80 TEAM SURPRISE 'YOUNGSTERS' AT SPRING NATIONALS

June 1, 2010 – Dave Dowell National Director

POLK COUNTY, FL – The 2010 SSUSA Spring National Championships were held here in late April as 51 teams converged on Winter Haven for six days of high-level competition under beautiful weather conditions. The 2010 event marked the fourth year in a row that team attendance has grown for this Florida season opener.

“Polk County is likely the softball capital of the South, with outstanding facilities and a multitude of local amenities for a truly enjoyable time away from the ball park at the end of the day,” said SSUSA Chief Executive Officer Terry Hennessy. “Our partnership with the Central Florida Sports Marketing Group just gets better each year with this tournament and the annual Tournament of Champions” he added.

Play began on April 20 at the Auburndale Sports Complex with the Men’s 65’s, 70’s and 80’s playing seeding games in three divisions. Bracket play commenced on Wednesday after the conclusion of seeding games in the morning. Competition was truly balanced, with no teaming escaping the week unbeaten. With the recently concluded 2010 Tournament of Champions in Polk County a fresh memory, everyone had their eye on locking up a TOC bid early for next year’s event.

In the Men’s 65/70 Major Plus division, top seed Suncoast Orthopedic Surgery (FL) defeated the Southeast 70’s in a thriller (13-12) to claim the title. Meanwhile, the Men’s 65-Silver division took “If needed” games in both bracket to determine champions. The 65-AAA trophy went to Senior Moments (FL) with their 18-9 Best 2 of 3 Series clincher and the 65-AA crown was grabbed by the Bucs & Bulls 65’s following their 22-8 win over the Syracuse (NY) Cyclones.

The most interesting division of the first session was the combined Men’s 70/80 Division, featuring three 70’s teams and the Center for Sight 80’s representing the ‘most senior of seniors.’ In yet another “If needed” game, American Legion Post 8 (FL) prevailed over the Bucs & Bulls 70’s by the score of 12-2. At the postgame awards ceremony, one of the 70’s managers was overheard offering a verbal tip of the cap to the Center for Sight 80’s by saying “This tournament sure got a lot easier after those 80’s got eliminated!” Center for Sight defeated all but one of the 70’s teams at least once each in the tournament.

Friday morning, play opened for the Men’s 50’s, 55’s and 60’s Divisions at both the Auburndale Sports Complex and the Diamondplex while the weather continued to uphold Florida’s reputation for sunshine and reasonable temperatures.

At Auburndale, the 7-team Men’s 50/55+ Platinum Division showed some of the best younger teams in the South and East. The fourth and fifth seeded teams met three times in the bracket before the Metro Stars (VA) squeezed past Veltri Transportation (PA) in the “If” game by a 25-17 score.

In the largest division of the tournament, the 10-team Men’s 50-AAA played at the Diamondplex, Steve Levin Financial (FL) started in the #8 seed and advanced unbeaten to the championship game, losing to the Florida Classics (22-23) before returning the favor with their own one-run victory (20-19) in the “If” game.

The five-team Men’s 50/55-Silver Division at Auburndale had one of the only two unbeaten teams of the session as the Tulsa Foxes (FL) completed their perfect run with a championship game victory (11-3) over Pat’s Sports. The other unbeaten team for the weekend also played at Auburndale, in the combined 55/60-Platinum Division. Brix & Stix of the Villages (FL) defeated Miken/Anaconda Sports (FL) in the Championship game by a score of 21-17. The other half of this division was more complicated, as J.J. McGoo (FL) defeated the Senior Moments 60’s in their third, and deciding, game of the bracket between the two teams. Sr. Moments won the first, 23-9, but McGoo’s won two thrillers, the championship game (8-7) and the “If” game (11-10) to wrap things up nicely.

The Men’s 65-AAA Division at the Diamondplex was yet another closely contested bracket, with the Georgia/Alanbama masters and Steve Levin Financial (FL) playing three times to settle things. Steve Levin won the championship bracket final (15-14) prior to Georgia/Alabama coming back through the Elimination bracket to win both the championship game (26-12) and an exciting last-at-bat-come-from behind victory in the “If” game (26-25).

The Men’s combined 55/60-AA Divisions also played at Auburndale, with the Ohio Silverados avenging an opening game loss against the Silver Hawaiians (FL) in the 55-AA Best 2 of 3 championship series with two 6-run wins in the championship game (25-19) and the “If” game (23-17). The Men’s 60-AA Championship was won by Acousti (FL) as they cruised through the bracket unbeaten, finishing with an exciting 18-17 championship game victory over the All Star Grill (FL).

POLK COUNTY, FL – The 2010 SSUSA Spring National Championships were held here in late April as 51 teams converged on Winter Haven for six days of high-level competition under beautiful weather conditions. The 2010 event marked the fourth year in a row that team attendance has grown for this Florida season opener.

“Polk County is likely the softball capital of the South, with outstanding facilities and a multitude of local amenities for a truly enjoyable time away from the ball park at the end of the day,” said SSUSA Chief Executive Officer Terry Hennessy. “Our partnership with the Central Florida Sports Marketing Group just gets better each year with this tournament and the annual Tournament of Champions” he added.

Play began on April 20 at the Auburndale Sports Complex with the Men’s 65’s, 70’s and 80’s playing seeding games in three divisions. Bracket play commenced on Wednesday after the conclusion of seeding games in the morning. Competition was truly balanced, with no teaming escaping the week unbeaten. With the recently concluded 2010 Tournament of Champions in Polk County a fresh memory, everyone had their eye on locking up a TOC bid early for next year’s event.

In the Men’s 65/70 Major Plus division, top seed Suncoast Orthopedic Surgery (FL) defeated the Southeast 70’s in a thriller (13-12) to claim the title. Meanwhile, the Men’s 65-Silver division took “If needed” games in both bracket to determine champions. The 65-AAA trophy went to Senior Moments (FL) with their 18-9 Best 2 of 3 Series clincher and the 65-AA crown was grabbed by the Bucs & Bulls 65’s following their 22-8 win over the Syracuse (NY) Cyclones.

The most interesting division of the first session was the combined Men’s 70/80 Division, featuring three 70’s teams and the Center for Sight 80’s representing the ‘most senior of seniors.’ In yet another “If needed” game, American Legion Post 8 (FL) prevailed over the Bucs & Bulls 70’s by the score of 12-2. At the postgame awards ceremony, one of the 70’s managers was overheard offering a verbal tip of the cap to the Center for Sight 80’s by saying “This tournament sure got a lot easier after those 80’s got eliminated!” Center for Sight defeated all but one of the 70’s teams at least once each in the tournament.

Friday morning, play opened for the Men’s 50’s, 55’s and 60’s Divisions at both the Auburndale Sports Complex and the Diamondplex while the weather continued to uphold Florida’s reputation for sunshine and reasonable temperatures.

At Auburndale, the 7-team Men’s 50/55+ Platinum Division showed some of the best younger teams in the South and East. The fourth and fifth seeded teams met three times in the bracket before the Metro Stars (VA) squeezed past Veltri Transportation (PA) in the “If” game by a 25-17 score.

In the largest division of the tournament, the 10-team Men’s 50-AAA played at the Diamondplex, Steve Levin Financial (FL) started in the #8 seed and advanced unbeaten to the championship game, losing to the Florida Classics (22-23) before returning the favor with their own one-run victory (20-19) in the “If” game.

The five-team Men’s 50/55-Silver Division at Auburndale had one of the only two unbeaten teams of the session as the Tulsa Foxes (FL) completed their perfect run with a championship game victory (11-3) over Pat’s Sports. The other unbeaten team for the weekend also played at Auburndale, in the combined 55/60-Platinum Division. Brix & Stix of the Villages (FL) defeated Miken/Anaconda Sports (FL) in the Championship game by a score of 21-17. The other half of this division was more complicated, as J.J. McGoo (FL) defeated the Senior Moments 60’s in their third, and deciding, game of the bracket between the two teams. Sr. Moments won the first, 23-9, but McGoo’s won two thrillers, the championship game (8-7) and the “If” game (11-10) to wrap things up nicely.

The Men’s 65-AAA Division at the Diamondplex was yet another closely contested bracket, with the Georgia/Alanbama masters and Steve Levin Financial (FL) playing three times to settle things. Steve Levin won the championship bracket final (15-14) prior to Georgia/Alabama coming back through the Elimination bracket to win both the championship game (26-12) and an exciting last-at-bat-come-from behind victory in the “If” game (26-25).

The Men’s combined 55/60-AA Divisions also played at Auburndale, with the Ohio Silverados avenging an opening game loss against the Silver Hawaiians (FL) in the 55-AA Best 2 of 3 championship series with two 6-run wins in the championship game (25-19) and the “If” game (23-17). The Men’s 60-AA Championship was won by Acousti (FL) as they cruised through the bracket unbeaten, finishing with an exciting 18-17 championship game victory over the All Star Grill (FL).

Click HERE for complete game scores and bracket results.