Commission Softball Wins USSSA Class D NIT

Champions Earn Berth To play at USSSA Class D World Tournament

2007 USSSA Men's Class D NIT Champions - Commission Softball from Tinley Park

JOLIET: Commission Softball from Tinley Park won the Illinois USSSA Men's Class D N.I.T. played at the Inwood Sports Complex in Joliet on July 21st & 22nd with a perfect 6-0 record. The champions earned a paid berth to play at the 2007 USSSA Men's Class D World Tournament in Michigan during the month of September along with six hundred dollars sponsor travel money. The Dirtbags (4-2) from Aurora took home second place with the Merchants (4-2) from Alliance. Ohio finished in third place with Paradise Motors / Young Guns (4-2) from Joliet finishing in fifth place. Rounding out the top ten finishers in this tournament; tied for fifth place were both Yep! Softball (3-2) from Burbank and the Truckers (2-2) from Channahon; finishing in a tie for seventh place were both Road Dawgs (3-2) from Crystal Lake and McGaffer's Saloon / Caps / Fury (2-2) and finishing in a tie for ninth place were; Prison City Softball (3-2) from Joliet, Connection (3-2) from Berwyn, Sneaky Pete's (2-2) from Davenport, Iowa and Money (1-2) from Orland Park.
Commission Softball was led by the play of their center fielder and lead-off man Brian Zirkle who was named as the 'Most Valuable Player' of the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class D N.I.T. Tournament. Joining Zirkle on the 'All-Tournament' Team were his Commission Softball teammates; Scott Lewis, Darren Stevens, Anthony Gonzalez, Gerald Hannion, and Jay Kvasnicka.
Commission Softball opened play with a first round game against the Slugs from Aurora on Saturday morning and needed ten innings to pullout a10-9 win to advance in the bracket. On Saturday's In their second game on Saturday afternoon Commission Softball met and defeated Sneaky Pete's 16-1 to advance into the third round of play later on Saturday afternoon. Sneaky Pete's had received a first round bye on a tournament that was seeded by total USSSA points earned prior to the event to advance into this second round contest against Commission Softball.
Later on Saturday afternoon Commission Softball and McGaffer's Saloon / Cap's / Fury tangled with one another with Commission Softball pull out their second one run victory of the day winning 10-9 to advance into Sunday morning's semifinal round of the winner's bracket. McGaffer's Saloon / Cap's / Fury had previously received a first round bye before taking on and defeating Redrum Softball from Joliet in the second round 10-2 to advance into this third round contest against the Commission Softball club.
On Sunday with only four teams left in the winner's bracket Commission Softball and the Truckers went toe to toe with each other as the Tinley Park based Commission Softball came out on top by a final score of 10-4 to advance them into the winner's bracket undefeated game. The Truckers on Saturday had opened play with a first round bye before stopping the Stallions / Get Boozled! from Bloomingdale 23-2 in the second round of play. The Truckers than defeated Yep! Softball 9-4 to earn the right to play Commission Softball in Sunday morning's semifinal round of the winner's bracket.

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