run”. In seven innings, he struck out 14 batters, and only gave 2 walks, and 1 hit by pitch.

The red team (Paraná) opened the score in the fourth, with a solo homer by Marcelo Malatesta. In the same inning Nicholas Bittor also scored. However, the insurance runs arrived in the last inning, when Paraná scored four times.

With the aluminum in the hand, the most prominent was Ricardo Biondi, who hit 3 singles in 4 at bats. Additionally, Malatesta was 1 to 2, with a homer and 2 walks.

Thus, Paraná confirmed his national monarch condition, and will be the Argentinian Men’s National Champion for another year.

In the individual awards, Matias Tessore was consecrated as the best pitcher of the tournament, Bruno Motroni was the best hitter, while Maximiliano Montero was named the MVP of the final. All of them are Paraná players.

Final standings:

1.- Paraná
2.- Bahía Blanca
3.- ASBA (Buenos Aires)
4.- Tucumán
5.- Santaigo del Estero
6.- La Pampa

Buenos Aires Women’s Champion


(click photo to enlarge)
(Team Buenos Aires, Argentine Champs, 2009)
Players in photo: Front row, knee on the floor – Left to right: Magalí Frezzotti, Nair Ceschan, Lorena Feldman, Pamela Clark, Nadia Heis, Soledad Hidalgo and Melisa Clark.

Standing РLeft to right: Carla Villalva, Rocio Netto, Claudia Tazzioli, Virginia Murina, Milena Rendich, Florencia Caro, Melisa Echeveste, Ana Laura Grandes, Silvina Ca̱o (Coach).

Team Buenos Aires won on Sunday another Argentinian Women’s Softball Championship, to overcome in the final team of Paraná by 6 to 4, and thereby reaffirm their hegemony in the category. Carla Villalva was the winning pitcher, while Ivana Viva was defeat.

Buenos Aires scored 1 run in each of the first three episodes, when it seemed that the game was under way for the Capitol Team. However, Paraná showed he was going to sell pricely his defeat and began to pick up. In the top of the third, they scored 1 (Aldana Gomez), and although ASBA scored 1 in that inning, in the fifth Paraná tied the game.

However, in the bottom of the fifth Melisa Echeveste hit a line drive to right field, to bring to Rocío Netto and Nair Ceschan (pinch runner for Villalva) to the plate, and gave his team the decisive advantage in the scoreboard.

In the last two periods, Paraná could not recover from both runs received and would never threaten the defense of ASBA.

The final standings of the tournament went out the following:

1 .- ASBA
2 .- Parana
3 .- Bahia Blanca
4 .- Olavarria
5 .- La Pampa
6 .- Tucumán
7 .- Santiago
8 .- Cordova

Individually, Virginia Murina was best pitcher, Nadia Heis was the best hitter and Melisa Echeveste was the MVP.