2010 PS

2010 Palm Springs Tournament

Panteras take the title

What a great weekend in Palm Springs. Weather was great, no wind and a lot of great fast pitch softball played. Temperatures were in the 80's on Saturday but went to 94 degrees on Sunday but that did not stop the Panteras from winning their first tournament of the year.

The Panteras were the number three seed going into Sunday's single elimination action. The pitching duo of Travis Price and Gerald Pyle allowed only six runs in the round robin. On Sunday morning the Panteras faced Black Curtain for the second time in tournament and avenged the round robin lose this time 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals against San Diego Primetime. The Panteras kept the momentum going and blanked Primetime 3-0 to face Maccabi USA in the finals.

Travis Price was in the circle against Jason Gluckman of Maccabi USA. Maccabi USA scored in the first to take an early 1-0 lead. The Panteras took the lead in the bottom of the second with Robert Ramos tripling with one out and then scored on a fielding error. Fernie Ramirez, Jr. was moved to third and scored on a passed ball to for the lead.

Both pitchers continued getting outs, but in the fourth inning Maccabi tied the game. Danny Winnick who singled to lead off the inning was moved around the bases and scored on a Josh Parsell sacrifice fly. In the fourth inning Debbie Day entered the game for Maccabi and Gerald Pyle entered in the fifth. Pyle got into jam in the 6th inning but escaped a bases loaded jam without allowing a run.

In the bottom of the inning the Panteras put together three singles to score what would be the winning runs with Dee Neiblas and Tony Garcia scoring on a Robert Aragon single. Russ Snow entered the game in the inning in relief of Day.

With the lead, Pyle got three ground outs to end the game and give Fernie Rameriz, Sr. the championship.

Maccabi USA did not have an easy schedule on Sunday having to play an 8AM game as the eighth seed against hometown Palm Springs Express who they beat 6-1. They kept the momentum going and with Snow in the circle upset number one seed Liberty FP, 8-0. This put them in the semi-finals against the Long Beach Black Sox. Snow stayed in the circle for this one as well and won a tough game 6-5 over Ronnie Rupp and the also hard hitting Black Sox.

Once again, Parks and Recreation Sports Director Vicki Oltean provided a great place to play for the league. While there was not as much snow in the San Jacinto mountains that the fields face, the view at the ball park in Palm Springs is one of the best.

For an additional write-up and pictures, please visit http://ottoinfocus.com/ as Bob was on hand to take pictures.