The Michigan Major started on Friday night with the traditional “bracket style” home run derby which was won by Laservision/Eastons Bryson Baker. In the games on Friday there were no upsets, in fact out of the 11 local teams there was only one team that beat a Conference team the whole weekend.
On Saturday morning Red’s Astros beat Pure Romance, Sonny’s beat TG United, and Westshore Pizza beat Columbus Pipe out of the Conference matchups in the first round.
It quickly became evident that Sonny’s, Red’s Astros, and Headhunters all came to play and try to earn their way into the top 16 in Conference points to make the Major World Series. Those teams fought hard all day starting at 8 AM and ending for the Red’s last game after 2 AM on Sunday morning!.
The tournament had some big upsets as Buzini knocked off Team Combat and Linedrive knocked off Nordkap/Desert Falls to solidify both teams spot in the top 16.
Resmondo was nearly tripped up by R&M. R&M knocked out Sonny’s. Demarini/Dirty knocked off Laservision then was knocked off themselves by Red’s Astros.
There were great matchups all over the park as ‘B’, ‘A’, and Major teams competed as if there were no differences in talent.
The games were delayed for an hour and a half Saturday night as a storm rolled through but when the tournament resumed it was Shoppe knocking off Resmondo in the winner’s bracket championship by the run rule and Red’s knocking off Team 454, and R&M over Sonny’s to make it to Sunday. On Sunday morning with a slight drizzle of rain coming down, Red’s run ruled R&M, Resmondo run ruled Red’s, and then Resmondo double dipped Shoppe in a pair of solidly played games to win the “Last Chance” tournament!
The tournament was played in near perfect weather for the most part with the Conference ball on 300 foot fields. One knock against the tournament which had great atmosphere would be that there were not a lot of Conference umpires and the rotation of umpires left all teams except Resmondo scratching their collective heads.
While I am on my umpiring soap box I have to question a number of close plays at first base. To me a ground ball in softball that is fielded and thrown to first base is an out so the runner had better be safe without any doubt, to be called safe. And a runner that “steals” second by trying to stretch a single into a double had better be safe without any doubt to be called safe. That way an umpire is putting the “proof” of being safe on the runner and rewarding, if you will, the defense.
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