Leisure Time USSSA Class E State

Sterling Based Ball club Goes Undefeated In Sixty-four Team Event

2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class Nortehr State Champ - Leisure Time - From Sterling

JOLIET: Leisure Time from Sterling ran the table on the field of sixty-four teams going a perfect 7-0 winning the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class E Northern Illinois state title. The champions will be playing at the 2007 USSSA Great Lakes National Tournament to be held in Rockford over Labor Day Weekend. Aurora Turners (8-2) from Aurora took home second place with J & J (5-2) from Montgomery finishing in third place and Dynasty Softball (5-2) from Joliet taking home fourth place. Rounding out the top ten finishers were tied for fifth place were both Stadium Auto (5-2) from Machesney Park and Stateline Motors (4-2) from Rockford, a seventh place tie went to both Peanut Butter Jelly Time (6-2) from Bolingbrook and Infinity / Taco John (5-2) from Machesney Park and a four way tie for ninth place went to Neighbors Hitmen (5-2) from Rockford, Westchester Buzz (4-2) from Westchester, Bada Bing / Firehouse Tattoos (3-2) from Romeoville and United Restoration (3-2) from Rockford.
Leisure Time was led to the title by the play of their pitcher Jim Lyles who was named as the MVP of the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class E Northern Illinois State Tournament. Lyles was joined on the 2007 Illinois USSSA Men's Class E Northern Illinois 'All-State' Tournament team by his Leisure Time teammates Justin Yepsen, Mark Lindboom, Chris Smith, Josh Grove, Joseph Yario and the All-State Tournament team manager Mitch Smith.
Leisure Time opened play on Saturday morning with a 6-2 win over Landstar from Rockford in the first round of tournament action.
On Saturday afternoon Leisure Time and Al Mc Cauley played one another with the Sterling based ball club posting an 8-3 victory onto the bracket board over Al Mc Cauley from Rockford. Al Mc Cauley had beaten Whitey's from Rockford 7-1 in the first round of play on Saturday to advance into this second round contest against Leisure Time.
On Saturday evening it was Leisure Time and J.J's Pub tangling with each other with Leisure Time getting the better of it winning 14-5 to advance into Sunday as one of only eight unbeaten teams left in this sixty-four team tournament. J.J.'s Pub had beaten the Adobo Grill from Chicago 12-6 in the first round of tournament play on Saturday morning before J.J.'s Pub Stopped Cherry Valley Siding from Rockford 10-6 in the second round of play on Saturday afternoon to earn the right to oppose Leisure Time in this third round game of the winner's bracket.
On Sunday morning Leisure Time woke to find Bada Bing / Firehouse Tattoos waiting to play them in a fourth round contest as Leisure Time kept marching forward towards the championship game by winning 14-2 over Bada Bing / Firehouse Tattoos. Bada Bing / Firehouse Tattoos made it to the round of the last eight unbeaten teams by opening play on Friday evening with a 4-3 win over Ali Baba's in the first round of play before the Romeoville based ball club stopped Extreme from Aurora 18-2 later on Friday evening in the second round of tournament play. On Saturday it was Bada Bing / Firehouse Tattoos over the Vipers 8-1 in the third round of play to put Bada Bing / Firehouse Tattoos into the fourth round of the winner's bracket and a game against Leisure Time on Sunday morning.
In a semifinal contest of the winner's bracket Leisure Time and Dynasty Softball went toe to toe in a one run game that saw Leisure Time edging Dynasty 6-5 to advance into the winner's bracket unbeaten game of this tournament. Dynasty made it to this semifinal game of the winner's bracket by opening play on Saturday morning with a 9-6 win over the No Showz from Peoria in the first round of play. Dynasty than met and defeated Northern Illinois Optical / Ken Z Roofing from Rockford 3-2 in the second round of tournament action before closing out play on Saturday evening against Ogle County Physical Therapy from Byron meeting in a game where the winner would advance into Sunday morning as one of only eight unbeaten teams left in this tournament and that winner was dynasty by a finals score of 8-4. On Sunday Dynasty started there off right as they defeated the Aurora Turners Club 7-4 advancing into a semifinal game of the winners bracket and the opportunity to play Leisure Time.

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