SPA News

The PITCHES BE CRAZY FORTIES actually went CRAZY celebrating their first ever SPA TOURNAMENT title of any kind.

The champs pulled it off August 19-23 at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK in the 2018 SPA 40’s WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

“It was really great,” PBC 40’s manager BRENDA DEWITT said. “We are an offshoot of the PITCHES BE CRAZY 35’s and we just put the team together this year.”

It has been a long year for PBC 40’s as their record was 3-7 in SPA tournaments (TWITTY, ROCKY TOP, SPRING NATIONALS).

“In pool play at DALTON we went 0-2 playing teams like KRYPONITE before we got to bracket play,” DEWITT said.

In bracket play they defeated ARKANSAS SYNERGY 40’s 10-5 and 21-9 for the title.

“I think that may have been the first time we beat SYNERGY this year,” she said,”When we beat them in the finals at DALTON, we actually did go crazy celebrating.”

“We have a great team and a great attitude,” DEWITT said.”It was great to finish the year on a positive note, we all excited now anticipating the 2019 season.”

Individual Awards: BRENDA DEWITT SPA 40’S MANAGER OF THE YEAR and JANE COLSON TOURNAMENT MVP. Selected to the ALL-AMERICAN TEAM were BARBARA HARE, NICOLE BASILE, DEANN DEITSCH, JEANIA HASTINGS and TIFFANY MACKEY GUTHERIE.

Members of PITCHES BE CRAZY FORTIES are; HARE, DEWITT, MACKEY-CUTHERIE, BASILE, HASTINGS, DEITSCH, COLSON, CRYSTAL WHITE, SHERRI RUF, JAN GREATHOUSE, SABRINA CAMPBELL, ERIKA ROACH, CONNIE JONES, JULIE DAVIS, SHERI YOUNG, JULIE KELSO, LISA LONG GILES, CONSTANCE RAMIREZ and REBECCA DAY.

The MIDWEST MAYHEM BALLERS 2018 season didn’t start out that well but it sure finished in style with the SPA 35 DIVISION WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP trophy to take home.

The MICHIGAN team came up empty at the SPRING NATIONALS, TWITTY and ROCKY TOP but it was a different story AUGUST 19-23 HERITAGE PARK in DALTON, GEORGIA.

They lost a pool game 13-12 to OUTER LIMITS but after that it was no contest.

MAYHEM beat PITCHES BE CRAZY 12-7 in pool and followed it up with wins WICKED GAME {pool 7-1), TAZ K&G (bracket 10-3), HILTON 40 PLUS (bracket 20-16) and TAZ K&G 11-8 in the title game.

TAZ K&G beat HILTON 40 PLUS 20-9 for second. Others in the six-team bracket were OUTER LIMITS, WICKED GAME, SPORTS ORTHO URGENT CARE WICKED.

Individual award winners for MIDWEST MAYMEM BALLERS were MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR AIESHA AVENT and TOURNAMENT MVP VIKKI MAGDICH.

ALL-AMERICAN selections were ANGELA AVENT, YUKA WISNRSKI, TONIA HUGHES and MICHELLE CANNON’

Team members of MIDWEST MAYHEM BALLERS:

JACQUELINE PRICHETT, ADRIENNE BAILEY-HILL, SHONTE JOHNSON, AMY FASSBENDER, SHAMEKA SMITH, ANGELA AVENT, JUDITH TRYLONG, ALESHA ROBINSON, YUKA WISNESKI, CINDY STAPLES, RENEE GRAHAM, VIKKI MAGDICH, CHARISSE WRIGHT, JACLYNN DARKANGELO, TONIA HUGHES, MICHELLE CANNON, CHERIE RADER and TARYN FINLEY.

It is two years and counting as KRYPTONITE won their second 45 SPA WORLDS title AUGUST 19-23 at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK.

Last year it was a two-out-of-three showdown with BAT GIRLS RETURN while this year

KRYPTONITE ran the table going 2-and-0 in bracket play and 2-0 in pool. The CHAMPS beat PITCHES BE CRAZY FORTIES 21-5 and 32-10 to win the WOMEN’S 40/45 PLUS title

In pool play they beat a pair of 3 5-year old teams WICKED GAME (20-7) and SPORTS ORTHO WICKED (9-6).

It was a great way for KRYPTONITE to finish off the year which started by winning the SPA SPRING NATIONALS.

Individual Awards went to: MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR EDWARD BOUCHARD while Tournament MVP was CAROLYN DEEB. ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS went to COLLEEN SMITH, RHONDA “DODY’ CLINE, VERONICA “V” SHAW, DIANE “DJ” WHITE and VALORIE MULLINS.

KRYPTONITE team members are: SMITH, APRIL BLAKE, CLINE, DEEB, SHAW, WHITE, VERBIA BEHE, SARA PAYNE, MULLINS, KAREN HUNGER, SONJA BROOKS-WHITE, SUNDAY WRIGHT and LORI LAMONT.

Hilton 40 Plus received on-the-job-training in their first year of senior softball and it paid off in winning the 2017 SPA 35+ Division Women’ s Worlds September 23-24 at Heritage Point Park in Dalton, Georgia.

Hilton even did it the hard way losing their first bracket game and having to play nine games (3 pool, 6 bracket) to wrap up their first SPA Worlds Title.

“It was a long second day,” Hilton 40 Plus and SPA 2017 35 Manager-of-the-year Ann Humble said. "This was our first Worlds and when we went 3-0 in pool, we thought we may have an easy time. Then Wham! We lose our first bracket game and have to fight our way out of the loser’s bracket."

After losing 11-17 to Outer Limits in the opener, Hilton beat Arkansas Synergy 15-9, Save Second Base 21-6, Outer Limits 28-11, Pitches Be Crazy 18-10 to force the “IF” game.

In the title game they led a 13-11 lead going into the seventh. PBC had two runners on and two out and their top hitter to hit a shot to LCF when LF Gretchen Gruber raced over to make the game saving last out catch.

The way the season ended for Hilton 40 Plus was not the way it started.

“We knew absolutely nothing about the rules or even the bats and we learned on the fly,” Humble said.

Hilton went into the Pensacola Tournament with regular bats, it was the first they ever saw a Miken, but the next tournament they bought a pair.

They didn’t know your age division is based on the youngest player on the roster. Loaded with 50’s and 60’s players they were expecting to play at least 55’s...until they were told one of their players was 38 years young and they would have to play 35.

Other surprises were the double home plate, courtesy runners and 5-run rule.

“We learned pretty quick and won our next two tournaments (Rocky Top and Twitty),’ Humble said. “It was a shock at Pensacola but we learned quickly.”

At Dalton the ladies had their “big girl pants” on having team batting average of .546 but more importantly an On Base percentage of .680.

Gruber was the tournaments MVP while Karen Laymon, Kendra McDaniel, Mindy Rankin, Jackie Speacer and Bear Brooks were selected to the All-American All-Tournament team. Speacer was Hilton’s pitcher for all nine games.

On the roster were: Cristina Flogerzi, Humble, Bonnie Curry, Laymon, McDaniel, Rankin, Jena Rhea, Teresa Robertson, Triska Scott, Speacer, Brooks, Daphne Beagles, Karrie Warren, Gruber, Ryann Ellingsworth and Kelly Allen.

Humble also received some other good news. Apparently SPA will be holding a November 2018 tournament in Panama City, Hilton’s home area.

“This was such a great year, I am really happy we joined the SPA organization.” the manager said. “The tournaments were very well runs, the other teams were really friendly and the umpires and directors were just great. We had a great experience and are looking forward to 2018.”

Final Standings in the 35 Division was Hilton 40 Plus, 2. Pitches Be Crazy, 3. Outer Limits, 4. Save 2^nd Base and 5. Arkansas Synergy.

Kryptonite used its “powers” to win the SPA 40/45+ World Championship September 23-23 Heritage Point Park in Dalton, Georgia.

Kryptonite beat Bat Girls Return two-out-of-three for the title as others in the age group did not wish to match talents with the top two teams in that age bracket.

“We are used to playing only one other team in our age brackets at tournaments” manager Veronica Shaw said. “There are only five 35’s, one forty and one forty-five teams in our age bracket.”

At Dalton It was an even battle until Bat Girls Return couldn’t get their wings going in the rubber game losing 20-2. The teams split the first two games with Kryptonite winning 20-16 and losing 8-16.

“We didn’t hit in pool play or in our second game with the Bat Girls,” Shaw said. “In the title game we only played eleven players to allow their top hitters more at bats.”

The champs have won six out of seven tournaments they have played this year.

“Most of us have been playing together for twenty + years,” Shaw said. “We also have been fortunate to have Ed Bouchard SPA 40/45 Manager-of-the-year coaching us. He is the biggest asset to our team".

It isn't only softball on the team's mind as they promotes Autism awareness on their uniforms, especially the jerseys.

Valorie Mullins was the tournament MVP, she was 16-for-17 at the plate. Selected to theAll-American All-Tournament team were: Colleen Smith, DJ White, Sara Payne, Karen Hunger and Shaw.

Members of the Kryptonite team are: Smith, April Blke, Rhonda Cline, Carolyn Deeb, Theresa Walburger, White, Verbia Behe, Payne, Mullins, Hunger, Sonja Brooks-White, Lynelle Westra, Shaw, Coleen Dague and Bouchard.