Pool Games Rained Out at Northern Championships

Sept. 1, 2023

Batter Mid-Swing at the 2023 Northern Championships in Lansing, MI. Photo by Lansing Sports Commission.

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Ten teams nabbed berths to the 2024 Tournament of Champions by winning their age group and division during Senior Softball USA’s Northern Championships on Aug. 18-20 in Michigan.

The 36 entrants from five U.S. states and Canada played at Erickson Park in Lansing and Lake Alliance Softball Complex in Potterville.

As has been common this year, Mother Nature dampened part of the three-day event.

“We got off to a rocky start with one round in and only two innings of the second before the rain came and we had to halt everything,” said Tournament Director Mike Hula, who praised the grounds crews for getting fields playable about 90 minutes after the rain ended. That enabled some divisions to finish pool games before brackets were seeded. Other pool games got rained out.

“The rest of the weekend went fairly smooth, from the weather standpoint,” Hula said.

Results:

Men’s 50+ AAA: Top-seeded and unbeaten Drouillard of Ontario, Canada, (photo below) defeated Prov V/CSN Apparel of Michigan 7-5 for the championship of the nine-team division, the tournament’s largest. Prov V won five consecutive elimination games to reach the championship. Area 51 of Michigan placed third.

Men’s 50/55+ Major: Chi-Town Ballers of Illinois, a 50+ Major team, defeated Lansing Legends Softball Club 27-15 to claim the title. PluseChain.com & Feet Heat Customs of Ohio finished third in the four-team division.

Men’s 50/55+ AA: The 55+ AA team Buddie’s/Sampson’s/Mid-Michigan Merchants defeated Wind City 50s of Illinois 24-20 for the title of the three-team division. Midwest Eclipse 55 of Illinois took third.

Men’s 55/60+ Gold: Top-seeded MPH Logistics/Larry’s Tire/Wolfpack of Michigan (photo below) capped a 5-0 tournament with a 25-17 title game victory over third-seeded Mo Town Classics/P.E.A. Group of Michigan. MPH earned the 60+ Major TOC berth while Mo Town nabbed the 55+ AAA berth. The Gray Ghost of Illinois finished third in the five-team bracket.

Men’s 60+ Silver: The AAA team Avalanche of Ohio (photo below) won six elimination games in a row, including 14-11 and 19-4 championship game victories over top-seeded BJM Bomb Squad 60s of Indiana. Buckeye Classics of Ohio finished third in the six-team bracket.

Men’s 65+ Major: Ohio Elite/Schones/Safe Step Tub defeated the Motown Stars of Michigan (photo below) 21-2 for the title. Bricks of Michigan finished third in the three-team bracket.

Men’s 65+ AAA: In a best-of-three format, MP Components/Bomb Squad of Michigan (photo below) defeated BJM Bomb Squad of Illinois 16-13 and 23-8.

Men’s 65/70+ AA: Doc Martens/Ropes Courses of Michigan (photo below) earned the 70+ AA TOC berth and overall bracket title by defeating Shannon Fence/CPOA of Ohio 10-6 for the championship. Shannon Fence earned the 65+ AA TOC berth. Region 65s of Indiana finished third in the four-team bracket.