Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 Wins USSSA Class D/E

Seventeen Teams Participate At Taylor Park In Freeport

FREEPORT: Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 from Byron went 5-0 to capture the title to the sixteen team USSSA Men's Class D/E Equalizer Tournament held at Taylor Park in Freeport on August 13th & 14th. The champions earned a berth to play at the 2005 USSSA Men's Class D Great Lakes national Tournament to be held in Blaine, Minnesota over Labor Day Weekend. Neighbors bar & Grill/Winter Construction (6-2) from Rockford took home second place with Posse Softball Club/Sage (3-2) from Crystal Lake finishing in third place, Tri-Pods (3-2) from Byron was fourth and both TB's/Venetian (2-2)from Rockford and Lovell's (2-2) from De Kalb tied for fifth place at this tournament.
Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 opened tournament play with a 7-0 forfeit win over the Good Guys who failed to show up for their games in this tournament. The Byron ball club improved to 2-0 with a 6-2 win over D.Q. Grill and Chill from Rockford in the second round of tournament play. D.Q. Grill and Chill had advanced to this game by winning their first round game over Rock Hollow/Kent Bank 16-6.
In their semifinal game of the winner's bracket it was Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 stopping TB's Venetian 15-4 to move the Byron ball club into the winner's bracket finals. TB's/Venetian made it to this semifinal game in the winner's bracket by opening play with a first round 9-3 win over Z-Team/Speedway Crane before stopping Godfrey Roofing Exterior 11-1 in the second round of tournament action to qualify to play in the semifinals.
In the game between the last two remaining unbeaten teams left in this tournament it was Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 and the Posse Softball Club/Sage tangling with each other and when the dust settled back down onto the field of play the scoreboard read 14-12 in favor of Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3. This win guaranteed Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 a spot in the tournament's championship game against which ever team that would win the loser's bracket to earn the right to challenge them in the championship game. That team turned out to be Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction.
In a defensive game where every run was a premium to get it was Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 over Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction 4-1 as they complete their undefeated run to the title by sweeping away the final team from their path to victory.
Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 did not provide Illinois Softball Report with any team information, stats, highlights or quotes on how they were able to win this tournament.
Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction took the longer path to the championship game as they opened tournament play with a first round 15-6 win over Dale Construction and Fencing. Game number two was not kind to the Rockford based ball club as they were beaten by Lovell's 10-5 to send them into the loser's bracket.
It was here that Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction seemed to find themselves as they started to roll up a string of victories starting with a 15-6 win over Z-Team/Speedway Crane. Next up was a date with Neighbors/Windsor Auto from Rockford and again Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction won advance to the next game by posting a 9-6 victory up onto the bracket board.
In a close one run ball game Neighbors Bar & Grill sent TB's/Venetian to the parking lot to pack their cars for the trip back home after slipping past them 10-9 in the next round of games.
Tri-Pods was excused next from this tournament by Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction by a finals score of 7-1 moving the Rockford ball club into the loser's bracket championship game where they met an defeated Posse Softball Club/Sage 7-3 to earn the right to play unbeaten Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 in the championship game.
In a game that was all defense Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction just could not muster up enough offense to score the needed runs as they fell to Byron Bank/Cave Inn/Costa/6-4-3 4-1 to finish in second place at this tournament.
Neighbors Bar & Grill/Winter Construction did not supply Illinois Softball Report with any team information, stats, highlights or quotes on how they were able to finish in second place at this tournament.