SPA News

DALTON, GA - TM FORCE made quick work of PITCHES BE CRAZY to win the 2019 SPA WOMEN'S 40 WORLDS SEPT 18-22 at DALTON, GA'S HERITAGE PARK.

Only two teams were entered in the SPA 40 DIVISION, TM FORCE and PITCHES BE CRAZY. The two settled who was the top dog by squaring off in the best-two-out-of- three showdown with the FORCE coming out on top.

The FORCE took the first game 26-14 and outlasted PITCHES BE CRAZY in the tight deciding game.

MEMBERS of the 2019 SPA 40 WORLD CHAMPS are: TANYA LEE, KELLYE BERNING, MARIA ELENA FUTCH, MARLYS MAY, GAYLE BORGEN, NICOLE BROWNELL, KEITHA HALL, NICOLE FAGAN, NICOLE BASILE, KATIE MATTHEWS, LAURA MOENEYHAM, KIRSTEN CRUMPACKER, LARA KEENE, MELINDA ARCHER, JOBINA JOHNSON, KARINA STONG  and CARISA MILLER.

DALTON, GA - TAZ KG needed an "IF" game to reach the SPA 2019 35 WOMEN'S WORLD SEPT 18-22 at DALTON, GA'S HERITAGE PARK and made the most of the opportunity to take home the title.

After going through the early games in the five-team bracket with wins over OUTER LIMITS 19-7 and HILTON 16-15, TAZ KG was ambushed  18-22 by PITCHES BE CRAZY, who was coming out of the loser's bracket

However, the champs rebounded in the title game with 24-17 win.

PITCHES BE CRAZY after losing their bracket opener to HILTON bounced back with wins over MIDWEST MAYHEM 33-33 and HILTON 14-10 before forcing the title game with TAZ KG. 

TEAM MEMBERS of the 2019 WORLD CHAMPS TAZ KG are: KELLI CARLSON. TINA SIRLS, DEMETRA NOBLE, ROBIN MCLAUGHLIN, KRISTY OLINIK, AMY HOMA, JENNIFER ALLGOOD SMITH, CAROLE O'DELL, BOBBI SIMONS, TAMARA MARLOTT, MARIBETH PETRILLI, TAMMY FIFE, TABITHA LEE, RACHEL SHERIDAN, JESSICA POWELL, MISTINE PAUL, SHERRIE BELL and STACIE EUBANKS.

The weather took its toll on the WOMEN'S ROCKY TOP NIT July 12-14 in KNOXVILLE with only three groups able to play.

SERIOUS FUN took the 55 DIVISION beating EAST COAST GEMS 7-4 in the title game. SERIOUS FUN had put EAST COAST GEMS into the losers bracket earlier with a 6-4 win but the GEMS downed 9-3 later on to set up the "IF" game championship.

The two teams were even in tournament play for the weekend with the GEMS beating SERIOUS FUN 11-9 in pool play. Others in the bracket were FIRE&ICE and SLUGGERS.

KRYPTONITE went undefeated in the 40/45 pool and bracket play beating TM FORCE 20-10,15-3 and LADY SHOT CALLERS 17-9 in bracket play and TM FORCE 17-15 and LADY SHOT CALLERS 19-3 in pool play.

PITCHES BE CRAZY was the fourth team in the group.

TAZ fought its way out of the loser's bracket to beat HILTON 16-8 to force an "IF" GAME and 11-8 in the title match. HILTON had put TAZ into the loser's bracket earlier with 13-10 win.

In pool play TAZ had beaten HILTON 14-5. OUTER LIMITS and PITCHES BE CRAZY rounded the 35+ group.

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.

PENSACOLA,FLA - The 2019 SPA WOMENS TOURNAMENT opened the season APRIL 12-14 at MICHAEL J. DESORBO EXCHANGE PARK in PENSACOLA with the SPA WOMENS SPRING NATIONALS.

Twenty-one  teams took part in the event which featured lots of close and "IF" games as the ladies battled for titles in the 35,40,45,50 and 55 Divisions.

The TN STARS captured the 50 AAA bracket by beating JWP twice 25-17 and 24-11. They also disposed of H-TOWN SISTERS 16-1 and FIRE&ICE 19-4.

The STARS went 6-2 in bracket and pool play with the only defeats being to JWP. 

JWP went undefeated in pool play and through the first two games of bracket play before losing the final two games to the TN STARS.

Others in the bracket were H-TOWN SISTERS and FIRE&ICE.

THE PLAYERS went undefeated (6-0) in both pool and bracket play to capture the six-team 55 DIVISION.

The champs took down SERIOUS FUN twice in the finals of bracket play 14-0  and 12-9 along with an opening round 17-8 win over SHO-ME.

SERIOUS FUN also had six wins in the tournament but was saddled with three defeats, all to THE PLAYERS.

Others in the 55 DIVISION were H-TOWN SISTERS, SHO-ME, SUNNY BEACHES. and LA SPORTS. The 35 DIVISION also saw an undefeated team win its bracket as PITCHES BE CRAZY went 5-0 in the six-team field to take home the top prize. The PITCHES knocked off JWP twice in bracket play to wrap it up.

JWP downed OUTER LIMITS 17-13 to make it into the finals.

Teams in the six-team group were PITCHES BE CRAZY, JWP, OUTER LIMITS, HILTON, WICKED GAMES and MIDWEST MAYHEM.

KRYPTONITE beat PITCHES BE CRAZY, TM FORCE and ARKANSAS SYNERGY in bracket play for the 45 PLUS crown while ARKANSAS SYNERGY edged TM FORCE 10-9 for the 40 PLUS title.

Teams in the 40/45 bracket were KRYPTONITE, ARKANSAS SYNERGY, TM FORCE, PITCHES BE CRAZY and LADY SHOT CALLERS..

"It was a great tournament with plenty of outstanding players and individuals," TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR MIKE DESORBO played," The ladies really had their hitting shoes on and played outstanding defense. They really are outstanding softball players."

UNFAZED certainly got their money’s worth at the 2018 SPA WOMEN’S 50’S WORLD TOURNAMENT. The VIRGINIA team played NINE GAMES in the tournament including six in bracket play.

They proved more is better as they beat the top two seeds TN TRI STARS 21-9, TEAM WORKS 18-2 and TEAM WORKS again in the title game by a 14-13 count. The TN TRI STARS and TEAM WORKS had both gone 3-0 in pool play.

UNFAZED beat SUNNY BEACHES (15-8) and SASSY SENIORS (15-9) in pool play as well as losing to TN STARS (11-5).

UNFAZED won their first two bracket games (WAYPOINT FINANCIAL FANATICS 15-0 and TN TRI STARS 17-8) before losing 9-8 to TEAM WORKS in the winner’s bracket.

The champs downed TN TRI STARS 21-9 in the loser bracket finals and forced the “IF” game beating TEAM WORKS 18-2. UNFAZED finished their marathon edging TEAM WORKS 14-13 in the title game.

Others in the nine-team tournament were SHO ME 50’S, FIRE & ICE and JWP AR MIX.

UNFAZED individual awards: CYNTHIA NELSON, SPA 50 WORLDS MANAGER OF THE YEAR and SYLVIA ECHOLS, TOURNAMENT MVP.

Players selected to the ALL-AMERICAN team were DOLORIS PATTERSON, DEBORAH ROBINSON, ELLA ROGERS, MELISSA WILSON and CYNTHIA ROBERSON.

Members of the 2018 champion UNFAZED team: NELSON, ECHOLS, PATTERSON, ROBINSON, ROGERS, WILSON, ROBERSON, LINDA PUENTES, JANICE R. JACKSON, THELMA MASON, ARETHA TILLEY-PIGRUM, SONJA FULTZ, YVONETTE JOHNSON, MICHELLE BROWN, DEBORAH DEEG, CORNIECE KEENE BROWN, PORTIA SLATON, CHARLENE SUGGS, NEDRA BARNARD HILL and MELISSA SPENCER

The FUN BUNCH was one year older this year and moved up to the SPA 70 DIVISION with the result being the 2018 WORLD CROWN.

In 2017 the FUN BUNCH was runner-up in the SPA 65 DIVISION and the rest of the teams in the 70’s group wish they would have stayed there for another year.

The FUN BUNCH took no prisoners going 5-0 in poll and bracket play. Where most teams win championships with their bats, they did it with their gloves.

In five games they allowed only 32 runs (6.4 per game). Offensively they were not to shabby either scoring 77 runs (15.4 per game).

Only the 2017 70’s runner-up GOLDEN GALS 70’s gave them a battle losing 8-9 in the winner’s bracket semi but FUN BUNCH drilled them 16-4 in the title game. The JERICHO SR 70’s fell 6-17 to FUN BUNCH  in the opening bracket game.

In pool play they defeated GOLDEN GIRLS of VA 13-9 and CHATTANOOGA CHARGERS 22-5

The only teams they did not play in the seven team bracket were NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN MAMA’S (2-4) and the CLASSICS (0-5).

FUN BUNCH individual awards: SPA 70 MANAGER OF THE YEAR PEGGY O’NEILL and MVP entire team. Selected to the ALL-AMERICAN team were JILL SMITH, KAT BONDS, PAT STEPHENSON, MARCIA HILTABIDLE and DUSTY LEVERSKY.

FUN BUNCH 70’s team members: O’NEILL, SMITH, BONDS, STEPHENSON, HILTABIDLE, LEVERSKY, ARLENE GOMEZ, JUANITA GRANDSTAFF, MARSHA MOORE, CLARA ODOM, ELLEN WOODARD, JONI SHIRLEY, SUSAN THOMPSON, DIANNE DOBBINS, EVELYN EVANS and BARBARA PEAVY.

Led by manager RANDY MOSES, the HAMEL LADY 60’S won the 2018 SPA 60’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP August 19-23 at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK.

It wasn’t easy as HAMELS LADIES had to beat the 2016 and 2017 champs JOLICO twice, both times by one run.

‘11 was our magic number,” MOSES said. “We tied it in the seventh inning of the first game with 11 runs to go to extra innings for the first win and won the championship game with 11 runs.”

HAMEL LADIES beat JOLICO13-12 in the first game with THELMA MASON supplying the game winning hit in the bottom of the ninth. CAROLYN COTTERELL came through with a two-out bases loaded hit in the bottom of the seventh for the 11-10 win in the championship game.

It was quite a celebration for the second year team who had just stopped JOLICO’s string of 17 straight wins in the SPA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP dating back to 2016 when they were a 55 team.

“It was quite a win for us,” MOSES said of his team. “We knew going in if we wanted to be the champs we would have to beat JOLICO”

HAMELS also beat MARYLAND ROADRUNNERS 24-10 in the first game in bracket play and SHO-ME 60’s (11-1) and NOR’EASTERS (7-6) in pool play.

HAMEL LADIES 60’S Individual award winners: RANDY MOSES, SPA 60 WOMENS’ MANAGER OF THE YEAR and TOURNAMENT MVP SANDY MURPHY.

ALL-AMERICAN selections were KATHERINE SIVELLS, DIANE GARDNER, JANIS JOHNSON, JAN JONES, JOYCE DONALDSON and DELORES GRANDISON.

HAMEL LADY 60’S team members: MOSES, MURPHY, SIVELLS, GARDNER, JOHNSON, JAN JONES, DONALDSON, GRANDISON, SYLVIA JONES, BETTYE MCCLENDON, KATHY KEYS, CAROLYN COTTERELL, SHIRLEY JOHNSON-WEBB, THELMA MASON, BARBARA DAVIS, KATHERINE ROBINSON-CAIN, KAREN BENTON, PATRICIA GAINES, PEGGY JO NEFF and RAMONA WIGGINS.

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 VILLAGE GOLDEN GALS won their second straight SPA WOMENS’ 75 WORLDS August 19-23 at DALTON, GEORGIA’S HERITAGE PARK COMPLEX.

The GOLDEN GALS beat OHIO TRI STARS 15-0 in the “IF” game to win the 2018 crown. TRI STAR forced the “IF” game beating the GOLDEN GALS 10-7.

The two teams played each other four times in the tournament, once in pool and three times in bracket. The GOLDEN GALS won the pool game 10-7 and the first bracket game 4-2.

In other games the GOLDEN GALS beat the TENN SR STARS 14-13 and the GOLDEN GIRLS 75’s 18-1.

The OHIO TRI-STARS beat TENN ST STARS 10-1 for second place. GOLDEN GIRLS 75’s were fourth.

In 2017 the GOLDEN GALS beat the SPORTACULARS 13-9 for the title while the OHIO TRI STARS finished third.

GOLDEN GALS individual award winners in the 2018 tournament were: MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR CHRIS EVANS and TOURNAMENT MVP MARIAN MILHAM. Selected to the ALL-AMERICAN team were BARBARA BAILEY, CAROL WALTHER, DOTTIE BURELL, GLORIA MILLER and CAROL KOSZOLA.

Members of the 2018 GOLDEN GALS WORLD CHAMP are: EVANS, BAILEY, WALTHER, BURRELL, MILHAM, MILLER, KOSZOLA, KAREN ADAMS, SHARON BARAN, MADELAINE CAZEL, DOLORES FAHRNEY, BARBARA HARJU, LOIS BORIE, EVELYN HAYES, NOREEN MURPHY, MARCIA HALVORSON, BETH QUESNEL, JUDY LEWIS, JEANNE HCKETT and JOYCE TURNER.