Chicago/NY USA became the first team ever to win the AAU International three times, during the twelve year history of the tournament. Los Socios of Venezuela was the first two-time winner, grabbing titles in 2002 and 2004 (not to mention runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2005 and a third this year). Mac’s became the second team to win two AAU titles, doing it in back-to-back fashion in 2007 and 2008.
Chicago/NY won the tournament in 2009 and 2010, with this year’s AAU title putting them alone on the top of the mountain as the only three time winner — three in a row, no less. The win in 2010 may bear something of an asterisk, as Chicago/NY was beaten in the semi-finals by Italian Athletic Club, only to find themselves declared the forfeit winner of the tournament when IAC left early to catch planes home and finalist Dominican Republic refused to play Chicago/NY in the final. The win in 2011 left no doubt, sweeping through the field of forty teams, capping things with a 9-5 championship game win over a very strong Softball Canada Development Team.
2011 AAU Championship Game
Chicago/New York…..9
Team Canada…………5
WP – Jeremy Manley and LaLonde
LP – Barkman and Boland
Most Valuable Player
Jeff Ellsworth* (Chicago/New York) and Mark Johnson (Chicago/New York)
*Ellsworth’s third AAU MVP in the past four years
Most Valuable Pitcher(s)
Jeremy Manley* (Chicago/New York)
Dean Holoien (Chicago/New York)
Don Scott (Chicago/New York)
*Manley’s second AAU Most Valuable Pitcher in four years.
GAME SUMMARY:
Co-MVP Mark Johnson with two home runs and 4 RBI for Chicago/New York. Johnson hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the second inning that blew the game open and added a solo shot in the sixth inning. Co-MVP Jeff Ellsworth added a solo homer for Chicago/New York, as did Steve Mullaley. Ryan Wolfe (Softball Canada) also homered in game.
Chicago/New York started the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning, then padded that lead with the three-run homer from Mark Johnson in the bottom of the second inning, staking starting pitcher Jeremy Manley to an early 4-0 lead. Chicago/New York extended lead to 5-0 with another run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Softball Canada finally got on the board with three runs in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 5-3, but it was as close as they would get on the afternoon, as Chicago/New York added a knockout blow with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, extending the lead to 9-3.
Softball Canada did not go quietly in the seventh armor, scoring two more runs, one and a wild pitch and another on a illegal pitch, before winning pitcher Jeremy Manley got the final out, and clinched a third consecutive AAU International title for Chicago/New York,
Members of the 2011 AAU International Tournament Champions, Chicago/NY
Name Uniform #
Don Scott 0
Frank Perez 3
Todd Shultz 7
David Boys 8
Adam LaLonde 11
Paul Wahlford 12
Mark Johnson 17
Jeff Ellsworth 19
John Rozich 20
Steve Mullaley 33
Eddie Kettlehut 34
Jeremy Manley 45
Justin Gill 1
Dean Holoien 72
Elvis Santago 6
Mike LaLonde 15
Jordan Taveras 23
Aaron Pendergast 25
Brian Cyphert 42
Johnny Owen 10
Shaun Parsell 21
Members of the 2011 AAU International Tournament Runner-ups, Softball Canada Development Team:
Tyson Barkman
Ryan Boland
Trevor Boutilier
Calem Gardner
Brennan Pokoyoway
Mathieu Roy
Andrew Skelton
Jeremy Tracy
Rowan Lam
Jim Climenhaga
Joran Graham
Jason Hill
Derek Mayson
Ryan Wolfe
Brad Ezekiel
Ian Fehrman
Below were the pre-tournament picks of the readers of Fastpitchwest. It looks like the voters did pretty well, picking the two finalists to win their pools. The one team that seems to have slipped under the radar was third place finisher, Sopotocientos of Venezuela, picked to finished third in their pool. We’ll post the final seeding when we get our hands on it. Last year’s finalist, Italian Athletic Club was picked to finish ahead of Sopotocientos and Elimira in Pool J, but took an early exist, dropping their first playoff game on Saturday.
Pool A
Chicago NY, USA 93 votes
Minnesota Angels, USA 65 votes
Venezuela Brewers, VEN 10 votes
Blackburn Transport, CAN 9 votes
Pool B
Milwood, ON 88 votes
Combatientes, VEN 54 votes
Houston Carnage, USA 24 votes
Memphis Firebirds, USA 24 votes
Pool C
Team Minnesota, USA 73 votes
Kitchener Outlaws, ON 37 votes
Gigantes, VEN 34 votes
Washington Metros, USA 5 votes
Pool D
Illinois Pirates, USA 67 votes
Niagara Fury, ON 58 votes
NY PA Metros, USA 43 votes
Captalinos, VEN 38 votes
Pool E
Softball Canada (Development Team), CAN 71 votes
Maccabi USA, USA 30 votes
Ohio Battery, USA 28 votes
Lanzeros, VEN 15 votes
Pool F
Sureno Soy, VEN 77 votes
Cobourg Force, CAN 47 votes
Dominicana, USA 44 votes
Oklahoma Fastpitch, USA 9 votes
Pool G
Hill United, CAN 63 votes
Florida Fastpitch, USA 35 votes
La Raza, VEN 28 votes
Petroleros, MEX 8 votes
Pool H
Tijuana, MEX 25 votes
Hooligans of Niagara, CAN 15 votes
El Dorado, VEN 14 votes
SC Tornados, USA 10 votes
Pool I
Los Socios, VEN 25 votes
CPI, USA 19 votes
Virgin Islands, USA 8 votes
Aragua, VEN 5 votes
Pool J
Italian Athletic Club, USA 40 votes
Elmira Expos, CAN 23 votes
Sopotocientos, VEN 14 votes
Miami, USA 1 vote