Chattanooga’s (Phil) Rowland Development Group, better known as RDG came out of the loser’s bracket to win the 2017 SPA 60 AA World championship September 14-17 held in Dalton, Georgia.
RDG lost their opening bracket game 8-12 to Glory Daze but beat Indy Fog 13-2 and Glory Daze twice 18-15, 14-8 for the comeback championship.
“We did not have an easy time,” RDG’s and SPA 60 AA Manager-of-the-Year Mike Ricketts said. “We had to come from behind in the 6th or 7th inning in both games with Clory Daze to win.”
The biggest comeback was in the game they needed to force a championship game with Glory Daze. A Glory Daze win would have ended the tournament with them as champs and RDG second.
“We won the open inning and that was the difference,” Ricketts said of the teams 18-15 win.
The final game was a 14-5 victory for RDG.
RDG was bumped to the losers bracket by Glory Daze in the second round 12-8 and RDG needed a 13-2 win over Indy Fog to set up the two important games with Glory Daze.
The SPA World title was the first one for the champs after coming in 3rd in 2015 and 2nd in 2016.
Tim Terrant was the Tournament MVP. Selected to the All-American team were Ed Girard, Steve Southern, Michel Hoy, Gerald “Jethrow” Paulton and Jim King.
Others on the championship 60AA RDG team are: Howard Wilcox, Martin Simmons, Steve Stokes, Jeff Sentten, Tommy Schleit, Brent Nicholas, Dennis Terrant and Steve Wegenbauer.
Glory Daze was second and Indy Fog third in the three team field.