5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH Wins USSSA Class E

Nine Team Event At Byron Sports Complex On July 29th

BYRON: 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH (5-0) from Byron won the nine team Illinois USSSA Men's Class E Great Lakes National Tournament qualifier played at the Byron Sports Complex in Byron on July 29th. Bada Bing (4-2) from Romeoville took home second place with the Splitters (3-2) from Rockford finished in third place with Costa / Precision Home Insurance, Michael (2-2) from Byron taking home fourth place from this tournament.
5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH opened tournament play with a first round 12-11 win over Bade Bing. In their second game it was 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH over 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH 11-2 to put the Byron based ball club into the winner's bracket finals. 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH had won their opener over Tony's Oyster Bar from Freeport 7-4 to advance into this game against 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH.
In the game that featured the last two unbeaten teams left in this tournament it was 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH playing against the Splitters with 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH winning by a final score of 17-8 to give 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH the title to the winner's bracket and also assuring them of a spot in the tournament's championship game against whichever team that would come out of the loser's bracket to challenge them in the finals.
That team turned out to be Band Bing and a rematch of the first round looked to be on tap for 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH in the championship game. 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH had previously won all their berths so Bada Bing was going to get the berth from this tournament so Bada Bing decide based on the outrageous heat of the day to forfeit the championship game and head back to Romeoville with second place and the berth that they came to play for.
Bada Bing took the long way to the finals as they dropped their opener to 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH 12-11 to be forced to play with their backs against the wall playing from the loser's bracket the rest of the way in this tournament.
Bade Bing regrouped quickly and went to work sending team to the parking lot for the trip back home starting with Messie's Bar & Grill from Oregon 14-11. Next to exit this tournament at the hands of Bada Bing was Fatty's Pub from De Kalb losing to Bada Bing 15-8. Costa's Precision Home Insurance, Michael exited next after they were beaten by Bada Bing 11-6. Now only the Splitters stood between Bada Bing and a rematch with unbeaten 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH. Bada Bing came into this game with one goal in mind to win and secure the berth to play at the state and national tournaments and they did just that winning 13-3.
With the heat index over 100 degrees on the field of play Bada Bing decided to forgo the championship game and take their spoils back home with them as they accepted second place from this event forfeiting out of the championship game to 5th Alarm Maple Hurst / AHH.