SPRING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DRAW 28 TEAMS TO KICK OFF 2016

April 1, 2016

POLK COUNTY, FL – The Spring National Championships was once again a huge success for the ever popular kick off to the season event.  28 teams embraced the fortuitous weather conditions and some of the best fields on the East coast at the Auburndale Sports Complex.

“We had a weekend full of great competition and phenomenal weather which in turn produced a perfect weekend to play ball,” said tournament director Melissa Maiel.  “I would like to highlight the 85 Center for Sight team. They are such a class act team. Also Slug-A-Bug who came out of the loser’s bracket beating Cardiac Kids and then double dipping Jerry's/Crosscut for the Championship.” 

The 50 Major Plus division was comprised of three teams, Brysons Pub/Veltri/AIA, Southside/Blue Mountain and Team 1 Sports/Miken.  Southside/Blue Mountain, hailing from Ohio went 3-0 in their seeding games, to earn the number one seed in the bracket.  After defeating Team 1, 31-25, Brysons took their shot at Southside only to fall, 31-15 in the second round.  Team 1 then fought back against Brysons to stay alive in an elimination game, 24-12.  In the championship game Southside once again held their opponent to 15 runs while plating 26 of their own against Team 1 to win the division.

The 50 Major division was a display of local talent consisting of three team all hailing from Florida.  Two seed Miami Power squeaked out a victory in the first round of bracket, 26-23, over Public Enemy.  Florida Automated Shade dealt Miami Power their first loss of the bracket in a low scoring defensive battle, 13-10.  An elimination game ensued between Miami Power and Public Enemy, with Public Enemy this time edging out a victory, 26-25.  Public Enemy once again closed out a tight ballgame to force an ‘IF’ against Automated Shade, 19-18.  Florida Automated Shade, however, forced Public Enemy out of gas in the ‘IF’ by trouncing them, 39-13 to win the championship.

A mixed division of three teams, again all based out of Florida, comprised the 55/60 Platinum division.  Hollis Appraisals, 60 Major Plus squared off with CKM Wealth Management and Team Impact, both 55 Major teams.  Team Impact dominated the division with five straight victories for the title.  After going 3-0 in the seeding round, Impact outlasted CKM in the second round of the bracket, 13-11.  The two teams squared off again in the championships with Impact cruising to a more comfortable championships win, 25-14.

Another mixed division took place in the 55/60/65 Gold.  The 55 AAAs were represented by Ballbusters and GAP Sports.  Silver Rays and Team Florida comprised the 60 Major and 65 Major Plus teams, respectively.  In the opening round of the bracket, GAP Sports handled Silver Rays, 19-6, while Team Florida dispatched Ballbusters, 19-12.  GAP Sports continued their winning ways with a dominant 18-6 victory over Team Florida in the winner’s bracket.  Ballbusters then clawed their way from the elimination bracket by fending off Team Florida, 27-26, in an elimination game.  A close battle ensued in the championship, and in the end GAP Sports took home the title, 26-21, over Ballbusters.

7 teams made up the largest division of the tournament in the 60/65 AAA bracket.  As the number five seed, Slug-A-Bug defeated one seed Pompano, 21-2 in the second round of the bracket.  Jerry’s/Crosscut then dispatched Slug-A-Bug to the elimination bracket with a, 24-15, to place themselves in the championship game.  Slug-A-Bug handled the Cardiac Kids with relative ease winning, 27-10, to set up a rematch with Jerry’s/Crosscut in the finals.  Slug-A-Bug fought off Jerry’s in the championship with a, 17-7 victory to force an ‘IF’ game.  In the ‘IF’ Slug-A-Bug slugged their way to a, 19-13, victory to double dip Jerry’s/Crosscut and win the division championship, according to tournament director Melissa Maiel, “Slug a Bug showed up Sunday with nothing less than victory on their minds.”

The 70 Major Plus division pitted 4:13/AMR South against Venom in a best of three showdown.  The local matchup between in state foes was a one sided affair as Venom took down 4:13/AMR South, 26-10, in the bracket opener.  In the championship game Venom plated 22 runs while only relinquishing one run to AMR to win the 70 Major Plus division.

Two teams hailing from New York, CC Medical Services and Syracuse Cyclones, competed in a best-of-three bracket for the 70 AAA title.  Syracuse Cyclones proved to be too strong for CC Medical, as they took the division championship by scoring 10 runs in each of their two victories, winning 10-2 and 10-8, respectively.

The 75 Platinum division was also a best of three between Southeast Left-Overs, 75  Major Plus and Bucs and Bulls, 75 Major.  The Left-Overs handled the Bulls in the first round 22-7, but the competition tightened in the championship.  The Bulls forced an ‘IF’ against the Left-Overs, winning the championship game, 14-10.  The ‘IF’ was an offensive laced battle back and forth between the two teams.  When the dust settled the Left-Overs came out on top, 22-21, to win the division championship.

Joseph Chevrolet (IN), 75 AAA, took down Center For Sight, 85 Major, in the first game of a best of three series between the two, 32-7.  Center For Sight was ready to exact their revenge in the second round, however, Joseph Chevrolet decided to forfeit the remaining two games to surrender the division championship to Center For Sight.