K.G.B./Pardise Bay Champions Of USSSA Class D

Twelve Teams, One Day Tounament, At Inwood Complex In Joliet

JOLIET: K.G.B./Paradise Bay (7-1) from Lockport did things the hard way they lost their opener of the twelve team, Illinois USSSA Men's Class D National Qualifying Tournament held at the Inwood Sports Complex in Joliet before rallying to runoff seven straight wins including a double dipping of Warrenville's Hot Shots (4-2) 23-4 and 15-14 to win the tournament and the first place prize money. The Hot Shot received a 2005 USSSA Great Lakes Men's Class D National berth (passed down to them since K.G.B./Paradise Bay had previously won their berth earlier in the season) to Blaine, Minnesota on Labor Day Weekend.
K.G.B./Paradise Bay had received a first round bye before losing to Big Ox Softball from Wyoming by the finals score of 7-3 in the second round of tournament action. This loss dropped K.G.B./Paradise Bay into the loser's bracket where they went to work and started to send teams to the parking lot so that they could pack their cars for the trip back home starting with Dreams from Lockport who were dispatched by a score of 21-11 in favor of K.G.B./Paradise Bay.
The next team to be shown the door by K.G.B./Paradise Bay was Whitey's from Oswego who exited the tournament after losing to K.G.B./Paradise Bay by a final score of 17-3.
Marchelloni/Pagoda House was next to leave as K.G.B./Paradise Bay continued to roll along posting a 17-7 victory up onto the bracket board.
Paradise Motor Group/Young Guns from Channahon left after a long high scoring game was over with K.G.B./Paradise Bay coming out on top by a final score of 21-19.
Now only Koby's from Joliet stood in the way between K.G.B./Paradise Bay and the championship game as the Lockport based ball club took care of business eliminating Koby's by a finals score of 10-3.
Now K.G.B./Paradise Bay need to upend the Hot Shots twice in order to win this tournament and they went about their business of ding just that by sending a message to the other dugout in the first game winning big by the score of 23-4.
K.G.B./Paradise Bay and the Hot Shots now squared off with the winner take all game and it was a nail biter with K.G.B./Paradise Bay getting the better of the Hot Shots by a single run winning 15-14 to wrestle the tournament title away from the Warrenville ball club.
K.G.B./Paradise Bay did not provide Illinois Softball Report with any team information, stats, highlights or quotes on how they were able to win this tournament.
The Hot Shots took the direct path to the championship game they won the winner's bracket. They started off their Saturday with a first round match up against Paradise Motor Group/Young Guns and put a w onto the bracket board by defeating the Channahon ball club 7-5 in the first round of play.
Game number two was a win over Whitey's by the final score of 9-3 as the Hot Shots continued their advancement through the winner's bracket. Whitey's had received a first round bye to advance into this second round match up with the Hot Shots.
In a semifinal game of the winner's bracket the Hot Shots and Big Ox Softball took the field to play each other with the Shot Shots earning an 8-4 win to advance into the winner's bracket championship game. Big Ox Softball made it to this semifinal game of the winner's bracket by opening with a first round win over the Ballers from New Lenox 12-8. Big Ox Softball than defeated K.G.B./Paradise Bay in the second round of play by a final score of 7-3 to advance into this semifinal game against the Hot Shots.
In the game between the last two remaining unbeaten teams it was the Hot Shots and Koby's squaring off with the winner earning a spot in the tournament's championship game against whichever team that would win the loser's bracket to oppose the undefeated ball club in the tournaments championship game. The Hot Shots took care of business at hand winning 6-3 to earn them the right to sit back and wait as they loser's bracket need to be played out to its conclusion before knowing which of the remain teams would win the loser's bracket and challenge them in the finals.
That team turned out to be K.G.B./Paradise Bay, a team that was on a roll. And roll they did over Hot Shots in the first game by a final score of 23-4. The Hot Shots were able to regroup quickly and they played Big Ox Softball made it to the second round by defeating the Ballers from New Lenox 12-8 in the first round of tournament play.
To a literal stand still but when the final out was record the Shot Shots were one run short losing 15-14 and they had to take home a disappointing second place from this tournament.
The Hot Shot did not supply Illinois Softball Report with any team information, stats, highlight or quotes from this tournament in which they finished in second place.

Continued: