Circle Tap Garners First National Title in “if” Game of ASA Major
From Al’s Fastball, courtesy of ASA’s Bill Plummer:
SOUTH BEND, IN — Denny Bruckert, manager of the Circle Tap men’s fast pitch softball team had won five ASA national titles entering the 74th ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship, which concluded here Sunday.
Make it six after Circle Tap decisioned a scrappy Florida Fast Pitch team of Jacksonville, FL 4-1 to win the 74th ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship at the Belleville Softball Complex.
Circle Tap, which had never finished higher than third in this event, was forced to the if game after Florida Fast Pitch won 15-3 in five innings, pounding out 16 hits including four homers.
The second and if necessary game figured to be different and was as Circle Tap struck for a run in the first inning, added one in the fourth and two in the sixth. Circle Tap finished the tournament 6-1, Florida Fast Pitch was 7-2 and finished runner-up for the second year in a row.
The team that beat Florida Fast Pitch last year was the Tampa Bay Smokers, who didn’t elect to return to defend this year.And the manager of the Tampa Bay team was none other than Bruckert, who has won his national titles with four different teams, including Decatur, IL Pride, Frontier Casino of St. Joe, MO, Tampa and Circle Tap.
This one, however, was special. It was because Circle Tap sponsor Darren Derricks had never won an ASA national championship. When Circle Tap finished third in this event here in 2004 Brucket managed the team.
“We wanted to win it for Darren. He had never won an ASA national,” said Bruckert after Circle Tap had posed for the team picture with the trophy and banner.”He’s a great guy.Winning it for him was special.”
Bruckert watched the first game in anguish as his team came out flat and didn’t play up to their capability. “We can be an explosive team that can score six or seven runs,” said Bruckert.”But we were flat in that first game. Collin (McKenzie) was just chomping at the bit to get in there and pitch.”
McKenzie hurled the second and final game, hurling an eight-hitter with 10 strikeouts. The only run he allowed came in the second inning when Mike Brown hit a solo blast out of the ball park over the 300-fence in right field. It was his only hit of the game in four at-bats. Leading hitter for Florida Fast Pitch and the tournament was right fielder Brad Johnson, who batted .586 (17-for-29) and had three singles in four at-bats in the game.
After Brown’s blast, Florida Fast Pitch twice got runners to second base in the fifth and sixth innings but couldn’t capitalize against McKenzie who is from Victoria, British Columbia. McKenzie finished the fournament undefeated (4-0) and was named winner of the Herb Dudley Award as the tourney’s outstanding pitcher.
Brown’s homer tied the game at 1-1 after Circle Tap scored on an RBI single by Todd Malnory, scoring Jess Ellestad. Ellestad opened the game by gettting on base because of catcher’s interference, then stole second and went to third on a wild pitch by losing pitcher Sebastian Gervasutti who pitched the five-inning mercy run game, allowing six hits.
The score remained tied until the fourth inning when Circle Tap took the lead on an RBI single by Tom Crouch, scoring Matt Bramwell. Bramwell doubled to start the inning.
Circle Tap scored two insurance runs in the sixth inning when Kevin Reichardt smashed a two-run homer over the left field fence with Bramwell aboard. Bramwell had opened the inning with a single.
The homer was allowed by Gervasutti who fanned seven and walked three, all to tournament MVP Chris Delarwelle who hit .368, drove in five runs and hit three homers playing three different positions. Gervasutti allowed seven hits.
Players named to the first-team All-Amerca team were: 1B – Mike Brown, Florida Fast Pitch; 2B – Jason Wandler, Minn-Dak Millers; 3B – John Tschida, Minn-Dak Millers; SS – Josh Johnson, Townline Softball; OF – Tom Crouch, Circle Tap; Brad Johnson, Florida Fast Pitch; Louie Juglar, Patsy’s; Ryan Kostel, Heflin Gremlins Builders; Utility -Chris Delarwelle, Circle Tap; Larry Mastrogianakis, Florida Fast Pitch; Orlando rodriguez, Patsy’s; C – Jeff Wartman, Circle Tap; Pitchers – Sebastian Gervasatti, Florida Fast Pitch; Jeremy Manley, Florida Fast Pitch and Collin McKenzie, Circle Tap.
Named second-team All-America were: 1B – Roman Foore, Minn-Dak Millers; 2B – Matt Palazzo, Florida Fast Pitch; 3B – Kyle Magnusson, Circle Tap; SS – Kraig Sommers, Thomson Area Merchants; OF – Jason Darling, Florida Fast Pitch; Lucas Goring, Minn-Dak Millers; Reggie Kline, MVD Sports and Specialities; Adam LaLonde, Patsy’s; Utility – Gregg Cascaes, Minn-Dak Millers; Tony Kunka, Minn-Dak Millers; Derek Pukash, Patsy’s. Catcher – Craig Crawford, Midland Explorers; Pitchers – Korrey Gareau, The Farm Tavern; Rob Schweyer, Minn-Dak Millers and Brian Urquhart, Heflin Builders.
In 2007, the Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship returns to South Bend. The ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship will also be held in South Bend in 2007.
Circle Tap 100 102 0 – 4 7 0
Florida Fast Pitch 010 000 0 – 1 8 0
Collin McKenzie and Jeff Wartman. Sebastian Gervasutti and Ron Branin.
W – McKenzie. L – Gervasutti. 2B: Circle Tap – Matt Bramwell. HR: Florida Fast Pitch – Mike Brown. Circle Tap -Kevin Reichardt. Leading hitters: Bramwell, Circle Tap (2-3), Brad Johnson, Florida Fast Pitch (3-4).
Final Standings W-L
(1) Circle Tap, Green Bay, WI 6-1
(2) Florida Fast Pitch, Jacksonville, FL 7-2
(3) Heflin Gremlins Builders, Balston Lake, NY 3-2
(4) Minn-Dak Millers, Fargo, ND 4-2
(5) Bloomington Stix, Chenoa, IL 2-2
(5) The Farm Tavern, Madison, WI 2-2
(7) MVD Sports and Specialities, Ashland, OH 2-2
(7) Midland Explorers, Midland, MI 2-2
(9) Dolan and Murphy, Aurora, IL 1-2
(9) Keating’s Fitness Center, Wilkes Barre, PA 1-2
(9) Townline Softball, Denmark, WI 2-3
(9) Patsy’s, New York, NY 3-2
(13) Thomson Area Merchants, Thomson, IL 2-3
(13) Plangger’s Furnituree, Benton Harbor, MI 1-2
(13) Ashland Merchants, Ashland, OH 0-3
(13) Duncan Outlaws, Elkhart, IN 0-3
(17) D.C. Current, Bremen, IN 0-3