Softball Spectacular

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Stealth Mows Through 10U Field!!!  12U Waves Prevail In Championship Thriller!!!  Ohio-Based Revolution Champs At 14U!!!  Blaze Edges Backyard Neighbors For 16U Title!!!

There have been 13 Softball Spectaculars held in Traverse City.  This one might have been the best.  It was certainly one of the most interesting.

Perfect weather, spirited competition and thrilling comebacks marked the softball landscape at game sites around Traverse City as the National Cherry Festival drew to a close.  Teams with rich histories of winning local tournament titles--the South Lyon Stealth, Petoskey Blaze and Traverse City Waves--hoisted Home Plate Championship Trophies again and reminded opponents that they shouldn't be overlooked as tournament contenders.  For the first time, an Ohio-based team--the Dublin Revolution--earned a tournament championship by playing solid defense and wearing down opposing pitchers with their potent offense.  And "up north" teams like the Cadillac Express and 231 Fusion threw in solid tournament runs and thrilling comebacks just to spice up the joint.

First, the Waves.  The tournament's namesake team has been working hard and improving noticeably from week-to-week throughout the winter, spring and the summer tournament season.  The New Waves breakthrough came in the final weekend of the Traverse City Softball Summer Series in the most thrilling of ways.  After riding rock-solid pitching and defense through pool play--Waves pitchers allowed only one run in four games--the Waves 12U team found themselves trailing an excellent Edge Fastpitch squad, 7-6, in the bottom of the fifth inning of the six-inning contest.  It was at that point that Abby Lindstrom and Rylea Beamish took it upon themselves to belt back-to-back home runs that cleared the left field fence headed in the direction of Lake Michigan to give the 12U girls the lead. Pitcher Kate Gaylord, who has shown remarkable improvement through incessant hard work, came on to close out the game in the sixth and give the Waves their first tournament title as a new organization and the first Waves title overall since the 16U squad captured the Cherry Capital Showdown in 2014.  Congratulations to all of the 12U teams!

In the 10U division, Ted Warthman's South Lyon Stealth team went undefeated on their way to capturing a tournament championship.  It was the Stealth organization's third Softball Spectacular tournament title (2012, 2013), though many Stealth teams have made deep tourney runs that underscore the overall quality of this metro Detroit area group.  The Stealth defeated Traverse City's 231 Fusion Fastpitch, 10-6, in the title game.

In the 14U group, the Revolution traveled from the Columbus, Ohio suburb of Dublin to play in the Softball Spectacular.  They made sure with their play that they didn't return empty-handed.  However, their path to the title was far from easy thanks to Ben Lundquist's Cadillac Express squad.  The Express, winners of last weekend's Bayside Bash, sported a win streak that grew to nine games during the Softball Spectacular weekend.  The Cardiac Cadillacs needed a miraculous last-inning comeback from three runs down just to reach the final four of the 14U division.  In the semifinals against Dublin, the Express trailed 6-3 with two out and no one on in the last inning.  The much-improved Express squad strung together enough hits to score two runs and had the bases loaded before a fly ball to right ended their winning streak and sent the Revolution on to the championship game.  In the title contest, the Revolution ambushed Traverse City's 231 Fusion squad early and went on to finish off an impressive title run, 13-2.  Congratulations to the Revolution--it was a pleasure to host your team in Traverse City! Great job, 14U teams!!!

The 16U division final was an all-Northern Michigan affair featuring neighboring teams familiar with each other.  Six players from Angie Behling's high-performing Antrim County-based Lady Lakers squad had been members of the Emmet County-based Petoskey Blaze team in past years.  Dave Serafini's Blaze team, winners of Softball Spectacular titles in 2011 and 2015, is always a tough tournament "out".  This time, the Blaze prevailed 5-4 in the final to capture a third Softball Spectacular title.  Great teams, great game....congratulations, girls!

We hope the tournament teams and their families enjoyed their weekend in Traverse City.  Thank you, players, for providing so many thrills on the softball fields this weekend!!

Congratulations to the top performers in the 2018 Softball Spectacular tournament! 

10U Division

 Audrey Williams-TC Waves
Alyssa Hagerman-TC Waves

Brooke DePeel-Krash 10U

Austynn Arellano-Krash 10U

Gretchen Weiland-Moran Iron Works Vulcans

Savannah Tulgestka-Moran Iron Works Vulcans
Avery Bourlier-South Lyon Stealth
Olivia McPherson-South Lyon Stealth
Brynn O'Neill-South Lyon Stealth
Hope Warthman-South Lyon Stealth

 12U Division
Delana Kirt-Northwest Wild

Emily Sirmeyer-Northwest Wild

Parker Withers-Bair's Softball Academy

Kirsten Kushion-Bair's Softball Academy

Addison Balentine-Traverse City Waves 11U

Jaden Sinkes-Traverse City Waves 11U

Kaylin Goodman-Cadillac Express

Madisyn Lundquist-Cadillac Express

Izzy Covert-Traverse City Waves 12U

Rylea Beamish-Traverse City Waves 12U

Sophie Hardy-Traverse City Waves 12U

Kate Gaylord-Traverse City Waves 12U

Sarah Ream-TC Thunder

Lucy Uy-TC Thunder

Taylor Phillips-TC Thunder

Katie Patton-Kalamazoo Kings Black

Jordan Wesaw-Kalamazoo Kings Black  

14U Division 

Taylor Covington-Dublin Revolution

Jamie Hamed-Dublin Revolution

Dianna Bishop-Dublin Revolution

Caroline Piatt-Dublin Revolution

Mattie Akom-TC Thunder 13U

Leslie Hamilton-TC Thunder 13U

Halle Richardson-Cadillac Express

Alana HoffertCadillac Express

Mackenzie Monier-Algonac Storm

Jaden French-Algonac Storm

Lauren DeVol-Moran Iron Works Vulcans Black

Lauren Juco-Moran Iron Works Vulcans Black

Mallory Baibos-Linden Warriors

Olivia Burke-Linden WarriorsS

ydney Bryant-231 Fusion

Brooke Meeker-231 Fusion

Kaci Sowers-231 Fusion

Stephanie Schichtel-231 Fusion 

 16U Division 

Zoe Harmon-Petoskey Blaze

Gillian Howard-Petoskey Blaze

Katie Buerkel-Petoskey Blaze

Jackie Demeuse-Petoskey Blaze

Avery Smitz-Roscommon Royals

Jocelyn Brown-Roscommon Royals

Reagan Middleton-Northwest Wild

Angie Warsecke-Northwest Wild 

The Granddaddy of them all.  Check out the list of past champions of the Softball Spectacular!

 2018
10U - South Lyon Stealth

12U - Traverse City Waves 12U

14U - Dublin Revolution

16U - Petoskey Blaze 

 2017 

10U - TC Thunder 

12U - Michigan Expos

14U - South Farmington Wildcards

16U - Michigan Rage - Orange  

2016
10U - Inter-Lakes Pride
12U - Michigan Outlaws
14U - Moran Iron Works Vulcans
16U - Moran Iron Works Vulcans
 

2015 

10U - Batbusters 10U
12U - Saginaw Bay RiverDawgs
14U - Moran Iron Works Vulcans Black
16U - Petoskey Blaze
 

2014

 10U - Eagles Fastpitch

12U - Motor City Madness Red

14U - Moran Iron Works Vulcans Red

16U - Grand Rapids Diamonds 

2013

 12U - South Lyon Stealth

14U - Imlay City Sparks

16U - Moran Iron Works Vulcans  

2012

 12U - Jags Fastpitch

14U - South Lyon Stealth

16U - Moran Iron Works Vulcans 

2011

 12U - Michigan Warriors

14U - Macomb Explosion

16U - Petoskey Blaze  

2010

 12U - Fenton Fastpitch

14U - Grand Rapids Diamonds Black  

2009

12U - MBS Jets Black

14U - Macomb Shock 

2008

 12U - Dearborn Heights Wild 12

14U - Traverse City Waves 14 

2007

 12U - Shoreline Devils 12

14U - Tri-City Attack  

2006 

12U  - Traverse City Waves

14U - USA Fastball  

 Click on the Farmers Insurance logo to visit Jim's website and find out how he will work together with you to find the perfect plan for your insurance needs.  Offices in Cadillac, Traverse City and Kaleva.  Call Jim at 231-775-7778. 

Make plans to join the Softball Spectacular field on the weekend of July 5-7. 2019.  It's a blast in Traverse City that weekend!  All of our tournaments are locally run by people who live in, and know, Traverse City.

 Thank you to the Great Wolf Lodge for  sponsoring the 2018 Waves Summer Softball Series!  Visiting teams:  Contact Zac Malewitz at 231-534-9074 or zmalewitz@greatwolf.com to reserve rooms for the tournament weekends.