Rock ‘n Reno Challenge Cup Celebrates 30 Years

June 1, 2017

RENO, NV --- The oldest and longest running Senior Softball-USA qualifier celebrated its 30^th Anniversary this year, as 196 teams from 15 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington), as well as Canada (Alberta and British Columbia) traveled to the “Biggest Little City in the World” May 26 to June 4.

The Rock ‘n Reno Challenge Cup is the third largest SSUSA qualifier of the 2017 season, behind the Winter World Championships (209 teams) in Phoenix and the LVSSA/SSUSA Southwest Championships (214 teams) in Las Vegas.

The first session of the tournament featured the Men’s 50 and 55 age divisions, May 26-28, with 47 teams in action at Golden Eagle Regional Park Softball Complex (Sparks) and Reno Softball Complex at Rancho San Rafael. 

In the three-team Men’s 50 Major Plus division, top seed Northwest DeMarini/Stark St. Pizza (WA) defeated Nor Cal Warriors (CA), 19-12, before edging out JU Entertainment/AfterShock (CA), 22-21, in the championship game.

The 11-team Men’s 50 Major division saw No. 10 seed Layer Cake Wines/Crush 50’s (CA) rally through the elimination side of the bracket with three straight wins to reach the championship game, defeating No. 6 seed Bad Seed 50’s (CA), 22-16, to force the “if” game. Bad Seed defeated Layer Cake Wines/Crush earlier in the bracket, knocking the team down into the elimination round. Layer Cake Wines/Crush was awarded the “if” game due to an injury induced forfeit. No. 4 seed Hara’s/Jersey Lilly 50s (OR), making their SSUSA debut, finished in third place.

The top two seeds battled it out for the title in the 13-team Men’s 50 AAA division, Calhoun/Michael’s Toyota (WA) defeated Pacific Coast Alliance (CA) 18-10 in the “if” game, after dropping the championship game 24-14. Calhoun/Michael’s Toyota got the better of Pacific Coast Alliance 23-8 earlier in the bracket to drop the team down into the elimination side of the bracket. No. 8 seed Sacramento Flash made an incredible run through the elimination rounds, winning five straight games, before falling short to Pacific Coast Alliance 17-16 in the third-place game.

The Men’s 55 Major Plus division consisted of six teams, with No. 2 seed Sommerville Softball (CA) going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 32-18 win over No. 5 seed Northwest Legends 55 (WA) in the championship game. Top seed Elite (AZ) finished in third place.

Seven teams competed in the Men’s 55 Major division, as No. 3 seed The Core (NV) double-dipped top seed California Energy by scores of 17-11 and 20-9 in the championship and “if” game respectively. California Energy edged out The Core 8-6 earlier in the bracket. Sonoma County Crush (CA) finished in third place.

Another seven-team division, the Men’s 55 AAA division, saw the top two seeds duel it out, as Rebellion (CA) defeated Senior Bend Elks (OR) 17-14 in the “if’ game, after falling in the championship game 30-17. After dropping their opening game in bracket play, top seed Senior Bend Elks went on a run, winning five straight games, before falling short in the “if” game. The “if” game was the team’s fifth game on Sunday. No. 5 seed Fresno Heat finished in third place.

The second session saw the Men’s 65 through 80 age divisions take the field, May 30-June 1, with 70 teams in play at Golden Eagle, Rancho San Rafael and Shadow Mountain Park Softball Complex (Sparks). KTVN Channel 2 News was on hand during the second session. CLICK HERE to watch the news clip.

Timberworks/Adidas (CA) once again held onto its stronghold of the Men’s 65 Major Plus division, coming out of the elimination side of the bracket to double-dip Omen 65 (CA) by scores of 23-19 and 18-16 to capture the four-team division. Omen edged out Timberworks/Adidas earlier in the bracket 26-25. Old A’s (AZ) finished in third place.

This is the second straight Rock ‘n Reno Challenge Cup victory for Timberworks/Adidas and the fourth major championship of 2017, as the team has won the Winter World, Spring World and Southwest Championships.

In the nine-team Men’s 65 Major division, top seed Enviro-Vac Marauder 65 (BC, Canada) avenged their loss in the championship game against Nor-Cal STIXX 65 (CA) 21-20 with a 16-2 triumph in the “if” game. Nor-Cal STIXX bounced back from an 0-2 showing in seeding play with a 4-2 mark in bracket play en route to their runner-up finish. KC Kids (KS) finished in third place.

Oregon Crabs posted a perfect 4-0 record in bracket play in the seven-team Men’s 65 AAA division, including a 19-11 victory over Cut Loose 65’s (CA) in the championship game. After dropping their opening game in bracket play, Prime Time (CA) rattled off three straight wins en route to their third-place finish.

In the four-team Men’s 65 Silver division, Texas Lone Stars defeated Penn Valley Grays (CA) 20-12 in the championship game. Git-R-Done 65 (CA) finished in third place; however, as the highest finishing AA team, Git-R-Done earned first place awards for its division.

The champion in the four-team Men’s 70 Major Plus division would be determined by an “if” game, as Venom (FL) downed Omen 70 (CA) 20-4 after falling in the championship game 10-9. After dropping their opening game in bracket play, Omen won three straight games to eventually force the “if” game and register a runner-up finish. Scrap Iron 70 Legacy (CO) finished in third place.

In the 10-team Men’s 70 Major division, SoCal Gusto (CA) completed an unbeaten week, going 2-0 in seeding play, before winning four straight in bracket play, including a 27-20 win over Hendricks Sports Management (TX) in the championship game. After losing their first two games in the three-game guarantee bracket, Tri-State Diamondbacks (NM) rebounded to win three straight games to finish in third place.

Solano Senior Enforcers (CA) took the 10-team Men’s 70 AAA division, going 4-0 in bracket play, including an 18-7 victory over Southern California Crush in the championship game. After going 0-2 in seeding play and dropping their opening game in bracket play, Mustangs (CA) won four straight games in the elimination side of the bracket to finish in third place. 

Sacramento Buds won the three-team Men’s 70 AA division, defeating Direct Sales Flooring (CA) 23-7, before downing California Oaks 15-9 in the championship game.

In the five-team Men’s 75 Platinum division, W.E. Ruth Realty 75 (WA) defeated San Francisco Seals 75 (CA) in the championship game 25-17. PDF Fastsigns (OR) and Lincoln Hills Coyotes 75 (CA) each finished in third place in the single-elimination bracket.

The Zone (UT) won the five-team Men’s 75 AAA division with a perfect record, going 4-0 in seeding play and 2-0 in bracket play, including a 23-6 win in the championship game against California Oaks 75’s. Triple Play 75 (CA) and Git-R-Done 75 (CA) each finished in third place in the single-elimination bracket. 

In the three-team Men’s 80 Major division, top seed Fairway Ford (CA) defeated Emerald 80’s (WA) 15-3 in the championship game. Sacramento Gold finished in third place.

In the six-team Men’s 80 AAA division, teams played a full five-game round robin to determine the champion. Redwood City Gold Rush (CA) posted a perfect 5-0 record to take first place. Git-R-Done 80 (CA) finished in second place with a 4-1 record, while Scrap Iron Gray Berets (CO) finished in third place with a 3-2 mark.

A highlight from the 80 AAA division came from Forever Young Diamonds (UT), who turned a triple play. "The great thing about this triple play was it was  done on 65 foot base paths," said manager Doyle Neuenswander. "The bases were loaded with nobody out. The ball was hit hard by one of the players from Redwood Gold Rush to the shortstop Ralph Brinton, who tagged the runner going to third, then threw to Ronnie Guest at second for two and he threw to Roy Lehrner at first base for the third out. No runs scored."

The third and final session of the tournament, June 2-4, was the largest, as the Men’s 40’s and 60’s age divisions, as well as all the Women’s (40’s through 55’s) divisions, were due up. With the most teams of any of the sessions (79), all four complexes were in use, as Centennial Park Softball Complex (Carson City) was added, to go along with Golden Eagle, Rancho San Rafael, and Shadow Mountain.

Starting with the three-team Women’s 40 Masters Major division, Old School (CA) defeated Fun Bunch 40’s (CA) 14-8 in the championship game. Smack That (CA) finished in third place.

TABU (CA) came out of the elimination side of the bracket to double-dip CCS Fireballerz (CA), by scores of 20-12 and 26-8 in the championship and “if” game to win the four-team Women’s 40 Masters AAA division. Old Nasty Curves (CA) finished in third place.

B.O.O.B.’s 40 (CA) defeated Dames Got Game (AZ) in a best two-out-of-three game series for the Women’s 40 Masters AA division. After the teams split the first two games, B.O.O.B.’s 40 took the rubber-match 16-10.

Top seed Twisted Fossils 50 (MA), making the long trek across the country, ran the table in the nine-team Women’s 50 division, going 2-0 in seeding play and 4-0 in bracket play, including a 20-13 win over Arizona Dream Team in the championship game. After going 0-2 in seeding play and dropping their opening game in the bracket, Been There! Done That! (CA) rattled off four straight wins to make a valiant run through the elimination bracket, en route to their third-place finish. 

2^nd Wind (CA), the top seed in the three-team Women’s 55 division, defeated Spokane Sparx 50 (WA) 27-14 in the championship game. Nevada Sage finished in third place. 

In the four-team Men’s 60 Major Plus division, Old Dawgs 60 (CA) came back to defeat Summy’s Demolition (CA), 34-20, in the “if” game, after falling 21-8 in the championship game. Old Dawgs edged out Summy’s Demolition 15-14 earlier in the bracket, knocking the team down into the elimination side of the bracket. With their backs against the wall, Summy’s Demolition won three straight games before running out of gas in the “if” game. MTC 60’s/Dudley (CA) finished in third place.

Goodman Racing (WA) edged out Old Giants (CA) 27-26 in the championship game of the nine-team Men’s 60 Major division. Goodman Racing ran the bracket going 4-0. Top seed Bulldogs 60’s (OR) won four straight games in the elimination side of the bracket after dropping opening game in the bracket.

The largest division of the tournament, the 18-team Men’s 60 AAA division, saw top seed Mountain Men 60 (UT) post a flawless record, going 2-0 in seeding play, before running the bracket with a 5-0 record, including a 20-18 win over No. 2 seed Utah Coyotes in the championship game. Mountain Men also defeated Utah Coyotes 21-20 to advance to the championship game. Auto Accessory Dist. (OR) finished in third place.

Ain’t No Saints (CA) won the four-team Men’s 60 AA division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 25-8 win over East-West Aircraft (ID) in the championship game. Fresno Mayhem (CA) finished in third place.

In the six-team Men’s 40 Major Plus division, Miken Voodoo (AB, Canada) bounced back from an 0-2 showing in seeding play, with a perfect 4-0 mark in bracket play, including a 42-24 win over GTS (ID) in the championship game. After dropping their opening bracket game, GTS won three straight games en route to their runner-up finish. Desert Springs (NV) finished in third place after going 0-2 in seeding.

In the 17-team Men’s 40 Gold division, top seed Prestige Pools (CA) completed a perfect weekend, going 2-0 in seeding play and 5-0 in bracket play, including a 14-11 win over No. 2 seed Rancid/Miken Sports (CA) in the championship game. Team CPC (CA) finished in third place. Honorable mention to SofaKing Softball/Elite (CA), who lost their opening game in the bracket, before going on a run, winning four straight in the elimination side of the bracket. The team would eventually fall to Team CPC.