PATIENCE AND PERSISENCE PAY OFF IN THE JIM SHERMAN MEMORIAL

Sept. 1, 2012 – Ross McCulligan

LACEY, WASH. – The Jim Sherman Memorial Northwest Championships was played to its completion but not without various interruptions from heavy downpours. On and off rain was the topic of conversation throughout the entire tournament as many wondered if they would be able to play at all.

Tournament Director Dave Dowell was forced to make some impromptu scheduling decisions but in the end all games were played to their entirety. “Patience and persistence were key,” Dowell said.

Twenty-one teams from four states made their way here for the seventh annual Jim Sherman Memorial Northwest Championships. After moving from Portland in 2010, the tournament was played at the beautiful, four-field Regional Athletic Complex for the second year in a row.

In 2010, the event was renamed to honor the man who had given so much back to the game he loved. Sherman was the first player to be inducted into the Senior Softball USA Hall of Fame. As a former firefighter, Sherman was SSUSA’s National Safety Officer helping to establish life saving CPR/AED training for all our directors, prior to his death in 2010.

When asked about Sherman’s legacy, Terry Hennessy, chief executive officer of SSUSA said, “In his career Jim trained firefighters and many others who went on to save countless lives. Later as national director of safety for Senior Softball-USA, his CPR/defibrillator program saved four lives…and laid the groundwork to save many more lives in the future.”

In an unlikely scenario, Northwest Legends a 50 Major-Plus team, hailing from Washington won the championship after electing to participate in the Men’s 40 Masters Division. Northwest Legends grabbed the top seed heading into bracket play by the narrowest of margins and would go on to run the table in the winner’s bracket winning in the championship game, 17-16, over Lucky Eagle Casino 40.

In the 60/65 Gold Division there was plenty of offense to go around. Number 2 seeded Aro Glass Clubbers would score 20-plus runs in each of their bracket play games ultimately defeating First American Title 26-21 to win the division.

Finally, in a five-team bracket consisting of 55/60/65, Masters Marauders 65 proved to be too much for Vancouver 55, winning the division, 23-19, in the championship game. However, Vancouver 55 would receive a birth into the Tournament of Champions as a 55 AA winner, as well as Northwest Silver in the 60 AA Division.

For complete results please visit our website at SeniorSoftball.com

2012 ATLANTIC COAST ALL TOURNEY PLAYERS

Men’s 50Major+-Rochester 50/Gennessee- John Fitzgerald,Bill Morgan,Mike Balta.

Men’s 50Major-ESB Renovation- Darryl Shamble,Mike White.

Men’s 50AAA-Phoenix Tube 50’s-Al Faleski, Al Bucchino,Dennis Lake,Dave O’Connor,Steve Belford.Pill and Pill- Steve Barrett,Buddy Fauber.

Men’s 55Major-Omega/QSE Construction- Tony Marlow, Hosea Harris, Charles Clarke,Jerry Liscomb,Milton Harrison.

Men’s 55AAA- Fat Nancy’s/Gubiotti- Randy Shaffer,Rob Ripka, Mike Garvey, Curt Kirchmaier, Dave Cavalieri.NY Motion- Richie Brancaccio, Larry Toglia,Ron DeFrancis

Men’s 60Platinum-Pace 60-Gary Richter,Khalid Abdus-Salaam.

Men’s 60AAA-Stahl Post#30-Don Natale,Alvie Rinehimer, Jim Anderson,Ken Hayden,Poke Rodriguez.AO/Travato Ins.- Ken Snyder,David Hanna,Mike Flynn.

Men’s 65+- Syracuse Cyclones 65-Dan Glum, Joe Scaturro,Ritchy Faia,Chuck Andrews, Bert Keating.Bostonian Shoes- Dave Clark, Bob Clifford, Ted Wess, Art Robichaud.

Men’s 70Gold-Hamel Cavaliers- Bill Thompson,Bud Allen,TC Carey, Bruce Remick,Paul Math.Hannington’s of MA-Bud Dodge, Joe DeFelice,Justin McGrath,Rene Vigneault,Don Murphy.Back Office Associates-Mike Sullivan,Paul Gigley,Hank Baldassarri.

Men’s 75AAA-Syracuse Cyclones- Herb Pfuhl,Doug Hammond,Joe Hill,Ted Sniffen,Mike Fitzgerald.Delaware Diamonds- Charles Johannes,Clyde Dossett,William Deputy.Barracuda.Barracudas- Lee Estelle,Larry Deschaine.

Men’s 70AA-Baracuda’s- Lee Southworh, Dick Ochampaugh,George Shimono,Rich Poliquin,Robert Wordel.