Men's Major Fast Pitch National Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY –– The 2021 USA Softball Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship kicked off today as the top men’s fast pitch players from across the country were welcomed to the Softball Capital of the World® for the second-straight year. A total of 15 teams began their quest to the coveted National Championship title including the AWP Lumberjacks (Anna Schmitt), Bar on the Avenue Buzz (Justin Colombo), Bear Bottom Lodge (Codi Pannebecker), Circle Tap Dukes (Dean Kane), Fishers Softball (Sean King), Hallman Twins (Ron Hackett), Hill United Chiefs (Jeff Ellsworth), Kegel Black Knights (Mike Lewis), Marchio Sausage Co. (Dave Marchio), Midland Explorers (David Lach), NY Gremlins (Gregg Leather), Omma Tigres (Juan Medrano), Ray Rays Sports Bar Misfits (Steve Prado), Rio Grande Senators (Dave Parker) and San Antonio Glowworm (David Rios).
 
Six teams advanced to the winner’s bracket with AWP Lumberjacks garnering two wins in the opening day and Hill United Chiefs, Circle Tap Dukes, Omma Tigres, Kegal Black Knights and NY Gremlins each posting one win to advance to winner’s bracket contests tomorrow morning.  The remaining nine teams will battle it out in the loser’s bracket with the playing field narrowing to four teams leading into Championship Sunday.
 
In the first game of the day on OGE Energy Field, Marchio Sausage Co. posted a come-from-behind walk-off victory over Bear Bottom Lodge after falling behind 5-0 through the first three innings. Marchio Sausage Co. began chipping away at the BBL lead with a three-run third inning before tying the game in the bottom of the seventh. After holding the BBL offense to a scoreless at-bat in the top of the eighth, Marchio Sausage Co. pieced together three singles from Chase Thompson, David Reiter and Sam Nieman to plate the game-winning run in walk-off fashion. The Marchio Sausage Co. offense combined for 13 hits while the pitching staff of Cody Gibbons and Joel Cooley tallied six strikeouts in the win. The walk-off victory advanced the Marchio Sausage Co. to the 8 p.m. winner’s bracket contest where they suffered a 7-0 loss to Hill United Chiefs to drop to the loser’s bracket.
 
Posting a 9-0 shutout over the Midland Explorers and a 5-1 win over the Hallman Twins was the AWP Lumberjacks, advancing them to tomorrow’s 4 p.m. winner’s bracket matchup against the Hill United Chiefs.
 
The 2020 Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Champions, Kegel Black Knights, kicked off the 2021 tournament with a 7-2 win over Fishers Softball while the Circle Tap Dukes pulled out a 2-0 shutout over Rio Grande Senators to pit the two winners against each other in an 8 a.m. winner’s bracket contest tomorrow morning. Claiming a 14-1 win in the 8 p.m. game on INTEGRIS Field was the NY Gremlins who will face the Omma Tigres in the winner’s bracket tomorrow morning after posting a 12-3 win over Bar on the Avenue – Buzz 2021.
 
The elite men’s fast pitch event will continue tomorrow with four teams advancing to Championship Sunday, with the trophy game scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field.
 
Admission, which will be sold at the gate of the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, is $7 per-day for spectators, with free admission for children five-and-under. Additional information including the tournament schedule and rosters can be found at USASoftball.com.