Record 50 Teams Compete at 2018 Tidewater Classic

April 1, 2018

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The fourth annual Tidewater Classic, sponsored by Visit Virginia Beach and Easton, set a tournament record with 50 teams this season at Princess Anne Athletic Complex, April 18-22.

As the official bat sponsor of the Tidewater Classic, Easton was on hand demonstrating their new senior softball bat for 2018, the Easton Empire.

The Easton Hit Lab was on site at the Princess Anne Athletic Complex during the 2018 Tidewater Classic

A player tests out the new 2018 Easton Empire Senior Softball Bat during the Tidewater Classic

Eleven teams kicked off the tournament, as the Men’s 65 and 70 age divisions played April 18-19.

Starting off with the three-team Men’s 65 Platinum Division, Cobras (N.C.) posted a perfect 5-0 record, going 3-0 in mixed seeding play to lock up the one seed, before going 2-0 in bracket play, including a 26-10 win over Northern Virginia Force in the championship game. New Jersey Hitmen (Major Plus) finished in third place.

Cobras (NC) - Men's 65 Platinum Division Champions

The four-team Men’s 65 AAA Division saw Long Island Jaguars 65 Red (N.Y.) bounce back from a 21-20 loss in the championship game against top seed Talaga Construction 65 (Conn.), with a 14-12 win in the “if” game. LI Jags Red edged out Talaga earlier in the bracket 16-15 to advance to the championship game. Long Island Jaguars 65 White finished in third place.

The Men’s 65/70 Silver (AAA/AA) Division featured a best two-out-of-three game series, as Long Island Jaguars 70 took the opening game, 8-6, over Robinson’s Furniture/OTS (Del.). Robinson’s Furniture evened the series with an 18-9 win in game two, to force the third and decisive game. In the rubber-match, Robinson’s Furniture completed the comeback with a 7-5 victory to take the series and the division.

Robinson's Furniture/OTS (DE) - Men's 65/70 Silver Division Champions

Similarly, the Men’s 70 Major Division also consisted of a best two-out-of-three game series, as Northern Virginia Force 70 struck first with a thrilling game one win 10-9 over Spicer Properties 70 (Md.). Spicer Properties rebounded with a game two win 20-16 to knot up the series, forcing a winner-take-all game three. In the final match, Spicer Properties took home the championship with a 13-12 win.

The tournament continued April 20-22, with the Men’s 40 through 60 age divisions taking the diamond.

In the six-team Men’s 40 Masters Gold (Major/AAA) Division, top seed Wilson’s Blvd/Power Up (Md.) defeated Color By Design (Md.) 27-9 in the championship game, to polish off a perfect weekend. The team went 2-0 in seeding to lock up the one seed, before going 3-0 in bracket play. Live! Casino (Md.) finished in third place, as the team fell in their opening game in the bracket, before running off three straight wins in the elimination side of the bracket and falling in the third-place game.

Straight Gas (Va.) swept RV Carey’s/Walkoff (Md.) in a best two-out-of-three games series to determine the champion in the Men’s 50 Major Division. Straight Gas took the opening game with relative ease 15-4, before needing a rally in the bottom of the open to complete the comeback win and sweep in game two. Trailing 20-16 heading into the bottom of the open, Straight Gas scored all five runs it needed for the 21-20 victory.

Top seed Team 757 (Va.) suffered their first loss of the weekend in the championship game of the eight-team Men’s 50 AAA Division, falling 14-10 against Finance of America (N.J.). However, Team 757 rebounded in the “if” game, winning 17-12 to take home the championship. After losing their first game in the bracket against Carolina Five-0 (NC) 27-16, Finance of America ran the gauntlet, winning five straight games, including four-in-a-row on Sunday, before running out of steam in the “if” game. Central Penn Caveman Softball finished in third place.

In the five-team Men’s 55/60 Platinum (Major/Major Plus) Division, Carolina A’s registered a flawless weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play to lock up the No. 1 seed, before winning three straight bracket games, including a 13-10 win over Omega IT Services, LLC (Md.). Losing to High Street Bucs 55 (Md.) 27-20 in their first bracket game, Omega IT Services dropped down to the elimination side of the bracket where the team won three straight games to reach the championship game. Woodlawn Funeral Home (Va.) finished in third place.

Top seed Diamond Elite (Va.) also ran through its respective bracket unscathed, the five-team Men’s 50/55 Silver Division (AA/AAA) as the team entered as the No. 1 seed after going 2-0 in seeding play, before then going 3-0 in the bracket, including a 16-12 win over DHF Contractors 55’s (Va.) in the championship game. Longshoremen 55 (Va.) finished in third place.

Triangle Masters (N.C.) bested top seed Promotion (N.J.) 30-22 in the championship game of the seven-team Men’s 60 Major Division, to complete a perfect 4-0 run in the bracket. Promotion dropped their first game in the bracket against Triangle Masters 22-9 to drop down to the elimination bracket. Once there, Promotion won four straight games to reach the championship game, before once against falling to Triangle Masters. Frederick Chevy (Penn.)  finished in third place.

Crossfit/Great Clips (N.C.) won the four-team Men’s 60 AAA Division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 21-17 win over No. 1 seed Reality Check (NC) in the championship game. After losing to Long Island Jaguars 60’s 15-12, in their opening bracket game, Reality Check won back-to-back elimination games to advance to the championship game from the elimination side of the bracket. The LI Jaguars finished in third place.

Syracuse Cyclones 60 swept The Starboard/OTS (Del.) in a best two-out-of-three game series for the Men’s 60 AA Division, via scores of 8-7 and 18-12, respectively.

CLICK HERE to view game-by-game scores