http://www.slugger.com

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By Dave Utnik

There is no other sound quite like it. One swing of aLouisville Slugger bat is all it takes to recognize that there issomething unique at play on softball diamonds worldwide.

The traditional ping that players have been so accustomed tohearing upon contact has been transformed by S1iD technology.And it’s becoming quite a hit throughout the industry.

By inserting discs into the barrels of their ASA-approved Z-1000 slow pitch and Xeno fastpitch models, LouisvilleSlugger has altered the perception of what the sweet spotsounds like and reestablished itself as a leader among theworld’s top bat manufacturers.

"What you're hearing are the discs inside the barrelinteracting with the walls as they flex and make contact uponbat/ball impact," Louisville Slugger Director of Marketing

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James Sass said. "While less than traditional, it proves the S1iD is working and the player is gettingmaximum performance. That sound has turned into a positive among players because they realize thetechnology is helping them."

The best-kept secret in softball is out. And it’s winning over new users on the first swing.Unlike traditional composite bats that typically need to be broken in to generate peak performance,

Louisville Slugger’s S1iD bats -- SB12ZAB and SB12ZAE within the slow pitch Z-1000 line along with theFP12X, FP12X9, and FP12X8 Fastpitch Xeno models -- are expertly tuned to instantly deliver line drivesand game winning home runs.

"Bat break in time was one of the items we learned was most frustrating to players," Sass said."Many players struggled to know if and when their bat was going to break in and each model in themarketplace seemed to have a different time period or number of contacts. These statements had avery strong voice with our design team and break in time was at the forefront of the design processfrom the beginning."

"While doing our market research, players unanimously stated they wanted a composite bat thatwas game ready as early as possible and we're proud to be able to achieve that,” Sass said. “S1iDhas been received very, very well by players at all ages and levels of play. S1iD technology allowsfor maximum barrel flex from the get go - literally swing one - and eliminate any frustrating breakin period.”

The bats all feature the same materials and technologies, but vary in weight drop.For example, the Xeno FP12X, FP12X9 have balanced weight distribution, while the FP12X8

features an end-loaded barrel for the stronger, more advanced players.There are other exclusive development advances as well, even on bats that aren’t used at

the ASA level, such as the SB12ZB and SB12ZE. Louisville Slugger has also introduced iSTtechnology, which eliminates vibration, and LS2X composite technology, which is designedto create a wider sweet spot.

“In most cases, the first comments are about how good the bat feels to hit - a clearindicator IST is working for them," Sass said. “IST essentially takes any negative vibrationaway, but still allows for players to positively feel the ball meet the bat at contact so theyknow how well they hit it.”

The strength of iST technology in the Xeno and Z-1000 models lies in the smoothtransition from the handle to the barrel. The two are essential entwined to give battersmore control of their swing -- a perk that allows for huge sweet spots, thinner wallsfor increased performance and a reduction in negative vibration.

Even when contact isn’t made on the sweet spot, vibrations are absorbedbefore they reach a player’s hands, reducing potential sting and allowing the ballto travel farther.

With the Xeno and Z-1000 models, players have complete control of their swing.It’s no wonder that stars like Jessica Mendoza and some of the nation’s elite

college programs, such as Stanford, Texas A&M and Long Beach State, useLouisville Slugger.

"The bat business continues to get more and more competitive each year,"Sass Said. "Our 125 + years of bat making experience along with innovativetechnologies like iST, S1iD, and LS-2X composite allow us to continue to makeperformance bats that the best players demand."

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By Mark Andrews

The best team in college softball swings only one bat --DeMarini. And the Arizona State Sun Devils have collected enoughhits over the past four seasons to capture a pair of Women'sCollege World Series championships.

With a lineup designed to fit the varying needs of slappers andsluggers, DeMarini enabled the Sun Devils to achieve success byproviding bats and equipment that suit every type of hitter.

"Our partnership with Clint Myers and ASU is one we’re extremelyproud of," said Sara Bandauski, who serves as the head ofDeMarini/Wilson Fastpitch Promotions. "Most importantly we’rethrilled for those athletes. It takes a team effort to win a championshipand for us to continue to come out with the best bats possible for ourathletes, it’s a team effort on our end as well."

The results pretty much speak for themselves. But DeMarini takesgreat pride in providing softball players with a style of bat that fits theirspecific skill set, whether it's the light but powerful CF5 -10 or theFeatherweight CF5 -11.

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"Our series is designed with weight drops, sizes and balances to meet the needs ofhitters 1-9 in the lineup - from power hitters to slappers. This comes from working daily withnot only top Olympians, but also youth players. Their feedback is critical in helping us buildthe best bats possible. The CF5 series is a great series of fastpitch bats designed to give anoption with an optimal weight distribution for each type of hitter. The CF5 -10 is our mostpopular bat because it meets the needs of the largest number of hitters," Bandauski said.

The Featherweight CF5 -11 bat, for example, is most suitable for a young player who isbecoming serious about softball and envisions playing at the 18-Gold level one day.

But there are options for the established fastpitch star as well -- like the end-loaded CF5-10 Insane, the weight-balanced CF5 -9 or the CF5 -8 which is preferred by many elitetravel ball and Division I college players who like a heavier bat.

"This goes back to the individual player and their preferences," Bandauski said. "Playerstypically know which one suits their swing needs best after they try them."

Just ask the national champion Sun Devils."We’ve gotten fantastic feedback on our CF5 Series. Our college players were exposed

to this bat earlier in the year and loved the pop," Bandauski said. "Recently we attended theSparkler and Fireworks tournaments in Colorado and got similar feedback from top travelball players. Yet, despite the fantastic feedback, we’re never satisfied and we’re alreadyback in the lab working on next year’s models."

The bat designers at DeMarini live by one slogan: "Insane Dedication to Performance."And they essentially stop at nothing in their endeavor to combine technology and science tocreate a high performance bat. "It’s what keeps us in the labs and on the fields designingthe best bats for our players," Bandauski said.

That is true in fastpitch as well as the slow pitch division, where DeMarini is at theforefront of the two-piece bat that has a one-piece feel.

"Our 4.ONE technology allows for our bat models to feel much stiffer than our traditionaltwo-piece models," said Jerry Garnett, National Slowpitch Marketing Manager. "This stifferdesign allows for a more responsive feel when striking the ball. A stiffer "crisper" feel underthe ball at contact is what players have been asking for from us and this is what we arefeaturing in the 4.ONE line of bats."

The innovations at DeMarini also include handles made of SC4 Alloy -- a popular featurethat is a signature element of the USSSA approved GTL Cartel and ASA performancestandard Sunday Swagger models. The ONE Senior model features the 4.ONE compositetechnology in the handle and barrel.

"All three models perform at the highest level for their perspective associations,"Garnett said.

And performance is what matters most to DeMarini, which designs bats with every talentlevel in mind.

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By Jim McCurdy

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK., --- All week long, the faithfulfrom Tempe had been chanting that same phrase.

“Fear the fork ... Fear the fork.”Meanwhile, fans who made the trek from

Gainesville, Florida were busy clasping their arms-extended hands together to signify a large-mouth bite.

Yet when Arizona State and Florida met for theWomen’s College World Series championship, the SunDevils didn’t take the Gator bait. In fact, ASU waschomping at the bit to stick a fork in alligator meat.

It was Florida’s offense that wooed the record67,631 fans who made their way through the gates

at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium June 2-7. But when thetwo powerhouses met in the championship series, theSun Devils’ pitchfork took the bite out of the Gators.

Arizona State swept the best-of-three championshipseries in dominating fashion to claim its secondnational title in four years. ASU won the opener, 14-4,before laying its hands on the trophy following a 7-2title clincher.

“They played the best softball of the year here atthe Women's College World Series,” Sun Devilscoach Clint Myers said. “They beat a very talentedFlorida Gators team.”

Arizona State pitcher Dallas Escobedo became thefirst freshman since 1990 to win a championship. She

held the Gators to five hits in the first game of thechampionship series and four hits in the finale. ASUscored 10 of its 14 runs in the first game with two outs.Escobedo lamented all week how she had been onteams in the past that never gave her enough runsupport. That wasn’t the case in Oklahoma City.

“I feel lucky I guess,” said Escobedo, who wasnamed World Series co-Most Outstanding Player withFlorida’s Michelle Moultrie. Escobedo struck out 12Gators during the championship series. In three winsover Florida at the WCWS, she struck out 24 batters.“There’s a reason why it takes 20 years for a freshmanto lead a club to a national championship because it’ssuch a rarity,” Myers said. “It just doesn’t happen. Only

Arizona State Sun Devils pitcherDallas Escobedo throws a perfectstrike in the Championship gameof the Women's College WorldSeries at the ASA Softball Hall ofFame stadium in Oklahoma City,OK. Courtesy of JP Wilson

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Women's College World Series action Arizona Sun Devils outfielder Alix Johnson slides hard against theFlorida Gators at the ASA Softball Hall of Fame stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. Courtesy of JP Wilson

Arizona State Sun Devils swept the best-of-three championship series in dominating fashion to claim their second national title in four years.

scored 41 runs in five games at the WCWS afterbeating Alabama for the second time. The Gatorsscored 11 runs in the first inning of the blowout winover the Tide.

“We just wanted to come out strong and get ontop,” Florida’s Brittany Schutte said after hitting agrand slam in the lopsided win. “We did that, and itwas a great feeling to come out and score 11 runsright away.”

Arizona State followed up a 6-5 dramatic win overFlorida on the second day of the World Series whenAnnie Lockwood hit a game winning smash down thethird base line with a 4-0 shutout over an extra-inningwearied Baylor. The Bears needed 13 innings the nightbefore to decide a 1-0 game over Missouri. ASU catcherKaylyn Castillo, the spunky, outspoken leader in searchof her first title, went 2 for 4 to break out of a WCWShitless slump for the second time against Baylor.

“Me and coach (Robert) Wagner were joking Ibroke the curse. I hadn’t gotten a hit in the WorldSeries before Baylor, both years,” said Castillo, whoalso played in the 2009 WCWS. “I guess the curseis broken.”

What most of college softball is trying to figure outis how to break the curse of the Pac-10, which nextyear becomes the Pac-12. It’s a conference which haswon 23 national titles, including the past six and 10 ofthe last 11.

When it was over, Lockwood, who hit three homeruns in the World Series, revealed how she androommate Alix Johnson had been sharing constantstories of this fairy tale the Sun Devils were living.

“We actually sit and say to each other almost everynight that this is a dream, and we’re going to wake upin an hour and we’ll look at each other and say, ‘Well,that was fun,’” Lockwood said. “I think we’re all stillwaiting to be pinched and woken up because it’s sodream-like.”

Make no mistake, this was no fairy tale. But itsure was one heck of a magic carpet ride for theSun Devils.

a unique, special person can have that.” The Sun Devils (60-6) didn’t commit an error during

their five-game run in OKC. They hit four home runs in thechampionship series opener, tying a WCWS single-gamerecord by a team. Third baseman Krista Donnenwirth,whom Myers called the best third baseman, male orfemale, he’s ever coached in 35 years, lit up the Gators(56-13) for two home runs in the 14-4 rout. Her twohomers tied a World Series single-game record.

“We knew that Florida had a great offense, but wewanted to come out and prove a point that we have agreat offense,” Donnenwirth said. “I think every singleplayer was locked in at the plate. We never took one ballor one strike for granted.”

ASU won the 2008 national title with an 11-runverdict over Texas A&M. The Sun Devils’ 10-run winover the Gators was the second largest margin ofvictory in a championship series.

“Winning one is hard enough,” said Sun Devilscenter fielder Lesley Rogers, who was part of the firstnational championship team. “Winning two, that’s justnuts. I feel so blessed to be part of the program. I don’tthink anyone understands what kind of a team thatwas. My freshman year, wewere talented, no doubt. Thisyear, if you want to think ofa perfect team, a cohesiveteam that has every

piece of what you need to win a championship, that’swhat this was.”

Florida eliminated Arizona State a year earlier in theSuper Regionals, but this year Gators coach Tim Waltonsaid the Sun Devils were more complete. He went sofar as to say ASU might have been the best team to evercome through OKC. It would be hard to argue. Eachplayer in the Sun Devils’ starting lineup was battingover .300, with a 10th regular also putting up thoseoffensive numbers. ASU’s pitching staff had two otherswith starting experience who could’ve easily been theace on many other teams across the country.

With two trips to the championship series in threeyears, Florida positioned itself in the eyes of collegesoftball’s best. The Gators won all but 33 games over afour-year period, making four straight trips to the WorldSeries. They themselves had built a legacy of their own.One which Gator gushers believe is on the brink ofsomething spectacular.

“I’m sad my career is over, but this program’s gonnado big things,” said Gators pitcher StephanieBrombacher, who suffered the loss in the title game.“Next time we’re gonna get it.”

Florida needed to beat Alabama twice to advance tothe championship series. That

the Gators did, thumping theCrimson Tide, 16-2 and

9-2. Florida had

2012 DeMarini CF5 -10Anyplace, Anywhere, AnytimeDesigned for the competitive player looking for the perfect weight drop and performance to match…thisis the bat every hitter loves. Tri-Strut TR3 composite handle and barrel come together to create our mostpopular Fastpitch model. The CF series FIVE is one of the lightest and strongest bats available.

Ounces/LengthCFP 2030-12 20 / 30 CFP 2131-12 21 / 31 CFP 2232-12 22 / 32 CFP 2333-12 23 / 33 CFP 24 34 / 12

Technologies:

• Tri-Strut TR3 • Stacked Barrel• Clutch 2 Endcap• Hybrid Comfort Grip• Rotation Index

Review: 2012 DeMarini CF5 -10Our group of Travel ball and upper Rec. ball girls absolutely fell in love with this 2012 DeMarini CF5 -10 bat. Even before we started to beat up this bat the positive Comments were flying about the batsgraphics and overall appearance. "This is the coolest looking bat out there," Said Gabriel Montoya."Performance wise this bat is unbeatable, the sweet spot is very generous and the liners and deepshots to the outfield came flying off the barrel on a consistent basis. This is my new bat of choice."

"When the game is on the line this is the bat I want in my hands. Even without a batting glove I hadno vibration issues, even on a few "miss-hits. Durability wise we beat this bat up and had nodurability problems at all, this bat is fantastic." Said Alisa Coffery.

Line Drives 95

Distance 95

Feel/Sting 94

Sweet Spot 95

Sound 93

Durability 100

Graphics 94

Approved Associations: ASA, USSSA, NSA, ISA.10

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http://www.demarini.com

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By Jim McCurdy

Tempe, AZ. --- Kaylyn Castillo has really boughtinto this new logo ad campaign.“With these teams,you really do have to stick a fork in ’em,” ArizonaState’s bubbly catcher said.

ASU recently changed its athletic logo to more ofa pitchfork premise, and the Sun Devils softball teamcertainly stuck a fork in another trip to the Women’sCollege World Series after sweeping Texas A&M inthe Super Regionals May 26-27.

A&M (44-15) had a chance to extend the best-of-three series to a third game after Megan May hit atwo-run homer in the sixth inning of Game 2 off ASU’sDallas Escobedo to cut ASU’s lead in half. BrittanyWalker singled in the seventh to bring RhiannonKliesing to the plate. “I just wanted to do somethingfor my team to show we could beat this girl,” saidMay, who returned from a serious head injuryfollowing a car accident. “She’s not the almighty. Wecould hit her.”

Her home run ignited the Aggies, who lost to ASU3-2 on a controversial play in Game 1 before falling,4-2, in Game 2. “We were just crazy enough tobelieve we can win at this place,” Aggies coach JoEvans said. “In the seventh inning, we got Rhi Moneyup. It’s exactly the scenario we wanted.”

Escobedo had other plans as she finally struck outA&M’s best hitter to send the Sun Devils (55-6) toOklahoma City. “The whole inning I was justdetermined,” Escobedo said. “I got excited and had tocalm down. I had to go right at her.”

It sent the Sun Devils to the World Series for thefifth time in six years under coach ClintMyers.“Yeah,” Castillo said. “See ya in Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma 2, Arizona 0

Tucson, Ariz. --- Oklahoma pitcher KeilaniRicketts stole the show to send the Sooners to theirfirst World Series since 2004.

Ricketts homered to put the Sooners (43-17) onthe board first in the second game on the Wildcatshome field. She also tossed a complete game, notallowing a run in the super regional until the finalinning of the two-day series.Ricketts threw two complete games in the regional,shutting out the Wildcats, 6-0, in Game 1 before shefinally surrendered a couple runs in her 14th inningof work. She struck out 20 in the series, giving her443 this year.

OU’s Brianna Turang went 3 for 4 and drove in tworuns in the first game. Chana’e Jones was 4 for 5 inthe series. Arizona’s Lini Koria hit a two-run homerand Kristen Arriola was 2 for 4 for the Wildcats inGame 2.

Arizona, which advanced to 21 straight World Seriesunder Mike Candrea-coached teams, stranded 22 runnersin the series.

Oklahoma St. 2, Houston 1

Stillwater, Okla. --- Oklahoma State endured maybethe toughest test of all the super regional's as Houstonpushed the series to three games before falling by a runin the decisive third game.

Oklahoma State held on to beat the Cougars, 6-5, inGame 3, sending OSU to its first WCWS since 1998.

Houston (44-18) took a 4-3lead in the third game onJennifer Klinkert’s home run. OSUresponded with two runs in the fifth andan RBI double by Tamara Brown in the sixthto make it 6-4. Houston’s Bailie Lott had apinch-hit home run in the seventh as theCougars drew within a run. But OSU pitcherKat Espinoza got the next three outs to sendthe Cowgirls (42-18) to the World Series.

It marked the first time two teams fromOklahoma advanced to the WCWS in thesame year.

Baylor 2, Georgia 1

Athens, Ga. --- Baylor respondedfrom a mercy-rule loss in Game 2 ina big way to steal the series onenemy soil.

After losing the second game 14-2 in a five-inning shortened contest,the Bears (45-13) busted loose forfive runs in the first inning of thedecisive game to book their secondtrip the World Series in schoolhistory.

Whitney Canion, Megan Turkand Sydney Wilson each homeredfor Baylor. Holly Holl, Kathy Shelton,Kelsi Kettler and Turk each had twohits for the Bears.

Georgia (51-14) blew Game 2 open with 10

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runs in the fourth inning. Megan Wiggins, Taylor Schlopy,Ashley Razey and Kristyn Sandberg each hit home runs forthe Bulldogs.

Missouri 2, Washington 0

Columbia, Mo. --- Mizzou advanced to the World Seriesfor the third straight year.

A team that made headlines during the Big 12season took the bite out of Washington early with a five-run first inning en route to a series sweep in front of arecord-crowd 2,604 fans. The Tigers won the clinchinggame, 6-3.

Lisa Simmons hit a home run in the opening inning tobuild a five-run lead for the Tigers (52-8). Mizzou pitcherChelsea Thomas (31-6) allowed three runs, two earned, tomove within a win of tying the school record for mostvictories in a season.

Washington (37-15) scored three runs in the fifth,triggered by Kaitlin Inglesby’s two-run double. But Thomas,one of three finalists for National Player of the Year, struckout two batters to get out of the jam.

Missouri, which has advanced to six WCWS, shut outWashington, 4-0 to win the Game.

Florida 2, Oregon 0

Gainesville, Fla. --- The Gators became the firstSoutheastern Conference team to advance to the WorldSeries four straight years after sweeping the Ducks.

Florida blanked Oregon, 7-0, to clinch a trip back toOKC. The Gators (52-10) beat the Ducks, 9-1, in a mercy-rule Game 1 to set the stage for a dominating series.

Brittany Schutte crushed two home runs and busted ablack SUV’s mirror on a foul ball that made Sports Centerhighlights in the Gators’ opening-series win.

Schutte cranked another homer in the second game,giving her a school-record 20 this year. Hannah Rogerspitched her 10th shutout of the season, holding the Ducks(42-16) to four hits.

Oregon’s Samantha Pappas went 2 for 2 with an RBI inGame 1.

California 2, Kentucky 1

Lexington, Ky. -- The Bears decided this series indominating fashion by winning the third game, 9-0.

It marked the Golden Bears’ first trip to the WorldSeries in six years. Cal has advanced to 11championship events, winning it all in 2002. TheBears (44-11) have enjoyed 38 straight winningseasons, dating back to 1973.

Cal’s Jordan Wallace drove in three runs in theseries clincher, Victoria Jones knocked in two runs,and Jolene Henderson bounced back from the Game2 loss to blank the host Wildcats with a trip to OKC onthe line.

Kentucky (40-16) bounced back fromHenderson’s masterful one-hitter in Game 1 to blank

the Bears, 8-0, in a mercy rule Game 2.Kentucky’s Meagan Aull drove in three runs,Samantha DeMartine was 1 for 2 with two RBI,and Kara Dill went 2 for 3 with an RBI. RachelRiley allowed just five hits in the shutout.

Frani Echavarria’s solo homer in Game 1 was allthe Bears needed.

Alabama 2, Stanford 1

Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- The Crimson Tide overcamea first-game loss and the ominous task of tamingthe nation’s leading hitter by shutting out Stanfordin the final two games of the series.

Following Stanford’s 5-2 Game 1 win in whichSarah Hassman went 2 for 4 with two RBI andAshley Hansen, the NCAA’s leading hitter, was 2 for3, the Tide rolled in Games 2 and 3.

Jennifer Fenton went 4 for 4 with a home runand six RBI as Alabama (51-9) knotted the series ata game apiece by scoring in every inning. KaylaBraud had three hits for the Crimson Tide, andpitcher Kelsi Dunne allowed just one hit to Hansenand Hassman.

Cassie Reilly-Boccia tripled in the game winningrun in the series-clinching win in the sixth, andreliever Jackie Traina shut out the Cardinal (42-17)to send the Crimson Tide on to their seventh WorldSeries in the program’s 15-year history.

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University of California San DiegoTritons infielder Mya Romeroturns a crucial double play at theNCAA Division II NationalChampionships in Salem, VA.Courtesy of UCSD

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By Dave Utnik

Salem, VA, --- Breathing exercises taught everyoneto relax. Patti Gerckens thought that would come inhandy one day.

Out of all the softball knowledge she hasaccumulated in 19 seasons as the head coach at theUniversity of California San Diego, it might have been amaster's degree in sports psychology that enabled herteam to make history on May 30.

The Tritons took the field that day against the topranked team in the country without a care in the world.

Calm, cool and confident. They had it all undercontrol throughout the NCAA Division II NationalChampionships. Gerckens had her players prepared foranything so when it came time to stare down mightyAlabama-Huntsville in the finals, the Tritons wereunfazed by the atmosphere or the opposition.

"We did a lot of visualization and relaxation drills. I'mreally big on that," Gerckens said. "When you get to theend, teams are pretty even. It all comes down to mentalfocus, mental toughness and being relaxed."

UC San Diego had all those bases covered. Theplayers vowed back in the fall that this season would besomething special, yet they might have surpassed eventheir own expectations with a 10-3 victory overAlabama-Huntsville at the James Moyer SportsComplex in Salem, Va., where the Tritons celebrated theprogram's first national championship by winning fourgames in five days.

"I still shake my head in amazement at what wedid," Gerckens said. "It gives a sense of pride toeveryone who has played on this team."

And that means as much to Gerckens as a first-placetrophy or all the well-deserved accolades that havebeen bestowed on the Tritons since they completed arecord-setting campaign with their 45th victory.

With 10 freshmen on the roster and not a singleplayer earning more than $500 in scholarship money,UC San Diego relied on the sensational pitching of juniorAll-American Camille Gaito, slick fielding and anabundance of mental fortitude to rise to the top of thesoftball world.

Gerckens and her talented assistants -- Jessica

Millsap, Allison May, NicholeWillis, Sara Robinson -- werehonored as the NCAA Division IIcoaching staff of the year andGaito, who went 4-0 in Salemand won 35 games overall,was named the CaliforniaCollegiate Athletic AssociationFemale Athlete of the Yearafter the Tritons won nineconsecutive NCAATournament games.

"We didn't go to thepostseason last year and ourseniors were really mad aboutthat," Gerckens said. "As soonas the freshmen came in theylet them know we were goingto the playoffs."

Gaito made sure of that. Sheestablished single-seasonschool records for wins (35),innings (262.1), strikeouts(208), complete games (32)and saves (4) and wound up pitching every inningduring the postseason.

Gerckens used one word to describe the amazingright-hander: "Stellar."

"She owned those teams. She owned them,"Gerkens said. "She's a really smart pitcher. Hermovement is crazy, she mixes up her pitches and sheis so good with her control."

Gaito (35-4) ranked second in the nation in wins andERA (0.75) but it was her playoff dominance that trulystood out. She threw nine complete games and struckout 62 batters in 67 innings. Once the Tritons got toSalem, she defeated No. 9-ranked C.W. Post, No. 5Minnesota-Mankato, No. 6 Saginaw Valley and No. 1Alabama-Huntsville. Not surprisingly, she was thechampionship game's Most Outstanding Player.

"Our pitching and defense got us there,"Gerckens said.

And in the finale, the offense paid Gaito back byscoring a season-high 10 runs. Senior thirdbaseman Sarah Woofter went 3 for 3 and scoredthree runs, while senior second baseman JenniferDe Fazio had two hits, drove in a run and scoredonce. Junior designated player Tess Granathdelivered a two-run single and Esther Strom drovein three more.

Leadoff batter Kris Lesovsky scored two runsand Katrin Gabriel went 2 for 3 with two RBI.

"It was remarkable. They were so zoned in,"Gerckens said. "We were finding holes,capitalizing on mistakes and using our speed.

"We didn't hit like that all year. Before we got tonationals our last four or five games we won in ourlast at-bat. I take nothing away from [Alabama-Huntsville]. They were a good team. We knew we'dhave to score some runs to win and the playersreally took that to heart.

Playing for a Division II title was inspirationenough. Gerckens transformed the program intoa powerhouse over the course of two decades -- overseeing a move from Division III and theconstruction of a new stadium complex alongthe way. And the players took that to heart, too.They were mostly toddlers when UC San Diegowent 6-28 in Gercken's rookie season. But theyall realize what winning a national title means toher and the program.

"They know it's big. It was a long journey. Mostprograms have to go through a process,"Gerckens said. "As a coach I had to learn so much.It's constant learning and keeping up with theskills. It was a great opportunity I was given. Youneed to have athletes and a bunch of variables thatcome together. It's a culmination of so many yearsof good athletes and good people."

UC San Diego relied on the sensational pitching of junior All-American Camille Gaito, as she went 4-0 at the NCAA Division IINational Championships in Salem, VA. Courtesy of UCSD

By Dave Utnik

Seniors don’t intimidate her anymore. It’s sort of theother way around now.

Ashley Wark isn’t sure exactly when thathappened. But at one point or another during thefirst month of her initial varsity softball season,Brentsville’s freshman pitcher discovered just how

good she is.“I’m still getting used toeverything, but I’m starting tohave more confidence,” she said.“Now I’m not scared because Iknow I can play with them. I canface batters who are going tocollege and I can get them tostrikeout or ground out. They

aren’t going to tee off on meevery time.”

Strikeouts are farmore common whenWark is in the circle.

The Tigers were off to a 13-2 start and in first placein Virginia's Group AA Evergreen District largelybecause the 15-year-old ace can throw her 58miles-per-hour fastball past anyone.

She won her first six starts —beating Loudoun Valley, Osbourn Parkand Chancellor on consecutive days— and has enabled Brentsville toremain contenders in Region IIfollowing the graduation of

Grace Nordan last spring.“I’m glad that I got

the chance to pitch,”said Wark, who

had 91

strikeouts and a 2.07 ERA through mid May. “It’s givenme a lot of confidence in myself, even going up againstseniors knowing I can strike them out. I feel like I’m abetter player than I thought I was.”Wark arrived in Nokesville, following three seasons atMarsteller Middle School, with the potential to becomea high school star.

She’d already established herself as a power hitteron the travel ball circuit with the SYA Xplosion. And shecould throw four pitches — a fastball, changeup, curveand riseball — for strikes. But competing against olderplayers is a new experience.

“It’s a process,” said Wark, who is batting .352. “Ijust hope that I can make an impact. I’m thankful tohave that opportunity.

“I just want to keep getting better and be able tobe more powerful and more successful by the timeI’m a senior.”

Wark is off to a good start. She struck out nineagainst Osbourn Park, allowed only four hits in acomeback win over Loudoun Valley and even had thegame-winning hit against Skyline in her varsity debut.

“That was my first high school game and it made mefeel pretty good,” she said. “It made me feel good thatI could help my team win in my first game.”

What’s happened since then has been equallyexciting as the Tigers emerged as the front-runner inthe Evergreen Distict.

“I’ve worked on my form and gotten a lot better andI’ve gotten more mental toughness to help me withharder situations,” she said.

Some of the credit for that belongs to Wark’s privatetutor Lauren Yates, a former Tigers’ ace who threw aperfect game in the 1998 Group A state finals.

“I really like her,” Wark said. “She’s helped medevelop all my pitches.” Wark has made tremendousprogress since she played her first travel ball game withthe U11 Gainesville Gladiators.For one thing, she’s 5-foot-9 now and she throwsharder than ever before.

“I didn’t always throw hard. I just thought pitchingseemed fun so I thought I’d try it,” Wark said. “I was justtrying to find a sport that I liked. I tried other sports butI started softball at about eight and I liked it.”

This summer, Wark will face her biggest challenge yet asshe makes her U18 ASA Gold debut with the SYA Xplosion.But the Tigers have helped her prepare.

And every senior Wark strikes out betweennow and then will reinforce the fact that she

is capable of leading the Tigers back to theGroup AA state tournament for thesecond time in four seasons.“It’s not just me who is going to getus there,” Wark said. “It’s a whole a

team effort. I like having this defensebehind me and I feel like we have some really goodhitters. With hard practice I think we can get toregional's and do really well in that tournament.”

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By Dave Utnik

Even as she sprinted around the bases, Brentsville’s Kayla Dost wasn’t sure if she’d hit the ballfar enough. It takes some decent contact to get anything over the head of Osbourn Park centerfielder Jessica South. And that was Dost’s biggest concern.

“She’s a really good outfielder,” the Tigers’ junior said. “I thought she was going to catch it.”And South probably would have, too, had a fence not stood in her way.

Dost chased after a pitch low in the strike zone with two outs in the bottom of the seventhinning that she might have ignored under different circumstances. But with the score tied and

the Tigers in the midst of perhaps their biggest rally ever, Dost was

determined to come through.“I really didn’t want to go into extra innings,” she said. “I just tried

to relax and focus on getting a base hit, It was actually a really low pitchand I’m really bad at those, but I just stayed calm.”And somehow, Dost lifted the ball into the air and sent it spiraling over Southand the chain-link fence that connects the foul poles on the Tigers’ home field –giving Brentsville a 13-11 victory over the reigning Cardinal District champions.

“I was the second out in the inning and I definitely didn’t want to make two outs in one inning,”Dost said. “I really wanted to come through for my team because I didn’t feel like I contributed a lotin that game. So the last at-bat really meant a lot to me.”

Dost’s game-winning home run was the final hit of a remarkable comeback that began with twoouts and the Tigers trailing by seven runs.“I really wanted to help us get a win,” she said. “It was definitely my number one hit for school ball.”

And that’s saying something. Since making the varsity squad as a freshman, Dost has becomeone of the best Group AA hitters in the state. She batted .415 last spring, with eight home runs, asBrentsville won the Evergreen District championship and she is now positioned in the run-producingspot of the batting order in front of Siena College-bound cleanup hitter Abby Carpenter.

“When I get out there I just try to show what I can do,” Dost said.The Tigers are seeking their berth in the Group AA state tournament and Dost, who has been

christened “Special K” by sophomore teammate Jessica Murphy, will be right in the middle of it.“I don’t know how she came up with that. She was like, ‘I’m going to call you that because you’re

special to me.’ I usually get called by my last name,” Dost said. “I like ‘Special K’ more.”The nickname might catch on given Dost’s penchant for making big plays.

In addition to her talent at the plate, she has one of the best throwing arms in the area as well.“I think it is known around the district and region that she has a very strong arm and, as a result,

has very few runners test her,” Tigers’ assistant coach Pat Finnegan said.Nobody really tried to take an extra base when Dost was in center field the past two seasons

and she’s probably going to take away quite a few infield hits playing at third base in 2011.That is a position she is more familiar with.

Dost has spent most of her travel ball career – with the Vienna Stars, Baseliners and,now, the Ashburn Shooting Stars -- as a utility infielder, alternating primarily betweencatcher and third.

But the 16-year-old really doesn’t care which position she plays, as long as she’s onthe field helping the Tigers pursue the program’s first Group AA state championshipsince 1998.

“We have a lot of younger girls but we’ve so far shown that we’re willing to pushthrough every inning,” Dost said. “I think we can make it as far as we want to go.”

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The following is an excerpt from Softball Skills & Drills, Second Edition (Human Kinetics, 2011), written by Judi Garman, one of the most successful

coaches in college softball history and the winner of 7 national championships as a player and coach; and Michelle Gromacki, the head coach of Cal

State Fullerton softball, one of the most prestigious programs in the nation.

StrideThe stride is a step toward the pitcher with the front foot as the pitch is delivered (see attached figure). It serves as a timing mechanism for the swing and bringsthe body to a balanced foundation to hit from. During the stride, the batter must maintain balance. Therefore, the step is short—only 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10cm)! The hitter does not want her center of gravity or head to move. The stride should be a glide or slide forward toward the pitcher. Key words for the strideare stay centered, short, soft, and eyebrows level. The front toe stays closed, with soft pressure on the inside ball of the foot, and the head moves little or not atall. During the stride, the hips are cocked slightly; the front shoulder, hip, and knee are turned slightly toward the catcher. The player can think of her belly button

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Hip Rotation and PivotThe batter strides first and then rotates the hips. Dropping the front heel triggers the swing. These are two movements—a stride and then a pivot. The batterpushes hard against the inside of the back foot, then pivots hard on the ball of the back foot and drives (pops) the back hip into and against a rigid front side. Asthe front foot starts to receive the weight transfer, the front leg stiffens. This phase is a ballistic and aggressive rotational push forward with movement slightly upand out. The back heel comes up, the foot releases, and the weight goes forward off the back leg. The lower the back heel is, the more weight stays back; coachesmust emphasize getting the back heel up (while guarding against overrotation)! The back foot and back knee pivot toward the pitcher with the back leg in an Lposition. The hands do not move. The body rotates around an imaginary pole running through the middle of the body. The belly button rotates from looking at thecatcher to looking directly at the contact spot and no farther. Contrary to what many a young player has been told, the batter does not squish a bug with the backfoot; doing so does not allow the back foot to transfer the weight to the front foot.

The batter must stay connected and flow into the ball as she sequentially unlocks her body parts. The back hip moves into the firm front side, then the hands followand the bat lags behind. Note that the hands do not come forward first to drive into the ball. The stronger leg muscles yank the smaller muscles (hands and arms)through the strike zone. The chest is on the ball. The goal is to go from slow loading to quick explosion. The hitter must be in a balanced position (50 percent ofweight on each foot) to exert maximum force at contact. A straight line running down from the back ear to the pivot foot should pass through the shoulder, hip,and knee. If a hitter does not rotate around this stationary axis, she is lunging.

Called “a must-have for every player” by Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion Jenny Topping, Softball Skills & Drills, Second

Edition is now available in bookstores everywhere, as well as online at www.HumanKinetics.com. The book is packed with new content, including

more than 200 full-color photos and illustrations.

as the lens of a camera that is pointed at the catcher. Weight remains on the inside of the backfoot. Have batters hold the bat on their belly button to check their turn back. On the stride, theweight stays on the back leg. The knee is over the back foot and does not turn. The player canpractice the correct form by placing a chair against the back side of the back knee. She strideswhile making sure that the back leg stays in contact with the chair. The batter must focus on therelease point during the stride. The stride must be consistent and to the same spot on everypitch, regardless of pitch location, because the player starts the stride before she can identifywhat pitch is coming.

Timing determines when the batter steps. The step should be initiated early enough to be slowand deliberate, not jerky. As the pitcher goes forward (or the front knee goes up), the hitter liftsthe front heel, the front knee turns in, and the weight and hands go back. The stepping footshould be down right before the pitch is released, allowing enough time for the batter to feelbalanced and to complete the swing. The front heel must be down before the ball is within 10feet (3 m) of the batter. The batter can still hit the ball if she steps too early, but she cannot hitit if she steps too late. Beginners often commit during the windup. As players practice anddevelop quicker hands, they learn to delay their commitment to the stride until they can clearlysee the ball. Remember that once the batter strides forward and plants the front toe, the toe will start to open up on its own when the batter starts her swing.It is natural then for the hips, knees, and toe to follow each other. Coaches should videotape their players and show them the timing element and what it meansto be late or early. The coach may ask a batter, “Where are you getting late?” and “How can you get on time?”

On the stride, the hands go back to the launch position so that the bat is behind the back leg. As when using a hammer, golf club, or tennis racket, the playermust first go back in order to generate the stretch (referred to as loading) and power needed to go forward (think of winding a rubber band to create torque).The torso, hands, and arms go back as one unit. In softball, the hands go back only 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm). The farther the hands go from center, thelonger and slower the swing. The batter cannot hit a ball above the hands, so the hands stay at the top of the strike zone. (If hitters drop their hands, they cannever hit a rise ball.) As the hands go back, they cock as if preparing to hammer a nail with the top hand. Cocking is not a hitch (i.e., a drop of the hands). Theend of the bat will come close to the head, but the player must be careful not to wrap the bat around behind her. If the hitter takes the bat back too far, herbody will twist, and her shoulders will come off line. The arms are bent in a 90-degree position with both elbows pointed down. The head does not move, andthe shoulders remain level. The hands stay close to the body. The closer the hands are to the body (and the center of gravity), the faster the body can rotate,producing faster bat speed. Think of a figure skater making a fast, tight spin.

Some hitters perform better with the no-stride method of hitting. This method is simple, and it eliminates the problems created by poor striding mechanics.With this method, the batter begins in a balanced position with the feet about bat-length apart and the front toe closed. The batter rotates her torso slightlyrearward (belly button to catcher) as she stretches the rubber band. As the batter brings her front knee inward, the front foot stays at the same angle and doesnot move from the starting position. This rotation will cause the front heel to rise up, putting the hitter in the same position as the batter who strides. The heelis then dropped to trigger the swing. (The batter should not just lift her foot up and put it down in one motion.) The rest of the swing is identical to the stridemethod. The no-stride method makes it easy for the hitter to maintain good balance, to keep the heels in line, and to achieve optimum stride length. Becausethere is little head movement and because good balance is maintained, hitters who use the no-stride method are not easily fooled by an off-speed pitch.

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By Dale Weiser

There something about the most prestigioustournaments in the nation that always attract thebest of the best in the nation to compete for thetournament title and this year's 28th AnnualDudley Budweiser Easton Classic was noexception as it attracted the The 4 Major classifiedteams to compete for top honors. Neither rainstorms nor fog could stop the mighty "28th AnnualDudley Budweiser Easton Classic" in BrooklynCenter, Minnesota.

Much like the weather the 4 Major teams onhand were equally unpredictable as they ran hot

one game and cold the next. When the rain finallystopped and the fog had lifted on Sunday morningit was the 4 Major teams out of the 30 team fieldthat were still standing and the heavy weights ofsoftball would take turns run ruling each other untilthe end of the tournament.

When the dust had cleared it was Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth defeating GTLCartel/DeMarini 52-34 in the second game (the "if"game) of the championship Sunday afternoon totake home the coveted tournament simply knownas "The Dudley"

The Dudley tournament action kicked off Fridaynight in front of a packed crowd of softball die

hards with some of the local teams getting a shotat the big boys from Conference USSSA.

Upsets were few and far between as the Dudleyquickly became a Conference dominated event.On Saturday, the winner's bracket resumed at 8 amunder mostly cloudy skies and cooler than normaltemperatures. With all of the favorite high poweredteams advancing on to the third round fairly easily.

On Saturday around noon GTL and Resmondoadvanced easily but the Combat matchup betweenCombat/Laser Vision and Combat/Pharmapar was awar. This was easily the game of the tournamentas Laser Vision jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the topof the first. Pharmapar answered with a 15 run

“28th Annual Dudley/Budweiser/Easton Classic”, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota - June 17 - 19

Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth hitterGreg Connell played outstanding bothoffensively and on defense at the “28thAnnual Dudley/Budweiser/EastonClassic”, in Brooklyn Center,Minnesota. Photo by Dale Weiser

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inning of their own. The game had some huge innings and wound up

with Pharmapar giving up a big lead. However in thebottom of the 7th with 2 outs and runners on, Luc"The Canadian Bull" Chauvette smacked a walk offsingle to win the marathon contest 48-47 victory infront of a nice crowd.

In the quarter finals GTL's offense was on fire asthey quickly beat Pharmapar. Resmondo meanwhilejumped out to a huge lead on EWS early on, nearlyrun ruling them. In order to comeback, EWS hit abunch of 2 run homers and slowly climbed back intothe game before dropping to Resmondo 38-34

when they put up a zero in the bottom of the 7thwith no homer's left.

As the drizzling rain and loser's bracket playedout late into Saturday night, the fog rolled in and justbefore the much anticipated showdown betweenGTL and Resmondo was about to begin, the fogbecame too thick to continue. Games werepostponed until 8 AM Sunday morning.

In the morning GTL came out with great defense,much like they did at the Chicago Windy Citytournament, and then they put up a couple of biginnings and put Resmondo away quickly by thescore of 30-10 in 4 innings. In the loser's bracket

Resmondo-Specialty Tank/Worth compiled a 6-1 record at the “28th Annual Dudley/Budweiser/Easton Classic”, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.Photo by Dale Weiser

Laser Vision put up a big first inning onPharmapar but Pharmapar answeredagain and had the lead early on.

Laser Vision went on a huge run andended up run ruling Pharmapar to slip intothe loser's bracket championship wherethey were soundly defeated againstResmondo who batted around almost 4times in the 25 run first inning andResmondo won by the run rule 47-17.

In the first game of the Championshipshowdown, Resmondo used a doublefigure first inning to put GTL back on theirheels as nthey won 45-20. In the secondgame GTL jumped out to an early leadbefore Resmondo stormed back andgrabbed the championship by an score of52-34. In the last 6 meetings betweenthe two, they are 3-3.

For the season they are 6-6. The last8 games between the two super powershave been won by the run rule. What ishappening here is one of these teams orthe other gets on a tremendous offensiveroll and the momentum swings so hardone way that the other team just doesn'thave a chance to come back even if theyplay well. It is quite incredible to watchthese great hitter's from both teams whenthey put up one of those 15 run inningsagainst the best pitchers and defenders inthe game.

Resmondo's wins their 5th tournamentof the season and outscored their last 3opponents by an amazing 146-61.

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By Dale Weiser

Resmondo-Specialy Tank/Worth based out of WinterHaven, Florida compiled a perfect 7-0 record at the"Space City Classic" in League City, Texas. Without adoubt the big boys of Florida were the most talented andconsistent group in this tournaments 64 team field.

Resmondo knocked off their biggest threatDarkside/TYJA/Easton from New Britain Connecticut,the only 'A' team in the tournament, in the winner'sbracket championship game as Resmondo's lit up thescoreboard for 20 runs in the top of the first inning.

Darkside, would not go done without a fight, as theyanswered back with 15 runs in the bottom half of theinning and it looked like the challenge was on.

Resmondo, however shut down Darkside in the 4th

inning and never looked back en-route to a 45-23 victory.Resmondo's went on to defeat Gold's Gym out of Dallas,Texas on Sunday in the Championship game 54-15.

Resmondo's offensive machine was clicking on allcylinders and was led by tournament MVP Greg Connellwho went 38-40 with 14 HR's and 48 RBI.

Connell made the beautiful Big League Dreams -Yankee Stadium replica field with its 30 foot high wallslook like a little league park with crowd pleasing linedrive homers that would curve 50 feet one way or theother. Resmondo had 4 players with an on basepercentage over .900!

The “Space City” tournament went the better part of 4rounds into the winner’s bracket before there were any bigmatchups between Conference USSSA teams and upsetswere few and far between.

Player Tournament Awards Players Name Plays For

Tournament MVP Greg Connell Resmondo-Specialty Tank / Worth

Offensive Tournament MVP Kelly Hartman Gold's Gym

Defensive Tournament MVP Don DeDonatis III Resmondo-Specialty Tank / Worth

Resmondo-SpecialtyTank/Worth went 7-0 tocapture top honors at the 5THAnnual Space City Classic.Photo by Dale Weiser

The weather cooperated as the tournament started ona very nice Friday night with Resmondo drawing a largecrowd of local fans. However, Saturday brought extremelyhot tempatures in the upper 90's but gradually turned intoa beautiful evening it was all Conference teams leftstanding in the final 6 with Gold's Gym beating The Scene,and BWW beating FBI well after midnight.

On Sunday morning Gold's Gym turned a 12-6 deficitinto a 15-12 win over BWW and then smashed Darksidebefore Darkside before Darkside suffered their loss fromResmondo in the Championship game. With theimpressive turnout of 64 teams, the “Space City” wasagain the biggest tournament quantity wise on theConference schedule.

http://www.disneyslowpitch.com

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By Dale Weiser

GTL Cartel/DeMarini based out of the Seattle,Washington compiled a 5-1 record which was highlightedwith 2 out of 3 wins against Resmondo-SpecialtyTank/Worth in the winner's bracket finals andchampionship games. GTL Cartel/DeMarini dominated theConference USSSA tournament as five of their victorieswere by the run rule and it wasn't until they playedResmondo that they let up more than 8 runs in a game.

The tournament action started Friday night (June 10)with a couple of upsets when Precision, a local 'C' team,knocked off RFC/Hubs Pub a strong B div. team out ofDerby, Kansas 29-9, and P&P a 'C' team out of Michigandropped T's 13 a powerful B div. team out of Omaha,Nebraska by a score of 22-21. Cool temperaturesprevailed throughout the weekend and there wasn't anysunshine until Sunday.

Saturday's action started up at 11 AM as the winner'sbracket resumed with some of the best matchups of theweekend. Concurrently Suncoast found themselves in a9 inning victory over Midwest Swing while Blitz camefrom a 14-0 deficit in the first inning to beat EWS 27-26in a 8 inning nailbitter. And Sinister came from behind toknock off R&M Metals 31-30. All of these crucial match-ups were dramatic from stat to finish with some clutchgame winning rallies.

In round action the 4 top teams in the nation(Resmondo, GTL, Team 454 and Team Combat) alladvanced to the semi-finals.

In the semifinals Resmondo jumped ahead of Team

Combat to score a 27-19 victory and GTL "20 run ruled"Team 454/Worth 35-5 in 4 innings. In the winner'schampionship GTL used a Sean McDonald base hit to runrule Resmondo by the score of 39-24.

Sundays early tournament action started off, as TeamCombat/Laser Vision matched Team 454's 16 run thirdinning with a 16 run 4th inning of their own in a gamewhich lasted all of 2 hours and 42 minutes. Laser Visionfinally put Team 454 away by the highest run total of theseason with a 54-48 victory.

The battles continued as Team Combat managed just 4runs on 1 homer against Resmondo and went quietlyhome 28-4 in 4 innings in the loser's bracketchampionship. In this game Resmondo batted around andthe top of the order hit 3 times in the first inning alone.

“Windy City BudLight NIT”, Joliet,Illinois - June 10 - 11

GTL/Cartel/DeMarini huddled before the championship game at the Windy City Bud Light NIT.Photo by Dale Weiser

GTL/Cartel/DeMarini slugger VictorCordova won All Tournament Teamhonors at the Windy City Bud Light NIT.Photo by Dale Weiser

Greg Connell had a stellar performance as he sparked histeam to victory with 2 homers and 7 RBI in the inning.

This win advanced #1 ranked Resmondo to theChampionship against #2 ranked GTL. In the first gameResmondo came out and used all 16 of their homers to putGTL away 35-18.

In the second game of the championship, the "if" game,GTL would not be denied as they used a 2nd inning grandslam by leadoff hitter Mike Bowlin to put up a 12 spot andGTL ran away with a 40-25 run rule in 6 innings.

GTL was led by MVP Matt Pesso and his incredibledefense. On offense they were led by outfielder DonovanPokraka who was 24-29 with 9 homers and 25 RBI. ThisWindy City Bud Light victory marked GTL's 4th tournamentwin of the season.

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By Dale Weiser

Their hopes of winning the Shen Valley Best of theWest NIT were nearly dashed after one pitch.

The Crossroads/Hobb's Consulting men's slowpitch squad had barely taken the field on May 27when a line drive struck pitcher Ray Davenport on theshin and knocked him out of the tournament.

It wasn't exactly the start anybody had anticipated. Davenport is among the significant reasons that

Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting is the top-rankedClass D team in North Carolina. Replacing him is nosimple task.

"It was a loss in more ways than one,"player/coach Jonathan Hobbs said.

And Earl Orme understood that as well as anyone. After Davenport was unable to return to the field,

the entire tournament pretty much belonged to Orme,a reliable, veteran backup who embraced thechallenge and the pressure by delivering perhaps themost memorable performance of the summer byleading Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting to an 8-2 recordand the championship.

"He was the difference maker for us," Hobbs said."His veteran leadership pulled us through."

The pair of double play grounders that he inducedduring the 33-26 extra-innings win over Virginia's No.1-ranked team, Shenandoah Valley, in the final wereenough to warrant Defensive MVP honors. But Ormeaccomplished much more than that by taking the ballunder extraordinary conditions.

With Shenandoah Valley in the 15-team field, therewas little margin for error and Orme

was nearly perfect. Histeammates were, too.

Third baseman andcleanup hitter GeraldCrawford, who went 37 for

45 with five home runs, was recognized as thetournament MVP, and seven other players were chosento the all-tournament team.

Hobbs and No. 3 hitter Ryan Jones each batted .818,while utility man Brian Neal hit .732 with four homers.Designated hitter Goober Gammon batted .703 whileNo. 2 hitter Kevin Cox, center fielder Chris Tenney and19-year-old shortstop Merle Tipton each eclipsed .600.

"The Best of the West was a big win especially sincefor most of us it's about a six hour drive," Hobbs said.

The travel, though, is one reason that the teambegan competing in USSSA events. When Hobbsput the team together in 2007, they preferredSoftball Nation competition. But the aspirations arefar bigger now.

"We went to USSSA because it offered a wider rangeof tournaments and our team has always liked travelingout of town to play big tourneys," said Hobbs, whoseteam finished second in the 2008 Virginia statetournament, second in the 2009 Virginia statetournament, second in the 2009 Atlantic Coast National,third in the 2010 NC state tourney and 3rd in the 2010Atlantic Coast national.

Having already secured a berth to nationals andworlds, the goal this summer, according to Hobbs, isto, "win what we consider the 'Big 3' -- the NC statetourney in Raleigh, NC, the Atlantic Coast National inGlen Burnie, MD and the World tournament inOrlando, Florida."

To accomplish those feats, Hobbs insisted onimproving one thing: defense.

"To win a USSSA world tourney, you have to have agood defensive squad," he said.

The same is true at the Best of the West NIT. Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting scored 208 runs in

10 games over two days, but it was pitching anddefense that ultimately meant the differencebetween first and second.

After losing to Shenandoah Valley 19-13 to set up aone-game rematch for the championship trophy,Crossroadsd/Hobbs Consulting rallied from an early-eight-run deficit with the help of two game-saving

double plays -- one in the seventh inning and anotherin the eighth.

That allowed Dave White, who Hobb's describes asthe "one of the best leadoff guys in the area" to drive inthe tie-breaking run in a nine-run ninth inning rally.

"We knew we had gotten lucky the prior two inningsand needed to put something together in the ninth,"Hobbs said. "Honestly we felt going in to the tourney itwould come down between us and Shen Valley. Theyhave a great team and it's always a battle when weplay each other.

"We knew, as always, with Shen Valley it was goingto be a dog fight."

And it was. Led by all-tournament selections KevinRush, Jeff Blalock, Brad Curry and Jon Wilson,Shenandoah Valley reached the finals for the fifth timethis summer.

With a huge assist from Earl Orme,Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting is having similar successon the diamond. They captured the USSSA Neptune inVirginia Beach shortly after winning Best of the Westand went into mid-June with a 326-126 record over thepast five seasons.

"This is by far the best team we've had since wewere established in 2007," Hobbs said.

Crossroads/Hobbs Consultinglead-off hitter David White scoredon another base hit to spark histeam to victory.

Crossroads/Hobbs Consulting MVP GeraldCrawford Slams a double to right centerfield

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• R900 carbon fiber provides 38.8% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation than industry standard carbon fiber. r900 is proven to endure grueling play, deliver unrivaled durability and maximize performance.

• 100 comp - 100% composite is engineered utilizing 100% premium aerospace grade carbon fiber to deliver miken's legendary performance and durability.

• Extreme x-tack takes knob grip to the next level with a comfortable feel. the optimal amount of tack gives players additional bat control when it matters most.

• Made in usa

Length/Weight:

34/26, 34/27, 34/28, 34/3014 ½ Barrel Length2 ¼" Barrel Diameter

Review: FREAK® FX 700™ BALANCEDUSSSA MODEL: SPFXBU"I have always loved hitting Miken bats and this Freak Balanced USSSA bat is awesome," Said BobbyGuerra. "This is hands down the best USSSA bat out there. whether you live by the long ball or youare a line drive hitter this bat is lethal. From the grip all the way to the cap this bat is very comfortablewith a great balance."

"Just when you think there is no way Miken can come out with a better bat then last year's model theycome out with an Awesome bat like this," Said Mark Dunning. "Sweet Graphics, great overall bat."

Line Drives 94

Distance 95

Feel/Sting 93

Sweet Spot 94

Sound 92

Durability 100

Graphics 93

Approved by USSSA 1.20 Certified, NSA and ISA.27

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Rusty Bumgardner 98 Anti Virus Reloaded VIRSP5-RBThe Anti Virus was one of the best bats that Combat ever produced, and now its back! It's big andaggressive, just like Rusty Bumgardner - so if your not ready for action you better step aside. Don't beafraid though, just like Rusty, this bat has a real sweet side as well - the incredible feel of the originalAnti Virus is back, with a vengeance, and soon ball players everyhere are going to be reminded whyCombat has grown so quickly into a leader in Diamond Sports!

Features:

• Maximum Allowable Performance (MAP) • Super Sweetspot Size (SSS) • Hot out of the Wrapper (HOT) • Blended Fiber Technology (BFT) • Multi-Wall Construction • Meets 1.20 BPF Standard

Length/WeightBALANCED - 34" 34" / 26 oz.BALANCED - 34" 34" / 27 oz. BALANCED - 34" 34" / 28 oz. BALANCED - 34" 34" / 30 oz.

Review: Rusty Bumgardner 98 AntiVirus Reloaded VIRSP5-RBOur group of bat reviewers were fired up and ready to try out the new Combat Rusty Bumgardner ASAApproved bat. We noted that this bat was extremely productive throughout our first round of hitting.However, the bat definitely improved by our second round of batting.

"Throughout the morning and early afternoon hitting sessions this bat hit very well but I noticed thebat improved significantly by our later rounds of hitting," Said Kevin Riley. "By our second and thirdround this bat was flat out launching Bombs consistently."

"The grip and overall feel of this bat were very comfortable," Said Renee Salinas. "Even when Ilaunched several shots deep into center and left center field I felt no sting or vibrations."

Line Drives 93

Distance 94

Feel/Sting 94

Sweet Spot 93

Sound 93

Durability 100

Graphics 95

Approved By: ISA, ISF, ASA, NSA, USSSA 1.20 BPF.28

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Length/WeightFULLY LOADED - 34" 34" / 26 oz.FULLY LOADED - 34" 34" / 27 oz. FULLY LOADED - 34" 34" / 28 oz. FULLY LOADED - 34" 34" / 30 oz.

http://www.combatsportsgroup.com

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Place State Team Division Wins Loses1 KS ABF Men's D 5 - 0

2 KS Southrock Billiards Men's D 4 - 2

3 KS Shocks Men's D 4 - 2

4 KS Boosters Men's E 3 - 2

5 KS Fastenal Men's E 3 - 2

By Maria Garcia

Haysville, KS. --- ABF from Wichita, Kansas went undefeated tocapture the Haysville "Fiery Inferno" Tournament held June 18 at thePlagen's-Carpenter Sports Complex. ABF got some outstandingoffense throughout their line-up and some exceptional pitching tocompile a perfect 5-0 record on their way to winning the "FieryInferno" USSSA qualifying tournament.

With a convincing 16-6 victory over THC of Wichita ABF was firingon all cylinders both offensively and defensively. They used theirmomentum and confidence to continue their winning ways as theydefeated McConnell another tough Wichita ball club. ABF used somestellar pitching and some consistent hitting to double their opponentsoutput for a convincing 20-10 victory.

Game three was a great match-up against Boosters of Andover, KS.The two teams battled back and forth until ABF was able to pull aheadwith rallies in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the lead and thevictory with a 17-9 win.

For ABF to win the tournament they knew they would have to facea tough Southrock Billiards ball club out of Wichita. The two teamslocked horns in their first match-up of the tournament.

The lead went back and forth in the early and mid innings howeverwith the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh ABF was ableto mount a game winning rally to push forward for a 14-13 victory.

While briefly down in the loser's bracket Southrock Billiardsnarrowly defeated the Titans 15-14 to earn a rematch with ABF in thefinal game of the tournament. By the fourth inning ABF foundthemselves down but not out as they were looking at a 3 run deficit.

But once again their offense came through when they needed toscore the most as they rallied in the later innings for a 11-10 victoryto win the Haysville "Fiery Inferno" Tournament.

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