Champion – Smythe Sox, Houston, Texas
Runner-Up – County Sports, Levittown, New York
Playing in a Baseball Stadium and billing this as the Super Bowl of Softball, County Sports went through the winners bracket undefeated, beating Capitol Insulation 17-14. The Smythe Sox, who lost their very first game had to come all the way back through the losers bracket, eliminating national powers Lighthouse 12-8, Ritch’s 14-5, Howards 10-3, Capitol Insulation 7-6 (in 9 innings on a walk off homer from Smythe’s Bill Blake). In the first final, Smythe jumped out to a 6-0 lead and defeated County Sports 9-3. Doug Brown, Bill Gatti, John Grissom and Bill Blake drove in two runs each to provide the runs for the Sox.
The Final Game was a 4-1 Smythe Sox win in which both teams combined for just 11 hits. Smythe got all its runs in the second inning as Blake, Cecil Whitehead and Bruce Meade all singled to account for the first run. Britt Hightower’s single scored the second run. Mike Parrott hit a long sac fly ball to get the final two runs in. None of the 8 teams batted over .500 and in fact the average for all the teams was .394 with just 23 total home runs, 24 doubles and 13 triples. 7 of the 15 games were single digit games. Smythe Sox hit 16 of 23 total HRs and had 6 of the total 13 triples. Their team average was .452 (109-241) as compared to the scrappy County Sports squad who batted .377 (61-162). Capitol batted .421 and had 2 HRs. Vernons batted .375 with 3 HRs.
Of the 15 total games played, 6 games saw both teams in single digits Only 2 games all weekend saw both teams score double digits runs. Vernons beat Smythe Sox 15-11 and County Sports beat Capitol 17-14. Capitol had a 13-0 lead after three innings and County Sports came back win that game which was the winner’s bracket final.
AWARDS
- MVP – Bill Blake, Smythe Sox (14-22, .636, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 9 Runs)
- HR Leaders – Bruce Meade, Smythe Sox (13-21, .619, 11 RBI, 7 Runs) – 5
- HR Leaders – Bill Blake, Smythe Sox – 5
- Batting Leader – Bill Blake, Smythe Sox- .636
- Outstanding Defensive Player – Scott Smith, County Sports
ALL NATIONAL TEAM
Bill Blake, Smythe Sox (14-23, .609, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 9 Runs)
Bruce Meade, Smythe Sox (13-21, .619, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 7 Runs)
Bill Gatti, Smythe Sox (13-24, .542, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 9 Runs)
Greg Whitlock, Smythe Sox (10-23, .435, 2 RBI, 6 Runs)
Cecil Whitehead, Smythe Sox (9-20, .450, 3 RBI, 7 Runs)
Mike Parrott, Smythe Sox (10-19, .526, 4 RBI, 5 Runs)
Mauro Chiti, County Sports (8-13, .615, 1 RBI, 2 Runs)
Ron Hargrove, County Sports (8-17, .471, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 Runs)
Mike Cellura, Capitol Insulation (8-15, .533, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 8 Runs)
Larry McGee, Capitol Insulation (9-13, .692, 8 RBI, 1 Run)
Scott Smith, County Sports
Manager Award – John Cooke, Smythe Sox
OTHERS:
Curtis Williams, Howard’s (5-6, .833, 1 RBI, 4 Runs)
Kenny Broadwell, Ritch’s Salvage (8-11, .727, 7 Runs)
Darrell Misenheimer, Ritch’s Salvage (7-10, .700, 5 RBI, 1 Run)
Chip Sheffield, Lighthouse (4-6, .667, 1 RBI, 1 Run)
Stan Harvey, Howard’s (5-9, .556, 2 RBI, 3 Runs)
Baxter Burris, Ritch’s Salvage (5-9, .556, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 Runs)
Ron Ford, Vernons (5-9, .556, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 Runs)
John Grissom, Smythe Sox (8-15, .533, 4 RBI, 4 Runs)
Gary Richter, County Sports (8-17, .471, 4 RBI, 7 Runs)
Cruz Martinez, Capitol (6-13, .462, 4 RBI, 3 Runs)
Doug Brown, Smythe Sox (11-26, .423, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 7 Runs)
Kevin Daugherty, County Sports (7-17, .412, 2 RBI, 5 Runs)
Rick Wheeler, Smythe Sox (9-25, .369, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 Runs)
John Davide, County Sports (5-14, .357, 4 RBI, 2 Runs)
Rick Scherr, Howard’s (4-12, .333, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 Runs)
Clyde Guy, Howard’s (3-10, .300, 4 RBI, 1 Run)
Mark Heirlmeier, Smythe Sox (6-21, .286, 2 RBI, 4 Runs)
Bill Pollock, County Sports (4-14, .286, 8 RBI, 3 Runs)
Britt Hightower, Smythe Sox (6-22, .273, 2 RBI, 4 Runs)
Sylvin Little, Lighthouse (1-6, .167)
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Smythe Sox, Houston, TX (6-1)
2. County Sports, Levittown, NY (3-2)
3. Capitol Softball Club, Northridge, CA (2-2)
4. Howard’s/Western Steer, Denver, NC (2-2)
5t. Ritch’s Auto Salvage, Harrisburg, NC (1-2)
5t. Vernon’s, Jacksonville, FL (1-2)
7t. Lighthouse, Stone Mountain, GA (0-2)
7t. Snyder’s Softball Club, Wixom, MI (0-2)
After the tournament the NSPC is disbanded and never held a tournament again.
