WEATHER ROCKS RENO FOR 217 TEAMS: SNOW, RAIN, SUN

June 1, 2011 – Dave Dowell National Director

RENO – The 24th Rock ‘n Reno Challenge Cup kicked off here over the Memorial Day weekend under threatening weather conditions for the tournament-record 217 teams. Players and fans experienced, and endured, the full range of Sierra Nevada climate, from wind-blown snow to sleet and rain sandwiched around periods of reasonably balmy spring conditions.

The first session featured 54 teams in the Men’s 50+ and 55+ divisions playing at the Reno Sports Complex at Rancho San Rafael and the state-of-the-art Golden Eagle Regional Park in Sparks. Mother Nature served as the great equalizer among these very talented teams, as six of the eight division required “If Needed” games to determine champions.

Most notable was the thrilling come from behind win in the bottom of the seventh inning by the Northwest Legends (WA) with a walk-off home run to defeat perennial World and National Champion Sommerville Softball (CA), formerly the Seacrest Mavericks, for the 50-Major Plus championship. In the 50-AAA, special mention goes out to the Top Gun 50’s (CA) for making it all the way to the “If” game after bringing only 10 players here. They finally ran out of gas and fell victim to the Stanislaus Sluggers (CA) in the Sluggers first major win in an SSUSA event.

Tuesday brought another 71 teams, the largest for this session in tournament history, to town in the most senior of divisions, the Men’s 65+ through 80+ groups. Thirty-five of the teams were 70+ and older, including a pure Men’s 80+ division of four teams, won by the Tiodize D-99 (CA) powerhouse.

In a very impressive run, the Vegas 65’s (NV) Major team capped an unbeaten week by taking home the trophy, but it wasn’t easy. In the most remarkable individual game of this, and possibly any, tournament in years, they faced the Grumpy Old Men (CA) in what appeared at the time to be a relatively insignificant seeding game late Tuesday afternoon.

Conditions were blustery, at best, and both teams were looking forward to getting back to the warmth of the hotels as the Grumpy Old Men came to bat in the top of the open inning trailing 20-16. Twenty-nine runs later, they took a 25-run lead (at 45-20) into the bottom of the open inning, only to be stunned as the Vegas 65’s put up 26 of their own to eke out the 46-45 win. Fifty-five runs in one inning is the highest total anyone at SSUSA can remember, by a substantial margin.

On Friday, the third session began with 45 Men’s 60+ teams and the Women’s Senior (50+ and up) divisions, to be joined on Saturday by the Men’s and Women’s 40-Masters, representing another 26 teams. Weather was again wildly unpredictable, but tending to the cooler windy side. The Men’s 60 Plus represented some of the largest brackets in the entire tournament, with 10 teams in the Majors, an astonishing 23 in the AAA and another 11 in the AA’s. Master Collision (CO), the Hawaii Masters and the Yuba City Express (CO) all capping unbeaten bracket runs with their championships.

Saturday play was crowded across all venues, including Centennial Park in Carson City, as all 92 third session teams (another record) were in play during what may have been the best climate day of the tourney. But Mother Nature had the last laugh, as torrential rains Saturday night washed out Sunday play at Rancho San Rafael, Centennial Park and two of the four fields at Shadow Mountain. Play was consolidated at Golden Eagle under shortened five-inning games and the tournament came to a close late Sunday.

Most notable among Sunday’s winners were the 40-Masters winners. All four of the divisions, two Men’s and two Women’s, required “If needed” games to crown champions. Congratulations to all of those ‘displaced’ teams who traveled a long way on Sunday to win: Old School 40’s (W-40-AAA), Utah Relics (W-40-AA), Class Act (M-40-Major) and Magic Sports Vengeance (M-40-AAA). The future of Senior Softball sure looks bright as these teams approach the magical number of 50.

For full coverage of the 2011 Rock ‘n Reno Challenge Cup, please see the online edition of Senior Softball News at www.seniorsoftball.com.