One-Run Victories Determine Champions in One-Third of Divisions at 2026 Southwest Champs

April 1, 2026

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Eleven teams emerged unbeaten when the Senior Softball-USA’s 2026 Southwest Championships ended April 12 in Las Vegas.

They were among 33 teams to claim titles, trophies, champion shirts and berths to the 2027 Original Tournament of Champions to be played in Polk County, Fla., next year.

 
Big League Dreams' Taylor Conley shows workers finishing the total reconstruction of one of the six BLD fields in Las Vegas during the 2026 Southwest Championships. Three fields were completed and used for the tournament and all six fields are expected to be completed for the World Championships in the Fall.

The six-day event drew 215 teams from 17 states to one of SSUSA’s largest tournaments of the year.

“Southwest was an amazing event,” said SSUSA Executive Director Fran Dowell, one of Southwest’s tournament directors. “Teams were so ready to play, and it was wonderful to see everyone.”

Fran Dowell, Executive Director of SSUSA and Southwest Tournament Director (left) with players' wives who came to support their husbands and teams.

Competitive games dominated many of the brackets, with one-run games deciding 12 of the 33 divisions. Three of the five women’s divisions came down to just one run.

Hawaii Five-O up to bat in their Southwest 60+ Major Plus championship game against County Heating & Air of California, a division won, undefeatedly, by County Heating & Air.

And unlike the World Championships last year, rain did not cause massive disruptions.

“Warm with occasional bursts of heat and wind best describes the 2026 Southwest Championships – great weather to play in Las Vegas,” said Terry Hennessy, SSUSA’s chief executive officer.

Terry Hennessy, CEO of SSUSA and Southwest Tournament Director (left) with Master Scheduler, Dave Dowell, inputting live scores on Who I Follow.

Results:

Women's 40+ Major: Top-seeded Tharaldson Softball of Nevada (photo below) breezed through the tournament until the championship game, where it squeaked out a 19-18 victory over second-seeded Royal-T Real Estate of Washington. That preserved Tharaldson’s unbeaten tournament record at 5-0. Third-seeded Still Mobbin of California won three elimination games to finish third in the five-team division.

Women's 40+ AAA: Top-seeded Not Today of Nevada (photo below) played only one game decided by one run, and that came in the championship bout. Not Today edged the fifth-seeded Utah Relics 13-12 to finish 6-0 overall. Third-seeded Girl’s On Top (G.O.T.) of California snagged third place in the 10-team division, the largest of the five women’s brackets.

Women's 50+ Major: All five teams in this division went 1-1 in seeding games, which proved prophetic. One championship game would not decide the title. Top-seeded Cash Out 50s of California pulled off a double-dip to subdue second-seeded OnFire/Afoa Insurance of California 22-19 and 25-5 (photo of Cash Out 50s and OnFire/Afoa Insurance together, below). Third-seeded Snap, Crackle, Pop of Washington took third.

Women's 50+ AAA: After going 1-2 in seeding games, the third-seeded Utah Relics 50s won all three of its bracket games, capped by a 11-10 title-game triumph over top-seeded Straight Pride 50s of California (photo of Utah Relics 50s and Straight Pride 50s together, below). Second-seeded Get Dirty of New Mexico finished third in the four-team division.

Women's 55+ Gold: Third-seeded Bomb Threats, an AAA team from North Carolina, capped a 4-1 tournament with a 25-14 championship-game victory over fourth-seeded SWI/Rueblur of California. Top-seeded Takin' Chances 55 of California earned third in the five-team division.

Men's 40+ Major Plus: Second-seeded Swingcoast/Spartan Bat Co. 40s of Arkansas (photo below) averaged 31 runs a game, lost only once, and edged fourth-seeded TAI/Elite Sports/Onyx of California 32-31 to claim the division title. The two teams combined for 24 home runs in the title game alone. Top-seeded Front Row/Texas 5 Sports/Short Porch of Texas placed third in the five-team division.

Men's 40+ Major: Second-seeded HMR/HighMarkRoofing Inc/Team Shuler-Compass of California (photo below) lost only once -- 32-24 in the first title game -- but rebounded to claim the if-needed title game 35-28 over fifth-seeded Grandaddy Softball/GS Sports of Nevada. Fourth-seeded Vicious Cycle/Ikonic Sports/Hustle of California secured third place in the eight-team division.

Men's 40+ AAA: Second-seeded Wasted Talent/TheLAEmpire of California (photo below) and top-seeded Rossi Law Group (RLG) of California played four times, with each team winning twice. Wasted Talent capturing the most important of those games when it double-dipped RLG 22-20 and 40-30 in the title games to win the four-team division. Third-seeded Vegas Delinquents finished third.

Men's 50+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, Fattboyz/Front Row of California (photo below) swept BMP 50s of Arizona 8-7 and 20-14. Both teams had been 3-0 entering bracket play.

Men's 50+ Major: The third-seeded Asylum Ballers of California capped a 5-1 tournament with a 27-12 title-game triumph over fifth-seeded No Excuses 50 of California. The fourth-seeded Silverbacks/SB 50 of California placed third in the six-team bracket.

Men's 50+ AAA: Top-seeded Rancid of California double-dipped G-Force/Epic Athletics of California 24-20 and 22-20 to win the division, finish 7-1 overall and avenge an earlier bracket game loss to G-Force. Sixth-seeded Shut-D 50s Red of Hawaii captured third in the 12-team division.

Men's 55+ Major Plus: Winless in three seeding games, third-seeded Arizona Heat 55s (photo below) blazed past its three bracket opponents, including a 28-18 title-game victory over fourth-seeded MC Improvements of Wisconsin. Second-seeded ShowTime So Cal took third in the four-team division.

Men's 55+ Major: Top-seeded CA Premier 55 (photo below) won its bracket games 20-14, 14-12 and 19-18 to claim the five-team division and finish 4-1 overall. Runner-up Factory DeMarini of Washington started bracket play as the fourth seed. Third-place finisher Top Gun Diamonds of California started as the second seed.

Men's 55+ Silver: Third-seeded Khaos, a 55+ AAA team from California, lost the first title game 18-12 then won the second 18-14 over fifth-seeded Lokahi of Arizona to capture the 17-team division. The second-seeded 805’s 55s of California won four elimination games to finish third.

Men's 60+ Major Plus: Unbeaten in its six games, top-seeded County Heating & Air of California (photo below) dispatched second-seeded Hawaii Five-O 16-6 in the title game. Fourth-seeded Acme 60s of California finished third in the four-team division.

Men's 60+ Major: Third-seeded Custom Truck of Nevada (photo below) went 5-1 overall and defeated top-seeded Arizona Monsoon 23-21 in the title game. The seventh-seeded Top Gun Warriors of California won four elimination games to finish third in the 11-team bracket.

Men's 60+ AAA: Unbeaten in seven games, the second-seeded Warriors 60 of California (photo below) outscored its bracket competition by an average of 11 runs per game. It knocked off top-seeded Fossil Fuel of California 21-16 in the title game after also beating Fossil Fuel in the winner’s bracket final. Fourth-seeded Top Gun Fury/ Written in Red of California snagged third place in the 16-team division.

Men's 60+ AA: Third-seeded So Cal Riptide lost its first pool game then won five in a row, including an 18-11 title-game victory over sixth-seeded Tri City Legends of Washington. The eighth-seeded Jokers, a California team that knocked off the top seed to open bracket play, finished third in the eight-team division.

Men's 65+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, Cal Energy 65 (photo below) swept Samurai 65 of California 23-7 and 17-7 to finish 5-0 overall. Four of Cal Energy’s victories were by double digits.

Men's 65+ Major: The second-seeded Dirty Birds 65s of California (photo below) capped a 6-0 tournament with a 17-16 championship victory over sixth-seeded Arizona Old School 65. Fourth-seeded Vegas Elite/ Vault of Utah finished third in the seven-team division.

Men's 65+ AAA: Second-seeded Scrap Iron Heavy Metal of Colorado outscored its tournament competition by 57 runs while winning all six of its games, including a 17-10 title-game victory over the eighth-seeded Top Gun Stars 65s of California. The third-seeded QC Rebel's/Hopkins Financial of Idaho (photo below) grabbed third in the 11-team division.

Men's 65+ AA: The second-seeded Sin City OutKasts of Nevada capped a 4-1 tournament with a 14-10 title-game triumph over the top-seeded Advil Knights of California. The third-seeded So Cal Riptide 65 of California finished third in the four-team division.

Men's 70+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three format, NorthWest Stampede of Oregon swept R&R 70s of California 12-7 and 17-16 to finish as champions and 4-1 overall.

Men's 70+ Major: Third-seeded Samurai 70 of California (photo below) spilt a pair of one-run games in seeding play before racing through bracket play unbeaten, including a 17-7 championship victory over the fifth-seeded Bulldogs 70, an Oregon team that won five elimination games to reach the finals. Eighth-seeded Wongs 70 of California knocked off the top seed early in bracket play before finishing third in the eight-team division.

Men's 70+ AAA: Fourth-seeded Supreme Athletics 70s of Nevada capped a 5-1 tournament with a 20-19 championship thriller over seventh-seeded Ranalls Realty 70 of Arizona. Eighth-seeded Kona Lawa Kua Nui of Hawaii captured third in the 12-team division.

Men's 70+ AA: After going 1-2 in seeding games, sixth-seeded Los Vatos Viejos 70 II of Arizona (photo below) raced unbeaten through the bracket, including a 23-19 title-game triumph over the top-seeded Scrap Iron Diamonds 70 of Colorado. Third-seeded Lights Out 70 of California took third in the six-team division.

Men's 75+ Major Plus: Omen 75 of California (photo below) swept Animals 75s of California 22-11 and 21-6 in a best-of-three bracket format. Omen finished 4-1 overall, with its only loss coming by one run against a 75+ Major team.

Men's 75+ Major: The fifth-seeded Ancient 75s of Arizona (photo below) clipped sixth-seeded Cut Loose 75s of California 22-21 to capture the seven-team division and finish 5-1 overall. The third-seeded Oregon Crabs won three elimination games, including two by one run, to finish third.

Men's 75+ AAA: Top-seeded Speed Limit 75 of Utah (photo below) capped a 6-0 tournament with a 21-20 championship victory over 11^th-seeded No Guts, No Glory of California. It marked Speed Limit’s second one-run victory in bracket play. Seventh-seeded Sidewinders 75s of Arizona won five elimination games to finish third in the 11-team division.

Men's 75+ AA: Playing a best-of-three format, Twin Peaks Desert Heat 75 of Nevada overcame an opening 19-14 loss by defeating Scrap Iron Stampede 75 of Colorado 21-6 and 17-16 in the next two games.

Men's 80+ Major Plus: Playing a best-of-three bracket, Omen 80 of California (photo below) lost the first game 15-14 before sweeping the next two, 11-10 and 12-9, over Maverick Construction 80s of Texas. Omen finished 4-2.

Men's 80/85+ Platinum: The top-seeded Major Plus team Omen 85 of California (photo below) eclipsed the third-seeded Sidewinders 80s of California 16-15 to claim the three-team division while also going 6-0. Top Gun 80 Gold/JSquared of California took third.

Men's 80/85+ Gold: Top-seeded ZIA, an 80+ AAA team from New Mexico (photo below), won all five of its games, including a 17-2 championship victory over second-seeded Git-R-Done 80 of California. Third-seeded 80 Ho'oikaika of Hawaii took third in the five-team division.