2018 Top Gun Summer Classic Recap

Sept. 1, 2018

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – A record sixty-five teams competed here during the 2018 Top Gun Summer Classic at Richard T. Steed Park, Aug. 14-19.

Starting with the seven-team Men’s 65/70 Platinum Division, Over the Edge (CA) bounced back from its 17-13 loss against Top Gun 65 Mavericks (CA) in the championship game, with an 18-13 victory in the “if” game. Over the Edge previously defeated Top Gun 65 Mavericks, 21-15, to reach the championship game and knock the Mavericks down into the elimination side of the bracket. Top Gun 65 Mavericks followed its loss with a win over Sons of Pitches (CA) in the third-place game, 26-11, to reach the championship game. Sons of Pitches made a strong push through the elimination side of the bracket with three straight wins en route to their third-place finish.

In another seven-team division, the Men’s 65 AAA Division, Fountain Valley Outlaws (CA) posted a perfect 4-0 record in bracket play, including a 20-3 win over Prime Time (CA) in the championship game. Top Gun Nomads finished in third place.

Top seed Git-R-Done 65s (CA) came out of elimination side of the bracket to win the four-team Men’s 65 AA Division. After falling to Franklin Loan Center (CA), 13-11, Git-R-Done got it done, defeating 911 Softball Club (CA), 19-6, in the third-place game, before coming back to double-dip Franklin Loan Center by a pair of one-run thrillers, 20-19 and 15-14, in the championship and “if” game, respectively. 

The six-team Men’s 70/75 Gold Division featured a full five-game round robin to determine the champion.

With its 4-1 overall record, Top Gun Patriots (CA) claimed the top spot. Southern California Crush and California Connection each finished with an identical mark of 3-2. Via its 15-10 victory in the head-to-head tie-breaker, California Connection took second place. Tequila All-Stars (CA) and Top Gun 6 Bits (CA) each finished with a 2-3 record, with Tequila All-Stars earning the tie-breaker with a 15-14 head-to-head win. Git-R-Done 70 (CA) finished in sixth place with a 1-4 mark.

The five-team Men’s 75/80 Gold Division saw a full four-game round robin to crown a champion.

Posting a perfect 4-0 mark, Stark Street Pizza S.CA took first place.

Fairway Ford 80 (CA) finished in second place with a 3-1 mark, while three teams (Arizona Outlaws 75, Git-R-Done 75, and Top Gun Diamond 80) each finished with identical 1-3 records.

In the five-team Men’s 50 Platinum Division, top seed L.A.F (CA) posted a perfect weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play, before going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 21-13 win over OG (CA) in the championship game. OG previously won three straight elimination games to reach the championship game. West Coast Water (NV) finished in third place.

Another five-team division, the Men’s 50 AAA Division, saw SoCal Knights (CA) run through bracket play unscathed, with a 3-0 record, including a 19-11 win over top seed Top Gun Diamonds (CA) in the championship game. Advil Knights (CA) finished in third place.

In the 10-team Men’s 55 Major Division, the largest division of the tournament, D&K Tradition completed an undefeated weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play and 4-0 in bracket play, including a 36-30 win over So Cal 55 (CA) in the championship game. After going 0-2 in seeding, Team Rawlings (CA) bounced back with a 4-2 overall record in bracket play en route to their eventual third-place finish.

In the six-team Men’s 55/60 Gold Division, Top Gun Elite 60 (CA) double-dipped Horn Softball 55 (CA), winning both the championship game (14-6) and “if” game (14-13).  Horn Softball previously defeated Top Gun Elite, 22-16, to reach the championship game. Last Call 60 (NV) finished in third place.

Lights Out 60 (CA) won the four-team Men’s 55/60 AA Division, defeating Full Throttle 60 (AZ), 18-17, in the championship game. Top seed Git-R-Done 60 (CA) finished in third place.

Bouncing back from an 0-2 showing in seeding play, Kamikaze Silver (CA) posted a 4-1 record in bracket to win six-team Men’s 60 AAA Division. The team’s lone loss came against top seed Weakend Warriors (CA), 16-15, in the championship game. Kamikaze Silver avenged that loss, with a 19-13 win in the “if” game.  After being upset in their first game in the bracket against Kamikaze Silver, 9-4; Weakend Warriors won four straight elimination games, including the championship game, en route to their runner-up finish. Base Hawgs (CA) finished in third place.