Softball History USA

1992 ASA Women’s Major Slow Pitch Nationals

1992 held at Gadsden, Alabama.

Champion: UPI, Cookeville, Tennessee
Runner Up: Phoenix Ladies, Lawrenceville, Georgia

  • MVP – Sandy Edwards, UPI
  • Batting Leader – Laura Elmore, York Pacers (13-18) – .722
  • Home Run Leader – Sherrill Jackson, Trojanettes – 5

FIRST TEAM ALL AMERICANS

P – Charlotte Cates, UPI
C – Christy Martin, Outburst
1B – Stephanie Seymour, UPI
2B – Cindy Ramp, York Pacers
3B – Sherrill, Jackson, Trojanettes
SS – Sandy Edwards, UPI
OF – Jody Trimmer, York Pacers
OF – Gace Ford, Trojanettes
OF – Marla Townsend, Phoenix Ladies
OF – Susan Chapman, UPI
UT – Gina Green, UPI
UT – Ronnie Daniels, Phoenix Ladies
UT – Sandy Hicks, Phoenix Ladies
UT – Cindy Dorsey, Outburst
EP – Laura Elmore, York Pacers

SECOND TEAM ALL AMERICANS

SS – Sue Ilyes, York Pacers

FINAL STANDINGS

1. UPI, Cookeville, TN (6-0)
2. Phoenix Ladies, Lawrenceville, GA (8-2)
3. York Pacers, York, PA (4-2)
4. Outburst, Gainesville, GA (4-2)
5t. Trojanettes, Winter Haven, FL (6-2)
5t. Ultimate Sports, St. Cloud, MN (3-2)
7t. Lakerettes, Conneaut Lake, PA (3-2)
7t. Armed Forces, Virginia Beach, VA (3-2)
9t. Armstrong Lady Rebels, Murfreesboro, TN (3-2)
9t. Korner Korral, Bethany, IL (2-2)
9t. Rainbow Food Mart, Gadsden, AL (2-2)
9t. Ned Kelly’s, Bloomington, IL (2-2)
13t. Ruth Paving, Lexington, IL (2-2)
13t. R&S Sports, Albany, GA (2-2)
13t. Leon’s Flames, Tallahassee, FL (1-2)
13t. Dilligad, Gadsden, AL (1-2)
17t. Birmingham Merchants, Birmingham, AL (1-2)
17t. The Who, Decatur, GA (1-2)
17t. Cruisers, Chattanooga, TN (1-2)
17t. Hughes Supply, Orlando, FL (1-2)
17t. Berg & Associates, Mobile, AL (0-2)
17t. McGlaughlin Oil, Columbus, OH (0-2)
17t. Road Runners, Warwick, RI (0-2)
17t. City Used Parts, Dotham, AL (0-2)
25t. Jerry’s Cleaners, Tuscaloosa, AL (0-2)
25t. Vision Center, Bridgeport, CT (0-2)
25t. Cellular, Hendersonville, TN (0-2)
25t. Stadium Club, Jacksonville, FL (0-2)
25t. Bud Light, Clearwater, FL (0-2)

1991 ASA Men’s C Slow Pitch Nationals

1991 held at Lagoon Park and Fain Park in Montgomery, Alabama on September 26-29.

Champion – Pudley’s, Redwood City, California
Runner Up – Zebra Bar, Port Huron, Michigan (65-14)

The tournament was 109 teams which at this point was the largest ASA national tournament held to date.

Pudley’s defeated Zebra Bar 7-3 in the final.

FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P –
C –
1B – Craig Seaman, Zebra Bar
2B –
3B –
SS –
OF – Foltz, Zebra Bar
UT – Bob Koon, Zebra Bar

SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P –
C –
1B –
2B –
3B –
SS –
OF – Jeff Fields, Zebra Bar
OF – Jerry Wagner, Zebra Bar

THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P –
C –
1B –
2B –
3B – Kurt Zurawaski, Zebra Bar
SS –
OF –
OF – Bob Kaatz, Zebra Bar
EP – Chuck LaGrange, Zebra Bar
UT – Doug Fowler, Zebra Bar
UT – Denny Fowler, Zebra Bar

FINALS STANDINGS (incomplete)

1. Pudley’s, Redwood City, CA
2. Zebra Bar, Port Huron, MI

109 teams participated

1991 NCAA Women’s College World Series

1991 held at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 23-26.

Champion – Arizona Wildcats (56-16)
Runner Up – UCLA Bruins (56-7)

Arizona wins its first women’s team national championship in any sport. Pitching (Debby Day 30-8, 0.50; Susie Parra 14-3, 0.43; Julie Jones 12-5, 1.21) and defense (.970 team fielding percentage, Julie Standering 187 assists at shortstop) were keys to the season. The Cats also stole 119 bases. Jones (.350), Jamie Heggen (.330), Kristin Gauthier (.300), Standering (.296) and Jody Miller (.272) had outstanding seasons at the plate.

The Cats beat No. 1-ranked UCLA twice at the College World Series to earn the championship, including a 5-1 victory in the title game. UA had four extra-inning games in the classic. The Cats used short-game tactics much of the year and were led by Standering with 30 and Miller with 20 stolen bases. Arizona finished the year 56-16 overall. The Cats were frustrated in the tough Pac-10 Conference at 11-9 and a fourth-place finish.

  • Honda Sports Award – Lisa Fernandez, UCLA (20-3, 0.25 ERA, 165 K, .341 BA, 2 HR 32 RBI)
  • Batting Leader – Debby Day, Arizona – .385
  • RBI Leader – 3 tied at 3. Julie Jones, Arizona; Lorraine Maynez, UCLA, DeDe Weiman, UCLA
  • Home Run Leader – Lisa Fernandez, UCLA – 1
  • Home Run Leader – Kim Maher, Fresno State – 1
  • ERA Leader – Karen Snelgrove, Missouri – 0.00
  • ERA Leader – Susie Parra, Arizona – 0.00
  • Strikeout Leader – Terry Carpenter, Fresno State – 23

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

P – Heather Compton, UCLA
P – Debbie Day, Arizona
C – Kerry Dienelt, UCLA
1B – Julie Jones, Arizona
2B – Julie Smith, Fresno State
3B – Lisa Fernandez, UCLA
SS – Julie Standering, Arizona
OF – Kristin Gauthier, Arizona
OF – Yvonne Gutierrez, UCLA
OF – Lorraine Maynez, UCLA
AL – Kim Maher, Fresno State
AL – Terry Carpenter, Fresno State

SCORES

  1. UCLA 1 Florida State 0
  2. Arizona 1 UNLV 0 (13 inn.)
  3. Long Beach State 1 Missouri 0
  4. Fresno State 2 Utah 0
  5. Florida State 3 UNLV 1 – UNLV eliminated
  6. Missouri 2 Utah 0 (9 inn.) – Utah eliminated
  7. Arizona 1 UCLA 0 (9 inn.)
  8. Long Beach State 3 Fresno State 0
  9. Fresno State 3 Florida State 0 – Florida State eliminated
  10. UCLA 5 Missouri 0 – Missouri eliminated
  11. Arizona 1 Long Beach State 0 (8 inn.)
  12. Fresno State 1 Arizona 0 (8 inn.)
  13. UCLA 1 Long Beach State 0 – Long Beach State eliminated
  14. UCLA 5 Fresno State 1 (13 inn.) – Fresno State eliminated
  15. Arizona 5 UCLA 1 – UCLA eliminated

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Arizona Wildcats (3-1)
2. UCLA Bruins (4-2)
3. Fresno State Bulldogs (3-2)
4. Long Beach State 49ers (2-2)
5t. Missouri Tigers  (1-2)
5t. Florida State Seminoles (1-2)
7t. Utah Utes (0-2)
7t. UNLV Rebels (0-2)

REGIONALS

Regional No. 1

  1. Florida State 1 Louisiana-Lafayette 0
  2. Oklahoma State 3 Louisiana-Lafayette 2 – Louisiana-Lafayette eliminated
  3. Florida State 2 Oklahoma State 0
  4. Florida State 4 Oklahoma State 3 – Oklahoma State eliminated

Florida State qualifies for the WCWS, 3-0.

Regional No. 2

  1. UCLA 4 Central Michigan 0
  2. UCLA 5 Central Michigan 0

UCLA qualifies for the WCWS, 2-0.

Regional No. 3

  1. UMass 3 Connecticut 1
  2. UNLV 3 Connecticut 0
  3. UNLV 4 UMass 0
  4. UNLV 5 UMass 0

UNLV qualifies for the WCWS, 3-0.

Regional No. 4

  1. Arizona 4 Arizona State 2
  2. Arizona 4 Arizona 0

Arizona qualifies for the WCWS, 2-0.

Regional No. 5

  1. Cal State Fullerton 3 Long Beach State 2 (10 inn.)
  2. Long Beach State 2 Cal State Fullerton 1
  3. Long Beach State 5 Cal State Fullerton 1

Long Beach State qualifies for the WCWS, 2-1.

Regional No. 6

  1. Missouri 2 Southern Illinois 0
  2. Iowa 2 Southern Illinois 0 – Southern Illinois eliminated
  3. Missouri 2 Iowa 0
  4. Missouri 4 Iowa 0

Missouri qualifies for the WCWS, 3-0.

Regional No. 7

  1. Fresno State 2 California 0
  2. Fresno State 8 California 1

Fresno State qualifies for the WCWS, 2-0.

Regional No. 8

  1. Utah 1 Minnesota 0
  2. Minnesota 3 Texas A&M 0
  3. Texas A&M 1 Utah 0
  4. Utah 2 Minnesota 0 – Minnesota eliminated
  5. Utah 3 Texas A&M 0 – Texas A&M eliminated

Utah qualifies for the WCWS, 3-1.

ALL-AMERICAN FIRST TEAM

P – Heather Compton, UCLA
P – Terry Carpenter, Fresno State
P – Michele Granger, California Golden
C – Diane Pohl, Iowa
1B – Julie Cavanaugh, Oregon
2B – Julie Smith, Fresno State
3B – Camille Spitaleri, Kansas
SS – Julie Standering, Arizona
OF – Yvonne Gutierrez, UCLA
OF – Pam Stanley, Central Michigan
OF – Tricia Popowski, South Carolina
UTIL – Lisa Fernandez, UCLA

ALL-AMERICAN SECOND TEAM

P – Karen Snelgrove, Missouri
P – Karen Jackson, Iowa
P – Missi Young, Texas A&M
C – Erica Ziencina, UCLA
1B – Julie Jones, Arizona
2B – Michelle Delloso, South Carolina
3B – Gina LoPiccolo, Fresno State
SS – Tiffany Tootle, South Carolina
OF – Rachel Brown, Arizona State
OF – Leigh Ross, Toledo
OF – Charmelle Green, Utah
UT – Kelly Brookhart, Creighton
AL – Kari Blank, Minnesota

1991 Arizona Wildcats

1991 ISC Men’s Fast Pitch World Tournament

1991 held at Sioux City, Iowa on August 9-18.

Champion – Penn Corp, Sioux City, Iowa
Runner Up – Canadian Tire, Owen Sound, Ontario

  • Cleo Goyette Memorial MVP Award – Tim Wahl, Penn Corp
  • Leroy Zimmerman Memorial Pitching Award – Brad Underwood, Canadian Tire
  • Kevin Herlihy Newcomer of the Year – N/A
  • Leading Hitter – Tim Wahl, Penn Corp – .600
  • Leading Hitter – Richie Pfaff, Class Walls – .545
  • Most RBI – Eric Isenhart, Explorers – 10

1991 ISC FIRST TEAM ALL WORLD

P – Chubb Tangaroa, Guanella Bros. (4-2, 0.66 ERA, 85K)
P – Michael White, Penn Corp (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 29K)
P – Brad Underwood, Canadian Tire (6-2, 0.89 ERA, 110K)
C – Tim Wahl, Penn Corp .500
C – Greg Stockton, Colonial Baking .294
IF – Steve Hebeler, Bosch-Rausch .467
IF – Dan Cronkright, Explorers .421
IF – Al Burnham, Canadian Tire .296
IF – Denny Place, Decatur Pride .400
IF – Mark Sorenson, Penn Corp .278
OF – Jim Clark, Guanella Bros. .320
OF – Bill Boyer, Penn Corp .304
OF – Richie Pfaff, Class Walls .500
OF – Kevin Litz, Spirit .381
DH – Eric Isenhart, Explorers .400

1991 ISC SECOND TEAM ALL WORLD

P – Marty Grant, Decatur Pride (3-1, 0.50 ERA, 45K)
P – Dan Yantzi, Explorers (4-2, 1.79 ERA, 34K)
P – Paul Algar, Colonial Baking (3-0, 1.08 ERA, 40K)
C – Doug Fillmore, The Farm Tavern .250
C – Don Trotter, Guanella Bros. .090
IF – Keith Mackingtosh, Merchants .417
IF – Bob Richardson, Canadian Tire .296
IF – Tim Balsi, Midwest GMC Truck & Van .462
IF – Mike Cork, Colonial Baking .286
IF – Denny Rich, Decatur Pride .400
OF – Pete Turner, Guanella Bros. .269
OF – Doug Peyton, Bosch-Rausch .429
OF – Kevin Hartwig, The Farm Tavern .357
OF – Al Staats, Canadian Tire .161
DH – Mike Tranal, Bosch-Rausch .357

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Penn Corp, Sioux City, IA
2. Canadian Tire, Owen Sound, ON
3. Guanella Bros., Rohnert Park, CA
4. Colonial Baking, Aurora, IL
5t. Seafirst, Bellevue, WA
5t. Explorers, Midland, MI
7t. Decatur Pride, Decatur, IL
7t. The Farm Tavern, Madison, WI
9t. Larry Miller Toyota, Salt Lake City, UT
9t. Spirit, Amsterdam, NY
9t. Payless, Victoria, BC
9t. Merchants, Camrose AB
13t. Page Brake, Salt Lake City, UT
13t. Hearts, Bloomington, IL
13t. Soos, Sioux City, IA
13t. Cole County Jazz, Marshall, MO
17t. ESS/Planggers, Ashland, OH
17t. Midwest GMC Truck & Van, St. Louis, MO
17t. Mustangs, Prescott, AZ
17t. Bosch-Rausch, Cedar Rapids, IA
17t. Carnation, Green Bay, WI
17t. Sting, Shelbyville, IN
17t. Diamonds, Portage La Prairie, MB
17t. Class Walls, Whiteford, MD
25t. Rangers, El Cajon, CA
25t. York Sundance, Toronto, ON
25t. Black Sox, Las Cruces, NM
25t. Knights, Des Moines, IA
25t. Carp Valley Pride, Carp, ON
25t. Silver Bullets, St. Paul, MN
25t. Faultless-Garber, Ashland, OH
25t. Metros, Des Moines, IA
33t. Stewart Taylor-Printing, Duluth, MN
33t. Stout Tower Eagles, Lakewood, CA
33t. Lusby’s Rebels, Pine Bluff, AR
33t. Nogales Sonora Amigos
33t. Magicians, Vancouver, BC
33t. Texas Flyers, Houston, TX
33t. Oilers, Shreveport, LA
33t. Beer Nuts, Bloomington, IL
33t. Athletics, Orlando, FL
33t. Pro Sportwear, Davenport, IA
33t. Asham Fastball Club, Winnipeg, MB
33t. R E Scott, Sioux City, IA
33t. Flora Craft, Ludington, MI
33t. Hawks, Baytown, TX
33t. Hertz, Topeka, KS
33t. United Surgical Steel, Montgomery, AL

1991 USSSA Men’s AA Slow Pitch Worlds

1991 held at San Clemente, California.

Champion – Dan Smith Plastering, San Jose, California
Runner Up – Gooslin Construction, Columbus, Ohio

Coach Tim Millette of Dan Smith Plastering recently waxed retrospective. Amidst all of the excitement that has surrounds his 1991 “AA” World Champion club from San Jose, California, Millette’s thoughts harkened back to long summer days and nights of the past, talk with the “Bear”.

“You know, the Bear and I used to talk for hours and hours about winning the ‘AA” Championship,” said Millette. “Sometimes, that was all we would talk about.

The “Bear”, better known as Dennis Fransen, the longtime coach of Pro Team Sports and its recent moniker, Dan Smith Plastering, wasn’t able to enjoy his dream of winning a world title, as he died of a heart attack early this season.

The indescribable loss of this man – who served as a friend, coach and mentor to all members of Dan Smith Plastering – would have destroyed most softball teams. The team seemd to follow this pattern at first, as the veteran ball club slumped at the beginning of ’91.

But despite early problems, Millette knew it was only a matter of time before Dan Smith turned it around. After all, this team was on a mission – to win it all for the “Bear.”

Dan Smith Plastering did eventually turn it around, and completed its mission by capturing the “AA” World title at San Clemente, California Labor Day weekend with a 5-0 record.

For Millette and the rest of his charges, it wasn’t a matter of “if’ they would take the trophy back to San Jose, but of “how” they would do it. “We had to win – that’s why we were here,” said Millette. “Coming in second wasn’t good enough – we would just as soon as come in last than do that.”

Behind the MVP performance of outfielder Jeff Peterson, who hit .882, and the offensive power of Gary Robertson, Wes Lord, and Dave Feather, Dan Smith Plastering was able to put the runs on the board with regularity, as an opening 28-10 win over Budweiser from Omaha can attest.

However, Dan Smith presented itself as a champion in a field of winners by winning the money games. Down and nearly out in the bottom of the seventh to Taylor Brothers from Rhode Island 15-9 with one out, divine intervention seemed to be taking place.

“It was a miracle – a couple of those hits didn’t have a chance to get through,” said Millette of the rally. In probably the biggest inning in the team’s long history, Dan Smith Plastering completed the miracle with a three-run homer from Robertson to give the team a shocking 17-15 win.

“Dennis must have been up there helping us,” said Millette.

The defense, led by infielders Chris Alverado, Tim Allen and Todd Verner, served as gatekeepers in a 7-2 win over Michigan’s Bunca Car Wash, as few balls found the outfield grass. The Plastering crew completed its storybook finish with dual wins over Gooslin Construction of Columbus, Ohio, 29-13 and 13-11.

With the team still on cloud nine after winning at San Clemente, Dan Smith Plastering brought their amazing brand of softball to the cast coast with a remarkable fourth place finish at the Major World Series in Daytona Beach, Florida two weeks later. “Teams were looking right past us, but when we beat them, they were amazed,” said Millette. “I hope that a west coast teams will get more respect.”

Dan Smith’s torrid post-season finish culminated a complete turnaround from 1990, when the ten-named Pro Team Sports went 0-2 at the “A” Worlds after tearing up the west coast during the year.

“Some people in the grapevine were saying we couldn’t win the big one, and that hurt:’ said Millette.

But amid all of the hoopla that still surrounds Dan Smith, Millette is still thoughtful of the past season, and what it meant to all of those involved, past and present.

Millette could almost hear “Bear” say “Timmy, we did it!”

  • MVP – Jeff Peterson, Dan Smith Plastering
  • HR Leader – N/A
  • Batting Leader – Jeff Peterson, Dan Smith Plastering – .882
  • Defensive MVP – Brad Farrar, Gooslin Construction

1991 USSSA MEN’S CLASS “AA” WORLD TEAM

Kevin Birkofer, Gooslin Construction
Rich Courtney, Dan Smith Plastering (.700, 4 HR, 7 RBI)
Steve Dickinson, Gooslin Construction
Bill Dunlap, Slo-Pitch News
Brad Farrar, Gooslin Construction
Dave Feather, Dan Smith Plastering (.737, 10 RBI)
Tim Linson, Gooslin Construction
Wes Lord, Dan Smith Plastering (.687, 7 HR, 17 RBI)
Ron Pease, Slo-Pitch News
Jeff Peterson, Dan Smith Plastering (.882, 5 HR, 19 RBI)
Gary Robertson, Dan Smith Plastering (.813, 7 HR, 10 RBI)
Doug Shaneyfelt, Gooslin Construction
Todd Verner, Dan Smith Plastering

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Dan Smith Plastering, San Jose, CA (5-0)
2. Gooslin Construction, Columbus, OH (4-2)
3. Slo-Pitch News, Seattle, WA (5-2)
4. Stottler Stagg, Cocoa, FL (4-2)
5t. Bunca Car Wash, Kalamazoo, MI (2-2)
5t. Spectrum Screen Printing, Crystal, MN (2-2)
7t. Boys of Summer, Naples, FL (2-2)
7t. Pace Electronics, Rochester, NY (2-2)
9t. Rainbow Carpets, Houston, TX (2-2)
9t. Murls/Sonny’s/Worth, Broomfield, CO (1-2)
9t. Budweiser of Omaha, Omaha, NE (1-2)
9t. Taylor Brothers, Providence, RI (1-2)
13t. R&M/Midwest Metals, Waterloo, IA (0-2)
13t. Las Vegas Aces, Las Vegas, NV (1-2)
13t. Worley’s Maverick’s, Jefferson City, MO (0-2)
13t. McDonald’s Survival, Wylie, TX (0-2)
17. Pacific Blues, Seattle, WA (0-2)

1991 USSSA Men’s A Slow Pitch Worlds

1991 held at  San Clemente, California on August 30-September 2.

Champion – Undercoverwear, Wilmington, Massachusetts
Runner Up – Post/Showtime Floor, Sacramento, California

UndercoverWear Refuses To Go Down In A World

It was a classic case of a team that wouldn’t allow itself to be beaten, as Undercoverwear of Wilmington, Massachusetts captured the 1991 USSSA “A” World Championship in San Clemente, California August 30-September 2. The winners overcame long odds as well as a long series to post a 9-1 record.

After dropping into the loser’s bracket after falling in game three, Undercoverwear reeled off seven consecutive victories in the loser’s bracket to claim the title. The final two wins came against previously unbeaten Showtime floor of Sacrament, who finished with a 5-2 marl.

Third place went to Alliance of Woodland Hills, California with a 4-2 mark, and Arizona Elite from Mesa surprised many with a fourth place finish and a 7-2 record. In all, 34 teams from around the United States participated in the tournament.

Undercoverwear’s success at world was surprising since teams from the New England region are usually not competitive in the “A” ranks. Even more impressive was the fact that Undercoverwear did it with local players from Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut.

To win the title, Undercoverwear went through a lot of adversity. “People laughed at us because of our name,” said coach Steve Crampton of the second year team “Our sponsor is a women’s lingerie producer.”

No one is laughing anymore, though.

Undercoverwear’s only “easy” win came in their opening game against Schooner Tavern from Tacoma, Washington, as they breezed to a 16-5 triumph. Schooner came back strong, however, to win four straight en route to an eighth place finish.

A tidy 10-5 victory over A&W Produce out of San Leandro, California was one of many victories Undercoverwear had over California-based teams. However, in their only had game of the tournament, Undercoverwear lost 10-2 to Showtime Floor to drop into the loser’s bracket.

At the same time, most of the attention was focused on local favorites such as Itchy Foot, Rebs, Dynasty and Alliance — the four top-ranked teams in the “A” division at the time.

Dynasty opened with runaway wins of 19-4 over Bancroft Softball Club from Grand Prairie, Texas and 33-8 over Beloli Heating of Taunton, Massachusetts. Reb’s, led by veterans Mike Cellura and Greg “C-Train” Cannedy, rolled in their first two games, including a 36-7 thrashing of Haro’s Team Sports from San Jose. Alliance and Itchy Foot also breezed through their early games.

Other teams that seemed to have beat on the world title included Arizona Elite, Showtime Floor, RAM/Unocal ’76 from Richmond, California and Bull on the Beach from Ocean City, Maryland. However, since many of these teams had the misfortune to play each other at this point, some of the favorites began to fall out of the picture.

Alliance edged rival Itchy Foot 14-13 to knock them into the loser’s bracket. RAM/Unocal 76 topped Dynasty and Arizona Magic to remain in contention. Maryland’s Bull on the Beach surprised Reb’s with a narrow 15-14 win, a loss which Reb’s wouldn’t recover from.

As Alliance Showtime Floors and Arizona Elite began to emerge from the pack in the winner’s bracket, Undercoverwear began what would prove to be a glorious run to the top. The East Coast team began to make their move with an efficient 12-6 win over Mizuno/Cooper from Martinez, California.

Reb’s was next, and Undercoverwear jumped out to a narrow lead and maintained it for most of the contest. However, they could never pull away from Reb’s and held a slim 13-11 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the inning, Reb’s put the tying and winning runs on second and third with two outs. Reb’s sent the consistent Donnie Furnald to the plate. Furnald couldn’t deliver, however, as he one-hopped the first pitch back to the mound, resulting in the third out and the win for Undercoverwear.

As Undercoverwear continued to climb through the loser’s bracket, the equally surprising Showtime Floor squad continued their run through the winner’s bracket. Their 27-14 rout of RAM/Unocal set Showtime up for a showdown with the other undefeated club, Alliance.

As North met South for California supremacy, Showtime Floor upended Alliance 20-10 to gain a spot in the championship final against the survivor of the loser’s bracket.

Meanwhile, Arizona Elite defeated Bull on the Beach 29-12 to knock them out of the tournament, while Undercoverwear eaked out a tough 8-7 decision over RAM/Unocal. Arizona Elite and Undercoverwear clashed for the right to meet Alliance in the loser’s bracket final, and the Wilmington-based squad recorded another narrow victory, 11-10, to win their third straight.

Playing in its fourth consecutive game on Labor Day, the hard-charging New Englanders fell fell behind once-beaten Alliance early in the contest. Undercoverwear trailed by two runs after six innings, but the tide seemed to turn when Alliance’s John thrown “Bull” Kramer was out at the plate to end the top of the seventh.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run single by Gino Espinal was disputed by Alliance players and coaches. Complaining that there was too much pine tar on the bat, the intensity of the game reached a fever pitch. However, the play stood and the score was knotted at 14-14. This dispute seemed to fuel Undercoverwear’s fire, however, and a fly ball to left scored the winning run from third to give Undercoverwear a 15-14 win and another crack to Showtime Floor.

In the championship game, Showtime Floor jumped out to an early 6-0 lead over Undercoverwear, and seemed on the verge of blowing the contest open. But over the next three innings, the Easterners came back to knot the score at 6-6.

After battling back and forth over the next few innings, Showtime held a slim 11-10 lead before Undercoverwear put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth to take a 12-11 lead. Showtime couldn’t respond, as they left runners on second and third to end the game.

Despite losing the first game, coach Rudy Rodriguez of Showtime Floor wasn’t worried. “We had never been beaten twice in a row like this,” he said. “We felt that they were tired. We honestly felt we could beat them.” It was almost a carbon copy of the first game, as Showtime Floor erupted for seven runs to take an early lead. Undercoverwear came back with four of its own the bottom of the inning to keep the game close.

Showtime padded its lead by scoring four more runs midway through the game to take a 11-4 lead. However, Undercoverwear roared back for seven runs in the fifth inning to Showtime’s one to edge closer, 12-11.

Showtime held a 14-13 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, but Undercoverwear struck with two runs to take a 15-14 lead, which held to the end.

“It was incredible because the team jelled a the right time,” said Crampton. “It was sweet to win it in their backyard.”

Rodriguez, though disappointed to lose two straight games to Undercoverwear, had no complaints. “The story in those two games was they got the timely hits, and we didn’t,” he said. “They wanted to win it really bad, and everything was going their way. They deserved to win, because they played better than we did.”

Espinal collected the MVP award, despite a bad shoulder that almost force the standout to stay at home. It was this type of dedication and perserverence that helped Undercoverwear go all of the way. “We just kept coming back and winning,” said Crampton. “We were like mosquitos out there.”

  • MVP – Gino Espinol, Undercoverwear
  • HR Leader – N/A
  • Batting Leader – N/A
  • Defensive MVP – N/A
  • Offensive MVP – N/A

1991 USSSA MEN’S CLASS “A” WORLD TEAM

  • No Information Provided

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Undercover Wear, Wilmington, MA (9-1)
2. Post Oil/Showtime Floors, Sacramento, CA 5-2)
3. Alliance, San Fernando Valley, CA (4-2)
4. Arizona Elite, Mesa, AZ (7-2)
5t. Ram/Unocal 76, Richmond, CA (3-2)
5t. Bull on the Beach, Ocean City, MD (3-2)
7t. Rebs, North Hollywood, CA (3-2)
7t. Schoner Tavern, Tacoma, WA (4-2)
9t. Muzuno/Cooper, Martinez, CA (3-2)
9t. Arizona/Majic, Tempe, AZ (3-2)
9t. Trygg’s/Edina Realty/Ed’s Body Shop, Crystal, MN (3-2)
9t. Itchy Foot, San Gabriel, CA (2-2)
13t. Haro’s/Team Sports/Mizuno, San Jose, CA (2-2)
13t. Beloli Heating, Taunton, MA (2-2)
13t. Dan Smith Plastering, San Jose, CA (2-2)
13t. Dynasty, Downey, CA (2-2)
17t. Roof Mechanics/GES, Wichita, KS (1-2)
17t. A&W Produce, San Leandro, CA (1-2)
17t. All Line Construction, Clearwater, FL (1-2)
17t. Hutchinson Softball Club, Hutchinson, KS (1-2)
17t. House of Travel, Waco, TX (1-2)
17t. Keystone/Bahama Bob’s, Fairfield, CT (1-2)
17t. Herb’s, San Diego, CA (2-2)
17t. Chipper’s Pub, South Beloit, IL (1-2)
25t. Bancroft Softball Club, Grand Prairie, TX (1-2)
25t. Steichen’s/Keller Lake Lounge, Roseville, MN (0-2)
25t. Landsharks/Rancho Suspension, Phoenix, AZ (0-2)
25t. Jimmies, Kalamazoo, MI (0-2)
25t. Coors, Midland, TX (0-2)
25t. Hopkins Bowl/Hopkins JC’s, Hopkins, MN (0-2)
25t. Softball Express, Lunwood, WA (1-2)
25t. Precision Construction, Independence, MO (0-2)

1991 USSSA Women’s Major Slow Pitch World Series

1991 held at Concord, California.

Champion – Lady Blue, Carrollton, Texas (60-8)
Runner Up – Salem Hawks, Bellville, Illinois

Pitcher Mary Hoff cemented her MVP award by going 2-3 with 2 HR and 5 RBI in the championship game. She pitched the 16-14 victory. Leslie Kanter and Anna Clements were both 3-4 for the Lady Blue squad. Sue Kozoil smashed a HR and had 4 RBI. For the Hawks, Lori Ergenbeck was 3-4, with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Manager Al Campbell won his 5th USSSA World Series title.

  • MVP – Mary Hoff, Lady Blue (11-21, .524, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 11 Runs)
  • Batting Leader – Lori Ergenbeck, Salem Hawks (11-15, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 10 Runs) – .733
  • HR Leader – Denise Day, Lady Blue (12-23, .522, 12 RBI, 11 Runs)  – 9
  • Defensive MVP – Gina Vitale, Salem Hawks
  • Offensive MVP – Lori Ergenbeck, Salem Hawks (11-15, .733, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 10 Runs)

1991 ALL WORLD TEAM

P – Mary Hoff, Lady Blue
C – Janet Dial, Mr. A’s Express
AH – Fran Nicholson, Mich
AH – Sue Day, Mr. A’s Express
AH – Lori Erpenbeck, Salem Hawks
1B – Jeril Junker, Auto Body Panels
2B – Leslie Kanter, Lady Blue
3B – Denise Day, Lady Blue
SS – Deanna Darrell, Empre
SS – Trina Hertzog, Salem Hawks
SS – Sue Koziol, Lady Blue
OF – Laura Troutman, Auto Body Panels
OF – Andy Auto Body Panels
OF – Allison Cole, Lady Blue
OF – Gina Vitale, Salem Hawks
Manager – Al Campbell, Lady Blue

FINAL STANDINGS (Incomplete – 16 Teams)

1. Lady Blue, Carrollton, TX (5-0)
2. Salem Hawks Softball, Belleville, MI (4-2)
3. Auto Body Panels, Cincinnati, OH (4-2)
4. Mr A’s Express, Sacramento, CA (4-2)
5t. Empress Chili, Cincinnati, OH (2-2)

1991 ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch Nationals

1991 held at Decatur, Illinois at Borg-Warner Field.

Champion – Raybestos Brakettes, Stratford, Connecticut (64-2)
Runner Up – California Knights, Burbank, California

Knocked into the losers bracket originally by the Knights, the Brakettes fought back to capture the first final 2-1 in 10 innings and then in the final championship game behind Pat Difficy’s 2 Home Runs and Kathy Arendsen’s pitching, walked away with a 8-0 victory to clinch the title. The Brakettes came back from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Redding Rebels 8-6 in the loser’s bracket final. They then came back in the first final, losing 1-0 and Knight pitcher Lori Harrigan on the mound and three outs to go, the Brakettes fought back to win a dramatic 10 inning 2-1 game. Which brought both teams to the winner take all championship game. The Brakettes won going way 8-0 on the strength of 3 home runs.

Barbara Reinalda was 1-0.

Chrissy Oliver was 1-0.

  • MVP – Lisa Fernandez, Raybestos Brackettes
  • HR Leader – Pat Dufficy, Stratford Brakettes – 3
  • Batting Leader – Charlotte Wiley, California Knights – .542
  • Bertha Tickey Pitching Award – Kathy Arendsen, Raybestos
  • Erv Lind Defensive Award – Julie Smith, Redding Rebels

FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P – Kathy Arendsen, Raybestos Brakettes (3-0, 2 Shutouts, 0 ER, 8-0 shutout in championship game)
P – Michele Smith, Redding Rebels
P – Lori Harrigan, California Knights (2-1, 2 shutouts)
C – Suzy Brazney, Orange County Majestics
C – Denise Correa, Whittier Raiders
1B – Sheila Cornell Douty, Raybestos Brakettes
2B – Julie Smith, Redding Rebels
3B – Sharon Sodano, California Knights
SS – Dot Richardson, Raybestos Brakettes
OF – Jeannae Lambdin, Raybestos Brakettes
OF – Lisa Erickson, California Knights
OF – Kris Schmidt, Raybestos Brakettes
OF – Rina Foster, Redding Rebels
DP – Charlotte Wiley, California Knights (13-24, .542)
UTIL – Lisa Fernandez, Raybestos Brakettes (1-1 with save in first final, 22 K, 18 IP, 1 ER, .346 Average, 8 RBI, hit a 2-run Double in the final game)

SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P – Susie Parra, Phoenix Sunbirds (2-1 with 30 K in 22 IP)
P – Cheri Kempf, Raybestos Brakettes (3-0)
P – Debbie Doom, Orange County Majestics (4-2)
C – Barb Booth, Redding Rebels
C – Doreen Denmon, Raybestos Brakettes
1B – Debbie Langevain, Whittier Raiders
2B – Karen Walker, Raybestos Brakettes
3B – Cindy Cooper, Redding Rebels
SS – Shari Johnson, California Knights
OF – Priscilla Rouse, California Knights
OF – Suzy Lady, Redding Rebels
OF – Xan Silva, Whittier Raiders
OF – Dionne Harris, Raybestos Brakettes
DP – Jill Justin-Coffel, Raybestos Brakettes (game winning hit in 10th inning of 2-1 first final to get to the “if” game)
UTIL – Amy Gelbach, Whittier Raiders

THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

P – Heather Compton, Whittier Raiders
P – DeDe Weiman, California Knights
P – Michele Granger, Whittier Raiders
C – Angie Jacobs, Redding Rebels
C – Leanne Bonifas, East Peoria Avantis
1B – Jodi Rathbun, East Peoria Avantis
2B – Pam Newton, Orange County Majestics
3B – Jill Matyuch, Orange County Majestics
SS – Ann Rowan, Whittier Raiders
OF – Jenny Condon, National Designwear
OF – Yvonne Gutierrez, Redding Rebels
OF – Carol Maioran, Budweiser Belles
OF – Natalie King, Phoenix Sunbirds
DP – Valerie Van Kirk, Whittier Raiders
UTIL – Nikki Busch, Orange County Majestics

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Raybestos Brakettes, Stratford, CT (8-1)
2. California Knights, Burbank, CA (5-2)
3. Redding Rebels, Redding, CA (4-2)
4. Whittier Raiders, Whittier, CA (4-2)
5t. Orange County Majestics, Orange, CA (4-2)
5t. Phoenix Sunbirds, Phoenix, AZ (4-2)
7t. West Frankfort Cards, Frankfort, IL (2-2)
7t. Budweiser Belles, Parsippany, NJ (4-2)
9t. First Page Metros, Washington, D.C. (2-2)
9t. Purity Bakery Sting, Decatur, IL (3-2)
9t. Topton VIPs, Topton, PA (1-2)
9t. St. Louis Classics, St. Louis, MO (3-2)
13t. Bloomington Lady Hearts, Bloomington, IL (2-2)
13t. Ballwin Saints, Ballwin, MO (2-2)
13t. East Peoria Avantis, East Peoria, IL (1-2)
13t. Des Moines Merchants, Des Moines, IA (1-2)
17t. Carterville Cougars, Carterville, IL (0-2)
17t. Michigan Cruise, Ann Arbor, MI (1-2)
17t. National Designerwear Bash Minneapolis, MN (1-2)
17t. Plymouth Blue Wave, Plymouth, MA (0-2)
17t. Celina Suns, Celina, OH (0-2)
17t. Decatur Rockettes, Decatur, IL (1-2)
17t. Texas Beverage KIDZ, TX (0-2)
17t. Mid-Michigan Express, Midland, MI (0-2)
25t. DeWyse Builders, Engadine, MI (0-2)
25t. Herrin Softball, Herrin, IL (0-2)
25t. DeFeo’s Jersey Blue Jays, NJ (0-2)

L-R, top row- Manager Ralph Raymond, Scorer Richard Peterson, Doreen Denmon, Julie Standering, Dot Richardson, Lisa Fernandez, Karen Walker, Mary Jo Firnbach, Dionna Harris, Michelle Palmer, Coach Bob Baird, Coach John Stratton bottom row- Jill Justin, Leslie Adams, Pat Dufficy, Barbara Reinalda, Kathy Arendsen, Cheri Kempf, Sheila Cornell, Kris Schmidt