SPA News

The HEART OF OHIO is back!!

Ten years ago it used to be one of the top drawing senior softball tournaments east of VEGAS when the Columbus Senior Softball Organization was running the tournament.

When COSSA dropped it attendance went way down but a revival took place this year with 57 TEAMS ATTENDING.

In one of the bigger brackets TEN TEAMS squared off for the 50 AAA title.

LOWES LEGENDS  won it with bracket wins over AREA FIFTY-ONE SOFTBALL (20-10), AREA FIFTY-ONE (17-16), MIAMI VALLEY (22-7) and OHIO HITMEN (17-9).

AREA FIFTY-ONE beat OHIO HITMEN (24-19) to take second.

Other teams in the group were CIRCLE CITY PLAYMAKERS, DAYTON LEGENDS, TEAM 216, GO SPORTS PLUS, DAYTON LEGENDS FIFTIES and BULL MOOSE 50's.

GEM CITY MERCHANTS lost the first game 30-31 to AMERICAN METAL RECYCLING but bounced back with 19-3 and 25 22 wins to win the best-two-out-of-three for the 50 MAJOR CROWN.

The finishers in the 55 MAJOR were DLB SOFTBALL champ and CPOA Runner-up. OHIO ELITE/AMK, MOTOR CITY PUSH and DAYTON LEGENDS rounded out the 55 MAJOR bracket.

ANTIQUE ROAD SHOW downed TOUCH EM AA (23-19), BULL MOOSE (20-9) and TOUCH EM ALL (17-11) to win the 55 AAA title. TOUCH EM ALL beat  BULLMOOSE 23-8 for second.

DETROIT PONY EXPRESS was the fourth team in the group.

JUST ONE MORE beat DURHAM SILVER STICKS 22-12, 18-10 for the 60 AA title. DURHAM edged DAYTON DIAMOND DAWGS 12-11 for second place.

JP MOTERMEN went 4-0 in bracket play with wins over LOUISVILLE SILVER SLUGGERS< CINCINNATI 60's, LOUISVILLE and OHIO ELTE DOCS and capture the 60 AAA top prize.

Others in the bracket were PEPCO/SFS, CHAMPAIGN SOFTBALL, DAYTON LEGENDS and OHIO SIXTIES.

The MINUTEMEN/SFS edged UNIVERSAL SOFTBALL twice in bracket play (27-25. 9-6) and a long with a 20-6 victory over UPSTATE EXTREME ROYALS took the 65 AAA crown.

UNIVERSAL beat CAVCO 21-9 for second place. Others in the bracket were MCMAHON<COYNE<VITANTONIO; and SIDELINE BULL MOOSE.

The 70 AA saw ROCHESTER CLASSICS end on top followed by MICHIGAN LAKERS, LEGENDS OF DAYTON, ROCHESTER ROYALS, INDY 70's and DAYTON LEGENDS SILVER EXPRESS.

DAYTON LEGENDS had a long day in order to win the 70 AAA Crow.

They started with a win over CHICAGO HITMEN (24-10), dropped to the loser's bracket with a 10-16 loss to STEEL CITY. They beat DR VINYL (26-11), MIDSTATE SENIORS (16-14) LEFEGUARD FINANCIAL (20-5) and STEEL CITY twice (25-21. 19-12)  for the title.

Yhers in the bracket were DOC MARTINS ROPE COURSE and COSSA.

The 75 AAA went to RARE BREED with a pair of wins (21-12, 18-3) over DAYTON LEGENDS.

Quoting SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE'S poem THE ANCIENT MARINER with some modification.

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE

AND ALL THE BOARDS DID SHRINK

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

THIS WEATHER REALLY DID STINK

Only the 70 and 60 Divisions were played at Barberton June 11,12,13,14,15 as the rest of the schedule was not only rained out but flooded out.

The fields were actually best suited for the first SPA COMBINED CANOE and KAYAK individual and team racing.

It was the first time in the tournaments 18-year history it was rained out.

The 75 SCARLET bracket saw the INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS finish (6-0,5-0) in the round robin to edge HILL CONSTRUCTION (5-1,4-1)  INDIANAPOLIS beat HILL 16-15 in head-to-head action.

MICCHIANA MERCHANTS (2-3,2-2), JERSEY MASTERS (1-4,1-3), CAROLINA  BLUE SKY (1-5,1-4) and DAYTON LEGENDS (1-5.1-4) rounded out the six-team bracket.

SYRACUSE CYCLONES edged RUSH TRUCKING 10-9 in the GREY DIVISION to finish (5-1,4-1) to the TRUCKERS (5_1,4-1) but one the title and the tie-breaker win.

ROCHESTER CHESS (4-2,3-2), CHICAGO GREY SOX (3-3,2-3), AMR (2-4,2-3) and RARE BREED (1-5,0-5) were the others in the bracket.

OHIO ELITE DOCS (4-1) won the 60's GREY Division edging out JUST ONE MORE (3-2) on the strength of a 29-17 win in a head-to-head match. JUST ONE MORE win the 60 AA bracket edging DURHAM SILVER STICKS (2-3) 25-23.

PELLY'S STIX (1-4) and OHIO SIXTIES (1-4) were also in the GREY Division.

The CHICAGO PRIME beat JP MOTERMEN 23-18 to break a tie between the two teams (each 4-1) and win the 60 SCARLET bracket.

The MINUTEMEN finished a close (3-2), CARDOT MADALINA  CONSTRUCTION (2-3) and LOUISVILLE SUPER SLUGGERS (1-4). rounded out the group.

Twenty-two teams participating in the SPA 2019 TEXAS LONE STAR NIT learned first hand how to spell WAXAHACHIE June 7-9 as they battled for titles at its SPORT COMPLEX. When the dust cleared TEN TEAMS were crowned champions.

The TEXAS LEGENDS beat the TEXAS THUNDER in a third deciding game 19-13 to take the 60 AA crown. The Thunder won the second game 15-14 and the LEGENDS the first by a 22-18 count.

The THUNDER took the 60 AAA title.

LA LEGENDS beat OAK-ARK 9-6 and 12-9 for the 70 AAA title. The LEGENDS also beat OAKIES 17-2 in the opening round. OAK-ARK downed the OAKIES 22-12 to reach the finals.

Others in the bracket were TEXAS CLASSICS and TEXAS RAIDERS.

The 75 DIVISION saw HILL CONTRACTING drop TEXAS 75 KNIGHT RAIDERS 16-3 and 19-3 for the top prize.

GONZALEZ INSULATION edged TEXAS THUNDER 24-22 in winning the 65 MAJOR TITLE while the THUNDER claimed the 65 AAA award.

TEXAS ACES defeated TEXAS ELITE 27-15, 30-24 and ETX 23-22 to win the 50 AAA CHAMPIONSHIP.

Others in the bracket were UNDISPUTED TRUTH and UNDERDOGS 55"s.

ESCOBAR BODY SHOP took home the 50M PLUS crown beating ROCKIN N LEGENDS 26-25 and OK RHINO 27-25.

ROCKIN N LEGENDS downed MANCAVE 29-7 for the 55 MAJOR title while MANCAVE took care of OK RHINO 29-18 for the 50 MAJOR top prize.

The Women's SPA TWITTY SENIOR WOMENS NIT TOURNAMENT June 16-19 at DRAKE CREEK PARK in HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE was music to a number of team's ears.

Acting out a pair of CONWAY TWITTY hits "The Games that Daddies Play" and "You've Never Been this far before", 29 teams took part in the tournament.

Showing why they love coming to HENDERSONVILLE the TN SR STARS 50;S, EAST COAST GEMS 55'S and JOLICO 65's all were repeat champs with JOLICO making it a THREE-PEAT.

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN STARS was the fourth team in the bracket.

In a re-run from 2018 JOLICO'S 65's beat the OHIO CARDINALS 16-2 and 10-9 to win the 60 PLUS bracket. Jolico also beat the GOLDEN GALS 12-8 on the way to their straight TWITTY title.

TN SR STARS bounced the DREAMGIRLS 17-14 and 21-19 for their repeat 50 PLUS crown. The champs also beat 50 CALIBRE 20-11.

DREAM GIRLS dropped FIRE & ICE 13-6 to reach the finals. JWP was the fifth team in the bracket.

In the 55 PLUS it was EAST COAST GEMS repeating with wins over THE PLAYERS (19-8), SERIOUS FUN (17-8) and 19-4 over SHO ME #1..

THE PLAYERS made it to the finals edging SERIOUS FUN 12-11. In the battle for MISSOURI "bragging rights". SHO-ME #1 downed SHO-ME #2 14-11.

SUNNY BEACHES kept JOLICO 60's from repeating by beating the 2018 TWITTY champ 10-7. The Michigan team didn't go down without a fight forcing a third game beating SUNNY BEACHES 9-5 in the "IF" game.

The champs had put JOLICO into the loser's bracket earlier with a 12-9 win after barely edging HAMEL LADIES 7-7 in the opening round.

Others in the bracket were NOREASTERS and SHO-ME602"s.

Six teams squared off in the 35 PLUS group with MIDWEST MAYHEM downing HILTON 40's 11-9 and 18-7 for the crown.

MIDWEST MAYHEM took the long way around to win the title by after winning the opener 20-19 over OUTER LIMITS they lost to HILTON 40's 13-15 to fall into the loser's bracket. They earned their way to the finals beating SAVE SECOND BASE 20-16, OUTER LIMITS 24-14, PITCHES BE CRAZY 18-4  and HILTON 40's 18-17.

Wicked game was the sixth team in the bracket.

KRYPTONITE downed HIGH CALIBRE 21-5 to take the 45 Plus CROWN.

PITCHES BE CRAZY were the 40 plus champs.

 LADY SHOT CALLERS were the fourth team in the bracket.

Twenty-six teams mainly from Minnesota and Wisconsin invaded PIONEER PARK, MINNESOTA JUNE 6-9 to play in the SPA/SSUSA STEVE SIMMONS MOSQUITOLAND CLASSIC.

In a mixture of AAA and MAJOR championships were earned in 50, 60,70 Majors and 50, 60, 70, 75/80 AAA.

MN LUMBERJACKS defeated MAHER HOMES 24-11, 25-24 for the 50 AAA title while CPD/ANCEL downed IOWA DEMONS 24-15 for the MAJOR crown.

CT VIPER also participated in the 50's groups.

The 60's saw WISCONSIN PLAYMAKERS lose twice to MINNESOTA LUMBERJACKS 12-14, 14-19 as the LUMBERJACKS won the 60 AAA title.

MINNESOTA MERCHANTS downed ALL AMERICAN RESTORATION 22-14 to take home the 60 MAJOR crown.

Other teams playing in the 60's group were MINNESOTA MERCHANTS and MINNESOTA MASTERS/ANCEL.

The MINNESOTA PRIZE defeated ALL-AMERICAN 19-9 TO WIN THE 70 major  with CHICAGO STRIKERS beating BADGER CLASSICS 18-13 for the 70 AAA Crown.

Also participating in the 70's were MIDWEST EXPRESS, CHICAGO HITMEN, ROCHESTER RAPTORS, MINNESOTA MASTERS and MINNESOTA LUMBERJACKS.

PROHEALTH  75's  was the winner over MINNESOTA MASTERS 80'S IN THE 75/80 BRACKET.

Only four teams showed up for the May 5 8-9 AWARDS EXPRESS tournament at CONCORD, NC's FRANK LISE PARK but that was fine with BLACKBURN TRUCKING.

The TRUCKERS beat THE GRILL 16-12 in the deciding game after THE GRILL won the "IF" game 18-3 to force the extended match.

For the tournament the two teams went 2-2 against each other. THE GRILL went undefeated in pool with a 20-10 win over BLACKBURN but was edged 19-18 by the champs in opening round of bracket play.

The other teams participating were LAST CALL and CAROLINA PROSPECTORS..

Austin  Nestor, 2015 Norton graduate, was awarded a $500 scholarship from Softball Players Association for his exceptional character and work ethics.

Nestor is currently an Akron University junior working towards a degree in Criminal Intelligence. He already has an Associates degree in Criminal Justice. In addition he is registered with the State of Ohio as a  Pharmacist and works at the ACME pharmacy.

A workaholic , the Norton grad is working this summer as a landscaper with White Landscaping.

"My parents (David and Sharon) brought me up to believe hard work is the secret to success and I have followed their example," he said. "I am greatly appreciative of the SPA scholarship, it is really needed and I will show them they made the right decision in choosing me."

SPA is a national senior softball association located in Mustang, Oklahoma and this is the 65th scholarship awarded in the past  20 years and the fourth to a Norton-Barberton student. THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC senior softball tournament is the local SPA representative.

Barberton's Tyler Owen received one in 2014 and in 2018 SPA along with the TBC donated $1,000 to the Barberton Karen Burnette Scholarship Fund.

"When I was 16 and didn't have money for college a local church donated $500 to my college education," SPA Executive Director Ridge Hooks said. "Since then I have tried to repay the Church and the Lord for how they helped me by helping others."

"And I believe this year Austin is the perfect recipient of the award.":