Chicago Classic 50's Wins SPA Major 50+ Nationals

Twelve Teams Participate At Plano Texas On July 16th through 18th

Photo's From The Chicago Classic 50's

PLANO, TX: The Chicago Classic 50's and over ball club traveled to Plano Texas on the weekend of July 16th through 18th to play at the SPA Senior Softball 50 & Over Major National Tournament and came home with the national championship and gold first place trophy that goes to the winner.
On Friday evening the Chicago Classic 50's opened with two pool play games as the beat the Willies Wolves 29-3 before losing to Kittrell Acoustic 21-14.
Chicago Classic 50's drew a first round bye in the double elimination championship tournament portion of this tournament before taking on and defeating Schones Chiropractic 26-11 to advance into the third round of the t winner's bracket.
In this semifinal game of the winner's bracket it was Chicago Classics 50's squaring off with the Buccaneers and at the end of three innings the Illinois based ball club found itself trailing the Buccaneers by a score of 11-5. In the fourth inning the Chicago Classic 50's ball club started to click on all cylinders as they poured run after run across home plate while using their defense to shut down the Buccaneers the rest of the way as they came from behind for a 25-11 win.
In the winner's bracket championship game Chicago Classic 50's took the field to play Kittrell (who had beaten them on Friday evening in the pool portion of the tournament) with the chance to obtain a little revenge. Kittrell had posted an impressive win over defending national champion Travelodge to get into the winner's bracket finals of this national tournament. The Chicago Classic 50's came out with fire in the belly's and they were playing for blood as they put everything together as they demolished Kittrell' s behind nineteen extra base hits and a bushel full of double plays being turned by their defense, by the a final score of 35-3.
Now the Chicago Classic 50's had to sit and wait as the loser's bracket was played out to it's conclusion before knowing who their opponent in the 2005 SPA National Championship 50 & Over Major Division would be. In that loser's bracket finals Kittrell and Travelodge put on an impressive offensive showing with Kittrell edging out Travelodge 36-35 to earn the right to play the Chicago Classic 50's in the national title game.
Sometime as a team sits and waits it somehow loses the edge that they have built for themselves but that was not the case this day. The Chicago Classic 50's came out smoking and jumped all over Kittrell with their bats as the defense turned two double plays and pesto that combination turned into a 27-4 four inning win I the national championship game for the Chicago Classic 50's.
Team spokesman Paul Cox said, "There were seven All-Americans selected from our team and there should have been fourteen." He continued by saying, "The Chicago Classics 50's ball club had.725 on base percentage for this entire tournament!" Leading the way was our first baseman Bob Schultz who batted .900 and we had five others that hit over .800 for the national tournament. Defensively our infield that consisted of Cox, Cliff Noble, Bob Kolvitz, Keith Hudon and Schultz was outstanding all weekend long.
Cox said, "In fact they turned a total of nine double plays during this national tournament."
The outfield that consisted of Gary Thorsen, Larry Hall, Vinny Chambers, Pat Hearty, Bud Van Kleven and Randy Robage. Cox said, "They made many outstanding plays. At times I thought they were all twenty-five years old out there. This team is amazing."
The seven Chicago Classic 50's players who were named as 2005 SPA All-Americans for their play at the national finals are, 2005 SPA Tournament MVP Terry Heovseth (pitcher), Pat Hearty (outfield), Keith Hudon (infield), Bob Schultz (infield), John Gridley (catcher), Gary Thorsen (outfield) and Roy Ambrose (infield).
Cox closed by saying, "This team is really together this year. We want to keep it going."

2005 SPA All-AMericans From The Chicago Classic 50's