2018 Nationwide Conference USSSA
Louisville Slugger / Demarini Classic
Charlotte, NC
April 28th
Championship game between Pure Sports/Monsta and TDB/FAI/Klutch/Miken
Filip "Flip" Washington batting
2018 NC men's and women's bracket link
Coin Flip
The Nationwide Conference USSSA Major in Charlotte, North Carolina sponsored by Louisville Slugger and Demarini was a 10 team – one day tournament which featured the 'AA' teams Pure Sports Pure Sports/Monsta and TDB/FAI/Klutch/Miken. The tournament began at 9 AM with 3 play in games. B.O.T./TNT/Evo9x a 'C' Team out of New Jersey and CCP a 'B' team out of NC both advanced by the run rule, B.O.T. with a 31-16 win over Briggs, CCP (NC-B) over Carolina Smoke 30-10, and Killmans beat Clouds 29-17. In the round of 8, Pure Sports annihilated B.O.T. 24-3, TDB beat a good Killmans team 39-19 after a slow start where they actually trailed by 4, Terry's/Holland/s/Louisville Slugger/T&ATools (NC-A) got off to a hot start against Insane Sports/Basement/Ray's/M24 (OH-A) on field #1 but used up all of their home runs and Insane came back but came up short 28-25, and Rapid Fire Athletics (VA-A) had all they could handle with CCP as they won 28-25 on a walk off home run by Hunter Young. CCP has some of those Florida players like Devin Anderson and Mike Cirillo.
In the final 4 of the winner’s bracket played at noon in perfect softball weather it was Pure Sports with a solid 24-14 win on the baseball field #5 with its 310-345-370-345-310 dimensions over Terry's. TDB meanwhile had a slugfest over on the 300-foot field #4 against Rapid Fire with the wind blowing out. TDB gutted out the win 36-34 as Martel and Renno had a couple of big home runs. In the winner's bracket finals at 4:30 PM, it was the two 'AA' teams on the baseball field with the Classic M balls. Pure Sports and TDB got off to slow starts and Pure blanked TDB in the first 3 innings. Pure then grabbed a double-digit lead but let TDB hang around and in the top of the 7th TDB was down 19-16 and scored 14 runs to win 30-19. A shocked TDB team went to the loser's bracket and waited a couple of hours to see who their opponent would be.
In the loser's bracket B.O.T. beat Clouds and Insane Sports before Rapid Fire sent them packing 21-20. In the lower half of the loser's bracket Killmans beat CCP 26-25 on a walk off homer and then run ruled Terrys 34-17 to make it to the loser's semifinal. In that game they came from behind against Rapid Fire after Rapid had used up all of their homer's and almost pulled off the upset but came up 3 runs short 38-35 in a two-hour long game. Then in the loser's final it was all Pure Sports over Rapid Fire 29-9 on the baseball field.
Tournament director Jeff Hall asked the teams if they wanted to finish the tournament on Saturday and the teams agreed. So, the championship began around 8:30 PM on Saturday evening as the temperatures cooled off and the ball on the baseball field started to fly a little bit better. In the first game Pure got off to a fast start scoring 11 runs in the first inning but TDB came back only to see Pure score 17 runs in the top of the 7th to force the "if" necessary game 36-21. Pure DH Justin Mackey had 4 homers and 9 RBI in the game. In the final game Pure Sports got a 5-5 with 2 HR performance out of Bradley Carlsen as he hit for the cycle, and 7 RBI from catcher Pat Price to put away TDB by the run rule 32-17. TDB hit 8 home runs in the game and finished it off with some great infield defense by Zach Messer, Ryan Mcclanahan, and Chente Granados. Filip Washington and John Williams were also on base 4 out of 4 in the final game.
That "if" game was worth 40 points as the winners went home with a coveted 180 points and 2nd place just a 140. Congratulations to Pure Sports/Monsta on their first Nationwide Conference tournament win and Pure now leads the Conference in points!
Pure Sports celebrating another great defensive play
Playlist of archived games
Team Breakdown:
10 Teams Overall
4 Nationwide Conference USSSA Teams
2 'AA' Teams
3 'A' Teams
1 'B' Teams
4 'C/D' Teams
The park at night cooled off
Chris Greinert opens the tournament for Rapid Fire against Terry's
CCP takes on Carolina Smoke
Pure Sports pitcher Justin Mucciarelli goes behind the back to NJ friend Bobby McMinn from B.O.T.
Robert "Robo" Blackburn crushes one to center against Pure Sports
It was a perfect day for softball in Charlotte, North Carolina
Killmans bats against Rapid Fire in a marathon game for 3rd place
In the women's major Hitters Inc (VA-B) won the 5 team tournament over TDB/Bounty Hunters (GA-A) 9-4.
Bradford Park
17005 Davidson-Concord Road
Huntersville, North Carolina 28078
The 4 softball fields were 300 feet.
The main field was a baseball field 310-345-370-345-310.
The outfield on diamond #5 was big, very similar to the Smoky Mountain Classics main field.
High School baseball sized.
These are diamond #4 on the left and diamond #3 on the right.
North Carolina Major Awards and Final Standings
Pure Sports pitcher Justin "Mooch" Mucciarelli was the MVP
TDB center fielder Tyler Marshburn was Defensive MVP
Pure Sports Brad Carlsen was Offensive MVP and is chasing another batting title.
Carlsen was 24-28 with 4 doubles, 4 triples, and 4 HR.