[Alsfastball] Men's Major Fast Pitch National Championship: The Farm Tavern opens defense of title with 8-0 win; Robbie O'Brien hurls no-hitter for Circle Tap in opener

[Al Doran]

Subject: Men's Major Fast Pitch National Championship: The Farm Tavern 
opens defense of title with 8-0 win; Robbie O'Brien hurls no-hitter for 
Circle Tap in opener
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 22:19:09 -0500
From: "Bill Plummer" <bplummer at softball.org>



SOUTH BEND, IN –









THE FARM TAVERN OPENS DEFENSE OF NATIONAL TITLE WITH 8-0 WIN; CIRCLE TAP’S 
ROBBIE O’BRIEN HURLS NO-HITTER IN OPENER

SOUTH BEND, IN – The Farm Tavern of Madison, WI, picked up where it left 
off in the ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship.
After winning its first ASA national title last year in Midland, MI going 
undefeated, 5-0, the Farm opened defense of its title Thursday with an 8-0 
five inning victory over Dolan and Murphy of Aurora, ILL. The win evened 
Dolan Murphy’s record at 24 and 24.
Paul Algar, who was the Most Outstanding Pitcher in last year’s national, 
limited Dolan and Murphy to a pair of singles in getting the win. He fanned 
10 of the 17 batters he faced in getting the win. He fanned six of the 
first seven batters, allowing a single in the second inning by Tom Crouch 
and a single in the fourth by John Sudges. He walked only one.
The  Farm Tavern, meanwhile, collected 10 hits off two Dolan and Murphy 
pitchers. Jason Iuli started and hurled the first two innings, allowing 
five runs on four hits. One of the hits he allowed was a solo homer by 
left-fielder Rob Gray in a four-run first inning. Iuli allowed another run 
in the second inning before Tim Murphy replaced him in the third inning, 
giving up three runs on six hits, including solo homers by Dean Holoien and 
Dan Smet in the third inning.
Circle Tap of Denmark, WI, which was runner-up last year in Midland, MI, 
opened the tournament in impressive style behind the hitting and pitching 
of Robbie O’Brien in one of seven games Thursday.
  O’Brien, who played for Frontier Casino last year, hurled the tourney’s 
first no-hitter in beating The Freight of Vandalia, ILL, 1-0. O’Brien 
struck out 17 batters in going the distance and hit a two-out single in the 
top of the seventh to drive in the game’s only run. The only base 
runner  was a walk to Brad Sturdy with two out in the fifth inning.
In the seventh, Adam Lalonde singled, then stole second before O’Brien 
singled up the middle for the game-winner.
O’Brien’s single came off losing hurler Alan Meinhart, who allowed four 
hits, walked six and struck out five.
In  other opening games Thursday, the Winterset A’s of Winterset, IA edged 
the Indiana Jaybirds of Anderson, IN,  2-1; Fred’s Interiors of Quad City, 
IA nipped Plangger’s Furniture of South Bend, IN also by a score of 2-1; 
the Bloomington Stix of Bloomington, ILL. topped Coors Light of Ashland, 
OH, 7-2; Broken Bow Spirit of Broken Bow, NE topped the Pueblo Bandits of 
Aurora, CO, 7-1, and the Heflin Builders of Balston, NY blanked the 
Midland, MI Explorers, 2-0.
Nineteen games will be played Friday starting at 10 a.m. when the 
double-elimination tournament resumes here at the Belleville Softball 
Complex. This is the first time South Bend has hosted this Major Fast Pitch 
National Championship. It’s only the second time this event has been held 
in Indiana.

Bloomington Stix 7, Ashland, OH 2

Coors Light, Ashland, OH                       100       001  0  - 2   3   1
Bloomington Stix, Bloomington, IL           011       032  x  - 7  11  2

Right-hander Adam Folkard fanned 10 and didn’t walk anybody in 
Bloomington’s opening game. Folkard allowed two runs with one earned 
run.Losing pitcher was Mark Hastings who allowed 11 hits, including a pair 
of home runs. Hastings fanned five batters.
Coors Light took an early 1-0 (unearned)  lead on Reggie Kline’s one-out 
RBI single in the first inning. But Bloomington tied the game in the bottom 
of the second inning on first baseman Dave Willert’s solo homer leading off 
the inning. It was the first homer of the tournament.
The Stix moved ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by 
Vic Johns. Third baseman Johns then increased the lead to 5-1 with a 
three-run homer  to center field in the fifth inning. Coors closed the 
margin to 5-2 on a solo homer  by  center fielder  Brian Culler leading off 
the sixth inning. Doug Williams’ two-single  in the bottom of the bottom of 
the sixth finished the scoring.

Mark Hastings and John Melchiori, Joe Wolf (sixth). Adam Folkard and Dan 
Butler.
W-Folkard. L-Hastings. 2B: Bloomington-Chad Seeman (2). HR: Bloomington-Vic 
Johns and  Dave Willert.



Broken Bow Spirit 7, Pueblo Bandits 1

Gerald Muizelaar fanned 18 and hurled a five-hitter as the Broken Bow 
Spirit of Broken Bow, NE defeated the Pueblo Bandits of Aurora, CO 7-1. 
Frank Perez led the winners with a pair of hits, including a three-run 
homer, accounting for four RBIs. Jeremy Manley was the losing hurler, 
allowing seven hits and seven earned runs. He struck out 10 and walked five 
in going the distance.


Pueblo Bandits              000 001 0 – 1  5  1
Broken Bow Spirit          003 013 x – 7  7  1

Jeremy Manley and Jerry Santos. Gerald Muizelaar and John Wodtke.
W-Muizelaar. L-Manley. HR: Broken Bow: Frank Perez.




Fred’s Interior 2, Plangger’s Furniture 1


Plangger’s                     010 000 0 ­--  1   2  1
Fred’s Interior                000 200 x --  2   3  2


Veteran  right-hander Al Rebling allowed two hits and fanned nine in 
getting the win. Losing pitcher was Rick Plangger who gave up three hits 
and one earned run. He walked none and fanned four in going the distance.
Fred’s scored both of its runs in the fourth inning on an error and an RBI 
single by Russ Van Wyk.

Rick Plangger and Sean Zaborowski. Al Rebling and Russ VanWyck.
W-Rebling. L-Plangger. 2B:Plangger’s: Doc Brown.



Circle Tap 1, The Freight 0


Circle Tap          000 000 1 – 1 4 0
The Freight        000 000 0 – 0 0 0


Robbie O’Brien hurled the first no-hitter of the tourney and drove in the 
winning run with a single up in the middle in the seventh for Circle Tap, 
2003 national runner-up.
Alan Meinhart was the loser, allowing four hits. He walked six and fanned 
five in his complete game performance.
O’Brien allowed only a walk in the fifth inning  to Brad Sturdy, striking 
out 17 batters.

Robbie O’Brien and Don Garvey. Alan Meinhart and Rich Well.
W-O’Brien. L-Meinhart.


The Farm Tavern 8, Dolan and Murphy 0 (five innings, mercy rule)

Dolan and Murphy          000 00 -- 0   2   0
The Farm Tavern            412 01 -- 8  10   0

Jason Iuli, Tim Murphy (3) and Brian Tobin. Paul Algar and Todd Garcia.
W-Algar. L-Iuli. HR: Farm Tavern-Rob Gray, Dan Smet and Dean Holoien.



Heflin Builders 2, Midland Explorers 0

Steve Price fanned 11 and allowed three hits as Heflin Builders of Balston, 
NY edged the Midland, MI Explorers 2-0 in one of seven opening games Thursday.
Bill McDonald led the winners with a perfect evening (3-for-3) including a 
two-run triple in the fourth inning, which decided the game. Doug Gillis 
was the losing pitcher for the Explorers (21-18), allowing six hits. He 
walked three and fanned seven in going the distance.

Heflin Builders               000 200 0 --  2  6  0
Midland Explorers          000 000 0 --  0  3  0

Steve Price and Mike Gasaway. Doug Gillis and Terry Boetsma.
W-Price. L-Gillis. 3B: Heflin Builders: Bill McDonald.


Winterset A’s 2, Indiana Jaybirds 1

Indiana Jaybirds             000 000 1 --  1  4 2
Winterset A’s                100 001 x --  2  4 0

Matt Young’s solo homer in the sixth inning proved to be the difference as 
the Winterset A’s of Winterset, IA nipped the Indiana Jaybirds, the Indiana 
Class B champions.
The winning blow came off losing pitcher George Samons who allowed four 
hits, walked four and fanned six in going the distance. Winning pitcher was 
Chris Bigelow who fanned 12, allowed an earned run, walked one and gave up 
four hits.

George Samons and Jeremy Quire. Chris Bigelow and Dusty Sheets.
W-Bigelow. L-Samons. HR: Winterset: Matt Young.








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