New Batter Box Rule and 85+ Home Run Showcase the 2024 Southwest Champs

April 1, 2024

Top Gun Blue Angels (in the field) play Scrap Iron 85 Legends in the Men's 85+ Major division's championship game at the 2024 Southwest Championships.

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Californians dominated many championship games as 218 teams from 15 states battled for boasting rights during Senior Softball USA’s Southwest Championships in Las Vegas.

Overall, 30 teams captured berths to the 2025 Tournament of Champions by winning their divisions during games played April 9-14 at six ballparks in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nev.

Nineteen of the champs hailed from California. The others came from Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Missouri.

Nine teams completed undefeated runs through pool and bracket play.

“Anytime 200-plus senior teams gather to play, there is excitement, a chance to compete in large divisions – and see old friends,” said Terry Hennessy, SSUSA’s chief executive officer. “The Southwest was no exception. Perhaps the most amazing hit came in the oldest division, when 92-year-old Ron McElrea [(photo below)] hit a home run in the 85 Major-Plus championship game for Top Gun!”

Ron McElrea, 92, of the Top Gun Blue Angels 85 (CA), is the oldest player at the 2024 Southwest Championships in Las Vegas.

With the new season now several months old, players seem to have adjusted to the 2024 batter’s box rule, said Tournament Director Tim McElroy. Stepping out the front of the box when contacting the pitched ball no longer is an out as long as the batter’s rear foot is not completely in front of the strike mat’s front edge.

“After years of hearing complaints about the ‘out of the box’ call, there was a pretty easy transition to the new rule,” McElroy said. “Players seemed to adapt pretty quickly.”

The overall quality of umpiring also received high marks, McElroy added.

“Players and umpires won't always agree on judgment calls, and yes – umps do occasionally botch a playing rule,” he said. “I feel that the gap between our best and worst umpires has really closed in the past few seasons. As a group, we're more consistent from one diamond to the next.”

Results:

Women’s 40+ Masters Major: The second-seeded Firestarter Oldies of Washington (photo below) lost their first bracket game by one run then reeled off six consecutive victories, including 20-10 and 13-12 championship wins over fourth-seeded Not Today of Nevada. Tharaldson Softball of Nevada captured third place in the eight-team bracket.

Photo by Lora Flewelling

Women’s 40+ Masters Silver: Top-seeded TST, a AAA team from California, capped a 6-0 tournament with a 21-16 championship victory over second-seeded Custom Truck of Nevada. Fifth-seeded Blue Crush of California finished third in the 10-team bracket.

Women’s 50+ Major: Third-seeded Cash Out 50s of California finished 4-1 by edging top-seeded Old School of California 11-10 in the title game. Old School won three elimination games to reach the title contest. Fourth-seeded Stix With Impact of California finished third in the five-team division.

Women’s 50+ AAA: Fourth-seeded OnFire/Afoa Insurance of California (photo below) capped a 5-1 tournament with a 22-16 title game victory over third-seeded West Coast United of California 22-16. Top-seeded Takin’ Chances of California finished third in the six-team division.

Men’s 40+ Masters Major Plus: In a thriller of a finish, second-seeded Johnny Blaze/Easton/Miken/Worth of California (photo below) double dipped top-seeded JK Inc./Proton of California 28-27 and 29-27 for the title of the six-team bracket. Fifth-seeded Legend Sports of Nevada won three elimination games and finished third.

Men’s 40+ Major: Unbeaten in its six games, second-seeded Cheap Suits/Republic Realty of California (photo below) defeated fifth-seeded Grandaddy Softball/GS Sports of Nevada 29-24 for the championship. Ninth-seeded The Krew of California took third in the 14-team bracket.

Men’s 50/55+ Major Plus: Second-seeded JK Inc/Miken/Easton/Worth, a 55+ Major Plus team from California, went 4-1 overall and defeated the third-seeded 55+ Arizona Heat team 25-10 for the title of the three-team division. Stadium of California finished third.

Men’s 50+ Major: The seventh-seeded Asylum Ballers of California (photo below) recovered from a 0-2 start in pool play to go unbeaten in the bracket, including two double-digit wins. The Ballers defeated L.A.F. 50 of California 25-17 in the title game of the seven-team bracket. C.B.C. of California finished third.

Men’s 50+ AAA: Seventh-seeded Rancid of California went 6-1 overall and won the title with a 19-7 triumph over top-seeded Simply Aloha of California. Third-seeded Viejos So Cal finished third in the 15-team division.

Men’s 55+ Major: Top-seeded ShowTime So Cal capped a 5-0 tourney with a 27-25 championship victory over fourth-seeded Scrap Iron Thunder of Colorado. Third-seeded JMJ Construction of California placed third in the six-team bracket.

Men’s 50/55+ Silver: Second-seeded Kamikaze, a 55+ AAA team from California, (photo below), double-dipped eighth-seeded Lokahi of Arizona 18-8 and 14-13 for the title and a 6-2 overall record. Eleventh-seeded Running Late nabbed third place in the 12-team division.

Men’s 60+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, undefeated Sommerville Softball of California (photo below) swept Sonoma County Crush of California 30-9 and 30-8.

Men’s 60+ Major: Ninth-seeded Arizona Old School, which went 6-2 overall, lost the first championship game 23-20 but captured the high-scoring second game 36-34 over fourth-seeded Hawaii Five-O, which won six consecutive elimination games before losing the finale. Seventh-seeded Express 60s of California finished third in the 16-team division.

Men’s 60+ AAA: The third-seeded Timeless Owls of Arizona capped a 7-0 tournament with a 20-16 title game victory over the 16^th-seeded Silver Stars of California, which knocked off the top seed early in bracket play and later won three elimination games to reach the finale. Fifth-seeded KSS/Taco Bell of Arizona finished third in the 17-team division.

Men’s 60+ AA: The top-seeded Boys of Summerlin of Nevada. (photo below), which went 5-1 overall, lost the first championship game 13-12 before winning the second 19-13 over fifth-seeded Cut Loose 60s of California. Third place in the six-team division went to the third-seeded Drifters 60s of Nevada.

Men’s 65+ Major Plus: Undefeated in six games, Cal Energy (photo below) defeated Samurai 65 of California 26-11 for the title of the three-team division. Xcelerated/Demolition of California finished third.

Men’s 65+ Major: NorthWest Stampede of Oregon went 5-1 overall and captured the four-team division with a 14-8 championship victory over the third-seeded California Scorpions. Scrap Iron/Rocky Mountain Thunder finished third in the four-team bracket.

Men’s 65+ AAA: The top two seeds in this 13-team bracket vied for the crown, with second-seeded Sin City Mob of Nevada capturing the “if needed” title game 18-2 after losing the first championship game 21-11 to Marc-Taylor Inc (MTI) of Arizona. The 10^th-seeded Hustlers of California took third.

Men’s 65+ AA: Undefeated and top-seeded Lights Out 65 of California edged the third-seeded Scrap Iron 65s Rockies of Colorado 12-11 in the finale. Fifth-seeded New Beginnings Softball 65s of California finished third in the five-team division.

Men’s 70+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, Timberworks/Suncoast of California (photo below) needed all three games to dispatch Top Gun Over The Edge of California 20-5, 15-18 and 24-15.

Men’s 70+ Major: The sixth-seeded KC Kids 70s (photo below) won all five of their bracket games, including two by one run, and capped their 6-1 tournament with an 8-5 title triumph over the eighth-seeded Arizona Scorpions. The second-seeded Bulldogs of Oregon nabbed third in the 12-team division.

Men’s 70+ AAA: The third-seeded Spokane Grey Sox of Washington finished 9-1 overall while double dipping the second-seeded Family of Nevada (photo below) 18-13 and 23-7 for the title. Family was the only team to defeat the Grey Sox. Fifth-seeded Excessive Force of California captured third in the 14-team division.

Men’s 70+ AA: The top-seeded Los Vatos Viejos 70 II of Arizona capped a 5-0 tournament with an 18-9 championship victory over the fourth-seeded Duke City Dynamite of New Mexico. The second-seeded Scrap Iron Diamonds of Colorado finished third in the five-team division.

Men’s 75+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, undefeated Omen 75 of California swept 75 Scrap Iron Diamonds 18-7 and 18-4 for the title.

Men’s 75+ Major: Second-seeded R&R 75s of California capped a 6-0 tournament with an 18-3 title game victory over seventh-seeded Last Call 75, a Nevada team that won four elimination games to reach the championship. Fifth-seeded Al’s Sports Shop of California took third in the seven-team division.

Men’s 75+ AAA: The second-seeded So Cal Warriors capped a 6-0 tournament with an 11-5 championship victory over fourth-seeded Git-R-Done 75 of California. Top-seeded Triple Play of California finished third in the seven-team division.

Men’s 80+ Major Plus: Playing nine games in three days, second-seeded Maverick Construction of Texas (photo below) double dipped Omen 80 of California 11-6 and 14-5 for the title and a 7-2 overall record. Scrap Iron 80 of Colorado took third in the three-team division.

Men’s 75/80+ Gold: The top-seeded Sidewinders 80s of Arizona finished 5-1 and defeated Ho’oikaika of Hawaii 16-5 for the title. Top Gun 80 Gold finished third in the four-team division.

Men’s 80+ AAA: Playing a best-of-three format, Git-R-Done of California (photo below) swept the IES 80 Coyotes of Nevada 19-12 and 19-18 and finished 4-1 overall.

Men’s 85+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, Top Gun Blue Angels 85 of California swept the Scrap Iron 85 Legends in two close games, 16-14 and 23-22, for the title and a 4-1 overall record.