SPA News

PANAMA BEACH, FLORIDA - With ANN HUMBLE looking down from above  the initial SPA ANN HUMBLE MEMORIAL WINTER WORLD SERIES went off in perfect weather November 1-3 at the PANAMA BEACH'S FRANK BROWN PARK COMPLEX.

HUMBLE (1948-2018) was a well loved and dominant force in women's softball, especially in the GULF area where she spent 30 years with the HILTON SOFTBALL team as player, manager and coordinator.

HUMBLE was also a member of THE SPORTS HALL OF FAME.

She along with her husband ROBERT HUMBLE , who is still involved with HILTON SOFTBALL, together were mainstays of women.s softball.

In its initial appearance as a SPA TOURNAMENT, the ANN HUMBLE MEMORIAL saw champions crowned in five divisions.

In a white-knuckler 55'S BRACKET, SHO ME 55'S won by edging SLUGGERS 22-21 and 13-12 in the bracket finals. In opening action they beat SHO-ME 60'S 21-9.;

In bracket play the champs edged SLUGGERS 22-21 for the title  and 13-12 in an earlier bracket game. In pool play.

The SLUGGERS reached the finals by beating SHO-M 60's 22-9.

But talk about close games, in pool play the SLUGGERS beat SERIOUS FUN 9-8 lost to FIRE&ICE 12-13 but beat SHO-ME 55'S 10-9. Then in bracket play they lose to SHO-ME 55's 21-22 and 12-13.

In five of their six tournament games they scored 63 runs and their opponents 65 with all games decided by one run. In their only non-one run game they beat SHO-ME 60'S 22-9.

The champion SHO-ME 55's were similar scoring 63 runs in five games and gave up 69 with the sixth a 21-9 win over SHO-ME 60's.

FIRE&ICE downed JWP 50'S twice 19-10 and 14-11 in winning the 50 PLUS CROWN.

EAST COAST GEMS continued their domination of SPA WOMEN'S 55 PLUS division by going 6-0 in pool and bracket play to easily take the title.

The Champs beat SERIOUS FUN 19-6, 12-8 and THE PLAYERS 12-6 in bracket play. SERIOUS FUN downed THE PLAYERS 21-15 to reach the finals.

HIGH CALIBRE dropped LADY SHOT CALLERS 20-6 and 13-3 in winning the 45 PLUS championship.

PITCHES BE CRAZY 35's downed HILTON 40's 35 PLUS 15-13 and 11-7 to take the 35/40 title. PITCHES other bracket win was 26-13 over their sisters the PITCHES BE CRAZY 40's.

HILTON 40'S 35 PLUS bear PITCHES BE CRAZY 40'S 22-3 to reach the finals.

DALTON,GA - It took two trips to the party but HAMEL'S 80 BUILDERS came home with a MAJOR TITLE winning the SPA 2019 WORLD SERIES Sept 4-8 at DALTON. GA's  HERITAGE PARK.

The MARYLAND team claimed the crown by beating SCRAP IRON 12-8 IN THE FINALS.

On the way to the championship game HAMEL'S beat SCRAP IRON 14-11 in the second round. SCRAP IRON reached the finals beating CURRIN GRAPHICS 20-13 and 15-9.

The title made up for HAMEL'S meltdown in the WORLD TOURNAMENT in COLUMBUS,OHIO in September when they finished third.

HAMEL BUILDERS 80 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER: BILL BAHNMAIER, FRANK CARLMAN, VINCENT DEL VECCHIO, FRANK DERAMO, ROBERT ETCHBERGER, JAMES FLECKENSTEIN, LARRY GAERTNER,JR, RAY GROVE, MARVIN HUNTER, ROGER KELLY, CLARENCE LEWIS, EVAN LLOYD, PAUL MATH, ED MORRISON, RICHARD SHERMAN, MAYNARD WELLS, FRNCIS WILLIAMS and RICHARD HILL.

The BIRD was not the word at the 9/9-9/11 SPA 2018 75 AAA WORLD SERIES at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK.

The INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS downed the SENIOR RED BIRDS two out of three times in the double-elimination bracket competition to win the WORLD SERIES TITLE.

The CLASSICS beat the BIRDS 23-19 in their first encounter in bracket play sending the winged wonders to the loser’s bracket. The BIRDS fought their way out of the loser’s bracket beating the TEXAS LEGENDS (9-7) to get another shot at INDIANAPOLIS.

This time the BIRDS won (10-9) to set up an “IF” game but the CLASSICS came back to win 9-5 in the finals.

For the tournament the two teams (CLASSICS and REDBIRDS)  were 2-and-2 against each other since the BIRDS edged the CLASSICS 15-14 in pool play which making the REDBIRDS 3-0 and the number one seed. In the end all it earned them was the runner-up spot in the 75 AAA 2018 SPA WORLDS SERIES TOURNAMENT.

Ironically it was a repeat of the SPA JIM WELCH CLASSIC in TROY, ILL when the CLASSICS beat the SENIOR REDBIRDS twice to win that tournament. For the year the CLASSICS won three SPA TITLES the WORLD SERIES, JIM WELCH and THEE BUCKEYE CLASSIC. They also finished second in the WORLDS in COLUMBUS to PRO HEALTH.

The other two teams in the 75 WORLD SERIES were TEXAS LEGENDS and FLORIDA’S PREMIUM SEATS.

Members of the championship INDIANAPOLIS CLASSICS are: KEN BONHAM, ROBERT BRABENDER, LARRY COOPER, JEFF CRUMP, DICK DOUGLAS, FLOYD EDWARDS, CHARLES FEDERLE,ELDEN FORTHUM, WILLIAM GREENWALD, WILLIAM HUDSON, HAROLD KENNEDY, JOHN LOIACANO, ROBERT WILLOUGHBY, WES WORLEY, GEORGE MILLS, GEORGE HULL, ROGER REVEAL, KEN KEELER, JAMES PATTERSON and STEVE SWICK.