Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors Wins At Joliet

Twelve Teams Partake In Qualifier At The Inwood Sports Complex On May 27th

Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors Champions At USSSA Class D In Joliet On May 27th

JOLIET: Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors (6-1) from Plano bounced back after dropping the winners bracket undefeated game to Lockport's Marchelloni's / Pagoda House (4-2) 4-3 to run off three straight wins including a double dipping of Marchelloni's / Pagoda House 23-22 & 15-12 to win the USSSA Men's Class D Great Lakes National Tournament Qualifier played at the Inwood Sports Complex in Joliet on May 27th. The champions earned a berth to play at the 2006 USSSA Men's Class D Great Lakes National Tournament to be held over Labor Day Weekend in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Lynch Mob (3-2) from Naperville finished in second place with J. Denny Masonry / Slick Rick's from Elwood / Bloomington taking home fourth place from this event.
Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors opened play with a first round game against Jerry's Kids from Elwood and promptly posted a 14-2 win onto the bracket board to advance in the winner's bracket. In their second round contest Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors was matched against the One Timer's / 30 Buck Sports Bar from Joliet with the Plano ball club winning 16-12 to move into the semifinal of the winner's bracket. One Timer's / 30 Buck Sports Bar had drawn a first round bye to advance into this second round contest with Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors. Now the Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors locked horns with the Oswego Inn from Oswego in a back and forth ball game that saw the Plano squad coming out on top in a in a run game 19-18 to put them into the winner's bracket undefeated game. It was here that the Plano ball club tasted defeat as they were beaten by Marchelloni' s / Pagoda House in a defensive game 4-3 to drop them into the loser's bracket finals..
Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors rebounded quickly as they played a high scoring game with the Lynch Mob with the winner earning a shot at unbeaten Marchelloni's / Pagoda House in the tournament's championship game. Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors scored enough runs to win as they sent the Lynch Mob to the parking lot with third place after beating them 25-19.
With their offense in high gear Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors took the field to play unbeaten Marchelloni's / Pagoda with both teams scoring runs in bunches the game was in doubt right up until the last play had been recorded and when it was over The Plano ball club got a little bit if revenge over the team that had put them into the loser's bracket by defeating Marchelloni's / Pagoda House 23-22 to force the need to play the 'if necessary game' between these two ball clubs in order to determine which of them would earn the paid berth to play at the 2006 Great Lakes Men's Class C National Tournament.
One game with the top prize on the line and going to the winner Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors and Marchelloni's / Pagoda House took the field to play with Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors winning another close game 15-12 to claim the title at this tournament.
Marchelloni's / Pagoda House made it to the championship game by winning the winner's bracket in this twelve team one day event. Marchelloni's / Pagoda House opened their day with a first round win over Amy Plumbing / Road Dawgs from Crystal Lake 10-9 to advance in the bracket. In their second round game Marchelloni's / Pagoda House was matched against Aero Softball from Sandwich and they won again posting a 9-6 win up onto the bracket board to advance into the semifinal round of this tournament in the winner's bracket. Aero Softball had received a first round bye to advance into this second round game with Marchelloni's / Pagoda House. Now the Lockport based ball club was set to play the Lynch Mob in a semifinal game of the winner's bracket and did so by beating them 9-6 to move into the undefeated game of this tournament. The Lynch Mob had received a first round bye before stopping the Hot Shot / DBI Painting from Warrenville 1409 in the second round of tournament action to earn their way into this game against Marchelloni's / Pagoda House.
Marchelloni's / Pagoda House became the only unbeaten team left in this tournament when they turned aside Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors 4-3 in the winner's bracket finals. Now Marchelloni's / Pagoda House had to sit and wait until the loser's bracket play was completed and when it was over a rematch with Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors was on tap for them in the finals. Both teams came out scoring runs in big bunches as the number on the scoreboard flew high & high but when it was over it was Plano Legion / Vineyard Liquors edging out Marchelloni's / Pagoda House 23-22 and the 'if necessary game' need to be played between these two once beaten ball clubs to decide the tournament champion. That extra game saw a lot of offense to also with Marchelloni's / Pagoda House falling to Plano Legion /Vineyard Liquors 15-12 to send Marchelloni's / Pagoda House home with second place from this tournament.

(L) 2nd Place Marchelloni's / Pagoda House & (R) 3rd Place Lynch Mob