51 Teams Compete in 2018 Northern Championships

Aug. 1, 2018

LANSING, Mich. – The 12^th annual Northern Championships was held here in mid-August for a 10th straight year. East Lansing Softball Complex and Lake Alliance Softball Complex hosted 51 teams from around the Midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin), as well as New York (one team) and Canada (five teams).

Starting with the five-team Men’s 65 Silver Division, MP Components/Bomb Squad (MI) posted a perfect 3-0 record in bracket play, including a thrilling 20-19 walk-off win over top seed Ohio Silverados in the championship game.  MP Components/Bomb Squad also edged out Ohio Silverados 21-20 earlier in the bracket to knock the team down into the elimination side of the bracket. Ohio Silverados scored seven runs in the top of the open before falling short. Blue Chips (IL) finished in third place after winning a pair of games in the elimination bracket.

Another five-team division, the Men’s 70 Gold Division, saw top seed Windsor Chiefs (Ontario, Canada) go undefeated. The team from North of the Border went 2-0 in seeding to lock up the No. 1 seed, before going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 21-20 nail-biter over Chicago Strikers  in the championship game. Chicago Gray Sox finished in third place following a pair of wins in the elimination side of the bracket.

Moving onto the eight-team Men’s 50 Major Division, No. 1 seed PDC (MI) ran the table, going 2-0 in seeding play, before rattling off four straight wins in bracket play, including a 25-15 win over Homer Lovers (Ontario, Canada) in the championship game. WC Thunder (IL) finished in third place after going 2-1 in the elimination bracket.

Lansing Legends Softball Club won the eight-team Men’s 50 AAA Division, going undefeated for the weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play and 4-0 in bracket play, including a 19-12 win over Fly Time (MI) in the championship game. Fly Time posted a 3-2 record in the bracket, including an upset 17-9 win over top seed Crawford Contracting (MI). Both of Fly Time’s loses came against Lansing Legends. Lakeshore Contracting (Ontario, Canada) finished in third place after scoring a pair of wins in the elimination side of the bracket.

Gray Ghost (IL) swept All-In Softball (IL) in a best two-out-of-three game series by scores of 19-9 and 16-15, to win the Men’s 50 AA Division.

Doug and Don’s Auto Care (MI) ran the gauntlet in the six-team Men’s 55 Major Division, winning six straight games in the elimination side of the bracket, including 20-17 and 17-15 wins over top seed NTG/TMS Michigan in the championship and “if” game, respectively. Doug and Don’s Auto fell to Ohio Elite/Creative Stucco/Louisville Slugger, 29-26, earlier in the bracket, to knock the team down in to the elimination bracket. Doug and Don’s Auto Care got its money’s worth, playing in eight of the 13 bracket games that were played, posting an overall record of 7-1. Ohio Elite ended up in third place.

DC Connection (MI) won the five-team Men’s 55 AAA Division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 17-4 win over Jackson Merchants (MI) in the championship game. Top seed Windsor Can Am Chiefs (Ontario, Canada) finished in third place, rebounding from a loss in their first game in the bracket against Jackson Merchants 24-23 with a pair of wins in the elimination side of the bracket.

Central Illinois Chiefs won the four-team Men’s 60 Major Division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 20-9 win over Milwaukee Merchants in the championship game. Top seed JP Motormen (MI) finished in third place.

Minutemen/Pepco/SFS (OH), the last seed in the five-team Men’s 60 AAA Division, made a Cinderella run through the bracket, going 4-0, including a 31-19 win over Chicago Prime in the championship game. Top seed Playmakers (WI) finished in third place after winning a pair of games in the elimination side of the bracket.

Just One More/McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio (OH) won the three-team Men’s 60 AA Division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 17-6 win over top seed Durham Silver Stix (Ontario, Canada) in the championship game. Shannon Fence/CPOA (OH) finished in third place.

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