2019 Spring splash results

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The 231 Fusion 10U team served notice that they will be a force all summer by capturing the 2019 Spring Splash title with an 8-0 victory over the Saginaw Bay Lady RiverDawgs.

The final, played in a steady drizzle, matched two organizations with a rich history of success in Traverse City.  The Lady RiverDawgs caught fire in Sunday's bracket play and won two straight games to reach the finals.  But the Fusion, as they appear poised to do on a regular basis, wore down their opponent with a combination of excellent pitching and timely hitting.  Great job, ladies!

Above, the Fusion and Lady RiverDawgs pose for a post-game photo.

The 12U division of the 2019 Spring Splash was a knockdown, drag out affair all weekend!  There were many fine teams that battled for a coveted spot in the Final Four, but when the dust settled (helped by the Sunday rain!) the Elite-DeVries squad out of the Grandville area emerged as champions by defeating the Traverse City Waves, 6-4.

Joe DeVries' team went undefeated during the tournament, allowing just three runs in pool play.  In the semifinals, the Elite team got past Bolts-Orange, while the Waves edged Sean Wright's Elite 11U team on the other side of the bracket.  In the finals, the two remaining teams battled back and forth in one of the most exciting 12U finals in memory.  Elite-DeVries broke open a 2-2 tie in teh fourth inning by scoring two unearned runs with two out.  The Waves scored  in the next inning to close to within one, but two more unearned runs provided the cushion that the Elite team needed to take the title.  Congratulations, All....!!!

Elite-DeVries and the TC Waves mug for the cameras following the title game (above)

The game seemed like a rematch of several big games in the Summer Tournament Series in recent years:  Michigan Expos vs. 231 Fusion.  This year's 14U championship final matching the powerful teams was another great game, with the Expos coming out on top, 8-5.

Kevin Brigham's squad has shown continuous improvement over the past three years--congratulations, ladies!

In the consolation final, Bernie Butgereit's Diamonds team rolled past the Tecumseh Crush, 13-5.  Nice finish, both teams!

The Saginaw Bay Lady RiverDawgs captured runner-up honors in the 10U division of the 2019 Spring Splash, and one of the reasons was the play of All-Tournament Team performer Kayla Flores.  The young first baseman achieved a first in Traverse City tournament history by clobbering a home run that carried approximately 200 feet.  Nicely done, Kayla (shown batting, above).

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THANK YOU, EVERYONE

...a quick note of thanks to our visiting teams for participating in the 2019 Spring Splash tournament.  We hope your families and players enjoyed the weekend in Traverse City as much as we enjoyed hosting your teams and watching all of the young players in action.

Here it is!  The list of top performers in the 2019 Spring Splash...congratulations, ladies!!!  Coaches:  If your players are not listed and you would like to give them some recognition, please email your selections  (JSBrunner777@yahoo.com) and we will include them on the All-Tournament Team.

10U Division

Claire Hurley - TC Thunder

Reese Jones - TC Thunder

Keeley Peace - Saginaw Bay Lady RiverDawgs

Kayla Flores - Saginaw Bay Lady RiverDawgs

Jaiden Ossana - Saginaw Bay Lady RiverDawgs

Samantha Thackery - Lady RiverDawgs

Addie Mathie - Traverse City Waves

Anna Tabaczka - Traverse City Waves

Claire McDaniel - 231 Fusion

Piper Cavanaugh - 231 Fusion 

Makayla Kozlowski - 231 Fusion

Abi Yuhaus - 231 Fusion

12U Division

Sophia Paluk - Northville Broncos

Lily Barringer - Northville Broncos

Eden Dalrymple - Grandville Dawgs Black

Kylee Austin - Grandville Dawgs Black

Alyssa Colvin - Moran Iron Works Vulcans

LeMay Sullivan - Moran Iron Works Vulcans

Alivia Kukla - Bolts Orange

Haylen McLaughlin - Bolts Orange

Haleigh Yocum - 231 Fusion 

Addison Balentine - 231 Fusion

Hunter St. Peter - 231 Fusion

Pharis Carroll - Michigan Expos - Gray

Ally Thcunick - Michigan Expos - Gray

Allison Wright - Elite 11U

Makenzie Cammenga - Elite 11U

Cam Craig - Traverse City Waves

Audrey Williams - Traverse City Waves

Zoey Jetter - Traverse City Waves

Evelyn Nowicki - Traverse City Waves

14U Division

Rylie Haist - Michigan Expos

Lilly Federeau - Michigan Expos

Josie Cornell - Michigan Expos

Veronica Lofquist - Michigan Expos

Gracie Cooper - Grand Rapids Diamonds

Gracyn Card - Grand Rapids Diamonds

Allee Shepherd - Traverse City Waves

Sophie Hardy - Traverse City Waves

2019

10U Division

Champion - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

Runner Up - Saginaw Bay Lady RiverDawgs

12U Divison

Champion - Elite - DeVries

Runner Up - Traverse City Waves

14U Division

Champion - Michigan Expos

Runner Up - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

Consolation Winner - Diamonds

Consolation Runner-Up - Tecumseh Crush

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2018

10U Division

Champion - Michigan Expos

Runner Up - Lakeshore Storm

12U Division

Champion - Riverdawgs 12U

Runner Up - Elite 11U

14U Division

Champion - Mid-Michigan Heat

Runner Up - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

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 2017

10U Division

  Champion - Michigan Expos

Runner Up - TC Thunder  

12U Division 

Champion - Diamonds

Runner Up - Michigan Expos

14U Division

Champion - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

Runner Up - Mid-Michigan Heat

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2016

10U Division

Champion - Batbusters 

Runner Up - Northville Broncos

12U Division 

Champion - Port Huron Predators

Runner Up - MSA Renegades  

14U Division 

Champion - Michigan Sabercats

Runner Up -  231 Fusion Fastpitch

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Mid-Michigan Heat Stages Epic Comeback In 14U!!!  12U  Lady Riverdawgs 12U Slug Their Way To Victory!!!  Michigan Expos Make It Back-To-Back Titles At 10U!!!

The Traverse City Waves Summer Softball Series got off to a rollicking start as teams from around the state showed their skills at sites all around the city.  

There were five--FIVE!!!--over the fence home runs belted in 12U division games over the weekend.  Shaun Gray's Michigan Expos repeated as 10U champions by edging an excellent Lakeshore Storm team, 3-2.  But the most jaw-dropping result was in the 14U division...

The fact that one team or the other won was not surprising at all.  Two tournament heavyweights--the 231 Fusion Fastpitch squad and the Mid-Michigan Heat met in LAST year's final, won by the Fusion.  Both squads have a history of making long tournament runs here in Traverse City, and once again they mowed through bracket play on another collision course toward the title game.

In the championship match, the Fusion ambushed the Heat with four runs in the first inning and six more in the second.  Down 10-0, Tim Robinson's squad mounted the greatest championship game comeback in Traverse City tournament history, dating back to 2006.  The Heat chipped away with a single run in the third, added more runs in the fourth and fifth, but found themselves down 11-6 with two outs in the sixth inning.  Three times the Heat was down to its final STRIKE! Amazingly, Heat batters strung together two-out hit after two-out hit, helped along by a few Fusion miscues.  Finally, the comeback was completed with a single that drove home two runs, sending the Heat bench and their fans into a frenzy!  It was a terrific game between two exceptional teams that will win a lot of games this summer.  Congratulations to both teams on a super-exciting game!!!

In addition to the Expos victory in 10U--the organization's second in a row at that age group--the Saginaw Bay Lady Riverdawgs 12U squad was too much for a good, young Elite 11U team, 12-3, in the championship final in the 12U division.

In the consolation brackets, Juan Rolon's Outlaws 13U team edged Rich Steenstra's Grandville Dawgs, 7-6, in ANOTHER exciting 14U division game at SEAS.  In the 12U division, the West Michigan Outlaws Blue defeated the Northville Broncos 11U, 8-0.

A big THANK YOU to all the teams, players, families and fans that attended and helped to make the Spring Splash a success!  We hope to see you again next year...

 Thank you to all of the teams that participated in the opening weekend of the Traverse City Waves Summer Softball Series!  Here are the All-Tournament selections as nominated by the coaching staffs.  Coaches:  If your team and players are missing and you would like to nominate up to two of your players to be added to the All-Tournament Team, please send a note and we will add your player(s) to the list.

10U Division 
Addison Spicer-Michigan Blasters
Kennedi Ryan-Michigan Blasters 

Audrey Williams-TC Waves

Hayden Boonstra-TC Waves

Zoey Jetter-TC Waves 

Macy Pohlad-231 Fusion

Piper Cavanaugh-231 Fusion 

Madison Wyckoff-Lakeshore Storm 

Ella Showers-Lakeshore Storm

12U Division
Courtney Witten-W. Mich. Outlaws

Avery Matthysse-W. Mich. Outlaws.
Lauren Berghorst-W. Mich. Outlaws

Livia Bisonet-W. Mich. Outlaws 

Maggie Napont-TC Waves 12U 

Hannah Grahn-TC Waves 12U 

Allee Shepherd-TC Waves 12U 

Leah Simetz-231 Fusion

Taylor Noble-231 Fusion 

Olivia Mikowski-231 Fusion

Lilly Stidham-Batbusters 

Audrey Pearsall-Batbusters

Anna Weber-Northville Broncos 

Anna Wilds-Northville Broncos 

Emma Case-Riverdawgs 12U 

Bitsy Shea-Riverdawgs 12U 

Raina Bonus-Riverdawgs 12U 

Jacquie Peters-Riverdawgs 12U   

14U Division  

Madison Travis-Mid-Michigan Heat 

Sawyer Gerow-Mid-Michigan Heat

Kate Pnacek-Mid-Michigan Heat 

Alexis Grove-Mid-Michigan Heat 

Lexi Hamstra-231 Fusion

Brooke Meeker-231 Fusion

Sophie Wisniski-231 Fusion

Kaci Sowers-231 Fusion 

Allison Urlaub-Alpena Thundercats

Lindsay Donajkowski-Alpena Thundercats

Riley Brigham-Expos 14U Brigham 

Skylar Baumgardner-Expos 14U Brigham

Ashley Veldheer-Diamonds 

Annika Talsma-Diamonds 

Emma Torres-Outlaws 13U

Patricia Misiak-Outlaws 13U 

Leslie Hamilton-TC Thunder 13U

Lauren Steenstra-Grandville Dawgs 

Marissa Menard-Grandville Dawgs

McKenzie Reed-TC Thunder 13U 

Catelyn Heethuis-TC Thunder 13U

2018

10U Division

Champion - Michigan Expos

Runner Up - Lakeshore Storm

12U Division

Champion - Riverdawgs 12U

Runner Up - Elite 11U

14U Division

Champion - Mid-Michigan Heat

Runner Up - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

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 2017

10U Division 
Champion - Michigan Expos

Runner Up - TC Thunder  

12U Division 

Champion - Diamonds

Runner Up - Michigan Expos

14U Division

Champion - 231 Fusion Fastpitch

Runner Up - Mid-Michigan Heat

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2016

10U Division
Champion - Batbusters 

Runner Up - Northville Broncos

12U Division 

Champion - Port Huron Predators

Runner Up - MSA Renegades  

14U Division 

Champion - Michigan Sabercats

Runner Up -  231 Fusion Fastpitch

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