Senior Softball-USA (SSUSA) had a busy slate to kick off the Month of May, with four tournaments held during the opening week of the month. However, Mother Nature had other plans, as rain from Texas to Pennsylvania caused numerous delays and cancelations in all four tournaments.

 

SSUSA would like to thank the grounds crew at the various parks across the four tournaments for all of their hard work.

 

 

Beginning with the Texas State Championships, April 30 - May 5, in Dallas at Kiest Park, 54 teams attended the TOC qualifier in the Lone Star State, as Big D once again played host to the tournament. Dallas hosted the tournament from 2008-2012, before Houston (2013-2015), Austin (2016), and El Paso (2017-18) all had their turns.

 

During the first session, Men’s 65 - 80 age divisions, games were played on Tuesday and Wednesday, before rain came in and washed out Thursday’s games.

 

In the seven-team Men’s 65 Gold Division, Gonzalez Insulation (TX), the lone Major team, bounced back from an 0-2 showing in seeding play on Tuesday, by going 3-0 in the bracket on Wednesday, including a thrilling 15-14 win over top seed Team Texas San Antonio to advance to Thursday’s championship game. 

 

As the only unbeaten team remaining in the bracket prior to the rain-out, Gonzalez Insulation earned the first-place finish. As the highest finishing AAA team, Team Texas San Antonio would earn a TOC berth for its respective division.

 

There was no third-place finisher due to the rainout, as Houston Classic Seniors (TX), Texas Thunder, CenTex 65’s (TX), and Hooks (TX) were the other four teams remaining in the elimination side of the bracket.

 

In the six-team Men’s 70 Gold Division, the top two seeds, San Antonio Legends (TX) and San Antonio Silver Streaks (TX), met in the winner’s bracket final on Wednesday. Silver Streaks defeated Legends, 19-7, to punch its ticket to Thursday’s championship game.

 

With no remaining games held, Silver Streaks, the lone Major team, earned first place honors. As the highest remaining AAA team, Legends earned a TOC berth for their respective division.

 

STILL (TX) and Grey Sox (TX) were the other two remaining teams in the elimination side of the bracket, tying for third-place.

 

In the Men’s 70/75 Silver Division, El Paso Nine-Elevens (TX), 70 AA, and Hill Contracting (TX), 75 AAA, played a best two-out-of-three game series. With just one game played due to the rain-out, Hill Contracting took first place via its 10-7 win.

 

The three-team Men’s 80 Gold Division featured LOTA Softball (AR), Major, Antiques of Kansas City (KS), AAA, and San Antonio 80s (TX), AAA, play a double round robin to seed. With no bracket games played, LOTA Softball earned the first place finish due to its perfect 4-0 record in pool play. Antiques of Kansas City and San Antonio each finished with identical 1-3 records, splitting their head-to-head games. San Antonio won the first game, 8-7; while Antiques of Kansas City won the second game, 24-22. Antiques of Kansas City finished in second place due to least runs allowed (30).

 

Play resumed on Friday, with the Men’s 40-60 age divisions taking the field.

 

However, rain would again rear its ugly head for a second time, washing out Saturday’s matchups and causing a reschedule on Sunday to a game-shortened single elimination format.

 

In the three-team, Men’s 40 Major/50 Major Plus Division, top seed Escobar Body Shop 50 (TX) defeated Vivid/Easton (TX) in a thrilling 19-18 walk-off victory, to win the division. 

 

Heading into the top of the open, Vivid/Easton tallied eight runs to go ahead 18-16. However, Escobar Body Shop plated the three runs it needed in the bottom of the open to complete the comeback.

 

FM Weakend Warriors 40 (TX) finished in third place. 

 

In the four-team Men’s 50 Major Division, top seed Texas Bulls completed an undefeated weekend, going 2-0 in the seeding games on Friday, before going 2-0 in the bracket, including a 21-16 win over Mixed Breed (TX), in the championship game.

 

ManCave (TX) and KC Vintage (MO) finished in a tie for third place to round out the four-team division.

 

The top seed in the eight-team Men’s 50 AAA Division also completed a flawless weekend, as ETX was one of three teams to go 2-0 in seeding play, before cruising in the bracket with a 3-0 record, including a walk-off thriller, 17-16, over Texas Elite in the championship game. Trailing 16-15 heading into the bottom of the open, ETX scored the two runs it needed to win the game.

 

K.C. Elite (MO) and Crossfire (TX) finished in a tie for third.

 

Romo’s Trouble (TX) defeated Manifest (TX), 21-10, in the head-to-head Men’s 50 AA Division. The game was played under protest due to a roster question and later led to Romo’s Trouble vacating the win, leaving Manifest the champion.

 

San Antonio Softball Club (TX) defeated RBC Wealth Management (FL), 30-25, to win the Men’s 55 Major Plus Division.

 

Top seed Rock N Legends 9 (TX) won the three-team Men’s 55 Major Division via its 10-8 victory over Texas Heat in the championship game. Rock N Legends 9 and Texas Heat each posted 2-0 records in seeding play. Texas Stars finished in third place.

 

In the six-team Men’s 55 AAA Division, top seed 55 GZ (TX) completed its unbeaten weekend with a 2-0 record in bracket play, including a 21-4 win over Buc’s (TX) in the championship game.

 

Relentless (TX) and Romo’s Old School (TX) tied for third place.

 

Houston Fire (TX) also went undefeated in the three-team Men’s 60 Major Division, going 2-0 in seeding, before winning the championship game with a 19-13 victory over Smith Mason Dudley (LA). Mayhem (OK) finished in third place.

 

In the five-team Men’s 60 Silver Division, Texas Legends, the lone AA team, earned the top seed in the bracket following a 2-0 record in pool play, before winning two straight in the bracket, including a 14-11 win over Texas Thunder in the championship game. 

Texas Legends - Men's 60 Silver Champions

 

As the highest finishing AAA team, Texas Thunder earned a TOC berth for its respective division. 

 

El Paso Old School (TX) and Westrock (AR) finished tied for third.

 

 

 

 

Field conditions at Midwest Sports & Social Complex on Sunday Morning

 

Moving to the Hoosier State, the 20th Anniversary of the Brickyard Invitational in Indianapolis, May 1-5, was marred by weather that rained out the “if” game of the first session (Men’s 65), as well as the entire 25-team second session (Men’s 50-60). 

 

The first session saw four teams participate in the Men’s 65 Division, as Motown Stars (MI), MP Components/Bomb Squad (MI), Universal Softball Team (OH), and Indy Fog (IN) all took the field.

 

Motown Stars entered bracket play as the No. 1 seed following a 2-0 showing in seeding play.

 

In bracket play, Universal Softball Team won its first two games, defeating both MP Components/Bomb Squad, 19-13, and Motown Stars, 23-12, to reach the championship game. 

 

In the championship game, Motown Stars avenged its earlier loss, taking a 19-16 win to force the “if” game.

 

With the “if” game canceled due to weather, Motown Stars and Universal Softball Team were declared co-champions.

 

MP Components/Bomb Squad finished in third place following its 18-9 win over Indy Fog in the elimination side of the bracket.

 

 

 

 

 

The Oil City Classic, held at Carl Smith Sports Complex, May 2-5, in Tulsa, was the third tournament affected by rain, as the first session of the tournament, Men’s 65-70, was washed away.

 

The tournament officially began with 28 teams in the Men’s 40-60 age divisions taking the field on May 4.

 

In the four-team Men’s 40 Major Division, top seed Sudden Impact (NM) posted a perfect 3-0 record in bracket play to complete an undefeated weekend, including a 26-9 win over Midwest Stars (KS) in the championship game. KC Monarchs (KS) finished in third place.

 

In the six-team Men’s 50 Major Plus/Major Division, top seed Dudley Lightning (MO) ran through the bracket, going 3-0 to cap off an undefeated weekend, including a 15-11 win over The Persuaders (KS) in the championship game. Team Arkansas finished in third place. 

 

Alliance/Scrap Iron (CO) came out of the elimination side of the bracket in the four-team Men’s 50 AAA Division, to double-dip Rusty Bats (MO) 28-17 and 16-11 respectively in the championship and “if” games.  Rusty Bats defeated Alliance/Scrap Iron, 23-22, to advance to the championship game. Alliance/Scrap Iron defeated Johnny Softball Senior Class (TX) in the third-place game to punch its ticket to the championship game.

 

In the five-team Men’s 55 Major/AAA Division, Bear’s Ballers (MO) swept through the bracket going 3-0, including a 13-10 win over KC Renegades (KS) in the championship game. Omaha Silver Bullets (NE) finished in third place.

 

In the three-team Men’s 55 AA/60 AA Division, Salty Old Dogs 55 (TX) completed a perfect 4-0 record for the weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play to secure the top seed, before going 2-0 in the bracket, including a 16-10 win over Redwings 60 (MO) in the championship game. R&K Drywall (OK) finished in third place.

 

In the six-team Men’s 65 Major/60 Major/60 AAA Division, Dudley Lightning 60s (MO) took the top seed as the only team to go 2-0. Dudley Lightning continued its flawless play in the bracket, going 3-0 to finish off the perfect weekend, including a 19-13 win over Carriage Homes 65 (MO) in the championship game. 

 

After dropping its first game in the bracket against Big Daddy’s Donuts 60 (MO), Carriage Homes rattled off three straight wins in the elimination side of the bracket, before running out of steam in the championship game. 

 

Big Daddy’s Donuts finished in third place.

 

The Oil City Classic is the second tournament of the Midwest Series, where participating teams can earn points towards entry fee discount for the LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships. The Midwest Series continues with the Missouri Open - May 30-31 (Men’s 65 - 70), June 1-2 (Men’s 55 - 60), and June 8-9 (Men’s 40-50) - at Rainbow Softball Complex in Columbia, MO. For more information, contact Tournament Director Will Rogers, 816-916-7891 or willsharkdaddy@aol.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Weather also hampered the inaugural Battle of the Roses, May 4-5, at Veterans Memorial Park (Hoffman Park) in The White Rose City (York, PA), washing out Sunday’s games.

 

Seeding games were played Saturday in the Men’s 40-70 age divisions, before rain came in and washed out all of Sunday’s bracket games, including the entire Women’s Division.

 

Talaga Construction 65 (CT) went 2-0 in seeding play on Saturday, to earn the top seed. Spring-Ford AA 65 (PA) went 1-1, while Delaware Auto Salvage 70 posted an 0-2 mark.

 

Buell Fuel (NY) went 2-0 in seeding to lock up the No. 1 seed heading into the bracket. Bracket play began on Saturday evening, with Buell Fuel defeating Sweet Construction (NJ), 19-10.

 

Cardot/Madalena Construction (NY) and Frederick Chevy (PA) each posted a 1-1 record in seeding, and faced off in bracket play on Saturday evening, with Frederick Chevy squeaking out a 17-16 victory.

 

Chesapeake/Anchor Mechanical (PA) posted a 2-0 record in seeding to earn the top seed in the bracket. West Chester Wild (PA) went 1-1, while Syracuse Cyclones (NY) finished 0-2. 

 

No bracket games would be played.

 

The six-team Men’s 50-55 Gold Division played a two-game mixed round robin, before breaking off into a best two out-of-three game series in the Men’s 55 Major Division, and a four-team bracket in the Men’s 50/55 AAA Division.

 

Olympian Athletics (PA), 2-0 in seeding, and Sweet Construction (NJ), 1-1 in seeding, were unable to start their bracket on Sunday in the Men’s 55 Major Division.

 

The bracket for the Men’s 50/55 AAA Division was able to start on Saturday evening with three games played. Top seed Live! Casino 50 (MD) fell to PA Senior Hitmen 50, 19-18; while Old Skool 50 (PA) knocked off Rum Hut NJ 55, 20-17. Old Skool finished the opening day of the bracket with a 22-13 win over PA Senior Hitmen.

 

The eight-team Men’s 40 Gold Division played a mixed two-game round robin, before breaking off into a six-team bracket for the Men’s 40 Major Division, and a best two-out-of-three in the Men’s 40 AAA Division.

 

In the Men’s 40 Major Division, five bracket games were played on Saturday evening, with the top two seeds LB/Spirits West/SMC (MD) and hometown team Station House Tavern & Sports Bar (PA), respectively, earning a bye.

 

LB/Spirits West/SMC won both of its bracket games, defeating Ponce Puerto Rico/First Capital (NY), 26-19, and Color By Design (MD), 24-14.

 

Color By Design won its first two games, 23-14 over MSG (NY), and 25-23 over Station House Tavern & Sports Bar, before falling to LB/Spirits West/SMC.

 

In the Men's 40 AAA Division, Live! Casino (MD) and Mission: Possible (PA) each posted a 2-0 record in seeding. The best two-of-three series was rained out.

 

The entire division was rained out.