Teams from Germany, Canada, Guam & 25 States Close Out the 2023 World Champs

Sept. 1, 2023

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Five unbeaten teams, two Triple Grand Slam winners, and the tournament’s largest bracket (66 teams) highlighted the fourth and final session of the 2023 Senior Softball USA World Championships.

The four-day session drew 161 men’s, women’s and coed teams. They had the honor of closing out an action-packed, 15-day run of tournament play in and around Las Vegas. Overall, 654 teams competed in the largest softball tournament in America.

The final session involved the men’s 50+ divisions, the women’s 50+ and 55+ divisions, and an international coed division.

Straight Pride 50s (CA) playing aganist Shots Fired (RI), USA National Women's 50+ AAA Champions, session 4 of Worlds.

Seven new world champions were crowned.

Five accomplished it without losing a game.

Many of their victories proved decisive, with double-digit run margins coloring many a scorebook page.

Two of the undefeated teams —Suncoast/Adidas of Florida in the 50+ Major Plus division and Expert Ind. Supply of New Jersey in the 50+ AA division — captured Triple Grand Slam titles.

Both started their Grand Slam bids by winning their divisions in the Eastern National Championships in July. Then during pool play at Worlds, Suncoast defeated the Western National Champions Scrap Iron Havoc of Colorado 36-18 in the USA National Championship game. Because Expert Ind. Supply did not have an opponent from the Western National Championships, it did not play the USA game.

To win the Triple Grand Slam, Suncoast and Expert Ind. Supply also had to win their divisions at Worlds.

Across the four sessions of World Championship play, only eight teams won Triple Grand Slam titles.

In Session 4, the men’s 50+ AAA division boasted 66 teams, the largest division in the tournament. The teams hailed from 25 states, Canada and Guam.

After each AAA team played two pool games, the division had 22 teams that stood 2-0, 22 that stood 1-1 and 22 that stood 0-2. That is unusual.

After pool play, the teams were split into four groups, or “pods,” for bracket play. Twelve teams remained alive as the four pods fed into a combined bracket for championship Sunday. To capture the title without a loss, a team would have needed to win seven bracket games in a row. One did just that: Reds Boys of Kentucky, which went 9-0 overall.

Results:

Men’s 50+ Major Plus: Suncoast/Adidas (photo below) averaged 32 runs a game as it went 6-0 to win the 14-team division and the Triple Grand Slam. Suncoast defeated Harra’s/Bay Equity/J & R Wood Products/Rawlings of Washington 28-10 in the championship game. HTM of Idaho nabbed third place. Deluxe Bakery/Juno Athletics of New Jersey took fourth.

Men’s 50+ Major: G.O. Softball/Mae Capital of California (photo below) capped an 8-0 tournament with a 22-18 title game victory over PulseChain.com & Feet Heat Customs of Ohio. That blocked PulseChain from winning a Triple Grand Slam title after PulseChain had defeated Gold Nation of California 17-10 in the USA National Championship game. Team Shadow of Nevada finished third in the 41-team bracket. Crawford Contracting of Michigan took fourth.

Men’s 50+ AAA: Reds Boys of Kentucky (photo below) went 9-0 overall and won by an average of 10 runs a game. Reds Boys defeated SSC/Persuaders of Kansas 16-12 in the championship game after dealing Persuaders their first loss in the winner’s bracket finals. Team Express/Living Legends (T.E.L.L.) of Alabama finished third in the 66-team bracket. MC Improvements of Wisconsin took fourth. In the USA National game, Rolfe & Company of California defeated 4 Seasons/Evil/Sundial of Massachusetts 15-10.

Men’s 50+ AA: Expert Ind. Supply of New Jersey (photo below) went 6-0, won by an average of 10 runs a game, won the Triple Grand Slam, and captured the Worlds title with a 18-9 victory over Emerald City of Washington. Team Madness of Texas placed third in the eight-team bracket. ITV Consulting of British Columbia, Canada, took fourth.

Women’s 50+ Major: Eighth-seeded Old School of California (photo below) went 6-1 overall, including two one-run bracket victories,and defeated third-seeded Dynasty Girls/BSM of Florida 15-10 for the title. Stix With Impact of California took third in the 10-team bracket. Cash Out 50s of California placed fourth. In the USA National game, Snap, Crackle, Pop of Washington defeated 50 Shades Women of Indiana 18-15.

Women’s 50/55+ AAA: Arizona Dream Team (photo lower left), the only 55+ team in the bracket, went 7-0 and defeated Straight Pride 50s of California (photo lower right) 19-15 for the title. Straight Pride earned the 50+ berth to the Tournament of Champions. Shots Fired of Rhode Island, which won the USA game 11-10 over Old Nasty Curves of California, placed third in the bracket. BAGS of Florida took fourth in the 14-team division.

International Coed: Throwin’ Shade of California lost the first title game 13-12 but won the second 16-9 over BOOGAS of New Mexico. O&S of Nevada placed third in the eight-team bracket. Living Legends Coed of California took fourth.