Softball News
Transcription
Softball News
Inside Volume 28, Number 2 Softball News Fall 2009 – 1 ➦ State Tournament Highlights ➦ Olympic Softball Fate Page 6,11,13 & 14 Page 4 ➦ 2009 State Tourney Winners Pages 7-10 & 15-16 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 44 Garrison, ND Softball News NORTH DAKOTA DA AKOTA STATE AMATEUR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION FALL 2009 Tharaldson’s win ASA National Championship OKLAHOMA CITY — Seven Amateur Softball Association (ASA) National Championships, including five in the Hooters Championship Series, were de cided Saturday and early Sunday morning at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla. Teams taking home first place trophies are Tharaldson Enterprises (Men’s B), West Coast Dynasty (Men’s C), Virginia Select (Men’s D), Low Bob’s (Women’s C), PDX Softball (Women’s D), Long Haul Trucking (Men’s A) and Enough Said (Women’s Open). Because of the predicted weather conditions for late Sunday morning when the Men’s A, Men’s D and Men’s C titles were scheduled to be decided, all games were played on Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Play wrapped up at 1:15 a.m. local time. Check out www.asasoftball.com/ tournaments/hooterschampionships.asp for complete coverage of the event. Tharaldson Enterprises is taking the Hooters Championship Series Men’s Class B National Championship trophy back to Fargo, N.D., after shutting out Checking/Worth 13-0 Saturday morning. It is the first time in the history of the tournament that the Western Champions have claimed the top spot in the nation. “We knew we had a good team but we respect the opponent,” Coach Mark Riggs said. “We knew we were going to play a good team from Connecticut but we’re confident in our ability. We’ve been trying to do this for several years now. Last year (we lost) and this year we got it going.” On Friday, Tharaldson defeated Checking/Worth 18-8 in six innings then topped them again 8-7 for the advantage in the best of five series. The fourth and fifth games were not necessary for Tharaldson to take the championship, thanks to the extraordinary efforts tournament MVP Chaun Demars. “It’s always nice to win but it’s a little extra special when you can lock down an MVP trophy,” said Demars (Becker, Minn.), who went 7-for-9 from the plate with 12 RBI over the three games. “Those don’t happen very often.” Demars started Saturday by hitting his sixth home run of the tournament — a two run blast in the bottom of the first. After Demars was intentionally walked in the third and fourth innings, he still made an impact for Tharaldson, scoring on a Jim Schlieman (Fargo, N.D.) sacrifice fly to centerfield and a Schlieman three RBI double. First baseman Schlieman led Tharaldson on the day with three RBI. But the greatest contributions to Tharaldson Enterprises may have been from someone on the bench — team sponsor Gary Tharaldson, who flew to Oklahoma City on Friday to support the team. “We did this for Gary,” Riggs said. “I’ve coached Gary Tharaldson’s team for 10 years now. I’m not just saying this because he’s our sponsor but he’s the best sponsor in the nation,” Riggs said. 8-0At this level, we get unlimited support from Gary. He’s a softball fanatic. He loves ASA Softball.” Day one of Hooters Championship Series, Men’s A and Women’s Open In the Books OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – There was no shortage of great ASA slow pitch action in Oklahoma City on Friday as the Hooters Championship Series, the Men’s A and the Women’s Open were all fought out at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex. Play continues on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with live streaming from the Stadium Field. Check out www. asasoftball.com for complete coverage of the event. Admission is free so come out to the ASA Hall of Fame Complex for some great softball! Tharaldson Enterprises (Fargo, N.D.) is one game away from bringing the Men’s Class B National Championship to the west for the first time in the history of the tournament. The Men’s Class B West Champions defeated Checking/Worth of New Haven, Conn., 18-8 (six innings) in the first game and again 8-7 in the second. Checking/Worth led 1-0 with an RBI single from catcher Charlie Baumgartner in the top of the first. But Tharaldson took a commanding 6-1 lead with a six run performance in the second. Tharaldson maintained the lead throughout the game despite a strong effort from Checking/Worth. In the top of the sixth inning, Checking/Worth scored another run to cut the Tharaldson lead to 10-8, but Tharaldson scored another eight, ending Game 1 early. The competition was closer in Game 2. After scoring four runs in the bottom of the first to Tharaldson’s three, Checking/Worth saw the lead for the first time since the start of Game 1. Tharaldson catcher Chaun Demars (Becker, Minn.) put his team back on top with a two-run home run to left field in the third inning and two teammates also crossed the plate later in the inning. Checking/Worth kept it close with three runs in the sixth to tie the game at six runs each. But another Demars home run in the seventh put the West Coast Champions back in command, giving his team an 8-6 advantage that Checking/Worth could not erase with a lone run in the seventh from a Neil Haglund RBI single. Demars led Tharaldson Enterprises, batting 6-for-8, with 10 RBI for the day. In the first game, he hit a two-RBI single to left field in the second and a two-RBI double to left center in the sixth. Demars hit a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 then hit two more tworun blasts. Derek Riolo (Brewster, N.Y.) led Checking/Worth with four RBI while teammate Pete Rodrigues (Stratford, Conn.) had three. 0A The championship could be decided Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. with the third game in the best of five series. The if necessary Game 4 is scheduled for 6 p.m. and Game 5 is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. on the Stadium Field. Thardson’s All American catcher launches one over the fence. 2 – Softball News Fall 2009 President’s Report As we close out another softball season, I would like to sincerely thank all the people who make our program a great success. We are very fortunate to have so many people willing to serve in such important roles as league reps, tournament coordinators, state and local board members, umpires, maintenance people and the endless volunteers in many different capacities. Thanks also to Cities and Park & Recreation Departments who are our partners in providing a quality softball experience for all. Thank you all for your time and commitment to this great game of softball in North Dakota. I would also like to thank the sponsors who make it possible for people to play the game of softball in North Dakota. Please patronize these great friends of softball whenever possible. A special thank you to Gary & Connie Tharaldson and Tharaldson Lodging Companies for sponsoring all the trophies and banners for 30 State Tournaments and 1 National Tournament in North Dakota in 2009. This is a significant contribution to our program and one the Tharaldson’s have made year in and year out. We extend our sincere appreciation to Gary & Connie for their continued commitment to softball in North Dakota. Be sure to thank them when you have the chance. This year was a very special year for GFP in North Dakota. 2009 was the first year that the NDHSAA sanctioned GFP as a high school sport. The NDASA has put together a GFP committee on the state level and these volunteers are working hard for this program and we look forward to this program growing each year. I had the pleasure of being the ASA Rep at the ASA Men’s Masters 40 & Over National Championship in Mandan this past year. Tournament Director Dave Frueh, Jack Jones, & Cole Higlin and their staff did an outstanding job running this tournament. The volunteers were great to work with, the maintenance staff and the job they did for the teams is as good as I have seen, and the Umpire Staff led by Mike Wolf and Scott Anderson was outstanding. Great job by all, you made us all proud. Congrats to Tharaldson Enterprise for their 2nd place finish in this tournament to champion Fence Brokers of Birmingham Alabama. Great job guy’s. I would also like to congratulate the teams that went on to ASA National Championships and finished high in their divisions. Fargo Sperle/Exec Mortgage placed 4th in the C ASA National, Grand Forks Bun Lounge finished in the top ten in the Men’s D, and Tharaldson Enterprise was the champion of the B West MSP in Lawton, Ok. Tharaldson Enterprise qualified for the ASA Hooters Championship Series in Oklahoma City and was crowned the B National Champion with three straight victories in the best 3 out of 5 Series over Checking/Worth of New Haven Ct. My sincere congratulations to Gary Tharaldson, Mark Riggs and their entire team on winning this championship. This great event and championship will be something these team members will never forget. The Hooters Championship Series is the ultimate event in MSP and WSP in the United States today. Great job Tharaldson’s, we are proud of you. Also, hats off the the ASA National Office Staff for all their hard work on the Hooters Championship Series. These people manage 30 events throughout the year and do a fantastic job. They are all very committed to this game and we appreciate them for their professionalism, and all they do for the teams who participate in ASA. Thanks to each of you for all you do. A few weeks ago North Dakota and NDASA lost a great friend in Jeff Burgess of Bismarck. Jeff was killed in a automobile accident north of Bismarck on Sept 26, 2009. Jeff served as a league rep for the Bismarck Slow Pitch Softball Assoc to the NDASA for several years. He was also very active in the development of Cottonwood Softball complex in Bismarck, a project that was very much needed for additional softball opportunities in the city. It was indeed my pleasure to work with Jeff on softball issues through the years. He was very committed to our great game and represented Bismarck in a professional manner. Jeff loved softball and we will miss him very much. My sincere condolence to his family and so many of his friends across this state. In early November I will be traveling to Reno for the ASA National Council Meeting. We will be discussing many issues regarding rules and legislation for all aspects of the game, as the ASA is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States. Bismarck will be bidding on National Tournament this year and we wish them much Dick Gulmon success. Lastly, please feel free to contact myself, a board member, or your league rep for any thoughts regarding our game. Any and all input is certainly welcome as we always look for ways to improve our program for its participants. Have a safe and great holiday season with family and friends. I look forward to seeing you all again next year. Sincerely, Dick Gulmon NDASA President From Behind the Catcher By now anyone who reads this column knows that I observed my 50th year as a registered ASA umpire this season. In those 50 years I thought I had heard most if not all of the taunts thrown at umpires during ball games. “Shake your head, blue, your eyes are stuck”; “You’re missing a good game, blue” and on and on. Years ago, and I do mean years ago, back in the late sixties or early seventies there was a successful television series featuring a blind detective whose name was Longstreet. When ever I worked men’s fast pitch in Fargo, I had a leather lunged female heckler who always called me Longstreet. Anyway, you get the idea. While in Sioux Falls in July for the Girl’s 16 Fast Pitch National, I heard a new one and a pretty good one. Two guys watching one of the ball games and one of them hollered at the plate umpire “Hey blue, lift up the plate, there are instructions under there”. We have completed another good season of softball in North Dakota. McQuade again drew over 400 teams despite the general tendency of teams to skip tournament play. With new diamonds in Bismarck which I think are to be ready for 2010, McQuade can shoot for 500 teams. Not out of the question. They drew 437 teams this year and had about sixty teams on standby. The tournament continues to be a huge draw and a big attraction for softball. In addition, Mandan hosted a very successful national tournament when 28 teams showed up for the Master’s 40 and Over national the end of August. The comments from visiting teams were very positive and encouraging to the Mandan group responsible for running the event. One concern is the anemic showing of teams participating in state tournaments. Several teams in both men’s and women’s ball were noticeably absent from the state events held around the state. Economics may have something to do with it but it seems to me that it is a continuing trend, not just in North Dakota but in several other states as well. Spring flooding following a good old fashioned North Dakota winter slowed the advent of softball in several areas of the state, most dramatically in Valley City where authorities had to dig up a couple of softball fields to obtain material for dikes to protect several areas in the city. State president Dick Gulmon, whose home fronts on the Sheyenne river was one of the many residents directly affected by the raging waters. He had a four foot dike in front of his house for weeks and had the use of a porta-potty instead of his bathroom. The annual Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony was postponed due to the fact that the folks at the Gladstone Inn in Jamestown were busy feeding National Guard personnel and could not provide the banquet facilities. The event, Softball News Official Publication of the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association Editor—Walt Stack Advertising Director—Softball News Box 309, Garrison, ND 58540 Subscription and similar material should be addressed to Softball News, Box 309, Garrison, N.D. 58540. Advertising rates upon request. For advertising rates, write: BHG, Inc., P.O. Box 309, Garrison, ND 58540 or telephone (701) 463-2201. normally held in conjunction with the annual state meeting of NDASA in April was finally held on July 18 and despite all the summer activities which occupy people that time of year, the event still drew almost one hundred people to support the five veteran softball people who were inducted into the Hall of Fame. I am looking forward to attending the annual National Council meeting of ASA in Reno, Nevada. I will present my final report as Regional UIC at that meeting and turn the job over to my successor Steve Riswold of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Riz will take over and I have every confidence that he will do an outstanding job. I am leaving the post after six years with mixed feelings. I have very much enjoyed most of the job, including instructing at National Umpire Schools and supervising umpires at National tournaments. As some of you know, I have always been a very nervous air traveler so that was an aspect of the job I did not enjoy but was able to do. Several people have asked me how I managed to put in fifty years as a softball umpire. I usually give them some kind of a glib answer like I need to be in charge somewhere since I’m not at home. The truth is that the people in softball have kept me in the game. I have met so many wonderful people over the years who were or are involved in softball. Not just umpires but players, coaches, managers and spectators. Obviously I have a soft spot for umpires since I can relate readily to them but I have people I call friends from all over the state who love the game as I do and who call me their friend even though I am an umpire. I had a very moving experience this year while serving as the UIC for the Girl’s 16 and Under National Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This was the third time I was privileged to be in charge of the umpires for this tournament. It is the premier event for this age group and draws college coaches and scouts from all over the nation. I grew especially fond of the group of umpires we had this year at this tournament. We started with 45 umpires but in the last two weeks before the tournament, about 35 additional teams were added to the event which meant we had to use another softball complex in addition to their main diamonds and also needed to add several umpires at the last minute. The group of umpires we had rallied around and worked the extra games, went willingly out to the other complex to work and the additional effort seemed to bond the group like no other group of umpires I have been associated with. At the traditional umpire get together the night before the tournament ended, I told the group that I was facing some serious surgery when I got home and got emotional Walt Stack about the group, many of whom I may not see again. After the umpires had a good time roasting me (mostly about my age) and the flipping coins and National patches were distributed, almost to a person the umpires came up and gave me a hug and said they would keep me in their thoughts and prayers during my upcoming surgery. Since that time I have continued to stay in touch with many of them who still express concern over my health and the wish that we stay in touch despite the fact that I won’t be involved in that tournament again. Wonderful people, concerned and caring people, a true umpire family and I am happy and proud to say I am part of that great family. Hope to see you around the diamonds. NSA/BPA Disagreement Procedures Due to the number of disputes that happen yearly between coaches, participants, teams, sponsors, directors, park and facility owners, umpires, and related parties, the NSA/BPA has adopted a new procedure to follow with regard to disagreements that threaten legal action or that lead to legal action by any player, coach, team or related persons against any affiliated person, director, park, umpire or facility of the NSA/BPA. Any participant, team, coach, sponsor or other party who threatens in writing, through legal council or otherwise to take legal action against the NSA/BPA, files a legal action against the NSA/BPA or has a lawyer contact the NSA/BPA verbally regarding a dispute will automatically be suspended from all NSA/BPA activities until the legal discussions are concluded to the satisfaction of the NSA/BPA. Additionally, if legal action is filed against NSA/BPA or a NSA/ BPA affiliated person, park, or facility by any participant, team, coach or any related person, the person filling the action, the person's team and each of its members may be suspended from any and all NSA/BPA events until the legal actions are resolved to the satisfaction of NSA/BPA. Softball News Fall 2009 – 3 Commissioner’s Column I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their participation in ASA/NDASA softball this past year. The season has ended except for a few fall season make-up games. Thanks to all in making this a successful and funfilled season. We had over 2,000 teams registered with ASA/NDASA. This included MSP, WSP, GFP and GSP. We also had 370+ umpires registered, of which 16 were junior officials. It is wonderful that we are beginning to register JO umpires. Hopefully we will keep increasing that number. I would like to see our adult personnel help with the recruiting of our younger people. Not only is there a monetary stipend, but also the reward of making new friends and getting to know the game better. As our JO programs increase, especially at the fast pitch level, we need more umpires and it all starts with our younger generation getting involved. Encourage them and help get them involved. NDASA would like to congratulate all of the North Dakota teams that participated in national tournaments. We had many teams participate at many levels throughout the country. North Dakota was well represented by these teams. In the reports sent back to our NDASA office, teams seemed to enjoy the sites they visited. Our office sends a response to each national participating team asking them to respond. These responses are used by our national convention delegates who vote on sites for future tournament sites. North Dakota can now boast of Bismarck to bid on national tournaments Bismarck will be bidding on several slow pitch National tournaments during the ASA National Council meeting in Reno, Nevada in early November. Randy Bina, assistant Director of the Bismarck Parks and Recreation Department will lead the Bismarck delegation who will bid on the following slow pitch nationals for 2011. Class C Men’s Northern Territory Class D Men’s Northern Territory Class E Men’s Northern Territory Men’s 35 and Over Slow Pitch National Women’s Class D Northern Territory Bismarck will also bid on the 2010 Class E Men’s Northern Territory tournament. While most national tournaments are bid two years in advance, the Class E Men’s tournament was held for the first time in 2009. Since it was a new category of national tournament no bids were accepted for the 2010 event. Bismarck has six new adult softball diamonds in the Cottonwood Softball Complex which will be ready to play in 2010. All have 300 foot fences and will be available during the 2010 season including the McQuade tournament. one ASA national champion. Tharaldson Enterprises won the Men’s Class B national championship at the Hooter’s Championship Series held in Oklahoma City, recently. When NDASA teams participate in championships, we are now able to play at the top level, as shown by the results of the reports we have had returned. Hopefully in the future we can claim more ASA championships. One area that is growing is GFP. This past year ASA/NDASA registered 598 girls. I have had the opportunity to work with some very excellent coaches and organizations that wish to see this program continue to grow. In the past NDASA has supported the growth of this level and will continue in the future. I have heard some comments that the support of GFP has resulted in a decline in GSP participation. NDASA is not sacrificing one division for another. In fact we are promoting both. Many coaches, parents and organizations do not realize teams can play at both levels–GFP and GSP. We have tried to schedule GSP on their usual state Jim Hanley tions to Jack Jones, the Parks and Recreation organization and the tournament committee for an exceptional tournament. In closing I would like to thank all who have been understanding of the personal health problem that my family has been enduring. Many thanks for all your prayers. New Contact Information NDASA State Office Telephone: (701) 952-4448 FAX: (701) 952-4488 Email: [email protected] Website: [email protected] Softball Uniforms Takes just 4 weeks to get some uniforms. tournament dates with GFP occurring on other dates in July. Players can then have the opportunity to play in both state tournaments. ASA has taken over the individual registration process for all JO programs. The insurance, provided by Bollinger, has increased by $1.00 to $3.00. NDASA has not decided if there will be an increase in fees above the $7.00 level. I again will be in charge of registering our GFP JO teams for 2010 but will try to get others involved Our Executive Committee will attempt to meet in Jamestown during a time convenient to the GFP and GSP summer and high school coaches, sponsors and organizations interested in improving the JO program. Hopefully this will be in Mid-November. All concerns about the JO program will be addressed. I would appreciate if you would send your concerns to me before the meeting. Set aside a Saturday or Sunday in Mid-November for this meeting. I would like to congratulate Mandan for hosting their first national tournament. I have heard nothing but raves about how this tournament was run. Congratula- Call to check for colors and styles that are available. Other sports uniforms also available Shirts Starting at $22.90 Pants Starting at $26.90 71 North Main Street Garrison, ND 58540 1-800-658-3485 4 – Softball News Fall 2009 Ump Chat It is hard to believe softball season is over for another year! It seemed like summer flew by-especially since we didn’t have such great weather. Average daily temperatures in September in ND, were higher than July, so that should tell you something about the summer weather. As softball continues to grow in popularity in ND, it seems as though we aren’t growing as fast when it comes to finding more umpires. Finding enough umpires to cover all of the league games as well as tournaments is getting harder and harder. Treatment on the field is one area umpires cite the most when asked about their biggest area of concern. True, umpires get paid to work the game, but that doesn’t give players and fans the right to scream, holler, intimidate, or swear at umpires. Rather, we should appreciate the fact there is actually an umpire on the field and that they are trying to do the best they can, and just like ballplayers, umpires are going to make mistakes now and then. Even the best umpires make mistakes. Could you imagine the scene on a softball field if an umpire were to scream at the shortstop for making a bad throw to first, or missing an easy ground ball or fly ball? My phone would be ringing off the hook if an umpire did that. A little more tolerance by players allows umpires to learn from their mistakes and develop into a good umpire. The average life of an umpire is only three years and I feel alot of that has to do with how they are treated on the field. So, the next time there is a close play, and you don’t agree with the umpires call, consider whether they hustled to get into good position, that they had to make a quick decision, and then ask yourself how you would feel if everyone started hollering at you if you had to make the call. My challenge to every player is to sign up to umpire just one night a week. I guarantee you it will give you a much different perspective of the game, you’ll come to appreciate the difficult job umpiring can be, you would be helping to increase the number of available umpires, you would probably come to enjoy umpiring, and at $40 or more per night you could easily pay for your players fees, some equipment, and after game refreshments for the entire summer. Some of our best umpires are also those individuals who play or have played the game, so consider umping just one night a week next summer. We will give you all the proper training, tips, and advice you will need before and during the season. Mandan hosted the Men’s 40 & Over National Tournament in August and it was a great event. Mandan did a great job running their first ever national tournament. I am continually amazed at how well teams from ND support the national tournaments that are held in our state. Without the support of our ND teams, none of the national tournaments held here would be so successful. With Bismarck, Mandan, and Minot willing to put up the money necessary to host national tournaments, it is great to see so many ND teams take advantage of playing in a national tournament. I will be assisting a delegation of people from Bismarck Parks and Rec, the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and NDASA at the upcoming ASA Council Meeting in Reno, NV, with the hopes of bringing a national tournament to Bismarck in 2010 and 2011. The 2010 Men’s E National is up for bid and Bismarck is bidding with the hopes of getting this tournament. This tournament would be a great opportunity for ND Rec I & Rec II teams to participate in. Check out the NDASA website in midNovember to see which national tournaments may be coming to ND in 2010 and 2011. Don’t forget that Minot will be hosting the Women’s C West National Tournament next summer. While I am at the ASA meeting, I will also be working on opportunities to send our ND umpires to national tournaments in other parts of the country. This past summer, we sent twelve umpires to national tournaments outside of ND. They all did a great job and represented our state very well. The McQuade tournament was another record breaking success this summer. Hats of to all of the teams that support our tournament and to all of the volunteers that give of their time and talent. The McQuade Board was pleased to distribute a record breaking $76,000 to local charities and organizations. I only wish everyone could witness the heartfelt appreciation conveyed by the charities and organizations that receive the proceeds from the Mike Wolf tournament. I really enjoy visiting with all of you at tournaments and I appreciate all the emails, phone calls, questions I get throughout the summer on softball related issues. As always, feel free to contact me with any of your softball related concerns and I will be happy to help out in any way I can. You can reach me at 701-400-2100 or email me at [email protected]. International Olympic Committee will not reinstate softball for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. Softball will not be included in the program for the 2016 Olympic Games as the 15 members of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board decided August 13 at a meeting in Berlin. One of the seven sports in contention for the 2016 Games, softball was passed over in favor of golf and rugby as the list of possible additions was narrowed down to a final two candidates. “Obviosly, we’re very disappointed by the IOC decision today as we were hoping for softball to be considered for inclusion in 2016,” said Ron Radigonda, the executive director of the Amateur Sofball Association of America (ASA)/USA Softball. “However, softball is still an international sport power as we have been. We have to continue to focus on the World Championships next July here in Oklahoma City and future international events. Despite today’s announcement, softball will continue and move on and work to be stronger than ever.” Also eliminated from contention were baseball, karate, roller sports and squash. “The (International Softball Federation) and wider softball family is certainly disappointed by today’s decision by the IOC Executive Board not to recomment softball for reinstatement onto the Olympic Games Program in 2016,” ISF President Don Porter said in a statement. “However, we respect the IOC’s decision and I tip my cap to golf and rugby for getting recommended and offer my sentiments to the other sports that were not successful.” Despite exclusion from the Olympic games the sport will continue on at an international level at prestigious events including the European Championships, the Pan American Games and the World Cup. Softball will also converge July 16-26, 2010, in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the ISF Women’s World Championships, which will bring 16 countries to the ASA Hall of Fame Complex. The Olympic games have been the marquee event of the sport since softball joined the program at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Falling one vote short necessary of the two-thirds majority, softball was eliminated from 2012 London Games program following a vote of the entire IOC in 2005, With no reinstatement for 2016, the Olympic future remains unclear for softball, which has approximately 9 million players across the world, according to the ISF. Back Softball, a worldwide initiative the ISF started to support the reinstatement of the sport for 2016, has been successful in increasing the reach of the sport to African and Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan and Sierra Leone, each which started national federations. The campaign has also brought more than $250,000 worth of softball equipmant to almost two-dozen developing nations and has started wheelchair softball programs for the disabled and others. “The ISF has worked tirelessly for more than four years since we were voted off the 2012 Olympic Program and we have made tremendous advances in that time,” Porter said. “Softball has more players, a long list of member federations, a more solid and appropriate organizational framework, and development programs that are producing phenomenal results on every continent.” Another goal of increasing the amount of worldwide television exposure for the sport was also met. On August 12, the ASA announced that ratings for the 2009 World Cup of Softball held July 16-20 in Oklahoma City increased 9 percent from the 2009 World Cup broadcasts. The Beijing Rematch between Japan and the USA on ESPN saw the highest single game rating 0.8 of the 17 telecasts providing more than 34 hours of softball coverage. While all seven USA games were broadcast and also streamed on- National ASA annual meeting to be held in Nevada The Amateur Softball Association the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, will host its 78th National Council Meeting at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, NV, November 7-13, 2009. The ASA National Council is comprised of about 300 voting members from all aspects of the sport. The National Council, which consists of ASA Commissioners or Commissioners Emeritus, Regional Player Represenatives, Regional Junior Olymic Commissioners, Regional Umpire-In-Chiefs, Allied Members, Elite Athlete Reps, and Past Presidents, are charged with making decisions on legislative changes, rule changes and is solely responsible for awarding National Championships to host cities across the country. All changes to the ASA Code and/or Playing rules are made through a legislative process. The first step to enact code legislation to amend the ASA Code and/or Playing Rules. All code and playing rule amendments are then voted on by the ASA Council during the meeting. More than 100 tournaments will be awarded on Tuesday, November 10 to cities across the country. More than 40 different cities will make their pitch to the National Council during its general session on Tuesday. More and more cities are realizing the value of hosting an ASA National Championship and are already preparing for the Reno meeting. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the Annual Trade Show of the 78th Annual Meeting of the Amateur Softball Association. The Trade Show will be held Saturday, November 7. Exhibit hours are 6-10 p.m. Saturday (6-8 for council members only) Booths will be assignmed on a first come, first serve basis, with costs for a booth ranging from $500 to $650, depending on which category the exhibitor is classified. line, selected games from ESPN’s coverage were televised globally to 146 countries across ESPN International networks including Atlantic, Pacific Rim, Australia HD, Brazil HD, Israel, Middle East, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN2 Caribbean, and ESPN America. The United States won the first of three consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Atlanta. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the Japanese women took home the Gold Medal, with the USA and Australia joining Japan on the podium. With close to 180,000 spectators throughout the Beijing tournament and a continuation of the sport’s excellent record of no positive doping tests at any of the four Olympic games that the sport has been a part of, the 2008 Olympic Games proved to be another success for the growing sport that looks toward other events in the absence of the next two Olympic Games. “Softball players continue to dream of Olympic gold, the ultimate prize in our sport, and we will carry on our campaign for Olympic reinstatement ro prove to the IOC that our sport fits with Olympic values and ambitions and deserves a place on merit on the Games Program.” Porter said. North Dakota Teams Attending National Tournaments in 2009 Women’s Slow Pitch, Class C Fargo Tharaldson’s Men’s Slow Pitch, Class A Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises Men’s Slow Pitch, Class B Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises Men’s Slow Pitch, Class C Fargo Sperle Masonry/ Executive Mortage Men’s Slow Pitch, Class D Grand Forks Bun Lounge Fargo Schiele Construction Bismarck Skovy’s Autoplex/ Monster Energy Men’s Slow Pitch, “E/REC” Dickinson Mikkelsen’s Drywall Minot Space Aliens/ Central Paver Men’s Masters 40 Bismarck Shirt Shack Fort Rice Merchants Bismarck Stadium/Budweiser West Fargo McCracken Construction Mandan Veracity Motors Fargo Miller Lite Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises Knife River/Rud Oil Fargo Budweiser/Chub’s Pub/ Genesis Trucking Grand Forks Happy Joe’s/ Rumors/ DHI Valley City Eagles/ Broken Spoke Bismarck Moose 302/Capitol RV Minot Kruse’s/Coors Light/ Brehmers/Space Aliens Bismarck Captain Jack’s Liquor Land Mandan Dust-Tex Minot Creekwood Construction Turtle Lake Marv’s Bar Mayville MayPort Insurance Fairmount Interstate Engineering Bismarck Our Place Tavern Bismarck Mariner Construction Men’s Masters 50 Mandan Dust-Tex Men’s Masters 55 Mandan Dust-Tex JO GFP-14 & Under West Fargo Impact Improve your teams training and conditioning with the buddy system concept By David Jacobson Positive Coaching Alliance Let’s face it, most youth and high school athletes do not really enjoy training and conditioning. For many, conditioning is the necessary price of admission to participate in their favorite sports, so they can have fun, enjoy the excitement of game-time, bask in the camaraderie of teammates and pursue their sporting goals. However, conditioning and training are critical to success on the field. They also contribute to the discipline, persistence and other positive character attributes that Responsible Coaches strive to instill through sports so that players also can succeed beyond sports. Therefore, it is incumbent upon Responsible Coaches to ensure their players are well conditioned. You can make that happen by conducting conditioning in a way that Fill’s “Emotional Tanks.” Remember, the Responsible Sports principle of Filling Emotional Tanks is similar to a car’s gas tank: when it’s empty, we go nowhere; when it’s full we can go anywhere. One way to make sure your athletes’ tanks are full is to use the “Buddy System.” To put the “Buddy System” in play, you pair teammates off to train together, push each other and encourage each other whenever one of the partners starts dragging. Instead of just generally asking your players to support their teammates, specifically assigning one player to encourage another means it is more likely to happen, and both players are more likely to benefit from the conditioning. There are advantages to assigning players to each other, rather than just letting them choose a Buddy: You can pair players of similar physical capabilities so that they naturally compete and push each other. Otherwise, mismatched pairs may result in the better-conditioned athlete taking it easy and the lesser- conditioned athlete not even trying to keep up with his or her partner. When you put matched pairs of players together and ask them to do as many repetitions of a certain skill or drill as possible, you are providing a “Just-Right Challenge.” This draws upon a piece of educational psychology research from Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love Learning by Deborah Stipek and Kathy Seal, which provides some of the underpinning for Positive Coaching Alliance workshops and the Responsible Coaching and Responsible Sports Parenting online courses. In Stipek and Seal’s research, children were given the choice of 13 puzzles to try to solve, covering a wide range of difficulty. Every child chose whichever puzzle was "one step ahead" of their current skill level…not too easy, not too hard, but just right. If your players are appropriately challenged in their conditioning, then conditioning becomes fun and games. Your players are more likely to become engaged sooner, balk less at the actual conditioning drills and stay engaged long enough to improve their conditioning. Of course, as their conditioning abilities improve, the more they are likely to enjoy the conditioning and the higher you can all raise the bar on the “Just-Right Challenge.” You can help forge bonds between players that might not gravitate toward each other, which helps break up cliques and can create positive new interpersonal dynamics that help your team. You can present the occasional opportunity for players to pick their own Buddies as a special treat…one that may actually have your players looking forward to conditioning. For Responsible Coaches, coming up with exciting and interesting training tools for their team can sometime be a difficult task. In addition to “Buddy System,” there are several other suggestions for helping with practice ideas and how to Fill “Emotional Tanks,” like Positive Charting and Winners Circle. Tharaldson’s Win Class B West National Will Meet New Haven, Ct. For National Title Tharaldson Enterprises of Fargo won the Class B West National tournament in Lawton, Oklahoma over the Labor Day weekend and will advance to Oklahoma City the first weekend in October to meet a team from New Haven, Connecticut for the National Title. New Haven won the East National tournament. Tharaldson’s went 5 and 0 as they handily won the West title. They won over a thirteen field team. Following Tharaldson’s in the tournament were teams from Faribault, Minnesota; Burlington, Iowa; Lawton, Oklahoma; Des Moines, Iowa and Cliver, Iowa. Six Tharaldson’s players were named to the first team All-American team. They were: Catcher: Chaun DeMars, Outfield: Jason Madsen, Outfield: Joe Tautges, Utility: Andy Handson, Utility: Shane Leiminger, Uitilty: Ron Brown. The Hooter’s National Championship for Class B will be held in the Hall of Fame stadium at the home of the Amateur Softball Association in Oklahoma City the weekend of October 2 through 4, 2009. 79 $ 95 Plus tax per night Rates not good during North Dakota State Fair Softball News Fall 2009 – 5 Hall of Fame Banquet Held July 18 The annual Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony finally took place on Saturday, July 18 after being postponed due to Spring flooding in and around Jamestown. The banquet and ceremony was held in the Gladstone Inn in Jamestown and honored five long time softball players and activists who were selected by the Hall of Fame selection committee in January. The annual banquet and induction ceremony is normally held in April in conjunction with the Spring meeting of the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association This year’s inductees include Scott Collins, Recreation Director of the city of Minot and long time fast pitch competitor; Craig Flaagan of Fargo who was a mainstay on the powerful Tharaldson’s teams; Bob Footitt, Sr who played, sponsored and promoted softball for more than 30 years; Lyle Halvorson, cited for a long career with several small town teams and who is also a member of the Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame; and Harrison “Dode” Smith, a notable fast pitch pitcher and first baseman with successful teams in the Jamestown area. Other Hall of Fame members in attendance at the banquet were Carlie Carow; Sharon Morgan; Jim Collins; Ed Laxdal; Blaine “Pat” Stockert; Shirley Schafer; James Hanley, Ray Clark; Richard Peterson; Paul Sannes; Wayne Beyer; Keith White and Walt Stack. Tharaldson’s Finish Second in National Men’s Masters 40 and Over Tharaldson Enterprises of Fargo made a strong showing in the Men’s 40 and Over Masters National tournament in Mandan the weekend of August 28-30. They claimed second place losing twice to eventual champion FBI from Birmingham, Alabama. Along the way, Tharaldson’s won seven games before losing their second game and were eliminated. In their opening contest, Tharaldson’s defeated Bismarck’s Moose Lodge 17 to 13 in a well played game. Their second win was a blowout 25 to 0 over Marv ‘s Bar of Turtle Lake. In their third game, they were on the losing end of a ten run rule game as the team from Birmingham won 22 to 12. Tharaldson’s bounced back to win over Bismarck Our Place Tavern 16 to 4 and Mandan Dust Tex 24 to 14. In a slug fest, they defeated a strong Minnesota team, New Brighton 40’s/Combat by a score of 32 to 23. Their next opponent was the two time defending champions from Laguna Beach, California JK, Inc. Tharaldson’s won this tense contest 30 to 23. Their next game was no walk in the park either as they faced K&G from Verona, Kentucky in which Tharaldson’s prevailed 25 to 21 to get another shot at the Birmingham team where they lost again 23 to 13. Four members of the Tharaldson team were named to the first team All American squad: Perry Piatz, Chaun DeMars, Chris Peterson and Dale Back. Named to the second team All American squad were Silas “Mo” Skates, Larry Bellerud, Scott Sannes, Todd Schuldt and Mark Riggs. ND Teams Do Well in Nationals In addition to the success of Tharaldson teams which did well at the Men’s Masters 40 and Over and the Men’s Class B West, other North Dakota teams did well participating in national tournaments. Bun Lounge of Grand Forks played in the Class D Northern National in Rochester, Minnesota and won six games before losing their second game in the double elimination event. Bun Lounge lost their first game 7 to 5, then won six in a row before losing to a team from Des Moines, Iowa which eliminated them from the tournament. In their string of six wins, they defeated teams from Illinois, Montana, Iowa and Wisconsin. Mandan’s Dust-Tex won three games and lost two while competing in the Men’s Masters 40 and Over national in Mandan but managed to land two players on All American squads. Dana Ereth was named to the first team and Ron Geffre to the second team. Mandan’s Dust-Tex Seniors 50 team played in the Seniors 50 and Over National tournament in Burlington, North Carolina and ended in second place with a record of four wins and two losses. The Mandan team beat teams from West Virginia, Charlotte, North Carolina, Baltimore, Maryland and Cedar Lake, Indiana on their way to a runner-up finish. Sperle Masonry/Executive Mortgage of Fargo played in the Class C National tournament in Liberty, Missouri and finished with five wins against 2 losses. They also landed two players on the All American team with Kelly Wrangham and Dave Cummins both named to the honors squad. Kelly also finished with the second highest batting average in the tournament while Dave was second in home runs hit for the tournament. 6 – Softball News Fall 2009 Womens State Tournament Highlights Class C Slow Pitch Moritz Sports and Marine of Bismarck claimed the Women’s Class C State Championship besting an eight team field August 1 and 2 at the Clem Kelley Softball Complex in Bismarck. Moritz began it’s quest for the title with an opening game win over Minot Saunders Chiro 21 to 5 as the bats were shaking early in the tournament. In their second contest, Moritz bested Kim Peterson of Fargo with a 10 to 0 shutout. In the unbeaten game, Moritz topped perennial powerhouse Tharaldson’s of Fargo 18 to 14 in a slugfest. Tharaldson’s came roaring back to gain another title shot but Moritz was able to hold them off in a nail biter 5 to 4 to claim the state title. Moritz has been on a roll the past few years claiming McQuade titles in 2003, 2005 and back to back Class C titles in 2008 and 2009. Runner-up Tharaldson’s opened with a squeaker 9 to 8 over Grand Forks Red Pepper then got the bats limbered up in a 24 to 15 win over Fargo Agassiz Underground before losing the unbeaten game to Moritz. They came back with an 8 to 3 win over Agassiz to get their second shot at Moritz and a runner-up finish. Fargo Agassiz Underground finished in third place. Class D Slow Pitch West Fargo Peterson Dental won the ten team Women’s Class D State tournament in Bismarck August 1 and 2. They sailed through the tournament winning five games withour a loss over the two day tournament. West Fargo Dental opened with a win over Missouri Valley of Bismarck, doubling up the Bismarckers 10 to 5 before winning even mroe easily 15 to 5 over Nola’s/ Square 1. In their third contest they had to battle to defeat the Big Boy of Bismarck by a score of 5 to 3 before easing past Bismarck DustTex in their fourth game 12 to 10. In the final they won over Bob Foottit Construction of Fargo 5 to 3. Foottit took the scenic rout getting to the final game. They lost their opener to Big Boy of Bismarck 15 to 3 then fought their way back with wins over Mandan M&J 10 to 3, Big Boy 21 to 3 and Burger King 10 to 4 before being dumped in the final by Peterson Dental. Bismarck Dust-Tex claimed third place. 8 to 2 before edging Harvey 9 to 8 in the semi-final game. In the championship game, Gackle/Lehr pounded out a 13 to 2 win over Devils Lake Proz II. Proz II made their way to the final game with wins over Grand Forks McMenamy’s 13 to 4, Fargo Ness Flooring 15 to 14 before dropping the final contest. Ness Flooring was the third place winner over Harvey 13 to 10, while Hillsboro Chir/Sports bar captured the Consolation title over Fordville. West Fargo Work Zone II was the Roughrider Division winner. Rec I Slow Pitch Rec-II West Slow Pitch Twelve teams met in Devils Lake the weekend of August 1 and 2 to decide the Women’s Rec I state title with Minot Badger Daylighting outlasting the field to claim the championship banner for 2009. The Minot team began the tournament with an 11 to 5 win over Bismarck Capital City Construction then won over a Devils Lakes team sponsored by Ottertail Power by a score of 14 to 6. Jamestown Wildside was the next victim of the Minot team losing 18 to 3. In the final game of the tournament, Minot Daylighting won a close contest besting Great Plains of Bismarck 15 to 12. Great Plains/IGA won games over Fargo Sperle 17 to 9 and Bismarck CJ Rigging 4 to 2 in a low scoring contest. Jamestown Wildside Creations won third place over CJRigging of Bismarck. Rec II-East Slow Pitch Gackle Merchants/Lehr Waterhole won the Women’s Rec II-East championship over a 12 team field in Wahpeton the weekend of August 8 and 9. Gackle/Lehr won their opening game with a tight 4 to 2 win over Mayville Woodward Financial. In their next game, they defeated Diva’s/Mutual Life of West Fargo Eleven teams met for a one day tournament to decide the state champion for the Women’s Rec II West Division of NDASA softball. Mandan Leingang Construction won three games to claim the state title. Leingang opened with a decisive victory of West Dakota Vet Clinic by a score of 13 to 1 and then managed to edge Bismarck Michelob Untra/Pure Country 8 to 6. In the championship game, fans were treated to a rarity in slow pitch softball as Leingang won over Williston Midway Lounge by a score of 1 to 0. Williston Midway Lounge won their first game 12 to 2 over Kohler Communications of Dickinson before beating Mandan Branding Iron Bar 8 to 5. In their third game, they beat Worldwide Auctioneers of Bismarck 15 to 2 before dropping the final game. Worldwide Auctioneers won third place 2 to1 over Bismarck Michelob Ultra/Pure Country while Hazen Bronsons/Krause’s was the Consolation title over West Dakota Vet Clinic of Dickinson. Minot Bootlegrz/Grand International of Minot was the Roughrider Division winner. Rec III-East Slow Pitch West Fargo’s 3, Lyon’s Pub #1 was crowned the champion of the 2009 Women’s Rec III division after sailing through five straight games without a loss in the two day tournament held in Jamestown August 8 and 9. West Fargo began the tournament with an 11 to 0 whitewaching of Jamestown Top Designmers/ Office Bar. They followed with a 15 to 11 win over Grand Forks Rhombus Guys and a 13 to 8 triumph over Mike’s Music. In the semi-final game, West Fargo won over Portland Floyd’s 15 to 5 and in the championship game, they beat Jamestown Frontier Fort 13 to 1. In each of their winning efforts West Fargo scored more than ten runs. Runner-up Frontier Fort began the day with a barrage of hits and runs but apparently ran out of gas their last three games. In the opener, they crushed Balley Blue Jays 20 to 0 and then won over Mayville Goose River Bank 12 to 25. In their third game of the tournament, the bats went quiet but they still managed a 4 to 3 win over Grand Forks Lunseth Plumbing. In the championship game, they managed only one run in dropping a 3 to 1 game. Portland Floyd’s won third place over Grafton Extra End 11 to 9 while Carrington Vets captured the consolation title over the West Fargo Silver Dollar/MFI. Rec III-West Slow Pitch The Women’s Class III West state tournament title was decided the weekend of August 8 and 9 as 28 teams gathered in Bismarck to contest for the title. Bismarck Fronteer Payroll took advantage of the home fields to claim the state championship after four straight victories. Fronteer Payroll jumped on Minot Michaels/Co. 20 to 1 before beating Devils Lake Proz/EOL 13 to 3. In their third game of the tournament, Fronteer beat NoDak Mutual of Mandan 7 to 3 in a well played contest before winning the final in a low scoring game over Bismarck Pure Country. Bismarck Pure Country won over Beulah Alibi `11 to 0 in their first game before defeating Dean Bender of Dickinson 21 to 12 and Sax Electric 10 to 8. In their final win of the day, Pure Country beat Bismarck K2 Interactive 11 to 1 before losing the championship game. NoDak Mutual of Mandan won 3rd place 15 to 3 over K2 of Bismarck. Lonesome Dove of Mandan won the Roughrider Division while Bismarck Hopfaul Contruction was the Consolation Champion. Master’s Slow Pitch DIVISION II: Those Girls, a Jamestown team captured the title in the Division II of the Women’s Master’s Slow Pitch state tournament held in Bismarck July 25 and 26. Those Girls won four games and dropped only one to lead the round robin format. They began their day with a convincing 15 to 2 win over Shirt Shack and then won a close contest edging Capital City Construction 13 to 11. Their only blemish came in the third game as they lost to Beulah Nite Owl 12 to 5. The Jamestown team came back with wins over Advanced Mechanical of Bismarck 9 to 7 and a 10 to 4 win over Thompson/Grand Forks. Despite their one loss they were declared the champions since all the other teams had at least two losses. Thompson/Grand Forks was runner up with three wins and two losses but won on the basis of run difference. Girls State Tournament Highlights Junior Olympic Fast Pitch - 10 and Under The fledgling girl’s fast pitch program in North Dakota conducted their first official state tournaments this summer. In the 10 and under Division the Bismarck Cubs grabbed the first state title over a team from Dickinson and one from Casselton. In the opening game, Bismarck rocked the Casselton Chaos by a score of 16 to 8. The tables were turned in the second game of the tournament when Dickinson put together 18 runs to destroy the Bismarck team 18 to 2. That put the Bismarckers in the loser’s bracket where they defeated Casselton again 9 to 5. That win put them back into contention where they beat the Dickinson team 16 to 8 and then won again under the double elimination format 9 to 5 to claim the championship trophy. Junior Olympic Fast Pitch - 12 and Under Six teams competed in the initial state championship tournament for girl’s fast pitch in the 12 and under division. The title was claimed by West Fargo, which clearly has the best fast pitch program in the state. West Fargo drew an opening game bye but in their first game, they beat Dickinson 10 to 2 and then destroyed Bismarck 18 to 7 before beating Dickinson 8 to 9 in the final game to win the title. Dickinson opened with a 16 to 0 decision over Fargo South before dropping their second game to West Fargo. In the loser’s bracket, Dickinson came back strong beating Fargo South again 13 to 0. Dickinson then defeated Bismarck 16 to 1 to gain another shot at West Fargo where they were shut out for the championship. Junior Olympic Fast Pitch - 14 and Under West Fargo Impact topped a six team field in claiming the state title for the 14 and Under division in JO fast pitch softball. In their first game, West Fargo defeated Dickinson 14 to 1 and in their second contest they shut out Casselton 10 to 0. In their third game, then claimed another shutout win with a 5 to 0 victory over Bismarck before winning the title game 6 to 2 over Dickinson. After their opening game loss, Dickinson won three games in a row to earn another shot at West Fargo. Dickinson beat Valley City 9 to 7, Casselton 9 to 1 and Bismarck 6 to 1 before losing the championship game to West Fargo. Bismarck finished in third place. Junior Olympic Fast Pitch - 18 and Under Fargo’s Mickelson Field was the scene of the 2009 NDASA Girl’s fast pitch state tournament July 18 and 19. To no one’s surprise, West Fargo sailed through the tournament undefeated to win the championship. West Fargo began their quest for a state title with a 14 to 1 win over Bismarck. In their second game, they shut out Valley City 4 to 0 in a well played ball game. Valley City came back out of the loser’s bracket to face West Fargo again but again the West Fargoans won easily 9 to 1. Valley City captured second place with wins over Casselton, Fargo South and Grand Forks sandwiched around their two losses to West Fargo. competition the Starz defeated Horace 19 to 5. In the next game they claimed an easy 12 to 1 victory over Milnor and in the final game they won over Valley City Dakotah Bank to win the title. Milnor won third place with a ten run victory over Oakes. Junior Olympic Slow Pitch - 12 and Under Junior Olympic Slow Pitch - 14 and Under Class B Division Dacotah Bank of Valley City won the championship trophy in the Girl’s 12 and Under division of the state JO tournament in Jamestown. Dakotah won four straight games to win the Round Robin format tournament. Napoleon finished in second place by winning three games against a single loss. Oakes finished in third place with two Jamestown teams “Wild Blue’ and “Orr”iginals finishing fourth and fifth. Junior Olympic Slow Pitch - 14 and Under Class A Division Junior Olympic girl’s slow pitch play a qualifying round to determine which teams play in the Class A Division and which teams will compete in the Class B Division. The following teams qualified for the Class A Division in the 14 and under age bracket: Oakes, Hankinson Zukies, Williston Adducci #1, Lisbon VFW, Valley City Dakotah Bank, Minot Startz, Horace, Milnor and Wahpeton. The Minot Starz captured the division championship in Class A winning the qualifying round 19 to 7 over Wahpeton Come Backs. In the first round of Class A In the Class B Division of Girl’s 14 and Under slow pitch, the Lidgerwood Express won the title after losing the qualifying round. Lidgerwood won their first game in the Class B portion of the tournament 19 to 5 over Langdon. In their next game, Lidgerwood won over Napoleon in a well played game 5 to 3 before winning the title game 4 to 1 over Jamestown “Orr”iginals. Napoleon won third place with a 9 to 5 win over Jamestown Blue. Junior Olympic Slow Pitch - 16 and Under Class A Division Junior Olympic girl’s slow pitch play a qualifying round to determine which teams play in the Class A Division and which teams will compete in the Class B Division. The following teams qualified for the Class A Division in the 16 and under age bracket: Lisbon VFW, Hankinson Zukies, Lidgerwood Express, Williston American Casing and Fairmount. Fairmount captured the division championship in Class A winning the classifying round 17 to 0 over Jamestown Wild Blue. In the first round of Class A competition Fair- mount won over the Lisbon VFW team by a score of 12 to 9. In the championship came, Fairmount beat the Lidgerwood Express 10 to 4 to claim the Class A title in the 16 and Under age bracket. Junior Olympic Slow Pitch - 16 and Under Class B Division After losing in the qualifying round the following teams played in the Class B portion of the Division: Valley Raiders, Jamestown “Orr” iginals, Jamestown Wild Blue, Northern Cass Express and Jamestown Wild Blue #2. The “Orr”iginals captured the title winning 9 to 5 over Valley Raiders in their opening game before meeting and beating Northern Cass 13 to 8. In the final game, “Orr”iginals beat Jamestown Wild Blue #1 by a score of 10 to 2. Slow Pitch - 18 and Under Class A Division Junior Olympic girl’s slow pitch play a qualifying round to determine which teams play in the Class A Division and which teams will compete in the Class B Division. The following teams qualified for the Class A Division in the 18 and Under age bracket: Williston Sport About, Hankinson Zukies, Colfax, Lidgerwood Express, Northern Cass Express, Lisbon VFW and Fairmount. The team sponsored by Williston Sport About captured the championship winning the qualifying round 16 to 3 over Hatton/North- GIRLS continued on page 13 Tournament Champions Softball News Fall 2009 – 7 Women’s Slow Pitch, Class C, Bismarck Moritz Sport and Marine: front row, left to right: Meagan Lunn, Therese Schmidt, Pam Killoran, Cassie Smith, Val Gustavson, Holly Watts and Sabrina Noon. Back row: Coach Billy Schmidt, Dre Brunskill, D.J. Saragossa and Jessie Swanson. Not pictured: Julie Yantzer and Janel Strikes Enemy. Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec II - West, Mandan Leingang Construction: front row, left to right: Marnee Peterson, Tamara Meissel, Ashley Leingang, Kristi Kroh and Gena Hagemeister. Back row: Coach Dean Leingang, Cassandra Cote, Jen Anderson, Abby Schafer, Tanya Doll, Kelle Faul, Angela Popelka, Tara Seiler and Coach Chris Faul. Women’s Slow Pitch, Class D, West Fargo Peterson Dental: front row, left to right: Amy Normandin, Shana Petermann, Jess Rodgers, Tracy Larson, Amy Bartsch, Randi Metcalf, Carrie Peterson and Heather Silbernagel. Back row: Tanya Cook, Sarah Lee, Linda Hogan, Beth Hagemeister, Anita Thompson and Ann Bord. Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec III-East, West Fargo Three Lyons Pub 1: front row, left to right: Ashley Walker, Angie Young, Brittany Stargardt, Brianne Gebeke and Kelsi Wollitz. Middle row: Nichole Rheault, Jen Grund, Mandy Readel, Karli Rodgers and Jill Kussatz. Back row: Coach Krabbenhoft and Coach Rudy Walker. Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec I, Minot Badgers Daylighting: front row, left to right: Bethany Jundt, Erica Erck, Tabitha Wilberg, Ann Elliott and Heather Leier. Back row: Kris Stivers, Nikki Nordberg, Coach Jeanine Focke, Tori Thompson, Kathy Vetter, Danielle Guendelsberger, Coach Bethany Keller. Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec III-West, Bismarck Fronteer Payroll: front row, left to right: Jenny Zacher, Ivy Brunner, Kristyn Kurtz, Rebecca Tellman and Natalie Brunner. Back row: Kari Welstad, Carli Peterson, Sarah Cornell, Ivy Gilbertson and Karli Gilbertson. Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec II-East, Lehr Water Hole: front row, left to right: Amanda Finck, Kyra Dewald, Carol Anderson, Tara Henry, Amy Larson and Stacy Ruff. Back row: Shaulee Larson, Barb Schmidt, Dava Isakson, Andie Velenta and Jill Dewald. Women’s Slow Pitch, Masters Division I, Bismarck Bistro: front row, left to right: Sherrice Roness, Valerie Gustafson, Joey McLeod, Cassie Smith and Therese Schmidt. Back row: Myste Hutton, Holly Watts, Julie Yantzer, Jennifer Heck, D.J. Saragosa and Kim Luptak. 8 – Softball News Fall 2009 Tournament Champions Women’s Slow Pitch, Masters Division II, Jamestown Those Girls: front row, left to right: Vicky Finck, Carol Anderson, Becky Knodel, Tina Mikkelson, Tiffany Hillstrom and Stacy Ruff. Back row: Maureen Groth, Gayle Gallegher, Daysha Conway, Barb Schmidt, Sami Tripplett, Dava Issakson, Becky Sad and Jill Dewald. Women’s Slow Pitch, Masters Division III, Grand Forks Rhombus: front row, left to right: Coach Damion Heathcote, Karen Siracusa, Allison LeMiuex, Jennifer Laframboise, Missy Heathcote, Sheila Morris and Coach Ed Greenland. Back row: Deb Miza, Jodi Buchmann, Mary Moser, Melissa Grafenhaver, Laurie Greenland, Jen Adsem and Nancy Breakey. Men’s Slow Pitch, Division I, Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises: front row, left to right: Joel Granberg, Curt Dumonceaux, Jason Madsen, Brad Jaeger, Joey Tautges, Mike Bjerkness and Shane Leininger. Back row: Eric Peterson, Matt Tharaldson, Reggie Schulte, Ron Brown, Mark Riggs, Jim Schlieman and Eddie Schuldt Men’s Slow Pitch, Division II, Minot Homesteaders: front row, left to right: Brett Nesheim, B.J. Karhoff, Chad Fowler, Shane Karhoff and Chris Falcon. Back row: John Berklie, Dustin Gergrud, Mike Upton, Dan Anderson, Jeremy Berg, Jason Gullahan and Ash Iverson. Men’s Slow Pitch, Division III, Mandan Smokemasters: left to right: Kurt Miller, Chad Wick, Clay Brosz, Jake Meyhoff, Brad Nissley, Bob Schulte, Jason Harris, Tad Fink, Dave Zittleman, Brad Solemsaas, Chad Bjornson, Jason Arenz, Bill Weiand and Damian Huettl. Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec I, Minot Buffalo Wild Wings/Barley Pop: front row, left to right: John Ditner, shaun Wallace, Teddy Bossert, Taylor Rovig, K.C. Krebsbach and Cody Hiller. Back row: Zach Hoffman, Tyler Stahl, Greg Passa, Kellen Hunter, Scott Aberle and Justin Aberle. Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec II East, Fargo McNeelus Steel: front row, left to right: Chris Larson, Mitch Solberg, Jimmy Jandre, Colin Thilmony, David Fyre, Tyler Nelson and Adrian Watterson. Back row: Joe Henschel, Chris Solberg, Nick Bulmon, Shaun Kimber and Travis Rickford. Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec II West, Minot Space Aliens/Central Power: front row, left to right: Brian Holier, shane Prough, Mike Gietzen, Ryan Callahan, Jason Morgan and Matt Stewart. Back row: Mike Kelly, Darin Scherr, Randy Brunner, Andy Scherlock, Steve Dangel and Joel Sandy. Not Pictured: Weylin Wahlstrom and Corey Swartwout. Tournament Champions Softball News Fall 2009 – 9 Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec III East, Fargo Bank of the West: front row, left to right: Wade Tufte, Mike Hughes, Dan Hughes, Rod Swanson and Travis Anderson. Back row: Mike Wohwedder, Mark Caspers, Steve Sorenson, Mark Schmitt, Chris Vanyo and Kory Werlinger. Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec III West, Elgin Seib’s Bar: front row, left to right: Steve Hartman, Greg Pruitt, Jade Seibel and Brock Schatz. Back row: Lamont Geiger, Jason Seibel, Tyler Hartman, Jesse Roth, Mike Schmid, Dave Delaplane, Brandon Vaughn and Weston Wells. Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec IV East, Jamestown IDK: front row, left to right: Andy Cook, Matt Cook, Ryan Hanson, Doug Krawczyk, Steve Brown, Jr., Steven Brown, Sr., Eric Urness, Nick Benson, Josh Brehm and Mike Dallmann. Back row: Jack Waters, Adam Redmann, Steve Veldkemp and Tim Veldkemp. Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec IV West, Mandan Roundup: front row, left to right: Randy Wegge, John LaMontagne, Mike Bosch, Sheldon Scmitz and Trevor Knudson. Back row: Eddy Oldon, Jerry Zachmeier, Bruce Dutchuk, Bruce Opp, Josh Knudson, Bill Knudson and Mike Chichos. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 35, Division I, Fargo Bellerud: front row, left to right: Bob Piatz, Zach Kessler, Brandon Oster, Larry Bellerud, Jackson Bellerud, Brian Sperle and Shane Piatz. Middle row: Jim Kessler, Chad Kraft, Dan Perrine and EJ Rickard. Back row: Jim Houser, Chris Roberts, Bill Short, Mike Peterson, Mike Swanson, Duane Fierstine and Corey Richard. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 35, Division II, West Fargo Budweiser/Genesis Trucking/& Logistics/Chub’s Pub/Wells Fargo: front row, left to right: Curt Jackson, Patrick Farha, Willie Brown, Jeff Reynolds, Rick Farha, Ken Zeeb and James Selbert. Back row: Don Setter, Jr., Bookeeper Larry Fontaine, Larry Selberg, Todd Kalpakoff, Wendell Loe, Les Backer, Jim Richels and Kenton Cargile. Not pictured: JD Dehn and Dean Wixo. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 35, Division III, Jamestown Tom’s Electric: front row, left to right: Jarin Dewald, Steve Dale, Paul Monson, Greg Nordstrom, Tom Johnson, Teresa Speidel and Jason Koranda. Back row: Darrin Peterson, Derek Docktor, Al Tews, RC Courtright, Darin Finck and Greg Lunzman. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 35, Division IV, Valley City Xtreme Printing/Eagles/Broken Spoke: front row, left to right: Jason Lindgren, Tim Ost, Kevin White, Rocky Everson, Clay Elliott, Chris Elliott and Dave Handy. Back row: Tom Kjelland, Doug Beiswagner, Brian Nelson, Bruce Land, John Samuelson, Dave Berg, Ryan Leroux and Scott Anderson. 10 – Softball News Fall 2009 Tournament Champions Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 40, Division I, Mandan Dust-Tex: front row, left to right: Kalon Gesellchen, Todd Kuester, Tim Adolf, Conner Piatz and Jake Sanders (kids), Scott Battest and Tim Krahler. Back row: Jim Keller, Alec Battest, Ron Geffre, Dave Rek, Rod Becker, Jim Becker, Dean Gesellchen, Tim Michelson, Dave Schulz, Randy Piatz, Kelly Krahler, Terence Schmidt, Dana Ereth and Jack Jones Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 40, Division II, Turtle Lake Marv’s Bar: front row, left to right: Joi Anderson, Randy Anderson, Kip Erickson, Burt Teske, Rikki Anderson and Todd Hiller. Back row: Gary Martin, Scott Grochow, Lonnie Jacobs, Mike Rath, Bill Jansen and Dave Roedocker. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 60, Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises: front row, left to right: Tim Johnson, Art Knudson, Gary Tharaldson, Bob Halvorson, Elgin McDaniel and Jim Hann. Back row: Carlie Alley, Wayne Bradley, Ron Simmons, Russ Curtis, Doug Peterson and Jerry Rutten. Coed Slow Pitch Division I, Fargo Tharaltown: front row, left to right: Dori Amundson, Mariah Prussia, Emily Peterson, Stacy Philpot, Lynn Larson and Amy Anderson. Back row: Chad Dahl, Ryan Rustad, Jeremy Smith, Chris Dahl, Brock Engstrom and Brian Smith. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 50, Mandan Dust-Tex: front row, left to right: Gordy Smith, Tim Krahler, Bumper Baumgartner, Norlyn Schmidt, Steve Harrington, Wayne Becker and Russ Nelson. Back row: Kelly Krahler, Tim Michelson, Dave Schulz, Gale Olsen, Ron Geffre, Don Magstadt, Tom Jensen, Kim White, Jack Jones and Mike Nider. Coed Slow Pitch Division II, Fargo Sperle Masonry: front row, left to right: Cole Horsager, Jen Sunram, Bridget Piatz, Sharon Horsager, Austin Horsager, Michelle Carpenter and Chris Gross. Back row: Justin Piatz, Wanda Simonson, Jon Simonson, Stacie Olson, Cam Neitzel and Ryan Sunram. Men’s Slow Pitch, Masters 50 & Over, Wood Bat, Mandan Dust-Tex: front row, left to right: Blair Mitzel, Tim Krahler, Bumper Baumgartner, Norlyn Schmidt and Gordy Smith. Back row: Dave Reis, Mike Nider, Dave Schulz, Ron Geffre, Tim Michelson, Randy Olson, Don Magstadt, Tom Jensen, Gale Olsen, Jack Jones, Kelly Krahler, Steve Harrington and Russ Nelson. Not pictured: Kim White and Wayne Becker. Coed Slow Pitch Division III, Casselton Tubs of Fun: front row, left to right: Christina Johnson, Lexi Odden, Joanne Ford, Tona Dickhaus, Tina Kooren, Kelly Olson-Tinglestad, Eric Laufenberg and Jess Reinke. Back row: Brandon Siverson, Eric Carter, Scott Ford, Jeff Olson-Tinglestad, Adam Lovehaug and Colin Thilmony. Softball News Fall 2009 – 11 Mens State Tournament Highlights Division I A familiar name in North Dakota softball is the winner of the top division of slow pitch softball following the state tournament in Mandan August 1 and 2. Tharaldson enterprises won the championship of Division I with four wins against no losses in the nine team event. Tharaldson opened the tournament with a close 14 to 13 win over Bismarck Gateway Pharmacy and then pounded out an 18 to 14 win over Sperle/Executive Mortgage of Fargo. Their third game was a 26 to 11 triumph over Minot Ackerman and in the championship, tharaldson again defeated Sperle/ Executive Mortgage by the ten run rule 23 to 13. Sperle/Executive Mortgage took the long route while losing their first game to Minot Ackerman 18 to 4 dropping sperle into the loser’s bracket. Sperle bounced back with consecutive wins over Sun Opta of Wahpeton 15 to 2, Gateway Pharmacy 18 to 8 and a revenge win over Minot Ackerman before losing the final game to Tharaldson. Minot Ackerman finished in third place and Bismarck Gateway was fourth. Division II In the Division II portion of the Men’s Slow Pitch tournament held in Mandan August 1 and 2, the Minot Homesteaders won the title winning five games while losing one in the double elimination event. The Homesteaders began with and 8 to 3 win over Bismarck Next Era Energy then pounded Fargo Bordertown 17 to 2. In their third game, Homesteaders won over Grotberg of Valley City 13 to 8 before losing to Bismarck Skovy’s 17 to 5. The Minot team came right back to win consecutive games over Skovy’s 8 to 7 and 15 to 10 to claim the title. Skovy’s of Bismarck started with a 14 to 3 win over Fessenden Krahlers and then won over Grand Forks Bun Lounge 11 to 2. In their next game, they squeaked past Fargo Schiele 9 to 8 and then beat eventual champion Minot Homesteaders 17 to 5. Homesteaders came roaring back to win two games over Skovy’s to claim the title 8 to 7 and 15 to 10. River ’s Edge of Bismarck claimed third place and Grand Forks Bun Lounge was fourth. Division III Mandan Smokemasters claimed the title in Division III of the Men’s Slow Pitch state championship played in Mandan August 1 and 2 beating out 12 other teams seeking the title. In their first game, the Mandan team won by the ten run rule over Bismarck Paramount 13 to 3 before topping Jeromes’s Distributing of Bismarck 14 to 6. Smokemasters then beat Quality Meats of Fargo 9 to 5 before defeating Minot Burger King 16 to 14. In the first championship game, the Smokemasters lost to Bismarck Paramount by a run 17 to 16 before coming back in the “if”game 17 to 7 to win the title. Runner up Bismarck Paramount Builders opened the tournament losing to the eventual champion Mandan Smokemasters by the ten run rule 13 to 3. They came back with consecutive wins over Oswalds of Bismarck 19 to 12, Bismarck Hooters 16 to 10, Midtown Chiropractice 14 to 1, Fargo Quality Meats 19 to 7, American Casing 12 to 7 and Burger King of Minot 17 to 6. In the first championship game, Paramount Builders beat Mandan Smokemasters 17 to 16 to force a second championship game which was won by Smokemasters 17 to 7. Minot Burger King was the third place winner while Williston American Casing ended up in fourth place. Rec I A Minot team sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings and Barley Pop won the Rec I state tournament held in Bismarck August 1 and 2 with 30 teams seeking the crown. Minot opened with a ten run win of Mandan Knife River 11 to 1, then beat RAMM/Bailey of Bismarck 16 to 5 before destroying Devils Lake Proz/Bud 22 to 2. Their next victory was over Mandan Dust-Tex 12 to 7 and they followed up with an 11 to 7 win over Hillsboro before beating DustTex again for the championship by a score of 9 to 8. Mandan Dust-Tex won their first three games over Fargo Roadwolf 17 to 7, Challenger of Bismarck 9 to 2 and Mikkelson of Dickinson 14 to 12.. In their next game they dropped a 12 to 7 decision to Minot Buffalo Wild Wings and Barley Pop. Dust-Tex came back with wins over Starion of Bismarck 14 to 2 and Dickinson Mikkleson 20 to 8 and then dropped the final game to Minot 9 to 8. Hillsboro Sky Tractor was the third place team and Dickinson Mikkleson Drywall/Armey’s/Pnzymus Optometric claimed fourth place. Rec II-East Fargo McNeelus Steel outlasted a field of 36 teams in the Rec II East state tournament in Grand Forks the weekend of August 1 and 2. McNeelus won six consecutive games to claim the title. They opened up with a shutout win 11 to 0 over RML Trucking of Grand Forks. In their second game, they won by the ten run rule 25 to 15 over Holmes. The next game was a one run triumph over the Great Plains team from Fargo 11 to 10. They then came back with another ten run victory over Fargo Ultimate Transportation 14 to 4. McNeelus had to withstand another one run win in their semi-final game outlasting Fargo Bud #2 14 to 13 before stopping the Ken Kraft Agency of Fargo 6 to 5 to claim the title. Ken Kraft Agency won their first tournament game 10 to 2 before shutting out Grand Forks Gerrells by the ten run rule 10 to 0. Kraft then won their third game 17 to 2 over Fargo NoDak. Fullerton was their next victim losing 11 to 8. Fargo Miller Lite also lost to Kraft 17 to 6 which put Ken Kraft Agency into the final game. In that game, McNeelus Steel won the title 6 to 5. Fargo Bud #2 won third place 13 to 8 over Miller Lite while West Fargo won the consolation title with a 16 to 15 win over Wahpeton Filbert Construction. Roughrider Division as won by Fargo NoDak while Pingree 281 Stop won the Tumbleweed Division. Rec II-West Twenty-four teams gathered in Williston the weekend of August 1 and 2 to settle the championship of the Men’s Rec II-West for the 2009 season. Minot Space Aliens/ Central Poer prevailed as they went undefeated over the two day event. Space Aliens/Central Poer began with a forfeit resulting in a 7 to 0 victory. In their second game they defeated Lee’s Bar of Rugby in a close game 11 to 9. The Minot teams then beat Bismarck Northland Auto Auction 15 to 6 before beating the Mandan Shirt Shack 11 to 2. In the championship tilt, Minot defeated Mandan’s Captain Jack’s to clain the title with a 21 to 9 win. Mandan Captain Jack’s won four games before losing the final. They opened with a 15 to 7 win over Minot Gowan Rain Gutters before downing the Dickinson Pepsi team 10 to 6. In their third game, they prevailed over the Tappen Road House 9 to 2 and in the game before the championship, they won over Minot Precision Plus 5 to 32. In the final game, Captain Jack’s was beated by Minot Space Aliens/ Central Power 21 to 9. Minot Precision Plus won 8 to 7 over Mandan Shirt Shack for third place, while Beulah’s Alibi’s/Union bank/SCC won the consolation title. Rugby’s Lee’s Bar was the champion of the Roughrider Division. 50 and Over Wood Bat Mandan Dust-Tex roared through an eight team field to capture the title in the Men’s 50 and Over Wood Bat tournament in Mandan the weekend of August 8 and 9. Dust-Tex won three games in the pool portion of the tournament scoring shut outs in all three games. They posted wins of 12 to 0 over Eastgate of Bismarck, 10 to 0 over Magi Touch and 10 to 0 over Capital City Construction. Indian Gaming won three games in the other pool, beating Farmer’s Insurance 13 to 3, Maring and Williams 9 to 5 and the Moose Lodge 13 to 1. In the single elimination portion of the tournament, Dust-Tex again won with three consecutive shutouts beating Farmer’s Insurance 13 to 0, Maring and Williams 16 to 0 and a final championship win over Indian Gaming 13 to 0. Magic Touch defeated Maring-Williams 6 to 2 to earn third place. Masters 50 Mandan Dust-Tex captured the 50 and Over Division of the Men’s Masters slow pitch state tournament in Fargo the weekend of July 25 and 26. Two weekends later, they claimed a sweep of the 50 and Over Division when they won the 50 and Over Wood Bat tournament. In the Master’s 50 slow pitch event Dust-Tex opened with a convincing 21 to 0 win over Fargo Walton Chiropractic then pinned a ten run loss of Tharaldson Enterprises of Fargo 13 to 3. In the championship game, they defeated Fargo PCI 8 to 3 to claim the title Wahpeton Jacklitch beat Tharaldson’s 6 to 3 to capture third place in the seven team tournament. Masters 60 Slow Pitch In the Men’s 60 slow pitch state tournament which was held July 18 and 19 in Bismarck, Fargo Tharaldson’s won the three team event which featured a double round robin format. Tharaldson’s won all four of their games to win the division. Tharaldson’s opened with a ten run victory over Mandan Capital City Construction 14 to 4 then bounced Mandan Maring and Williams 6 to 1. On Sunday, Tharaldson’s shut out Mandan Capital City Construction 6 to 0 before again beating Mandan Maring and Williams 8 to 1 to claim the title. Mandan Capital City Construction was second with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses while Mandan Maring and Williams failed to win a game. In this Senior’s Division tournament, three home runs per game are allowed along with unlimited courtesy runners. Masters 35 Division I In Division I of the Men’s Masters 35 and Over state tournament, Fargo Bellerud claimed the title in a six team event held in Fargo the weekend of July 25 and 26. Bellerud opened with a bye before beating Sanford Lawn 23 to 3 and then beat Bismarck Broken Oar 18 to 3 before beating Broken Oar again for the championship 12 to 5. Broken Oar also opened with a bye, then defeated Gate City 27 to 17 before losing 18 to 3 to Fargo Bellerud. They bounced back with a 15 to 3 win over Mandan DustTex before losing the final game to Bellerud. Mandan Dust-Tex ended in third place. Masters 35 Division II The Division II title in the Men’s Masters 35 and Over state tournament went to West Fargo Budweiser in a six team event held in Fargo the weekend of July 25 and 26. In order to do that, they had to come through the loser’s bracket after losing their opener 21 to 1 to Marv’s Bar of Turtle Lake. After the first game loss, West Fargo came storming back with a 16 to 4 win over Knife River, an 18 to 4 win over Miller Lite, an 18 to 15 win over Shirt Shack before defeating Marv’s Bar twice 19 to 9 and 19 to 16 to win the championship. Marv’s Bar beat West Fargo Budweiser in the first game for both teams then defeated Shirt Shack 15 to 4 before losing the two championship games to West Fargo. Masters 35 Division III Division III of the Men’s Masters 35 state tournament was won by the Jamestown Tom’s Electric in an eleven team field. the tournament was held the weekend if July 25 and 26 in Fargo. The Jamestown team began with a 7 to 1 win over Fairmount 1901, then sqeaked past Rudy’s Bar of Oakes 9 to 8 before being shut out by Mayville MayPort Insurance 14 to 0. Tom’s Electric bounced back with a close win over A/R/Bar of Grand Forks 11 to 9 before defeating Mayville May-Port Insurance twice 4 to 3 and 6 to 5 to claim the championship. May-Port won their opener over Great Northern Energy/BSKII 17 to 5 before destroying NoGo’s of LaMoure 20 to 1. May-Port then shit our eventual champion Tom’s Electric 14 to 0 before losing twice to the same team in two championship tilts 4 to 3 and 6 to 5. Third place went to Rudy’s Bar of Oakes. Masters 35 Division IV Valley City Xtreme Printing/ Eagles/Broken Spoke claimed the title in the IV Division of the Men’s Masters 35 tournament held in Fargo the weekend if July 25 and 26. The Valley City team won five games over the course of the two day tournament to win the crown. they opened with an 11 to 1 win over West Fargo Silver Dollar and followed up that triumph with an 8 to 4 win over East Grand Forks American Legion. The Valley City team then lost to eventual runner-up Grafton JR Corral in a 14 to 7 ball game which dropped them into the loser’s bracket. On their way back to the championship game, Valley City beat East Grand Forks American Legion again before beating Grafton JR Corral twice to win the championship. Scores were 17 to 6 and 10 to 0. Grafton JR corral won it’s first game 10 to 3 over Central Door and then defeated Mike’s Electric 6 to 5 in a tightly fought contest. Their next opponent was Woody’s Old Pro team from Fargo and Grafton won by the ten rule 14 to 4 to gain the semi-finals where they polished off the Valley City Xtreme Printing/Eagles/Broken Spoke team to remain unbeated. Valley City came back with back to back wins to claim the tourney crown. East Grand Forks American Legion won third place over Fargo Wood’s Old Pro team. Masters 40 Division I Mandan Dust-Tex added another state title to their trophy case when they claimed the championship of the Men’s Masters 40 Division I in Bismarck the weekend of July 18 and 19. Eight teams were vying for the title. Dust-Tex opened with a ten run win over Grand Forks Happy Joe’s 18 to 8 and then they beat Captain Jack’s 8 to 1 and Bismarck Stadium 13 to 3. In the first championship game, Dust-Tex lost to Captain Jack’s 9 to 8 but they came back strong to win the “if “ game 12 to 7 to win the tournament. Captain Jack’s lost their fist game to Dust-Tex 8 to 1 before winning three games to advance to the championship game. The wins came over Mariner 13 to 3, Minot Kruse’s and 9 to 8 over Dust-Tex before losing the second championship game. Bismarck Stadium won third place. Masters 40 Division II Marv’s Bar of Turtle Lake won the Division II portion of the Men’s Masters 40 tournament played in Bismarck the weekend of July 18 and 19. Ten teams were entered in the double elimination event. Marv’s began it’s day with a ten run win over Jamestown TDK and then beat West Fargo McCracken 16 to 9. Marv’s then beat Valley City Eagles 9 to 1 before defeating the Bismarck Moose Lodge 13 to 3 and 14 to 3 in the title game. The Moose Lodge won their opener 18 to 13 over West Fargo McCracken and then slipped by Vericity Motors 9 to 8 before defeating Creekwood 17 to 7. In their fourth game of the tournament, they dropped a 12 to 9 decision to the Valley City Eagles before beating eventual champion Marv’s Bar 13 to 3. In the final game, Marv’s found it’s hitting game again and won 14 to 3 to win the title. Valley City Eagles claimed the third place trophy. Rec III East Eighty teams showed up in Fargo the weekend of August 8 and 9 seeking the championship of the Rec III East state tournament. Fargo Bank of the West outlasted the field to capture the title after a long two day tournament. Bank of the West began with an 8 to 3 win over Jamestown Buff Mix and then won a ten run rule game 13 to 3 over Rudy’s LaMoure. West Fargo Sport City was their next victim falling 15 to 10 and then Bank of the West edged past Harley’s 8 to 7. In the semi-final game, Bank of the West beat Fargo PCI 11 to 8 to gain the championship game over Fargo Zims Entertainment. Zims began with a close win over Mickey’s of New Effington, S.D. and then won again 11 to 3 over Fargo Sheyenne River Kennels. In the third game, Zims won 12 to 8 over Grand Forks Mamma Mias and then won another close game winning by one run 14 to 13 over Rugby Dave’s Sinclair. In their semi-final game, they beat Fargo Ruby Tuesday 6 to 3 to gain a spot in the final game where they lost to Bank of the West. Third place was captured by West Fargo PCI over Fargo Ruby Tuesday 10 to 6. Consolation title was won by Fargo Jag Bombs over Fargo Wing Zone 12 to 6. The winner of the Roughrider Division was Grand Forks BWW. Pioneer Division was grabbed by Casselton Vets. MENS continued on page 13 12 – Softball News Fall 2009 We do it all ... Screen Printing & Embroidery Advertising Specialties Printing & Publishing Caps • Shirts • Jackets Jerseys • Uniforms • Bags Banners • Signs & Vinyl Decals Pens • Mugs • Keychains • Lanyards Shotglasses • Playing Cards • Magnets Can Coolers • Sports Bottles Business Cards • Letterheads Envelopes • Posters • Labels Invoices • Annuals • Directories Newsletters • Books And Much More Everything you need! 1-800-658-3485 Beulah Beacon - 873-4381 Center Republican - 462-8126 Hazen Star - 748-2255 McClusky Gazette - 363-2492 McLean County Independent - 463-2201 McLean County Journal - 448-2649 Mountrail County Record - 627-4829 New Town News - 627-4829 Northern Sentry - 839-0946 The Leader-News - 462-8126 Underwood News - 462-8126 Velva Area Voice - 338-2599 Softball News Fall 2009 – 13 Co-ed State Tournament Highlights Division I Fargo Tharaltown was the winner of Division I in the recent Co-ed state tournament. They defeated a small field of five teams to claim the title. Tharaldtown opened with a 19 to 7 win over Northern Tier Seed of Grand Forks and they continued their barrage of base hits with a 16 to 4 win over Valley City KOVC/ Xtreme Printing. In their third game they defeated Bun Lounge of Grand Forks by one run 9 to 8 and then beat Fargo Budweiser/ Chub’s Pub/Genesis Trucking in the championship game. Fargo Bud/Chub’s Pub/Genesis Trucking won over Northern Tier Seed of Grand Forks 8 to 5 then defeated KOVC/Xtreme Printing 16 to 2 before losing the final to Tharaltown. Grand Forks Bun Lounge was the third place winner and Grand Forks Team Hutton was the winner of the Roughrider Division. Division II Eight teams showed up to contest the title in Division II of the state Co-ed tournament. Fargo Sperle Masonry won the title going undefeated in three games to claim the championship. Sperle won their opener 8 to 3 over Barley Pop/Coors Light of Minot and then went on to beat McMenamy’s Redskins and outlasted Light’s Out of West Fargo in the final game. Light’s Out won their first game 13 to 6 over Grand Forks Team Hutton before beating Dickinson Coke 6 to5 before losing the final to Sperle Masonry. Grand Forks McMenamy’s was the third place winner while Minot Barley Pop/Coors Light won fourth place. Consolation Champion was the Moorhead Master Batters and Valley City Captain’s Pub was consolation runner-up. Grand Forks Team Hutton won the Roughrider Division. Division III Casselton Tubs of Fun bested a field of sixteen teams competing for the Division III championship at the state Co-Ed tournament in Grand Forks. Tubs of Fun opened its quest for the Division title with a convincing 25 to 3 win over Diva’s and Rock Stars of West Fargo, then went on to beat Bennes Accounting of Fargo 9 to 6 before winning their third game over Kelly’s Bar of Grand Forks and they beat Stump Lake Park of Devils Lake for the championship. Stump Lake won a squeaker over Kelly’s Bar #1 of Grand Forks won Division IV of the Co-ed state tournament in Grand Forks winning four games without a loss to claim the title. Kelly’s won their opening game 7 to 3 over Pastorek’s/Bud Light of Grand Forks then defeated Rosie’s also of Grand Forks 8 to 5. In their third game they bested another team sponsored by Kelly’s beating the Ruffnecks to advance to the championship game where they defeated Rumor’s of Grand Forks to win the division championship. Rumors beat Dempsey’s of Fargo in their first game 19 to 6 before downing Gowan Construction of Grand Forks 12 to 2. In their third game they defeated Tappen Roadhouse Bar and Grill of Tappen before losing the final game to Kelly’s Bar #1. Tappen won third place and the Ruffnecks captured fourth place. Consolation champion was Dazey NuBar/Kunze Construction while Dempsey’s of Fargo was consolation runner-up. Rosie’s Gift won the Roughrider Division and Jamestown Schafer’s Co-ed won the Tumbleweed Division. Runner up Mandan Sporting Goods/Hirsch Floral won a close opening game edging Wing Lucky Spur 12 to 11. In their second game, they defeated Sveen Construction of New Town by the ten run rule 13 to 3 and then beat Vicky’s of Mandan 15 to 8. They won their next two games by identical scores beating Mandan Railway Credit Union and Dickinson Basic Hydraulic by 19 to 15 scores. In the final they bowed to Mandan Sporting Goods 20 to 10. Flasher My Place won third place 21 to 11 over Basic Hydraulic of Dickinson. Minot Boehm and Sons won the Consolation title 15 to 10 over Larson Tires of Minot. Roughrider Division winner was Dickinson Denny’s Electric. Tumbleweed Division winner was Bismarck MCS Appraisal. Broken Drum/El Roco of Grand Forks 7 to 6 in their first game. They then won over JY’s of Minot, Elliott Farms and then lost the final game to Casselton Tubs of Fun. Sanborn Elliott Farms won the third place trophy while Grand Forks Kelly’s Bar was fourth. Consolation winners were Hatton Sunset Lounge and Moorhead JC Chumley’s was consolation runner up. Minot JY’s won the Roughrider Division and Fargo Minnkota Windows was the champion in the Tumbleweed Division. Division IV MENS continued from page 11 Tumbleweed Division was won by Mickeys of New Effington, S.D. Cactus Division winner was Jamestown Tom’s Electric. Rec III West Another large field of teams gathered in Minot the weekend of August 8 and 9 to contest the title of Rec III West Champion. Elgin Seib’s Bar won the two day event winning six games without a loss over the two day tournament. Elgin began the tournament with a 7 to 4 win over Bismarck Wagner Financial. Their bats woke up for the second game as they pounded out a 24 to 6 win over Minot Pour Farm. Another ten run rule triumph followed with a convincing win over Bismarck Padgett/North Star Travel. Another ten run win over Bismarck Surety Life Insurance followed 10 to 0 and Elgin cranked out another run away win 16 to 6 over Minot Creekwood Construction in the semi-final game. In the championship game, Seib’s won the title over Mandan Charvet Construction. Charvet accepted a bye for their first game then beat Beulah Dakota Westmoreland 9 to 2. In their third game they defeated Scott Financial of Bismarck 7 to 5 before beating Nola’s Lounge of Minot 13 to 11 in the semi final. Their win streak ended in the championship game as they fell to Seib’s Bar of Elgin. Minot Creekwood Construction won third place over Nola’s Lounge. Consolation champion was Mandan Mindt Chiropractic over the Anamoose Merchants. Roughrider Division winner was Minot Capri. Pioneer Division winner was Minot Reps Tumbleweed Division winner was Bismarck Solid Dakota Cactus Division winner was Mandan Applebees. Rec IV East The huge Men’s Rec IV East state tournament was cursed with steady unremitting rain the weekend of August 15 and 16 which finally resulted in the tournament being halted in the third round and determining the winning teams by the use of coin flips. As a result, teams placing in positions which would normally result in the team moving up in class new season would be exempt from those provisions of NDASA Code. Champion: Jamestown IDK Runner-up: Neche Third: Fargo Dan’s Oil Fourth: West Fargo The Wheels Consolation Champion: Fargo High Life Consolation Runner-up: Grafton Generations Roughrider Division: Grand Forks North Star Telecom/Lessard Pioneer Division: Fargo The Work Force Tumbleweed Division: Arthur Cactus Division: West Fargo Silver Dollar Rec IV West Mandan hosted the 48 team Men’s Rec IV-West state tournament on the weekend of August 15 and 16. Mandan Roundup Bar won the two day event winning five straight games to earn the championship trophy. Roundup Bar opened with a 10 to 4 victory over Mandan Vicky’s/ Bowers Excavating then ten runned a Bismarck team sponsored byJDJ’s Regulators. In their next game, they beat Jamestown IDK III by a score of 18 to 15. In their semi-final game they were pushed to the limit before beating Flasher My Place Bar 12 to 10. In the championship game, Roundup Bar defeated Mandan Sporting Goods/Hirsch Floral 20 to 10 to win the trophy. GIRLS continued from page 6 wood. In the Class A portion of the Division, Williston drew a bye in their opener before beating the Hankinson Zukies 7 to 4. In the championship game, Williston beat the Lidgerwood Express 10 to 8 to win the title. Lisbon VFW claimed third place over the Hankinson Zukies by a score of 8 to 7 while Colfax won the consolation title over Fairmount. Slow Pitch - 18 and Under Class B Division The following teams competed in the Class B portion of the 18 and under age Division: Hatton/Northwood, Jamestown “Orr”iginals, Oakes, Dakota Prairie, Crosby, Harvey and Casselton Maroon. The title was grabbed by the Harvey Gloves with consecutive wins over Casselton Maroon 19 to 9, Crosby 15 to 5 and Jamestown “Orr”iginals 5 to 3. Jamestown “Orr” iginals claimed the runner-up spot beating Oakes 17 to 8,, Hatton/Northwood 9 to 8 to gain the final game. Book Printing & Binding, Brochures/Pamphlets Newsletters, Business Cards & much more • Indoor waterpark with 150-foot waterslide and hot tub • Nickel’s Lounge and Seasons Cafe • Across the street from Kirkwood Mall For All Your Printing Needs Stop by one of our offices for more information: BHG, Inc. – Garrison – 463-2201 The Leader News – Washburn – 462-8126 Beulah Beacon – Beulah – 873-4381 Hazen Star – Hazen – 748-2255 New Town News – New Town – 627-4829 McLean County Journal – Turtle Lake – 448-2649 Velva Area Voice – Velva – 338-2599 McClusky Gazette – McClusky– 363-2492 Northern Sentry – Minot – 839-0946 “A Family of Family Newspapers” 1-800-658-3485 • Exercise facilities, sauna and virtual arcade 14 – Softball News Fall 2009 State Tournament Results Women’s Slow Pitch, Class C Champion: Bismarck Moritz Sport & Marine; Runner-up: Fargo Tharaldson’s; Third: Fargo Agassiz Underground Women’s Slow Pitch Class D Champion: West Fargo Peterson Dental; Runner-up: Fargo Footitt construction; Third: Bismarck Dust-Tex Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec. 1 Champion: Minot Badger Daylighting; Runner-up: Bismarck Great Plains/IGA; Third: Jamestown Wildside Creations; Fourth: Bismarck CJ Rigging Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec II-East Champion: Lehr Water Hole; Runner-up: Devil’s Lake Proz II; Third: Fargo Ness Flooring; Fourth: Harvey Gloves; Conso. Champion: Hillsboro Chir/Sports Bar; conso. Runner-up: Fordville; roughrider: West Fargo Work Zone II Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec II-West Champion: Mandan Leingang Construction; Runner-up: Williston Midway Lounge; Third: Bismarck World Wide Auctioneers; Fourth: Bismrack Mich Ultra/Pure Country; Conso. Champion: Hazen Bronson’s/Krause’s; Conso. runnerup: Dickinson West Dakota Vet Clinic; Roughrider: Minot Bootlegrz/Grand Inernational Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec III-East Champion: West Fargo 3Lyons Pub #1; Runner-up: Jamestown Frontier Fort; Third: Portland Floyd’s; Fourth: Grafton Extra End; Conso. Champion: Carrington Vets; Conso. Runner-up: West Fargo Silver Dollar/MFI; Roughrider: Grand Forks Rhombus Guys; Tubleweed: Fargo Tailgators Women’s Slow Pitch, Rec III-West Champion: Bismarck Fronteer Payroll; Runner-up: Bismarck pure Country/Elbow Room; Third: Mandan NoDak Mutual; Fourth: Bismarck K2 Interactive/Eagle Rigid Span; Conso. champion: Bismarck Hopfauf Custom Builders/Pinehurst Dentistry; conso. Runner-up: Garrison Shady ladies; Roughrider: Mandan Lonesome Dove Women’s Slow Pitch Masters Div. I Champion: Bismarck Bistro; Runner-up: Minot All American Trophies Women’s Masters, Div. II Champion: Jamestown Those Girls; Runner-up: Grand Forks Thompson Women’s Masters, Div. III Champion: Grand Forks Rhomus; Runner-up: Carrington Vets Club Men’s Slow Pitch, Div. I Champion: Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises; Runner-up: Fargo Sperle/Exec. Mortgage; Third: Minot Ackerman; Fourth: Bismarck Gateway Pharmacy Men’s Slow Pitch, Div. II Champion: Minot Homesteaders; Runner-up: Bismarck Skovys; Third: Bismarck Rivers Edge; Fourth: Grand Forks Bun Lounge Men’s Slow Pitch, Div. III Champion: Mandan Smokemasters; Runner-up: Bismarck Paramount Builders; Third: Minot Burger King; Fourth: Williston American Casing Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec I Champion: Minot Buffalo Wild Wings/Barley Pop; Runner-up: Mandan Dust-Tex; Third: Hillsboro Sky Tractor; Fourth: Dickinson Mikkelsen Drywall/Army’s/Przymus Optometric Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec II-East Champion: Fargo McNeelus Steel; Runner-up: Fargo Ken Kraft Agency; Third: Fargo Budweiser #2; Fourth: Fargo Miller Lite; Conso. Champion: West Fargo Schmitz Agency; Conso. Runnerup: Wahpeton Filbert Construction; Roughrider: Fargo NoDak; Tumbleweed: Pingree 281 Stop Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec IIWest Champion: Minot Space Aliens/ Central Power; Runner-up: mandan Captain Jack’s; Third: Minot Precision Plus; Fourth: Mandan Shirt Shack; Conso. Champion: Beulah Alibi’s/Union Bank/SCC; Conso. Runner-up: Dickinson Dairy Barn/ The Rock; Roughrider: Rugby Lee’s Bar Men’s Slow pitch, Rec II-East Champion: Fargo Bank of the West; Runner-up: Fargo Zims; Third: West Fargo PCI; Fourth: Fargo Rugby; Conso. Champion Fargo Jag Bombs; Conso. Runnerup: Fargo Wing Zone; Roughrider: Grand Forks Buffalo Wild Wings; Pioneer: Casselton Vets; Tumbleweed: New Effington; Cactus: Jamestown Tom’s Electric Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec III-West Champion: Elgin Seib’s Bar; Runner-up: Mandan Chervet Construction; Third: Minot Creekwood Construction; Fourth: Minot Nola’s Lounge; Conso. Champion: Mandan Align-Mindt Chiropractic; Conso. Runner-up: Anamoose Merchants; Roughrider: Minot Capri; Pioneer: Minot Reps; Tumbleweed: Bismarck Solid Dakota; Cactus: Mandan Applebees Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec IVEast Champion: Jamestown IDK; Runner-up: Neche; Third: Fargo Dan’s Oil; Fourth: West Fargo The Wheels; Conso. Champion: Fargo High Life; Conso. Runner-up: Grafton Generations; Roughrider: Grand Forks NorthStar Telecom/ Lessard Construction; Pioneeer: Fargo The Work Force; Tumbleweed: Arthur; Cactus: West Fargo Silver Dollar Men’s Slow Pitch, Rec IV-West Champion: Mandan RoundUp; Runner-up: Mandan Sporting Goods; Third: Flasher My Place/ Bammers; Fourth: Dickinson Basin Hydraulic; Conso. Champion: Minot Boehm & Sons; Conso. Runner-up: Minot Larson Tire; Roughrider: Dickinson Denny’s Electric; Tumbleweed: Bismarck MCS Appraisal Men’s Masters 35, Div. I Champion: Fargo Bellerud; Runner-up: Bismarck Broken Oar; Third:Mandan Dust-Tex Men’s Master 35, Div. II Champion: West Fargo Budweiser; Runner-up: Turtle Lake Marv’s Bar; Third: Mandan Shirt Shack Men’s Masters 356, Div III Champion: Jamestown Tom’s Electric; Runner-up: Mayville May-Port Insurance; Third: Oakes Rudy’s Bar Men’s Masters 35, Div. IV Champion: Valley City XTreme Printing, Eagles/Broken Spoke; Runner-up: Grafton JR Corral; Third: East Grand Forks American Legion; Fourth: Fargo Woody’s Old Pro Men’s Masters 40, Div. I Champion: Mandan Dust-Tex; Runner-up: Mandan Captain Jack’s; Third:; Bismarck Stadium Men’s Masters 40, Div. II Champion: Turtle Lake Marv’s Bar; Runner-up: Bismarck Moose; Third: Valley City Eagles Men’s Master 50 Champion: Mandan Dust-Tex; Runner-up: Fargo PCI; Third: Wahpeton Jacklitch Men’s Slow Pitch, 50 & Over Wood Bat Champion: Mandan Dust-Tex; Runner-up: Mandan N.D. Indian Gaming; Third: Mandan MagiTouch Carpet; Fourth: Mandan Maring & Williams Men’s Slow Pitch Masters 60 Chamion: Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises; Runner-up: Mandan Capital City Construction; Third: Mandan Maring & Williams Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 18 & Under Champion: West Fargo Impact; Runner-up: Valley City; Third: Grand Forks; Fourth: Casselton Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 14 & Under Champion: West Fargo Impact; Runner-up: Dickinson; Third: Bismarck Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 12 & Under Champion: West Fargo Packers; Runner-up: Dickinson; Third: Bismarck Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 10 & Under Champion: Bismarck Cubs; Runner-up: Dickinson; Third: Casselton Junior Chaos Junior Olympic Slow Pitch, 18 & Under A Champion: Williston Sport About; Runner-up: Lidgerwood Express; Third: Lisbon VFW; Fourth: Hankinson Zukies; Conso. Champion: Colfax; Conso. Runnerup: Fairmount Junior Olympic Slow Pitch, 18 & Under B Champion: Harvey Gloves; Runner-up: Jamestown “Orr” iginals; Third: Hatton Northwood Twins; Fourth: Crosby; Conso. Champion: Casselton Maroon; Conso. Runnerup: Oakes Junior Olympic Slow Pitch, 16 & Under A Champion: Fairmont; Runnerup: Lidgerwood Express; Third: Hankinson Zukies; Fourth: N/A; Conso. Champion: Williston American Casing; Conso. Runner-up: Lisbon VFW Junior Olympic Slow Pitch, 16 & Under B Jamestown “Orr” iginals; Runner-up: Jamestown Wild Blue I; Third: Northern Cass Express; Fourth: N/A; Conso. Champion: Valley Raiders; Conso. Runner-up: Jamestown Wild Blue II Junior Olympic Slow Pitch, 14 & Under A Champion: Minot Starz; Runnerup: Valley City Decotah Bank; Third: Milnor; Fourth: Oakes; Conso. Champion: Lisbon; Conso. Runner-up: Wahpeton Junior Olympic Slow Pitch, 14 & under B Champion: Lidgerwood Express; Runner-up: Jamestown “Orr”iginals; Third: Napoleon; fourth: Jamestown Wild Blue II; conso. Champion: Langdon; Conso. Runner-up: Wahpeton Come Backs Junior Olympic 12 & Under Champion: Valley City Dacotah Bank; Runner-up: Napoleon; Third: Oakes; Fourth: Jamestown Wild Blue; Conso. Champion: Jamestown “Orr”iginals Coed Slow Pitch, Div. I Champion: Fargo Tharaltown; Runner-up: Fargo Bud/Chub’s Pub/ Genesis Trucking; Third: Grand Forks Bun Lounge; Roughrider: Grand Forks Team Hutton Coed Slow Pitch, Div. II Champion: Fargo Sperle Masonry; Runner-up: West Fargo Lights Out; Third: Grand Forks McMenamy’s; Fourth: Minot Barley Pop/ Coors Light; Conso. Champion: Moorhead Master Batters; Conso. Runner-up: Valley City Captain’s Pub; Roughrider: Grand Forks Team Hutton Coed Slow Pitch, Div. III Champion: Casselton Tubs of Fun; Runner-up: Devil’s Lake Stump Lake Park; Third: Sanborn Elliott Farms; Fourth: Grand Forks Kelly’s Bar; Conso. Champion: Hatton Sunset Lounge; Conso. Runner-up: Moorhead JC Chumley’s; Roughrider: Minot JY’s; Tumbleweed: Fargo Minnkota Windows Coed Slow Pitch, Div. IV Champion: Grand Forks Kelly’s I: Runner-up: Grand Forks Rumors; Third: Tappen Roadhouse Bar & Grill; Fourth: Grand Forks Kelly’s Ruffnecks; Conso. Champion: Dazey NuBar/Kunze Construction; Conso. Runner-up: Fargo Dempsey’s; Roughrider: Grand Forks Rosie’s Gifts; Tumbleweed: Jamestown Schafer’s Coed Teams to move up in 2010 Women’s Class D to Class C West Fargo Peterson Dental Rec I to Class D Minot Badger Daylighting Bismarck Great Plains/IGA Rec II East to Rec I Gackle Merchants/Lehr Waterhole Rec II West to Rec I Mandan Leingang Construction Rec III East to Rec II West Fargo 3 Lyons Pub #1 Jamestown Frontier Fort Portland Floyds Rec III West to Rec II Bismarck Fronteer Payroll Bismarck Pure Country/ Elbow Room Mandan NoDak Mutual The number of teams moved up differ because of the low number of teams playing in the state tournaments this year (2009). Class C - 8 teams, Class D - 11 teams, Rec I - 14 teams, Rec II East - 11 teams, Rec II West - 11 teams, Rec III East - 30 teams, Rec III West - 28 teams Men’s Rec II to Rec I Minot Ready Builders/Space Aliens/Lite-Form Rec III to Rec II Fargo NoDak Stores Rec IV to Rec III East Grand Forks American Legion Grand Forks Kings Korner/ Plaza Jewelers Rec I to Class D Minot Buffalo Wild Wings/ Barley Pop Mandan Dust-Tex Hillsboro Sky Tractor Dickinson Mikkelson Drywall/ Army’s/ Przymus Optometric Rec II to Rec I East Fargo McNeelus Steel Fargo Ken Kraft Agency Fargo Budweiser #2 Fargo Miller Lite West Farog Schmitz Agency Rec II to Rec I West Minot Space Aliens/ Central Power Mandan Captain Jack’s Minot Precision Plus Mandan Shirt Shack Rec III to Rec II East Fargo Bank of the West Fargo Zims West Fargo PCI Fargo Ruby Fargo Jay Bombs Fargo Wing Zone Rec III to Rec II West Elgin Seibs Bar Mandan Chervet Construction Minot Creekwood Construction Minot Nola’s Lounge Mandan Align-Mindt Chiropractic Anamoose Merchants Rec IV to Rec III West Mandan Round Up Mandan sporting Goods Flasher My Place/Bammers Dickinson Basin Hydraulics Minot Boehm & Sons Rec IV East No Move Ups - Rained Out Tournament Champions Softball News Fall 2009 – 15 Coed Slow Pitch Division IV, Kelly’s Bar: front row, left to right: Alissa Smith, Christy Schultes, Sarah Boese, Twyla Tunseth, Scott Knepper and Dave Thompson. Back row: Ryan Kuntz, Teri Erickson, Terry Arason, Brad Vidden, Jayne Mork, Mike McWilliams, Matt Palmiscno and Pat White. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 12 & Under, Valley City Dacotah Bank: front row, left to right: Heather Knutson, Katie Pautz, Clarissa Olson, Samantha Coit, Brenna Pritchert, Tarryn Justesen, Cacie Lloyd and Brittany Beadle. Back row: Coach Leonard Kjelland, Cassidy Fulton, Sydney Franklin, Brooke Berntson, Brooke Rouningen, Kassidy Ronningen, Demi Olstad and Coach Kelly Utt. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 14 & Under, Class A, Minot Starz: front row, left to right: Megan Druse and Hunter Bertsch. Middle row: Jessie Kongelf, Kelsey Helms, Corbyn Holter, Ashley Gothman, Hannah Gefroh, Emma Weisberg, Bailey Obenchain, Kenfra Wright and Coach Mavis Druse. Back row: Damon Druse, Coach Duane Helms, Julie Rasanen, Miranda fenner, Morgan Milbrath, Ashley Christ and Brian Oberchain. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 14 & Under, Class B, Lidgerwood Express: front row, left to right: Bethany Oster, Angel Quintero, Chantel Aker and Jordan Adams. Back row: Chelsey Kraemer, Taylor Oster, Marley Foertsch, Caitlin Grumbo, Rachel Sakry, Nicole Willprecht, Joline Manikowski and Coach Olivia Breker. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 16 & Under, Class B, Jamestown “Orr”iginals: front row, left to right: Brittany Reed, Jodee Lange, Kari Verby, Jenna Olson and Morgan Zuck. Middle row: Assistant Coach Samantha Zuck, Steph Partridge, Mary Roscoe, Morgan Giege and Assistant Coach Sheri Armitage. Back row: Coach David Zuck, Maggie Smith, Billie Buchanan, Ericka Block, Erika Armitage, Kayla Thoele, Savanah Windish and Kate Roscoe. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 18 & Under, Class A, Williston Sport About: front row, left to right: Molly Haagenson, Shelby Pederson, Shawna Thomas, Kayla, Emily Long, Kayla Barke, Brittany Skarphole, Danielle Hodenfield and Kallie Kjos. Back row: Coach LaDue, Abby Wilt, Morgan Snellings, Meagan Werstad, Trinity LaDue, Rachel Hennessey, Cassie Thomas, Dani Clarke, Keely Kleven and Coach Sell. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 18 & Under, Class B, Harvey Gloves: front row, left to right: Nica Hertz, Kelsey Eckart, Brittany Oster, Jessica Meland, Dana Goldade, Becca Kourijian, Laya Engen and Emily Hertz. Back row: Coach Colleen, Chessa Baumgartner, Corbin Zerr, Caitlin Arnold, Keri Weninger, Amanda Stumpf, Maggie Lorenz, Rebecca Birdsell and Coach Mary Hager. Not pictured: Rachel Nyhus and Nicole Erickson. Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 10 & Under, Bismarck Cubs: front row, left to right: Kennedy Blair, Kaitlin Feist, Whitney Thomas, Mariah Marsh and Emily Nelson. Middle row: Coach Melissa Thomas, Madeline Henke, Sierra Talmadge, Madie Halavorson, Cameren Clark, Regan Dennis and Samantha Clark. Back row: Coaches Troy Nelson and Dave Feist. 16 – Softball News Fall 2009 Tournament Champions Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 12 & Under, West Fargo 12 U: front row, left to right: Hayle Sachow-Johnson, Jamee Martin, JJ Sandavol, Morgan McDougal, Brittany Rheault and Paige Andel. Back row: Coach Corey Johnson, Kaitlyn Kuntz, Micheala Liebl, Morgan Stirling, Ashley Greenlund, Morgan Petersen and Coach Sarah Kuntz. Junior Olympic Fast Pitch, 14 & Under, West Fargo Impact: front row, left to right: Anna Soderholm, Jordyn Johnson, Lexi Lennon, Jolene Woodbury and Ashley Sather. Back row: Coach Mark Sather, Haley Johnson, Bethany Fraase, Katelyn Jipson, Kaitlin Langerud and Coach Tim Rheault. Junior Olympic Girl’s Slow Pitch, 16 & Under, Class A, Fairmount: front row, left to right: Hannah Ross, Jayden Rittenour, Nicole Berend, Katelyn Campbell and Paige Meyer. Back row: Assistant Coach Lynnette Matejcek, Dani Ruhl, Olivia Johnson, Jenny Hruby, Madison Kaehler, Kenzie Church, Becky Wik, Jaime Burbson and Coach Tim Campbell. Girls Fast Pitch, 18 & Under, West Fargo Impact: front row, left to right: Shannah Phehal and Harle Andel. Middle row: Sydney Greenlund, Brianna Kelley, Kelsey Daul, Madison Anderson and Brook Rheault. Back row: Coach Terry Greenlund, Monique Hill-Rameviz, Kacie Johnson, Nicole Eisenzimmer, Danielle Nelson, Katie Woodbury and Coach Pat Johnson. Catch a great rate Fargo Fargo Fairfield Inn 281.0494 Comfort Inn-East 280.9666 Bismarck Comfort Inn-West 282.9596 Fairfield Inn-North 223.9077 When you’re traveling the state Fairfield Inn-South 223.9293 during the softball season, Grand Forks simply call any of our great Fairfield Inn 775.7910 hotels in North Dakota and Minot Fairfield Inn 838.2424 ask for our special Softball Team Rates. 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