Commission Softball Wins USSSA Class D NIT

2007 USSSA NIT Runner-up Dirtbags from Aurora

In the game that featured the last two remaining unbeaten team left in this event Commission Softball and the Dirtbags took the field to play one another. Commission Softball was on top of their game defensively as they shut down the Dirtbags on offense winning 9-0 to become the only unbeaten team left in his tournament and with this win assuring them of a spot in the tournament's championship game.
Now Commission Softball needed to sit and wait until the loser's bracket had been played out to it's conclusion before knowing which of the remaining teams would win out in order to earn the right to oppose them in the championship game. When the last out of the loser's bracket had been written down Commission Softball and the Dirtbags were set to play a rematch of the winner's bracket undefeated game with each other.
Commission Softball was the better team on this Sunday afternoon winning 14-6 to complete their undefeated run to the title and earning them a berth to play at the 2007 USSSA Men's Class D World Tournament in Sterling Heights, Michigan during September.
Tournament runner-up Dirtbags were led by the defensive play of their third baseman Lonnie Upshaw who was named as the Defensive MVP of this tournament. Joining Upshaw on the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class D All-Tournament team were his teammates from the Dirtbags; Matt Cumpata, Pete Aydt, Ryan Bonnamy and Dave Hall.
The Dirtbags made it to the championship game by opening play with a first round bye before taking on and defeating Locos from Waukegan 14-2 in the second round of play to advance into Saturday afternoon's third round of the winner's bracket. Locos had defeated Deerpath Creek from Oswego 7-0 in the first round of tournament play to earn the right to play the Dirtbags in the second round of tournament action.
In a narrow one run game the Dirtbags slipped past Money 9-8 in the third round of play to advance into Sunday mornings semifinal round of the winner's bracket. Money had opened tournament play with a first round bye before stopping Prison City Softball 9-8 in the second round of play to advance into this third round contest against the Dirtbags.
On Sunday morning the Dirtbags and the Merchants squared off with one another with the Dirtbags posting a 16-12 win onto the bracket board to advance into the winner's bracket undefeated game against Commission Softball. The Merchants ball club made it to this semifinal game of the winner's bracket by opening play against Connection in the second round after receiving a first round bye and hanging a W up on the bracket board by a final score of 17-2. In the third round of play on Saturday afternoon the Merchants and Paradise Motors / Young Guns played a eight inning game that saw the Merchants coming from behind to edge the Joliet based Paradise Motors / Young Guns 10-8 to advance the Ohio based ball club into the semifinals of the winner's bracket on Sunday morning where they were to face the Dirtbags.
With the loss to Commission Softball the Dirtbags now needed to win one game in order to earn a second chance at playing Commission Softball for the championship of the NIT and the Dirtbags looked across the field to see the Merchants sitting in the other dugout waiting to play them for the championship of the loser's bracket. In a rematch of their semifinal game of the winners bracket it was again another close hard fought game with the Dirtbags finding a way to edge out the Merchants for the second straight time on this day winning 11-8 to earn a second chance to playing unbeaten Commission Softball in the championship game.
This was as close as the Dirtbags would get on this Sunday afternoon, as the Commission Softball club 14-6 in the championship game forcing them to accept second place from this Illinois USSSA Men's Class D N.I.T turned them away.
Dirtbags manager Brian Kane said, "I would like to thank Jerry Henry for once again running a great tournament and congratulate Commission for winning this years NIT."

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