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Las Vegas Road Trip VIII
The dust has all settled, the last out has been called, champions have been crowned and the 2015 edition of the Las Vegas Road Trip is in the books. Hopefully everyone had some fun in Sin City and left with a little extra cash in your pocket on the trip back home.
This year’s tournament had thirty three teams and the competition in all three levels was fantastic. All three champions went undefeated in the tournament and all three championship games were rematches from the semi-finals in the winner’s bracket. What an exciting tournament to watch.
AA/AA-Major
In the AA/AA-Major division, there were eight teams in the bracket with teams from the US, Canada, and Mexico. Ohio Battery won this portion of the tournament going 4-0 behind the pitching of Justin Schofield, Kyle Crawford, and Ty Sebastian.
Ohio Battery won their first game 6-5 over Rhinos Fastpitch, Baja Mexico on Friday afternoon. Saturday they faced J&P Painting (CA) and won 3-1. Sunday morning they faced CR Brewers (OR) and won 5-0 putting them in the championship game where they would meet again.
The first time these two teams met Justin Schofield was in the pitcher’s circle for Ohio Battery. Schofield recorded six strikeouts in five innings and did not allow any runs. The second time they met was in the championship game and this time Kyle Crawford was in the pitcher’s circle for the first four innings and then Ty Sebastian would finish the game for Ohio Battery.
CR Brewers opened the championship game with a double by Pat Sagfel. Matt Palazzo would single scoring Sagfel. Derek Mayson, the starting pitcher for the CR Brewers, would help himself out by hitting a triple scoring Palazzo. Rich Haldane would single scoring Mayson.
Ohio Battery would answer in the same inning with their first two batters Golden San Roman and Chris Heinline hitting singles and later scoring making the game a 3-2 CR Brewers after the first inning.
In the second inning Ohio Battery would score once again with Tommy Thompson drawing a walk and San Roman and Heinline hitting singles and later scoring once again to take the lead 5-2.
In the third inning Jeff Nowaczyk would hit a solo home run giving Ohio Battery the lead 6-3.
In the fourth inning CR Brewers scored two runs in their half of the inning while Ohio Battery answered with a run of their own to increase their lead 7-5.
In the fifth inning CR Brewers would score one more run but that would be it. Ohio Battery would score one more time in the sixth inning and would later record three outs in the top of the seventh inning to finish the game 8-6 and be crowned champions.
CR Brewers opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Santa Cecilia, Mexicali on Friday evening. Saturday they faced Randy’s A’s, BC Canada and won 7-1. Sunday morning they faced Ohio Battery and lost 5-0 putting them down to the lower bracket where they would once again face Randy’s A’s to determine who would advance to the championship game. It would be a really close game the second time CR Brewers faced Randy’s A’s.
Randy’s A’s opened the tournament with a 7-3 win over Ostrander, MN on Friday evening. Saturday afternoon they faced CR Brewers, OR and lost 7-1 which would drop them to the lower bracket. Sunday morning they faced Browning, UT and won 5-2. Then they faced Rhinos Fastpitch, Baja Mexico and won 6-5. Then they faced CR Brewers once again and lost 6-5.
In the second game of Randy’s A’s and CR Brewers, the CR Brewers started off the game with a Matt Palazzo double and would later score on two wild pitches. Randy’s A’s would not score until the second inning when Jessin Potskin drew a walk, Randy Potskin singles, Eli Jules singles scoring Jessin Potskin, and Barry Dennis singles scoring Randy Potskin to take a 2-1 lead. CR Brewers would answer in the third inning by scoring three runs, then scored one run in the forth and a final run in the fifth inning to take the lead 6-2. Randy’s A’s at their last at bats were able to score three runs in the fifth inning before time expired. The game would end 6-5 with CR Brewers advancing to the championship game to face Ohio Battery.
To view the tournament results click on this link AA / AA-Major Division
A-Major
In the A-Major division, there were twelve teams in the bracket. Maccabi USA won this portion of the tournament going 5-0 behind the pitching of Jason Gluckman and Russ Snow with Gluckman pitching four out of five games. They played their first game on Friday afternoon against Colorado Knights and won 7-2 to advance to the evening game against Brian’s Blackhawks, OK and won 5-0. Saturday morning they faced K-Club, WA and won 10-3 to finish the day. On Sunday morning they faced Colorado Rage and won 4-0 to send them to the championship game where they would once again face Colorado Rage.
Maccabi USA opened the championship game with a single by Aaron Breslow. Dustin Chapnick would sacrifice to move the runner over. Zack Sloane would single to score Breslow. Jason Gluckman would draw a walk and now runners are on first and second. Billy Frank would double scoring Sloane and moving Gluckman to third. Aaron Owens would single scoring Gluckman and Frank. After the last out was recorded Maccabi would lead 4-0 at the bottom of the first inning.
Jeremy Dean would start off the second inning with a single. Breslow would draw a walk. Sloane would single scoring Dean and after the third out Maccabi would lead 5-0.
In the third inning Owens, Schwartz, and Dean would all draw walks. Breslow would single scoring Owens. Chapnick would homerun to clear the bases and increase their lead 10-0.
Gluckman in the pitching circle would not allow any runs to score. He finished the last inning strong striking out the last two Colorado Rage batters to win the championship game.
Colorado Rage opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over So Cal Aces on Friday evening. Saturday they faced Richmond Stealers, VA and won 7-4. Sunday morning they faced Maccabi USA and lost 4-0 putting them down to the lower bracket where they would face K-Club, WA to determine who would advance to the championship game.
K-Club opened the tournament with a 4-2 win over Pala Braves, CA on Friday afternoon advancing them to the evening game against Granite Bakery/SLC, UT and won 7-5. Saturday morning they faced Maccabi USA and lost 10-3 which would drop them to the lower bracket. Sunday morning they faced KW Pirates, CA and won 7-4. Then they faced Richmond Stealers, VA and won 7-5. Then they faced Colorado Rage and lost 5-0.
When K-Club and Co Rage faced each other it was scoreless in the first inning. In the second inning Co Rage would have a runner at first on a strike three dropped ball. The runner would later steal second and score on a short stop error to take the lead 1-0 over K-Club.
In the third inning Matt Thornton from Co Rage would triple to right field. Ed Dicker would double to left field scoring Thornton. Matt Chambers would advance to fist on a fielder’s choice. Bob Quick would triple to left field scoring Dicker and Chambers. Dwayne Corcoran would ground out to second scoring Quick and increase their lead 5-0.
No more runs would be scored by either team and the game would end 5-0 with Co Rage advancing to the championship game to face Maccabi USA.
To view the tournament results click on this link A-Major Division
A
In the A division, there were thirteen teams in the bracket. The Buzzards, CA won this portion of the tournament going 5-0 behind the pitching of Ron Mizener. They played their first game on Friday afternoon against Northwest Naturals, WA and won 5-0 to advance to the evening game against Rio Grande Alliance, TX and won 4-3 in a walk off homerun by Nate Hiromerides. Saturday morning they faced Austin Blue Jays, TX and won 6-5 to finish the day. On Sunday morning they faced Press Box, MT and won 6-2 to send them to the championship game where they would once again face Press Box, MT.
Press Box, MT started the championship game with a single by Will Hendrix. Patrick Wirtzberger and Frank Risner both drew walks loading the bases. James Lester flys out to left field scoring Hendrix. But, the Buzzards answered back with Austin Kendred single. Tyler McGaughey would sacrifice to move the runner over. Nate Hiromerides singles scoring Kendred.
In the second inning the Buzzards would have a long inning that resulted in three different batters walking, three different batters hitting singles, and one double scoring a total of nine runs to take a 10-1 lead.
Press Box fought back in the third inning with Risner double scoring Wirtzberger and Koentopp. James Lester would single scoring Risner. They added another run in the fourth inning when Wirtzberger single scoring Mike Knopp. The last two runs were recorded in the sixth inning when Becker scored on a short stop error and Koentopp double scoring Will Hendrix.
In the sixth inning the Buzzards would answer with two more runs. Then they would get the final three outs in the seventh that would end the game 12-7 with the Buzzards being crowned champions.
Press Box started the tournament with a 5-1 win over Balboa, CA on Friday afternoon advancing them to the evening game against Oklahoma Sykos and won 8-2. Saturday morning they faced Brew Crew, CA and won 14-1 to finish the day. On Sunday morning they faced Buzzards, CA and lost 6-2 putting them down to the lower bracket where they would once again face Oklahoma Sykos to determine who would advance to the championship game.
Oklahoma Sykos opened the tournament with a 16-3 win over Arizona Fastpitch on Friday afternoon advancing them to the evening game against Press Box, MT and lost 8-2 which would drop them to the lower bracket. Saturday morning they faced Northern Navajos, NM and won 14-3. Then they faced the Bandits, CA and won 14-4. Then they faced Rio Grande Alliance, TX and won in a close game 13-12. Sunday morning they faced Brew Crew, CA and won 4-3. Then they faced Balboa, CA and won 16-8. Then they faced Pres Box, MT and lost 7-2.
In the second game of Oklahoma Sykos and Press Box, MT, Press Box started the game with Will Hendrix single. Patch Writeberger double. Mike Koentopp flys out to right field scoring Hendrix. Risner triple scoring Writeberger to take the lead 2-0. The Sykos were scoreless in the first two innings.
In the third inning Mike Knopp draws a walk; a designated runner enters the game and steals second. Will Hendrix doubles to left field scoring the DR. Writeberger doubles to left field scoring Hendrix. The Sykos answer back when Silas singles, then steals second and third and later scores. Robbie draws a walk and later scores but that would be the final runs the Skyos would score.
Press Box would score again in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth inning to finish the game 7-2 over the Skyos and advancing them to the championship game.
On behalf of the SCIFL, I would like to thank all the players, coaches and fans that came to Las Vegas to participate and/or cheer for their teams. You have made this a very successful event and it could not have been done without you. I hope you all have enjoyed your time in Las Vegas and I look forward to seeing you next year.
To view the tournament results click on this link A Division
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