DALTON, GA - LOWES LEGENDS scored the SPA 50 HAT TRICK in 2019.
The OHIO team won the COLUMBUS, OHIO HEART OF OHIO tournament for the first crown, defeated two other regional champs in pool play (KENT'S PLAYERS 24-9. TEXAS ACES 22-17) at the DALTON WORLDS FOR THE SECOND and wrapped IT up by winning the 2019 SPA 50 WORLD CROWN at DALTON Sept 4-8.
In the SPA 50 WORLDS, LOWES after winning their first two bracket games (GRILL 584 25-9, BRICKYARD SOFTBALL 15-14) were ambushed 28-16 by KENT'S PLAYERS.
LOWES retaliated beating KENT'S 21-16 to force the "IF" game and taking the title with a 28-16 win.
KENT'S reached the finals with wins over ACTION SPORTS 19-11,DIVERSIFIED MACHINE 18-17 and KC VINTAGE 20-13 before the three-game showdown with LOWES
Others in the 14-team field not previously mentioned were DAYTON LEGENDS, MIAMI VALLEY SRS, FLYTIME SOFTBALL, CINCY 50, LAKESHORE CONTRACTING and GA RENEGADES.
MEMBERS OF THE TRIPLE-CROWN CHAMPION LOWE'S TEAM are: GARY MEYER, JEFF POPPE, GARY LECKER, GARLAND CLIFFORD, JOHN TAYLOR, FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ, JAMES LOWE, TOM BECK, DENNIE ROE II, GEORGE MIRONES, RICHARD RAYMOND, BRYCE TUOHY, EUGENE WASIELEWSKI, PETE BRICKEY, JOHN MURPHY, ALONZIE WRIGHT, PHILIP ZURWELLER, ANDY DYER and BRAD BEARD.
DALTON, GA - The TN CONNECTION took no prisoners in the 2019 SPA 55 AAA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP July 4-8 at DALTON'S HERITAGE PARK to gain the title with an undefeated mark.
Although the CONNECTION went 3-0 in bracket play, each of their three wins were in doubt until the final out.
The champs edged MONTGOMERY SWARM 18-14 in their bracket opener before beating MARYLAND COUGARS twice 15-12, 22-20 for the 55 WORLDS crown.
The COUGARS reached the finals with wins over DARRELL HARRIS 14-8 and GLOBE TRAILERS 20-19 in the five-team bracket.
Members of the TN CONNECTION are: STEVE NECESSARY, JOEL JACKSON, DONNIE REGISTER, DARRELL DOUGLAS, BRUCE FAIRCHILD, LEWIS GRACE, JOHN HANSON, MICHAEL JOHNSON, CARL MIZE, BRETT COOPER, PHIL PEARSON, ERIC GRANT, CLIFTON PARKER, RANDAL HACKLEY, TIM DRIES,MARK FULCHER, JOE SNYDER and ALAN JACKSON.
DALTON, GA - CHICAGO PRIME was perfect in all five games (2 pool, 3 showdown) in winning the SPA 60 AAA CROWN Sept 4-8 at DALTON, GA"s HERITAGE PARK.
With only two 60 AAA teams the championship was decided by a three-out-of-five battle between the PRIME and CINCINNATI 60'S,
After a close 11-7 win by the PRIME in the first game, it was strictly no contest in the next two. The PRIME won 23-8 and 19-4.
The CHICAGO PRIME also could add a 55's title to their resume since they beat the 55 WORLD CHAMPS TN CONNECTION 13-12 in pool play as well 55 team MARYLAND COUGARS 18-3.
Members of the CHICAGO PRIME 60 AAA SPA WORLD CHAMPS are: DAVE SMITH, LAVERNE ABENS III, MIKE GORDON, RICHARD HERRING, JEFF HORN, MARTIN LOLICH, MURRAY RICHARDS, RICHARD DELAY, RICK KELLEMEN, JAMES YOUNG, JOHN MIRANDA, GARY SMITH, FRED SCHEUB, SCOTT EATON, LOVELLE JOHNIKEN, TIM CANNON, ANTHONY DAVIS and PAUL PUDAITE.
DALTON, GA - COLUMBUS XLV made it tough but survived to win the SPA 65 PLUS WORLDS Sept 4-8 at DALTON'S HERITAGE PARK taking the showdown match 11-8 over MINUTEMEN/SFS.
The champs beat the FIRM 21-6 in the opener of the six-team 65 PLUS bracket to set the stage for their games with the MINUTEMEN.
COLUMBUS edged MINUTEMEN 22-21 in their first encounter but a 7-21 loss set up the "IF" game for the crown which they won..
The MINUTEMEN defeated DEEP SOUTH (18-17), and KC KIDS (18-5) in their other bracket games.
INDY FOG was the sixth team in the bracket.
COLUMBUS also defeated DEEP SOUTH 20-11 earning them the 65 AAA TRIPLE CROWN TITLE.
Members of the CHAMPION COLUMBUS XLV team are: MICHAEL BLALOCK, NATHANIEL DOWDELL, ELBERT HARBIN JR, RON INGRAM, GORDON MOSER, RONNIE SPANN, ROB SULLINS, JAMES MCDADE,
DANNY WILSON, DALE YATES, FRED D. ROWELL, ALVIN GOLLETTE, RANDALL LUNSFORD, DOUG DODSON, TROY DUNLAP JR, WALTER BROOKS, RODGER ALLEN, JAMES THOMPSON, ANTHONY NICOMETO and LARRY MAFFIT.
DALTON,GA - The MIDWEST EXPRESS roared back from a 1-2 effort in pool play to run the table in bracket play (4-0) and take the 2019 SPA 70 AAA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.
The EXPRESS started their run to the title beating top seeded OK-ARK 22-20 followed by wins over BOYD METAL 22-16 and TIME BANDITS 15-5 before beating a worn down CHICAGO STRIKERS 20-2 in the finals.
The STRIKERS had lost their first game in bracket play and had to win four straight games to make it to the finals.
Others in the eight team bracket were LA LEGENDS, KC RENEGADES and LIFE GUARD/PEPCO.
MEMBERS OF THE 2019 SPA 70 AAA WORLD CHAMPS are; DEAN BECKER, DUANE CARLOUS, MICHEL COULTER, DAVID DRISCOLL, JOHN KELLY, ROBERT KUBAT,JR, LARRY ORTHE, RONALD PETERSON, ED RASTOVSKI, ED TWOREK, TERRY CORY, BRUCE D. CONNELL, PAUL HANNAM, PAUL JACKSON, HARRY RAKERS, LON MEANS, GLENN SOYER, CLYDE FRY and LARRY STOLTE.
RAYMORE, MO - The weather was not friendly to the 2019 SPA ISENHOWER MID-AMERICA NIT JUNE 22-6/23 in RAYMORE MISSOURI.
Only nine teams were able to last out the rain delays with four champs being crowned in the round-robin events.
KC CLASSICS took the 50 MAJOR TITLE with wins over ELITE 50 (19-17) and SENIOR DOGS (18-17). They did suffer two losses to KC VINTAGE 15-21 and IOWA DEAMONS 18-23.
The SENIOR DOGS BEAT kc vintage 19-16 and IOWA DEAMONS 15-9 for the 50 AAA crown. Their only defeat was 17-18 to the 50 MAJOR CHAMP KC CLASSICS.
OMAHA SILVER BULLETS beat KC STAMPEDE 14-13, KC RENEGADES 17-16 and SCRAP IRON EXPLOSION 16-12 TO WIN THE 55 AAA TITLE.
SCRAP IRON was the 60 AAA winner.
LIBERTY, MO - FOUNTAIN PARK SPORTS COMPLEX in LIBERTY, MISSOURI played host AUGUST 2-3 to the 2019 SPA MID-AMERICA NIT for 65/70 Divisions.
Three teams made the most of the round-robin opportunity as KC KIDS 65 AAA, OAKIES 70 AA and MIDWEST EXPRESS 70 AAA all went home with championship hardware.
The KC KIDS had a battle in going 5-0 winning two games by one run and two by three.
Falling to the KC KIDS were OAK-ARK 25-24, BOYD'S METAL 17-16, KC RENEGADES 20-11, ST.LOUIS VISION 19-16 and MID-WEST EXPRESS 18 15 to capture the 65 AAA crown.
MID-WEST EXPRESS claimed the 70 AAA title thanks to wins over ST.LOUIS VISION (22-14), BOYD'S METAL (19-13), KC RENEGADES (8-5) and OAKIES (21-8).
The OAKIES edged ST.LOUIS VISION 19-18 to be awarded the 70 AA crown.
Teams in the seven team event were OAK-ARK 70 AAA, BOYD'S METAL 70 AAA, ST.LOUIS VISION 70 AAA, MIDWEST EXPRESS 70 AAA, KC RENEGADES 70 AAA, OAKIES 70 AA and KC KIDS 65 AAA
COLUMBUS, OHIO - PENNSYLVANIA'S PEACHTREE RESTAURANT recovered from an opening pool play disaster (0-3) to go undefeated (3-0) in bracket play and win the 2019 SPA 80 SILVER DIVISION WORLDS AUGUST 6-9 AT COLUMBUS , OHIO'S BERLINER PARK.
Although PEACHTREE had won a 75 DIVISION WORLDS a few years back it was their first SPA 80's WORLD
title.
The RESTAURANT gang started the bracket run beating NY STATESMEN 18-11, WISCONSIN'S PROHEALTH CARE 15-2 and MICHIGAN'S MAIN STREET PUB 80'S 21-3 to reach the finals.
PEACHTREE wrapped up the crown beating PROHEALTH 20-7 in the finale.
PROHEALTH came out of the losers bracket by downing MAIN STREET 17-13, SAN ANTONIO 80'S 16-9 and CHICAGO GEEZERS 14-12. The seventh team in the SILVER bracket was KC ANTIQUES.
BILL REGAN was the SPA 80 SILVER DIVISION MANAGER of THE YEAR while HAROLD WHITE was TOURNAMENT MVP.
Selected to the 80 SILVER ALL-AMERICAN TEAM were: ART BARNES, BRUCE DE BRIGADA, FRANK GORDON, MARVIN KRAVITZ and CALVIN FREEDMAN.
Others on the 2019 SPA 80 SILVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM are; LEN BECCHETTI, KARL HORST, PETE PETITO, AL SCHULMAN, RON WEIDMAN, BILL DEPUTY, TOM SIEWIOREK, JIM HARRIS, GEORGE MERLO, MORT TIRNAUER, ROBERT HOSTETLER and JOHN CARTER.
The ILLINOIS SENIOR REDBIRDS flew high at the 2019 SPA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 5-8 at the COLUMBUS, OHIO BERLINER SOFTBALL COMPLEX to win the 75 AAA title in the five-team bracket.
After losing their opening pool game 6-20 to the INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS the BIRDS rallied from an 8-run 7th inning deficit to edge RARE BREED 16-15 in their next game.
After that it was all over as they finished pool play with wins over DAYTON LEGENDS WHBC (17-8) and CHICAGO GRAY SOX (15-12).
In the double elimination bracket it was a straight flight for the BIRDS as they took down DAYTON LEGENDS 16-0, RARE BREED twice 15-6, 15-7 for the SPA 75 AAA WORLD TITLE.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD went to LENNY SEUSS while the MVP award was given to DEAN LARSON.
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS went to PAUL SMITH, ELMER CHESTNUT, GARY SHAD, JIM BEATTIE and PAT HEROD.
Other team members of the 2019 SPA 75 WORLDS CHAMPS are: RALPH GROTELUESCHEN, TOM KADLEC, JOHN LAURENTI, RON LITZLER, JOE VARADY, RICH REIM, RICK RAWKOWSKI, GERAL FELDOTTO, HERB WEAVER, ED KNARR, JERRY IMMING, BOB BAIRD and LARRY KNIGHT.
Two SPA mini-tournament in NC and VA crowned champs this summer.
The 2019 SPA PLAYERS AWARDS EXPRESS in CONCORD, NC JULY 2-28 had champs in the 50 and 55 Division.
TN CONNECTION bested LEXINGTON MERCHANTS 20-17 and 1-12 to win the 50 AAA while THE GRILL disposed of the GA RENEGADES 18-3 and 23-18 to claim the 55 AAA CROWN.
The SPA EASTERN NATIONALS JULY 12-14 a GLEN ALLEN, VA saw the MARYLAND COUGARS outgun both the CHESTERFIELD CLASSICS and MARYLAND COUGARS to take home the 55 AAA title.