Record 130 Teams Compete in 2018 Western National Championships

Aug. 1, 2018

SACRAMENTO/PLACER, Calif. – The 2018 Western National Championships was held here, July 31-Aug. 5, with a tournament record 130 teams competing to become the best of the best in the West.

Winners of each division take the first steps towards the Triple Grand Slam, as the winning teams earn a berth into the U.S. National Championship Game, played during seeding play at the LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships. Teams that go on to win that game, and their respective division in the World Masters Championships, complete the Triple Grand Slam.

CLICK HERE for complete game-by-game scores.

The tournament began with the Men’s 65 through 80 age divisions playing July 31-Aug. 2.

The opening ceremony of the first session was highlighted by the induction of Norm Blackwell into the Senior Softball-USA (SSUSA) Hall of Fame. CLICK HERE for more information on Norm Blackwell.

Playing a best two-out-of-three game series, Timberworks/Adidas (CA) outlasted Rebels (OR) to win the Men’s 65 Major Plus Division. Rebels struck first, taking game one by a score of 21-17; while Timberworks/Adidas evened the series with a 23-16 victory. In the rubber match, Timberworks cruised to a 27-12 win to complete the comeback.


Timberworks/Adidas

The top seed in the six-team Men’s 65/70 Platinum Division, No Dice/Bay Photo Lab (CA) completed bracket play unscathed, going 3-0, including a 21-9 win over Nor Cal Reds (CA) in the championship game. After dropping their opening bracket game against Omen 70 (CA), 12-10, Nor Cal Reds rattled off three straight wins to reach the championship game. After going 0-3 in seeding and entering bracket play as the last seed, Animals (CA) finished in third place.

Omen 70 will represent the West in the Men’s 70 Major Plus Division, while No Dice/Bay Photo Lab will represent the West in the Men’s 65 Major Division.

Sidewinders Desert (AZ) polished off a perfect week in the six-team Men’s 65 AAA Division, as the team went 2-0 in seeding to lock up the No. 1 seed, before going 3-0 in the bracket, including a 20-11 win over No. 2 seed, Last Call (NV). Cut Loose (CA) finished in third place.

NOR-CAL STIXX (CA) swept Game On (CA) by scores of 33-17 and 15-10, respectively, in a best two-out-of-three game series to win the Men’s 70 Major Division.

Nor-Cal Stixx

After dropping the championship game against Please Don’t Bug Me (CA), 18-10, Sacramento Islanders (CA) bounced back with a 20-18 win in the “if” game to take the four-team Men’s 70 AAA Division. After dropping their opening bracket against Sacramento Islanders, 13-9, Please Don’t Bug Me won three straight elimination games, including their win in the championship game, before falling short in the “if” game. Lincoln Hills Coyotes (CA) finished in third place.

Sacramento Islanders 

Triple Play (CA) won the three-team Men’s 70 AA Division, defeating Valley Fog (CA) in the championship (17-16) and “if” (23-19) games. Valley Fog edged out Triple Play 22-21 in the opening bracket game.  Triple Play then won three straight games, including the double-dip over Valley Fog. California Oaks finished in third place.

Triple Play 70

Omen (CA) won the three-team Men’s 75 Major Plus Division, going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 17-4 win over San Francisco Seals (CA) in the championship game. General Equipment (OR) finished in third place.

In the three-team Men’s 75 Major Division, top seed State Roofing Systems (CA) went 2-0 in the bracket, including a 19-16 win over Lincoln Hills Coyotes (CA) in the championship game. Scrap Iron Beams (CO) finished in third place.

State Roofing Systems 75

Sacramento Gold (CA), led by SSUSA Hall of Famer Norm Blackwell, won the three-team Men’s 75/80 AAA Division, following its 16-12 win over Lincoln Hills Coyotes (CA) in the championship game. Triple Play finished in third place. Sacramento Gold (80 AAA) and Triple Play (75 AAA) will represent the West in their respective divisions.

The tournament continued Aug. 3-5, with the Women’ Divisions and the Men’s 40-60 age divisions.

In the seven-team Women’s 40 Gold Division, CCS Fireballerz (CA) bounced back from an 0-2 showing in seeding play, going 4-0 in bracket play, including a 14-3 win over UT-Relics (UT) in the championship game. Top seed TABU (CA) finished in third place. CCS Fireballerz (Women's 40 AAA) and Wikkd (CA), the lone Women’s 40 Major team, will represent the West in their respective divisions.

Old School (CA) swept B.O.O.B.S (CA) in a best two-out-of-three game series for the Women’s 50 Major Division, by scores of 28-4 and 15-6, respectively.

OnFire/Afoa Insurance (CA) swept NW Lady Warriors (WA) in a best two-out-of-three game series to win the Women’s 50 AAA Division, by scores of 26-16 and 25-4, respectively.

In the five-team Men’s 40 Major Plus Division, Prestige/Elite Sports Orange County Prestige (CA) posted a perfect weekend, going 2-0 to secure the top seed, before going 3-0 in bracket play, including a 21-19 win over GTS (ID) in the championship game. Team CPC (CA) finished in third place.

The 15-team Men’s 40 Gold Division saw a Cinderella run by No. 13 seed MTC 40’s (CA). MTC opened play going 0-2 in seeding play, before rebounding in bracket play, going 5-0, including a 28-17 win over DTA/KJE/SUP (CA) in the championship game. With their win, MTC 40’s will represent the West. DTA/KJE/SUP fell to MTC 40’s earlier in the bracket as well, 29-28, to move down to the elimination side of the bracket. The team would roll off three straight elimination game wins to reach the championship game. Mach One 40’s (WA) finished in third place, and as the lone 40 AAA team, will represent the West in their respective division. Silverbacks 40 (CA) finished in fourth place.

Northwest Softball/Worth (WA) took the three-team Men’s 50 Major Plus Division, defeating JU Ent/Aftershock (CA), 39-32, in the championship game. Crush 50’s (CA) finished in third place.

Making the longest trek of the 130 teams in the Western Nationals, CPD/Ancell 50’s (MN) ran the table unblemished in the 11-team Men’s 50 Major Division, going 2-0 in seeding play to lock up the top seed, before rattling off four-straight victories in bracket play, including a 26-16 win over Bad Seed 50s (CA) in the championship game. L.A.F. 50 (CA) finished in third place. Team ASB 50’s (CA) made a strong push through the elimination side of the bracket en route to a fourth-place finish.

Pacific Coast Alliance (CA), the last seed in the eight-team Men’s 50 AAA Division following an 0-2 showing in seeding play, turned it around in bracket play, posting a 4-1 record to take the title. The team’s lone loss came in the championship game, 24-22, against Calhoun/Michael’s Toyota (WA), forcing the “if” game. Pacific Coast Alliance would avenge its loss, taking the winner-take-all game, 24-19. Calhoun/Michael’s Toyota won four straight elimination games, including the championship game, en route to their runner-up finish. Elite/Scrap Iron (CO) finished in third place.

Sommerville Softball (CA) won the six-team Men’s 55 Major Plus Division, going 4-0 in bracket play, including a 22-6 win over top seed Elite/Dudley 55 (AZ) in the championship game. Elite/Dudley won four straight games in the elimination side of the bracket after dropping their first game in the bracket, en route to their runner-up finish. JU Ent/Major Plus 55 (CA) finished in third place.

Top seed D&K Tradition (CA) advanced all the way to the championship game of the nine-team Men’s 55 Major Division without suffering a loss, before dropping an 18-16 heartbreaker to So Cal Guys 55’s (CA). D&K Tradition would quickly bounce back from its loss, taking the “if” game, 20-6, with ease. So Cal Guys 55’s lost to D&K Tradition earlier in the bracket, 26-21, to drop down into the elimination side of the bracket. The team rallied with four straight wins in do-or-die games, including the championship game, before running out of gas in the “if” game. The “if” game was their fifth game of the day. WPI/Wilson & Sons (ID) finished in third place.

In the seven-team Men’s 55 Silver Division, top Michael’s Automotive Group (WA) completed a perfect weekend, going 2-0 in seeding and 3-0 in bracket play, including a 23-14 win over Fresno Heat (CA) in the championship game. Fresno Heat fell to Michael’s Automotive Group earlier in the bracket 23-18 to fall into the elimination side of the bracket. The team would go on to win four straight games en route to their runner-up finish. With their win, Michael’s Automotive Group clinches their spot to represent the West in the Men’s 55 AAA Division. Rogues (OR) finished in third place. As the lone 55 AA team, Spin Tees (WA) will represent the West.

The five-team Men’s 60 Major Plus Division would see an “if” game played, as Summy’s (CA) downed Old Dawgs (CA) 23-14 to win the division. Old Dawgs defeated Summy’s 27-23 in the championship, to force the decisive final game. East Bay Oldies (CA) finished in third place.

Sin City Softball (NV) posted a perfect 4-0 record in bracket play, including a 35-22 victory over Reloaded (CA) in the championship game, to win the eight-team Men’s 60 Major division. Reloaded dropped a heartbreaker in their opening game of the bracket, 25-24, against Sin City, dropping the team down into the elimination side of the bracket. Once in the loser’s bracket, Reloaded took to its team name, by reloading with five straight wins to reach the championship game. The team ran out of gas in its rematch with Sin City, as the championship game was the fourth game of the day for Reloaded. Top seed Goodman Racing (WA) finished in third place.

Sin City Softball

The ten-team Men’s 60 Silver Division saw top seed Northwest Softball Club/Underdogs (WA) run the gauntlet on the final day of the tournament, as the team played in five straight games. The team began by defeating the No. 2 seed, North State Screen Print/Athletic (CA) 24-17 in the first game of the day, before knocking off Auto Accessory Distributing (OR) 22-19 to advance to the third-place game. NW Softball Club continued their run with a 24-15 victory over Baker Boyz (CA) to punch their ticket to the championship game against Senior Bend Elks (OR), setting up an All-Pacific Northwest title bout. Not wanting to go home just yet, NW Softball won its fourth straight game of the day, with a thrilling 23-22 win over Senior Bend Elks, to force the “if” game.

In the end, NW Softball would run out of gas, as Senior Bend Elks cruised in the “if” game, with a 22-10 victory. Senior Bend Elks upset NW Softball Club earlier in the bracket 23-20 to knock the team down into the elimination side of the bracket.

Senior Bend Elks

As the lone 60 AA team, Pastimers (WA) will represent the West.

Pastimers

Some action shots from Maidu Regional Park at the Western National Championships.
Photos courtesy from Placer Valley Tourism