Waves Roll In 12U!!!  Express REPEATS As 14U Champs!!!  Top Prospects Pladies Win An Extra-Inning Nail-Biter In 16U!!!

Now THIS was a fun tournament!  The Thunderbirds treated participating teams to flyovers at all three game sites...the weather was pretty close to perfect, with temperatures in the low 80's and bluebird skies all weekend...rumors floated around that some teams threw caution to the wind and actually went for a swim in frigid Grand Traverse Bay, while others took a side trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes and still others immersed themselves in the downtown action of the Cherry Festival.  All three divisions dripped with excitement and intriguing story lines as the Bayside Bash raced toward the finish line.  Where to start.....?

....How about with 12U?  Sixteen teams populated the 12U division, including a hefty dose of northern Michigan squads and a equal amount of visiting teams from all corners of the state.  After an exciting round of pool play with teams jockeying for position, and a frantic schedule of bracket play games on Sunday, Ryan Craig's 12U Waves team was left holding the championship hardware.  The Waves squad, after solid showings in earlier Traverse City Summer Series tournaments, dismantled an excellent Alpena Thundercats team, 12-0, to take home their first championship win.  Congratulations, ladies!!!

In the 12U consolation finals, the first-year Salt River Lady Bandits Red squad earned title honors with a 7-4 victory over Julie Mulder's West Michigan Riptide team.

Ben Lundquist's Cadillac Express team did something that hadn't been done since the 2013 Moran Iron Works Vulcans 16U team accomplished the feat in the Softball Spectacular tournament--the Express REPEATED as tournament champions!  Last year's 14U Bayside Bash champion was THIS year's 14U Bayside Bash champion, courtesy of a 5-0 victory over Tony Menard's Grand Rapids Diamonds.  The Express and the Diamonds put together sensational Sunday win streaks to reach the finals of a strong 20-team 14U division.  Way to go, girls!!!

In the 14U consolation title game, the Lisle Slammers (Illinois) defeated the Michigan Rebels.

But without question, the most exciting championship game happened in the 16U division where the Top Prospects Pladies team met the South Farmington Wildcards.  There were super-talented players all over the field...two evenly matched squads that battled back and forth for a rollicking eight innings before the Prospects pulled out a 13-12 walk-off win.  The game lurched one way, then another, with both teams clubbing balls off the fence, with daring baserunners challenging the opposing outfielders at every turn, and with both teams generally throwing haymaker after haymaker in their turns at bat.  It was as fun a game to watch as I can remember.  

Down 9-6 in the bottom of the sixth, the Prospects plated three runs to send the game to extra innings.  Each team scored a run in the seventh before the Wildcards took a two-run lead in the top of the eighth.  With two out, the Prospects pushed one, then two, then the third--and winning run--across the plate, triggering a wild celebration.  Trinity Westra, an All-Tournament Team selection, seemed to be in the middle of every Prospects rally.  Fittingly, she scored the winning run.  Sensational play by two tremendous, evenly matched teams...

We hope all of our participating teams and families enjoyed their weekend in Traverse City!  Thank you for coming to our tournament...

(Shown above are members of the Cadillac Express, 14U Champions)

Dang.  So they can do THAT!  Here's a list of the top performers in the 2019 Bayside Bash.  Presenting....the All-Tournament Team:

12U Division

Maya Boertman - Inter Lakes Pride

Sophie Sosnowski - Inter Lakes Pride

Grace Lewis - TC Thunder

Sarah Ream - TC Thunder

Peja Liles - TC Waves

Zoey Jetter - TC Waves

Hayden Boonstra - TC Waves

Evelyn Nowicki - TC Waves

Selena Hochendoner -  Hurricanes Fastpitch Robke

Katelyn Seeland - Hurricanes Fastpitch Robke

Allison Mohn - Salt River Bandits

Zola Smith - Salt River Bandits

Grace Cary - 231 Fusion

Addison Balentine - 231 Fusion

Adriana Sackett - 231 Fusion

Sydnee Kirk - Top Prospects 

McKenzie Gugins - Top Prospects

Kyleigh Bilek - West Michigan Riptide

Ahria Doornbos - West Michigan Riptide

Madison Babinec - West Michigan Riptide

Addi Huffman - West Michigan Riptide 

14U Division 

Ella Klimowicz - Oxford Wildcats

Kaylie Smith - Oxford Wildcats

Becca Allen - Lisle Slammers

Rhyan Hampton - Lisle Slammers

Emily Sweetland - Michigan Classics

Peyton Fether - Michigan Classics

Hannah Grahn - TC Waves 13U

Kate Gaylord - TC Waves 13U

Ashlyn Lundquist - Cadillac Express

Brooklyn Hoffert - Cadillac Express

Stella Balcom - Cadillac Express

Halle Richardson - Cadillac Express

Mia Clair - TC Thunder 13U

Taylor Phillips - TC Thunder 13U

Tatum Neubecker - Ogemaw Outlaws

Jorja Fox - Ogemaw Outlaws

Alicia Whissman - Ogemaw Outlaws

Maleah Rachow - Ogemaw Outlaws

Mikayln Kenney - Top Prospects

Presley Davis - Top Prospects

Ava Prielipp - Lakeshore Storm Taylor

Aubrey Taylor - Lakeshore Storm Taylor

Rachel Whitman - Saginaw Golds

Jerzy Peak - Saginaw Golds

16U Division

Danielle Pettaway - South Farmington Wildcards

Delanie Buzler - South Farmington Wildcards

Sierra Holder - Top Prospects Pladies

Trinity Westra - Top Prospects Pladies

Caitlynn Duffey - Top Prospects Pladies

Alex Morton - Top Prospects Pladies

Payton Berard - Oxford Wildcats

Gabrielle Selewski - Oxford Wildcats

Allison Urlaub - Alpena Thundercats

Kitaira Cohoon - Alpena Thundercats

Ashley Chmielewski - Roscommon Royals 

Audrey Tiepel - Roscommon Royals 

Sage Jones - Lisle Slammers

Natalia Stanley - Lisle Slammers

**COACHES - IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE TOP PERFORMERS ON YOUR TEAM FOR THE WEEKEND, PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM NOMINATIONS TO JSBRUNNER777@YAHOO.COM

Take a look at the top teams from the Bayside Bash!!!

2019

12U Division

Champion - TC Waves

Runner Up - Alpena Thundercats

14U Division

Champion - Cadillac Express

Runner Up - Grand Rapids Diamonds

16U Division 

Champion - Top Prospects Pladies

Runner Up - South Farmington Wildcards

2018

12U Division

Champion - Michigan Outlaws

Runner Up - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

14U Division 

Champion - Cadillac Express

Runner Up - Lady Crusaders

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**Pictured above are members of the 16U Top Prospects Pladies team, Bayside Bash Champions!

 Thank you to the Great Wolf Lodge for  sponsoring the 2019 Waves Summer Softball Series!  Visiting teams:  Call  231-534-9074 to reserve rooms for the tournament weekends.