High Scoring Games Highlight the 2024 Winter Worlds

Nov. 1, 2024

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Sunny skies, spirited competition and a 103-run game highlighted the SSUSA Winter Worlds tournament that concluded Nov. 17 in Phoenix.

Thirty teams earned berths to the 2026 Tournament of Champions in Polk County, Florida, by winning their divisions during six days of play at five Phoenix ballparks.

Eleven of those teams notched double-digit championship victories. Yet close games also abounded, with eight teams capturing crowns in games decided by three or fewer runs.

Photo by Clover Schultz.

Two third-place games deserve inclusion on the highlight reel.

In the 60+ AA third-place game, the unlimited-run inning started with a flip-flop, after which the El Paso Bad Boys scored 14 runs to take a two-run lead. The Nebraska-based Prairie Dogs, down to their final out with no runners on base, laced five consecutive hits to pull out a 25-24 win.

The same day at the same park, the third-place 60+ Major game lasted two-and-one-half hours. It was tied 28-28 after seven innings and 36-36 after eight innings. The combatants scored a combined 31 runs in the ninth inning, with Pacific Enterprises of Washington securing a 54-49 victory over the Sidewinders of Arizona.

Overall, 197 teams competed in the 2024 Winter Worlds, a 13-team increase from 2023.

Results:

Women's 40+ Masters Major: Third-seeded Royal-T Real Estate/The LaFlamme Group of Washington (photo below) edged second-seeded FRSTeam of Colorado 27-26 in the title game. Top-seeded Firestarter Oldies of Washington placed third in the five-team division.

Women's 40+ Masters Silver: The top-seeded AAA team Lady Panthers of Ontario, Canada, won multiple games by double digits and capped a 6-0 tournament with a 18-14 title game victory over third-seeded Las Maletas of Arizona. Notoriously We Gucci of Arizona finished third in the 14-team division.

Lady Panthers and Las Maletas photoed together after the championship game.

Women's 50+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, OnFire/Afoa Insurance of California (photo below) capped a 5-0 tournament by sweeping Takin' Chances of California 25-11 and 20-0.

Women's 50/55+ Gold: Top-seeded AAA team Wicked of Texas (photo below) finished unbeaten in bracket play and 5-1 overall by defeating second-seeded Get Dirty of New Mexico 15-11 in the title game. The fourth-seeded VooDoo Dolls of Arizona placed third in the four-team division.

Women's 55/60+ Gold: Playing a best-of-three format, the 60+ team Lady Scorpions of Arizona (photo below) swept the 55+ Team BattleAxe of Oregon 19-3 and 16-9.

Men's 40+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, West Coast United of California defeated Sudden Impact of New Mexico 42-21 and 29-28 to finish 3-2 overall.

Men's 40+ Major: Second-seeded My Arizona Lawyers capped a 6-0 tournament by defeating Wallcon/Standard Plumbing Supply/AZ Bandits-Halos of Arizona 29-27 in the title game of the seven-team division. Fourth-seeded EPT of Texas captured third place.

Men's 40+ AAA: Playing a best-of-three format, MAJ/SOPHXTIK8TD of Arizona (photo below) outdueled Torgi Trucking/U.P. Electric of Washington 27-24 and 21-20 for the title and an overall 5-1 record.

Men's 50+ Major Plus: Top-seeded and unbeaten Regeee's Rams of Ontario, Canada, (photo below), averaged 30 runs per game and defeated opponents by an average of 10 runs per game, including a 26-11 title game victory over fourth-seeded KB West Coast Amigos of Arizona. MIN-USA of Nebraska finished third in the four-team division.

Men's 50+ Major: Second-seeded SPS/AZ Bandits earned revenge on an earlier bracket game by double dipping 4 Him Factory/Wicked Sports of Arizona 35-20 and 26-20 in the title games of this seven-team division. Sixth-seeded PRMI of Idaho finished third.

Men's 50+ AAA: Fourth-seeded El Paso Strong of Texas capped a 5-1 tournament with a 24-9 title game victory over second-seeded Arizona Thunder. The third-seeded Heroes of Nebraska took third in the eight-team division.

Men's 55+ Major: Top-seeded and unbeaten L.A.F. of California knocked off second-seeded Scrap Iron Thunder of Colorado 21-10 in the championship game of the six-team bracket. Third-seeded Priority Construction Services/Lumbjacks of Minnesota took third.

Men's 55+ AAA: Eleventh-seeded Paly of Texas defeated fifth-seeded Running Late of Arizona 19-9 for the title and an overall 6-1 overall record. Top-seeded All-Quip/SOWC of Oregon finished third in the 18-team division.

Men's 60+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, Dudley Lightning/KPI of Missouri needed all three games to subdue BTI of California 21-6, 9-17, and 36-18.

Men's 60+ Major: Second-seeded Hawaii Five-O capped a 6-0 tournament with a 22-7 title game victory over Pacific Enterprises of Washington. Sidewinders of Arizona finished third in the 11-team division.

Men's 60+ AAA: Eleventh-seeded Chelu of Oregon (photoed below in pink and light blue jerseys) left the tying run on third base in the final inning of the first championship game, which it lost 16-15, but rebounded in the “if needed” game for a 23-16 triumph over second-seeded NFM Lending of Arizona (photoed below in dark blue jerseys). Ninth-seeded Lumberjack Red of Minnesota snatched third place in the 18-team bracket.

Men's 60+ AA: Top-seeded Tri-City Legends/D-bat of Washington (photo below) proved the class of this division, with its only tournament loss coming in pool play against a AAA team. Tri-City defeated its AA opponents by an average of 13 runs per game, including a 19-2 championship triumph over the Prairie Dogs of Nebraska. The El Paso Bad Boys of Texas finished third in the three-team division.

Men's 65+ Platinum: The fifth-seeded Major team NW Elite Hitmen of Washington capped a 5-1 tournament and earned revenge from its only loss, which happened in pool play, with a 21-16 title game victory over the top-seeded X-Men of British Columbia, Canada. The third-seeded Scrap Iron Rocky Mountain Thunder team finished third in the seven-team division.

Men's 65+ AAA: The 10th-seeded Arizona Owls (photo below) and top-seeded Team Fire of Washington meet three times in bracket play, with the Owls double dipping Team Fire 22-17 and 20-17 in the title games. The fifth-seeded Minnesota Road Warriors finished third in the 16-team division.

Men's 65+ AA: The sixth-seeded Austin Wizards won every bracket game, including a 18-6 championship bout against top-seeded Ranall’s Realty of Arizona. Fifth-seeded Pastimers of Washington finished third in the six-team division.

Men's 70+ Major: Second-seeded and unbeaten Scrap Iron High Octane of Colorado (photo below) won numerous close games and defeated top-seeded Steel Etc. of Montana 19-17 to nab the title of the six-team division. The fourth-seeded Arizona Scorpions earned third place.

Men's 70+ AAA: Third-seeded Team Texas-San Antonio capped a 7-0 tournament by edging second-seeded Arizona Old School 20-19 in the championship game. Ninth-seeded Wisconsin Northerners finished third in the 14-team division.

Men's 70+ AA: Top-seeded Los Vatos Viejos 70 II of Arizona swept its three pool games before also sweeping its three bracket games, including the title game over fourth-seeded Duke City Dynamite of New Mexico. Triple 2 of Texas finished third in the four-team division.

Men's 75+ Platinum: Top-seeded Omen 75 of California lost its first bracket game then won seven in a row, including 21-10 and 25-7 title game victories over the fourth-seeded Enviro-Vac Marauders of British Columbia, Canada. Omen earned the 75+ Major Plus TOC berth while Enviro-Vac got the 75+ Major berth. Third place in the nine-team division went to sixth-seeded SoCal Gusto of California.

Men's 75+ AA: Playing a best-of-three format, the Oshkosh Ambassadors of Wisconsin (photo below) swept the Top Gun Olde Dawgs of California 11-4 and 21-6 for the title and an overall 3-2 record.

Men's 75/80+ Gold: The fifth-seeded Chicago Strikers (photo below) edged second-seeded W.E. Ruth Realty of Washington 25-23 in the “if needed” title game after Ruth Realty won the first championship game 7-0. Top-seeded Git-R-Done of California captured third in the eight-team division.

Men's 80+ Major Plus: Top-seeded Maverick Construction of Texas (photo below) double-dipped Omen of California 14-3 and 20-6 to finish 6-1. The Sidewinders of Arizona finished third in the three-team division.

Men's 80+ AAA: Top-seeded Midwest Express (photo below) swept all six games it played, including an 18-11 championship victory over the third-seeded Minnesota Masters. Hui Ohana of Hawaii took third in the four-team bracket.

Men's 85+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, the Top Gun Blue Angels of California (photo below) swept the Scrap Iron Legends 23-11 and 20-13 to finish 3-2 overall.