editor’s note: As is the custom these days, the international teams playing in the ISC have arrived early and are playing local teams in preparation for the big tournament. With the holiday Monday in Ontario, Elora played host to the Danish Dynamite yesterday afternoon. The Denmark team will be in Owen Sound tonight playing a team comprised of local all-stars that features several Port Elgin Blue Devils.

Game 1
Elora Wellington Brewers – 6
Denmark Dynamite – 1
Wp-Todd Uhrig
Lp- Jesper Panduro
Hr- Scott Young, Greg Scheel, Todd Uhrig

Game 2
Elora – 0
Denmark -1
Wp- Kim Hansen
Lp- Jason Baier

Yakima, WA – JRW & Associates finished third in the 1st Annual Les Schwab Invitational played at the new Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima, Washington. It was the first fastpitch tournament played at Gateway since its opening in 2005. Temporary fences were set at 265 ft and the temperature reached 108 degrees.

JRW was 2-1 in Round Robin Pool Play on Saturday. The team was in the ISC type Upper Pool with all teams going forward to SE play on Sunday. Despite losing the first game to eventual Champion, Cleon’s Auto of Tacoma, WA, JRW defeated the Boise Clippers 3-2 and CR/Adidas of Portland 11-6 to advance as the # 3 seed based on fewest runs allowed for teams tied at 2-1.
(more…)

Bernie’s Tavern (formerly Andreas Construction) Tops Coppens Brigade from Midland in Finals

Here were the results from a few ISC II teams at our Pete Schwab Memorial Tournament this past weekend … all 3 teams had a pretty equal strength of schedule. Bernie’s Tavern (formerly Andreas Construction) won the tournament beating Coppens Brigade from Midland in the finals. I will send out a full tournament report in a few days.

Rice Creek will have Bernie’s two best hitters (Steve Myers and Jeff Sherman) for the ISC II … just like they had them at the B nationals last year … but won’t have Chad Ferguson (ISC PRAWN) for the ISC II.

Rice Creek Lightning: Overall Record 2-2
Lost to Up-to-Date Painting 6-1
Beat AIS/Blues 8-1
Lost to Priority Mortgage 6-1
Beat Ashland Merchants 5-0
Did not make playoffs

Ashland Merchants: Overall Record 4-2
Beat Priority Mortgage 2-0
Beat AIS Blues
Beat Coppens Brigade
Lost to Rice Creek 5-0
#1 seed in Bracket A for playoffs
Beat Communiquest 3-2
Lost to Coppens Brigade 4-3 in 9 innings
Scott Hershey pitched all 6 games in the tournament

Up to Date Painting: Overall Record 2-3
Lost to Coppens Brigade 8-2
Beat Rice Creek Lightning 6-1
Beat Lumber Company 6-1
Lost to Priority Mortgage 4-3
#4 seed in Bracket A for playoffs
Lost to Duncan Outlaws 3-0
Team also works on fields and concessions throughout tournament

Current Record 18-6
Gateway Travel League Record 7-1
Dave Baue Memorial Day Tournament Champions – St. Charles, MO
Rivertown Classic Tournament Champions – Hermann, MO
Nokomis Homecoming Tournament Runner-Up – Nokomis, IL

ISC II #12 Hermann Black Gold takes second at Nokomis Homecoming tourney going 3-2.

Pool Play – Game 1
Mt. Zion, IL Merchants 001 000 0 – 1 3 1
Black Gold 121 010 x – 5 8 0

WP – Steinbeck (1-0) 3H, 1ER, 7K and Coon
LP – Propst 8H, 5R, 4ER, 3K, 3BB and Watous

Pool Play – Game 2
Nokomis, IL Bud Light 010 100 0 – 2 6 2
Black Gold 000 000 0 – 0 1 2

WP – Steve Mitchell 1H, 0R, 12K, 1BB and Tuetken
LP – Steinbeck (1-1) 6H, 2R, 0ER, 10K, 1BB and Kurt Speckhals

Pool Play – Game 3
Black Gold 000 121 0 – 4 9 2
Kelso, MO Fastptich 000 021 0 – 3 8 2

WP – Allen Speckhals (1-0) 5 2/3IP, 8H, 3R, 1ER, 6K – Steinbeck 1
1/3IP, 0H and Kurt Speckhals
LP – Jansen 9H, 4R, 3ER, 9K and Drew

Elimination Round – Semifinal
Black Gold 010 000 1 – 2 4 1
ISC #38 Vandalia, IL Freight 000 000 0 – 0 1 0

WP – Steinbeck (2-1) 1H, 0R, 9K, 1BB and Kurt Speckhals
LP – Einhorn 4H, 2R, 1ER, 2K, 2BB and Casey
Steinbeck – No-Hitter through 6 2/3

Championship Game
Black Gold 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Nokomis, IL Bud Light 100 121 x – 5 9 0

WP – Rich Younker 2H, 0R, 9K, 1BB and Tuetken
LP – Steinbeck (2-2) 9H, 5ER, 11K, 2BB and Coon
HR – Tuetken(Nokomis)

Editor’s note: The Rise, among other U.S. teams, have taken a bit of a beating on one particular message board that we won’t credit by naming here, suffice it to say that knowledgeable people in the game know that the Rise are a quality team and will be heard from come the ToC. The following is from Rise GM and pitcher Tom Vogel.

To those who have been inquiring.

The Rise Team have added 2 pickups for the ToC. From the Lancaster County Motors Team, catcher Ted Simes will be joining us. Ted played for the Rise at the Snapper Shoot-Out and also this past weekend in Allentown. He’s a very capable receiver and has some punch in his bat. (When he’s not breaking them. Ouch $$$$). And from the restricted Ontario pitchers list, Ben Blonde will be suiting up for the Rise. The last time I saw Ben pitch was with Norwich in Fargo. Gutsy lefty and he comes with good credentials. Ben will be with us for our last travel weekend July 14-16 in Lyons, PA. We look forward to what he brings to the circle.

As far as our team taking a flop at the ToC, you know nothing about us. OK, we didn’t hit last year and had a sub-par showing; check out previous ToC’s and post that. We don’t rest on our laurels and have made additions when needed, and our team measures up nicely to any of this years’ participants. We ‘Americans’ don’t make excuses; we come to play and in the end, win or lose you’ll know that we were in your face.

So, keep posting your predictions, berating the American teams, and general gibberish that we find so amusing. Maybe you can buy me a beer and we’ll talk about what a great game it is that we play. Won’t be hard to find me; I don’t hide behind a keyboard.

Tom Vogel
GM Rise Fastpitch Team

Thomson, Illinois

The #26 Thomson Area Merchants were in Elkhart, Iowa over the weekend to play ISC #14 Albaugh Inc in a series of exhibition games. Against the higher ranked Albaugh team Thomson competed strongly, and whilst all three games were lost Thomson held leads in two of the games into the later innings.

Game 1 ( 8 innings )

Thomson 2 0 0 2 2 1 0 3 10 14 1
Albaugh 4 1 1 0 1 0 0 4 11 15 1

Winning Pitcher: Matt Owens
Losing Pitcher: Brad Cheyne

Thomson:
Scott Glazier 2 for 5 ( 1 rbi ), Kevin Anderson 2 for 4 ( 1 rbi), Casey Eden 4 for 5 ( 6 rbi – 1 hr ), Bruce Bielama 1 for 3, Jerry Westermier 2 for 5 ( 2 rbi – 1 hr ), Mike House 1 for 3, Jonas Mach 2 for 3

Game 2 ( 5 innings )

Albaugh 2 0 5 4 3 11 12 0
Thomson 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

Winning Pitcher: Terry Luster
Losing Pitcher: Jonas Mach

Thomson:
Casey Eden 1 for 2

Game 3

Thomson 3 0 4 1 0 1 2 11 16 0
Winterset A’s 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 6 10 3

Winning Pitcher: Brad Cheyne ( Jonas Mach 2 innings in relief)

Thomson:
Scott Glazier 3 for 5 ( 3 rbi ), Kevin Anderson ( 1 rbi ), Casey Eden 3 for 5 ( 1 rbi ), Bruce Bielama 3 for 5 ( 4 rbi – 2 hr), Jerry Westermier 2 for 4 ( 1 rbi ), Jimmy Weisfpenning 2 for 4, Jonas Mach 2 for 4

Game 4

Albaugh 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 5 1
Thomson 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1

Winning Pitcher: Terry Luster
Losing Pitcher: Jonas Mach

Thomson:
Casey Eden 2 for 3 ( 1 rbi ) Scott Glazier 1 for 3

Thank you

Scott Glazier
s.glazier(at)mschi.com