2015 ASA Super National tournament report!
2015 ASA Super National Tournament
Oklahoma City, OK
October 1-2
Super Championship Friday night between BBS/Mr. D's/Rip City and Long Haul/H Auto/Easton
Link to the Softballcenter.com picture album of the ASA Super
ASA Super tournament info and bracket link
2015 ASA Super recap on ASASoftball.com
ASA Softball360.com video of the Super
The 2015 ASA Super National tournament began with 9 teams on Thursday, October 1st at 2 PM Central time after a brief rain delay. The first game of the double elimination tournament which was seeded based on points was a "play in" game between Red's Astros and Team Combat. Combat held leads of 12-6 and 17-10 before Reds scored 14 runs in the top of the 5th inning and held on to win by 2 runs 30-28. Red's Travis Dale hit 3 homers and had 8 RBI in the win. Each team at the Super had a 16 home run limit which made for some high scores, big innings, and long games.
Round of 8:
Game #2: West Coast Monsta got off to a 31-18 lead on ASPNation on the strength of two double figure innings over on the stadium. Then Monsta's offense stalled as they put up a zero in the bottom of the 6th inning. In the top of the 7th ASPnation scored 11 runs and tied the game 31-31 on a Tim Bowser homer and Monsta failed to score in the bottom of the 7th even though they had 3 home runs left. In the top of the 8th ASPNation out of home runs managed to plate 4 runs and West Coast Monsta scored 5 to win on a Tim Martinez walk off single. Martinez was 6-7 in the game with 7 RBI and middle infielder Chente Granados hit 4 home runs in the win.
Monstas Tim Martinez with a walkoff single vs ASPNation
Game #3: Heartland Investors jumped out to a nice 16-5 lead after 3 innings on OC. OC then fought back with a 12 run top of the 4th inning to take a brief 1 run lead. But Heartland closed out the OC on the stadium field 28-25 led by Denny Crine 3-4 with a grand slam, and pitcher Geno Buck who was 5-5. Heartland hit 10 HR total and Blaine Horsager was 3-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI as well.
Game #4: The matchup between Long Haul and BBS was the talk of the early rounds as the way the ASA points worked out the two super powers had to play each other in their first game. Long Haul is the Smash It Sports team minus Scott Kirby and the injured Brian Wegman (pulled hamstring). And BBS/Mr. D's/Rip City was a team put together by Dennis Doerr, Aaron Babcock, and Geno Burdick that featured 5 Resmondo players (Dennis Rulli, Greg Connell, Andrew Collins, Jeremy Yates, and Jeremy Isenhower) and a future Resmondo player Lee Payne as well Compound Athletics infielder Johnathon Williams, and Stars pitcher Lossen White. There were many in attendance that felt this was in fact the game that would determine the championship of the Super bracket even though it was only 5 PM on Thursday! The game got off to a slow start with both teams putting up rather low run innings. Long Haul was the visitors and led 16-10 going into the bottom of the 5th when a popup was mistakenly allowed to fall in for a hit and BBS made Long Haul pay with 15 runs. Long Haul would get 7 runs in the top of the 6th but BBS smelled blood and followed up with an 11 run inning and held on to win 33-28. Collins, Yates, and Isenhower all had 5 hits apiece for BBS and Geno Burdick was 4-5 with 4 HR and 6 RBI in the win. Long Haul left 4 HR on the table.
Game #5: Red's advanced into the winner's bracket round of 8 with that earlier win over Combat and played ASA power T's 13 with their two big pickups Chris Larsen and Shannon Smith. In that game Red's put up two zeros early on and trailed 19-9. They made it close but one of T's power hitters Mickey Rowland was too much going 5-5 with 3 homers including a grand slam and center fielder Jason Madsen made a nice running catch to help preserve a 32-27 win for T's 13.
Round of 4:
Game #9: West Coast Monsta and the hot hitting Chente Granados (5-5, 3 HR, 5 RBI) jumped out to a 18-5 lead on Heartland Investors and put them away by the 20 run mercy rule in the 4th inning with 15 runs to win 35-8. Ryan Harvey and Tim Martinez both had 3 HR as well as they out homered Heartland 13-4.
Game #10: The now favored BBS jumped out to an 18-2 lead on T's 13 over on the stadium field after 2 innings. T's 13 picked away at the lead over the next 5 innings and even grabbed a 22-21 lead in the top of the 6th on a Ryan Pennebaker pinch hit 3 run homer! However BBS scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 6th and held on defensively in the 7th (knowing they had the hammer anyways) 30-28 to advance to the finals. Rulli and Collins had 5 hits apiece and 3 and 4 homers respectively for BBS. Chris Larsen was 5-5 with 4 HR and 8 RBI in the loss for T's 13.
Winner's Bracket Final: The winner's final was played at 1:30 PM Friday in beautiful weather and BBS led 19-9 after 3 complete innings. West Coast Monstas home runs were held down by BBS pitcher Lossen White and it allowed BBS to find themselves in a 27-15 advantage in the bottom of the 7th and BBS infielder Orlando Castillo hit a walk off two run homer to mercy rule Monsta 30-15. Castillo was 5-5 with 2 HR and 5 RBI in the game.
Losers Bracket:
ASPNation crushed Team Combat 35-19, showing some of that offense that would lead them to the ASA 'A' title two days later. Red's Astros got off to a 19-5 lead after 2 innings against Long Haul but LH would score 22 runs in the top of the 5th and another 20 in the top of the 6th to win 49-29! Ryan Parfitt was 6-6 with 4 HR and 8 RBI and Bryson Baker was 7-7 in the win. Shortstop Luis Reyna also made a great sliding back-turned to a hotshot grounder to block it and pick it up and throw out runner at 2nd. ASPNation outslugged OC 37-31 in a game where OC to their credit just would not give up. Grant Grimmett continued his hot hitting in the loss for OC 5-5, 4 HR, 7 RBI. And Chris Potts for ASPNation was 6-6, 4 HR, 8 RBI. Then ASPNation ran out of gas against T's 13 in a 33-5 4 inning loss. T's Reggie Schulte was 3-3 with 2 HR and 5 RBI. And Long Haul continued their trek Friday through the loser's bracket with a 37-21 win over Heartland and a mind numbing 52-36 win over T's 13. T's 13 held leads of 25-2 and 31-15 in that game against Long Haul before LH outscored them 50-11 over the last 4 innings…wow. Both teams hit all 16 allotted home runs and Long Hauls Dale Brungardt hit 3 HR and drove in 9. Then Long Haul beat West Coast Monsta 34-18 to reach the championship game against BBS.
In the Championship: Long Haul scored 6 runs in the top of the 1st inning slowed only by BBS middle man Dennis Rullis full out diving stop on a ground ball. Both pitchers Clark and White were drilled early in this game. Long Haul who needed to force the "if" game led early 21-12 after 3 complete innings of play. Then Long Hauls offense sputtered as Dennis Rulli made another great diving play in the 5th and Long Haul put up zeros in both the 4th and 5th innings. BBS only scored 3 in each inning though and closed the lead to 21-18. In the top of the 6th Long Haul scored 4 to lead 25-18 but BBS slugger Greg Connell hit a line drive off the top of the 45 foot high scoreboard and BBS hit 5 straight homers capped by Lee Paynes homer giving them a 26-25 lead. In the top of the 6th Long Hauls Brett Helmer who was 4-5 in the game with 3 HR and 6 RBI hit a homer off the top of the fence to tie the game at 26-26. But it wouldn't be enough as Greg Connell for BBS hit a walk off 2 run homer to win the tournament and the Super title! Connell and Collins combined for 11-11 with 6 HR and 14 RBI in the game.
BBS slugger Greg Connell hits a walk off homer to beat Long Haul in the championship game!
The tournament was well played with huge scoring innings highlighting most every game. But surprisingly there were also great defensive plays made throughout the 2 day event and overall it was very entertaining. I think the big difference between the 2 "Super" teams and the 'A' teams was the Super teams could put up 20 run innings once in a while and the 'A' teams were usually maxed out at low double figures.
T's 13 defends BBS on Thursday night semi-final
Integris field #4
Legends of the game. Heartlands Geno Buck and Denny Crine at catcher defending Long Hauls Brett Helmer
Scoring came in bunches
I counted approximately 250 people at the ASA Super finals with free concessions
Oldscout pollers had picked the heavy favorite Long Haul
Video Highlites brought to you by:
Long Bombers of the Week
Home Run Champions – Collins and Parfitt with 10 each
Heartlands Denny Crine hit one on top of the building behind Field #3.
We google earthed it because eye witnesses watched where it landed at 426 feet.
2015 ASA Super Awards and Final Standings
2015 ASA Super National order of finish:
1st Place BBS/Mr. D's/Rip City
2nd Place – Long Haul/H. Auto/Easton
3rd Place – West Coast Monsta/The Scene
4th Place – T's 13/Demarini
Tied 5th Place – ASPNation.com/A&A Utility/KV Weld Mens
Tied 7th Place – Reds Astros
Tied 7th Place – OC
9th Place – Team Combat/Baugh Ford/Softball.com
Andrew Collins gives an interview for Softball360.com
Tournament MVP – Andrew Collins BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
Batting Champion – Andrew Collins .905 BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
Home Run Champion – Andrew Collins (10) BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City, Ryan Parfitt (10) Long Haul/H Auto/Easton
2015 ASA Super First Team All-Americans
IF- Chente Granados – West Coast Monsta/The Scene
IF- Orlando Castillo – BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
IF- Brad Reckart – Longhaul/H. Auto/Easton
IF- Dennis Rulli – BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
IF- Bubba Mack – ASPNation.com/A&A Utility/KV Weld
OF- Andrew Collins – BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
OF- Jeremy Yates – BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
OF- Ryan Parfitt – Long Haul/ H. Auto/Easton
OF- Mike Umshied – Long Haul/ H. Auto/Easton
UT- Chris Larsen – Ts 13/ DeMarini
UT- Ryan Harvey – West Coast Monsta/The Scene
UT- Brett Helmer – Long Haul/H. Auto/Easton
UT- Greg Connell – BBS/Mr. Ds/Rip City
UT- Dale Brungardt – Long Haul/H. Auto/Easton
P- Travis Clark – Long Haul/ H. Auto/Easton
ASA doesn't pick a Defensive MVP but my pick is middle infielder Dennis Rulli of BBS.
He made 5 of the 10 best plays of the tournament including 2 in the final game!
Team by team notes brought to you by:
1st Place BBS/Mr. D's/Rip City
from MN 4-0 Record
BBS won that big opening first game and came through with big innings seemingly whenever they needed them. Lossen White and Geno Buck are considered two of the best ASA pitchers and White definitely helped BBS to the Super title. The defense was solid led by Rulli, the meat of the order put up huge numbers and the team averaged 14 HR and 30 runs per gameI Dennis why are you hiding behind Lee in the picture?
Dennis Doerr receives the Super Championship trophy from Warren Jones and Rich Cress
Jeremy Yates, Jonathon Williams, and Andrew Collins
BBS defense Orlando Castillo at SS, Dennis Rulli at MI, and Greg Connell at 2B
BBS pitcher Lossen White and 3B Sean Beutner
Lee Payne is with Resmondo in 2016 and Jeremy Isenhower
2nd Place – Long Haul/H. Auto/Easton
from FL 4-2 Record
A rough ending to the year for this group but after the bad draw and the opening loss to BBS they did show a lot of heart and tremendous offense sending home 4 of the best teams in the tournament and forced BBS to play their best in the championship. Long Haul was without Kirby and Wegman (hamstring). Travis Clark probably had the best hitting Super of any pitcher.
Long Haul defense Reckart at 3rd, Reyna SS, Bazat MI, Brungardt 1B
Long Haul and most teams played some really deep infields which shrunk the field.
3rd Place – West Coast Monsta/The Scene
from CA 2-2 Record
The Monsta/Scene combo, a nice draw, Chentes hitting, and Tim Martinez's 8th inning walk off single got them to the winner's bracket finals. Then they dropped two in a row. Just didn't quite have the firepower to beat the Super teams but they finish as the highest 'A' team.
Monsta had Ryan Mcclanahan, Danny Lopez, and Tim Martinez
4th Place – T's 13/Demarini
from NE 2-2 Record
T's 13 put together a spectacular and powerful team for the Supers. This team could beat any of the 'A' teams and hang with the super teams. They even had a 25-2 lead on Long Haul early in that 4th place game! Power hitters Demars, Rowland, Shannon Smith, and Chris Larsen, wow.
Infielder Josh Taralson
Power hitter Mickey Rowland
Tied 5th Place – ASPNation.com/A&A Utility/KV Weld Mens
from TX 2-2 Record
ASP got to play 4 games and put up some nice offensive numbers but that 8th inning loss in their first game to Monsta ruined their chances at a top 3 finish. Bowser who has had a big post season was .789, 7 HR, and 12 RBI. Bubba Mack had 24 RBI and Brian McBryde continues to perform in his first year at the upper level .737!
Tied 5th Place – Heartland Investors
from ND 1-2 Record
Heartland averaged just 8 HR per game, so a little underpowered. Their pickups Crine and Buck led the way along with Jaeger and Cornell.
A
Heartland right fielder Tyler Juhl? robs a homer
More pictures below
Other teams!
Tied 7th Place – Reds Astros
from IN 1-2 Record
Reds tried out some new players Bill Pinkham pitcher, Joseph Talley 1B, and not pictured Adam Ussery MI
Tied 7th Place – OC
from IA 0-2 Record
How about Grant Grimmett 10-10 with 7 HR and 14 RBI
9th Place – Team Combat/Baugh Ford/Softball.com
from WA 0-2 Record
I mistakenly ommitted Frank Yeilding from the list of players that went over the Disney scoreboard last week!
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I would like to thank ASPNation.com, ASA, and the SoftballCenter and Oldscout advertisers!
Send corrections to dw@softballcenter.com
Link to the SoftballCenter.com Youtube channel
Link to the 2015 Tournament Reports
Link to the 2014 Tournament Reports
Link to the 2013 Tournament Reports
Link to the 2012 Tournament Reports
Some more pictures for you:
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