DIVERSIFIED MACHINE left THEE SPA 2018 BUCKEYE CLASSIC TOURNAMENT in BARBERTON June 23, 24 with no skin on their teeth.
Playing in the nine-team 50 AAA division DIVERSIFIED lost their second game of the tournament Saturday 19-20 to LAKESHORE CONTRACTING and had to hope for a miracle to have a chance for the title.
It didn't look like it was going to happen as GTO and LAKESHORE were both 5-0 and on a collision course to see who the 50 champs would be.
"It was really tough losing a game we should have won by one run and then sitting back and watching that team keep winning" DIVERSIFIED manager .MIKE BIELEK said. "I knew they had to lose two games or one and we would have to beat GTO for a three way tie. Then we would have a chance."
DIVERSIFIED beat HITMEN 16-15, OREA 17-10 and BRICKYARD 24-11 to keep their hopes alive
It didn't look like BIELEK'S team had much of a chance as LAKESHORE kept winning with only a game left with the .500 HITMEN and DIVERSIFIED was being beat by GTO.
Then it happened...the miracle.
DIVERSIFIED cane back to beat GTO 12-11 and LAKESHORE lost to the HITMEN to force a three way tie with each team 5-1. Since there wasn't a head-to-head tiebreaker because they all did not play each other the "runs against common opponents" was the decider.
With the only common opponent being BRICKYARD and OREA even that was close. DIVERSIFIED allowed 21 runs while the others 24.
"We have won and lost tournaments by a game but never like this," BIELEK said. "It was worth it because we not only won THEE BUCKEYE but also got the TRIPLE CROWN bid. I hope our next tournaments are not as gut wrenching, I don't know if I can take another one like this, despite the outcome.".