J-Beras Place Wins The 2005 USSSA Men's Class E State

2nd Place - Triple Play Sports

One Timers/30 Buck Sports Bar made it to this quarterfinal game in the winner's bracket by opening play with a first round 18-6 win over the Bears Den from Rockford before stopping Brunns Construction from Mendota 11-5 in the second round of play. The One Times/30 Buck Sports Bar than met and defeated Seco from Aurora 16-12 to move into the fourth round game in the winner's bracket with J-Bears Place.
On Sunday morning it was J-Bears Place continuing their winning ways as they met Jerry's Kids/Joe's Dugout from Joliet in a semifinal game of the winner's bracket with the Rockford based ball club building an early 3-1 lead after three innings of play. In the fourth inning J-Bears Place added three more runs to take a 6-1 lead before Jerry's Kids/Joe's Dugout responded with a four run rally of their own to narrow the gab to 6-4. This would have been more but J-Bears Place keystone combination of (SS) Yeager and (2B) Todd Bruder came up with a huge double play to choke off this rally. J-Bears Place added another run in the sixth inning before the Joliet squad tied the game at seven runs each in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the last inning back-up pitcher Chris Shafer blasted a bases clearing triple to give his team the lead for good. J-Bears Place top hitters in this win were Houghton and Schram who both went 3-3 in this game.
Jerry's Kids/Joe's Dugout made it to this semifinal game on Sunday morning by winning four games on Saturday starting with a first round win over Carpetland U.S.A. from Rockford 17-0. In the second round it was Jerry's Kids/Joe's Dugout defeating Ebbeys/Rezin Sports Medicine from Morris 6-2 before stopping High & Tight from Rockford in the third round of play by a final a score of 8-2. On Saturday evening it was Jerry's Kids over M & Xpress 3-0 to put them into Sunday morning semifinal game of the winner's bracket against J-Bears Place.
In the game between the last two remaining unbeaten teams left in this eight team double elimination tournament it was J-Bears Place verses Triple Play Sports. Triple Play Sports jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in this one before J-Bears Place started their comeback. In the fifth inning J-Bears Place plated four runs to tie the game at nine runs each. Triple Play Sports retook the lead at 12-9 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Yeager, Gifford, and Evans all singled to load the bases with no one out. A sacrifice fly by Lake narrowed the lead to 12-10 in favor of Triple Play Sports. Brad Bach single home another run as J-Bears Place now trailed 12-11 with only one out. Triple Play Sports just missed a game ending double play with the J-Bears batter being called safe at first on a very close play bring Schram to the plate and he delivered a big hit to tie the game at 12-12. Shafer stroked the game wining hit to right to give his team a come from behind 13-12 win in the game between these last two remaining unbeaten teams. J-Bears Place top hitters in this victory were Bach 3-3, Houghton 3-4, as Yeager, Evans, Lake and Preston all chipped in with two hits each for the victors.
Now J-Bears Place needed to sit and wait until the loser's bracket play was completed before knowing which of the remaining teams would emerge to challenge them in the title contest for the 2005 Illinois USSSA Men's Class E Northern Illinois State championship. When the loser's bracket was finally over it was a rematch with Triple Play Sports that awaited J-Bears Place in the championship game.
In another a great defensively played game Triple Play Sports jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. J-Bears Place answered with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-1 lead before adding another run in the third inning for a 3-1 lead.
That score held until the final inning when Triple Play Sports put three runs across the pay station to take a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Lake led off with a base hit followed by a hit by Bach. After a fielder choice leaving runners at first and third with one out Preston delivered a pinch hit single to tie the game at four runs each. A line drive in the infield was the second out Brudder hit a ball up the middle that was field by the shortstop but his throw to first went aria as the winning run cross the plate giving J-Bears Place a 5-4 win over triple Play Sports and the 2005 Northern Illinois USSSA Men's Class E State Title along with it.
Tournament runner up Triple Play Sports was led by the defensive play of Tim Mercer who was named as the 'Defensive MVP' of this tournament. Joining Mercer on the 2005 Illinois USSSA Men's Class E All-State Tournament team were his teammates, John Swanson, Dan Bohn, Chris Paige, and John Zimmerman.
Manager Chris Campion said, "Five of the seven games we played were decided by runs scored in our final at bats. Both games against Triple Play Sports were decided in the bottom of the seventh inning." Campion continued by saying, "Our shortstop Al Yeager, second baseman Todd Bruder and third baseman Brad Bach turned many double plays during this tournament. In fact as a team we only made four errors during the entire weekend!"
Campion concluded by saying, "Our Defense was rock solid and the difference in key situations was our timely hitting. Couple those two together and you get a state championship weekend."
Triple play Sports opened tournament play with a first round game against Third Generation Drywall from Geneva and posted a 14-4 victory up onto the bracket board as they started their march towards the 2005 Illinois USSSA Men's Class E Northern Illinois state championship game. Third Generation Drywall had to defeat Legacy from Crystal Lake 7-5 in a pig tail game in order to move into the bracket to play Triple Play Sports in the first round of action.

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