Added Winner’s Final Condensed Game —> 2021 USA Softball ‘AA’ tournament report!

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2021 USA Softball 'AA' Nationals

Drakes Creek Park

Hendersonville, TN

August 21-22

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2021 USA 'AA' bracket and results link

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2021 USA 'AA' Winner's bracket finals condensed game

2021 USA 'AA' Nationals video clips link

The 2021 USA 'AA' Nationals was an 8 team event held at Drakes Creek Park in Hendersonville, Tennessee outside of Nashville on Saturday, August 21st with the final 3 teams coming back Sunday morning.  The main field #3 was a high school baseball field with 320-345-375-345-320 dimensions and had an artificial turf infield and grass outfield.  Field #4 which was only used for a couple games was 325 feet all the way around and had a dirt infield.  The tournament started in the morning Saturday on the turf field as rain delayed games on the dirt fields.  The tournament used a 12 home run limit, bats were tested and then stickered, and the ball used was the Dudley Thunder 52/300.  

Quarterfinal #1

Chanticlear Pizza took it to Juno Athletics in the opener at 9 AM Saturday morning leading 18-17 going into the 6th inning where both teams put up a zero.  In the 7th Juno's offense caught fire and they scored 8 and held on to win even though Chaun Demars hit a big homer to bring Chanticlear within 1 run.  Martel, Olivera, and Mcclanahan all had 4 hits and John Williams hit 3 HR for Juno.  Demars went 5-5 and Castillo 4-4 with a combined 14 RBI for Chanticlear in the loss.

Quarterfinal #2

Apex upset Monsta in the 11 AM game pretty much leading the entire game and out homering Monsta 4-2.

Quarterfinal #3

Thunder was out homered by Daddy Rocks and came from behind after Daddy Rocks scored 11 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning in the noon game but still managed to score in every inning and pull out a narrow win.  Josh Riley was 4-4 and Austyn Dawe (pictured above) hit 3 HR in the win.

Quarterfinal #4

The Comatose pitcher Mike Jacobsen used a stall tactic I haven't seen since the 1993 ASA Super Nationals in Johnson City, Tennessee.  He held the ball for 7 to 9 seconds every pitch before pitching it which pretty much ticked off opposing hitter's but Team No Limit who was loaded with some of the top hitters in the nation put up zero's in the 1st, 2nd, and 6th and Comatose used 10 extra base hits to beat Team Not limit 22-18.  In USA Softball you are allowed to hold the ball on the rubber for 10 seconds which is a long time.  A team called Twohig AC an 'A' team out of Cleveland, Ohio who was one of 16 teams that qualified for the ASA Super Nationals in 1993 had a pitcher named Andy Okulovich.  Okulovich could throw a nasty 12 foot curve ball and in their 1st game against top ranked Bell Corp the Super team he held the ball for 7 seconds then did a slow pull back and slowly flicked the ball ticking off the Bell Corp superstars.  Eventually Bell Corps superior power in the unlimited home run event came through and I believe the final score was like Bell Corp 26 and Twohig AC 11.  This game was also played on a Friday night at 1 AM due to a thunderstorm which pushed back the original 7 PM start time.  That is the last time I witnessed this pitching technique.

Tanner Unkel hits another extra base hit against Team No Limit.

Semifinal #1

This play at 1st to end the game was so close it was basically a tie which is umpires judgement.

Thunder couldn't handle the "stall" pitching technique that Comatose was perfecting and the game was the lowest scoring game of the tournament.  In the bottom of the 7th Comatose scored 3 and had the bats in their hand when a grounder up the middle hit the pitchers mound and the runner was thrown out on the close play at 1st shown above.  Thunder out homered Comatose 4-1 in what was quite frankly one of the worst games of the year and took 2 hours to play…

Semifinal #2

Semifinal #2 it was all Juno as they broke open a pillow fight with an 11 run 3rd and a 13 run 5th over on the 325 foot field.  Frentzel, Dombrowski, and Mcclanahan the defensive specialists were a combined 14-15 in the win and Mcclanahan hit 3 HR.

Winner's Bracket Finals

Thunder CF Austin Andrews makes another ESPN worthy catch!

Thunder got off to an 11-1 lead going into the bottom of the 2nd but Juno scored 4 or more runs in each of the last 6 innings and used homer's by John Williams, and a grand slam by Dale Brungardt who hit 3 homer's in the game to mount a comeback and then won on a walk off homer by pitcher John Dombrowski with 2 out and 2 strikes in the bottom of the 7th to win it 32-28!  Dombrowski and Erik Kanaby each had 5 hits.

Juno's Dale Brungardt and John Williams hit big home runs in the comeback.

Juno pitcher John Dombrowski hits a two out two strike bases loaded grand slam to win the game!

Loser's Bracket

In the loser's bracket Daddy Rocks knocked off Team No Limits 20-5, Apex 37-20, and Monsta Black Sheep 32-27 Saturday to finish 3rd after Thunder sent them home Sunday morning 25-3.

Championship Game

In the championship on Sunday Thunder controlled each game from the start and out homered Juno 7-2 including a grand slam by Bradley Jones to force the "if" game where they scored 9 in the 1st and 12 in the second and cruised to a 28-20 win and the 'AA' Championship!  MVP Kyle Pearson was 4-4 with 3 HR in the final game.

Long Bomber of the Week

2021 Men's Class AA National Home Run Champion: Kyle Pearson (10), Jeremy Yates (10).

Austyn Dawe and John Williams may have hit the longest homer's though.

 USA 'AA' Nationals Final Standings and Awards

2021 Men's 'AA' Nationals Final Results:
1st Place – Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S
2nd Place – Juno Athletics/MPT Rentals
3rd Place – Daddy Rocks/Ductech/Hoffman/S&S
4th Place – Monsta Black Sheep/Texas5/Monsta Athletics
Tied for 5th – Comatose/S2N/Monsta
Tied for 5th – Apex
Tied for 7th – Chanticlear Pizza/Monsta
Tied for 7th – Team No Limits
 

2021 Men's 'AA' Awards:

2021 Men's Class AA National Batting Champion: Filip Washington (0.857)

2021 Men's Class AA National MVP: Kyle Pearson

2021 Men's Class AA Slow Pitch All-Americans:
Kevin Bazat (Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S)
Austyn Dawe (Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S)
John Dombrowski (Juno Athletics/MPT Rentals)
Brandon Hooks (Monsta Black Sheep/Texas5/Monsta Athletics)
Tristan Johnston (Daddy Rocks/Ductech/Hoffman/S&S)
Bradley Jones (Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S)
Erik Kanaby (Juno Athletics/MPT Rentals)
Brian McBryde (Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S)
Ryan McClanahan (Juno Athletics/MPT Rentals)
Kyle Pearson (Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S)
Josh Riley (Thunder/SIS/Chosen/All American/Menosse/RDD/S&S)
Jeff Roxby (Daddy Rocks/Ductech/Hoffman/S&S)
Filip Washington (Monsta Black Sheep/Texas5/Monsta Athletics)
Johnathon Williams (Juno Athletics/MPT Rentals)
Jeremy Yates (Daddy Rocks/Ductech/Hoffman/S&S)
 

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