It took the entire season but SERIOUS FUN finally found a way to have some as they won the 2018 SPA 55 WOMEN’S WORLDS 9/21-9/23 at HERITAGE PARK in DALTON, GEORGIA.
SERIOUS FUN had started the season earning a second and two thirds in 2018 SPA TOURNAMENTS.
In the 2017 WORLDS they were 3-3 with a third place finish.
SERIOUS FUN’s 2018 title wasn’t a walk in the park.
The champs had to beat number one seed THE PLAYERS in the winner’s bracket semi-finals with a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh for a 17-16 win but lost to EAST COAST GEMS 5-15 to force the “IF” Game..
SERIOUS FUN beat the defending 2017 SPA WORLDS champs EAST COAST GEMS 12-11 in the title game which was decided in the bottom of the seventh.
Pinch hitter LINDA HANSON supplied the two-out winning blow.
Against THE PLAYERS it was JAYNE STAGGS who delivered the two-out game winner.
“Our girls have a never-give-up attitude and that was the difference in the tournament, “SERIOUS FUN manager and SPA 55’s MANAGER-OF-THE-YEAR ROBERT HALL said. “It took an extra effort to beat two teams like THE PLAYERS and EAST COAST for the title. They are both exceptional teams.”
Other teams in the six-team 55’s bracket were SHO-ME 55’s, SLUGGERS and SUNNY BEACHES.
For EAST COAST it saw their perfect SPA tournament record come to a halt. After winning the 2017 SPA WORLDS, EAST COAST won the SPA SPRING NATIONALS, ROCKY TOP and TWITTY tournaments.,
SERIOUS FUN’S SANDY SPENCER was the 2018 SPA WORLDS TOURNAMENT MVP, while teammates MARY HELEN CONNER, EVA HIXSON, JAYNE STAGGS, KIM MOORE and KAREN CULLEY were selected to the ALL-AMERICAN TEAM.
The SERIOUS FUN championship roster included CONNER, HIXSON, STAGGS, MOORE, CULLEY,, SPENCER, SYLVIA HANCOCK, NELLE PALLME. POLLY DENNISON, CAROL LAND, PAULA BARNES, CAROLE RUSSELL, LINDA HANSON, CHRISTINA OSTROWSKI, BRIDGETTE STAFFORD, PATTY HARCH and Manager HALL.