Second baseman Mike Terra of Mid Valley Plastering makes a diving catch attempt in their game against MST. Hoekwater photo.

It’s Mid-Valley Plastering at ASA ‘D’ Western Nationals

SUNNYVALE, CA - When you bring the best from all over the West to compete for an ASA Western National title, spectators and participants should be ready for just about anything_and that’s what they got.

The 2006 Hooters ASA Western ‘D’ Nationals held August 31st thru September 4th at the Twin Creeks Sports Complex in beautiful Sunnyvale, California brought together seventy-eight teams, spirited competition, excited crowds and fantastic weather with the result being one of the best Western Nationals in recent years. Teams came from several states, including Arizona, Minnesota, Idaho and Montana, among others to test their best against the rest of the top men’s ‘D’ softball teams west of the Mississippi.

Thirty-eight teams, nearly one-half the field, came away with at least two victories and nineteen teams finished with at least four wins in a draw that saw intense defensive battles, many games decided by two runs or less and a spirited three game series between the eventual top two finishers in the tournament to cap off the Labor Day weekend festivities.

Mid Valley Plastering, who has had a very successful 2006 summer season, once again displayed a suffocating defense with consistent offensive production and rolled to a tournament best 7-1 record to claim the ‘D’ Western National title.

MVP, from French Camp, CA, rode its defense in the first five games allowing a measly eleven runs while scoring forty-eight to put themselves in the championship round against SB Performance.

SB Performance, from Hollister, CA, who also has had an excellent showing this summer season, got to the championship round by winning their first five games outscoring those opponents 70-28.

With two undefeated teams, 5-0, squaring off in the championship round the air was thick with anticipation that this could go to an ‘if’ game for all the marbles. The fans in attendance would not be disappointed, as this tournament would end with a best of three series between MVP and SB Performance.

The three games between the finalists were, in fact, so close that the runner up SB Performance would actually outscore MVP 46-44 yet end up losing two of the three games. The first game was a fantastic duel that MVP would eventually prevail in by the score of 18-17. With the pressure squarely on the backs of SB, they would fight back in the second game and outscore MVP 22-17 in another exciting match-up of two very equal teams on this weekend.

With both teams now at 6-1, the ‘if’ game saw the two teams scrap for every inch and the defenses would hold sway in the finale. All weekend, the MVP defensive side of the ball dominated and won games that pushed them through the tournament. It would be that way in the final, as MVP would have just enough to hold off the very worthy SB Performance squad 9-7.

The third place finisher was MST from Sparks, NV who would finish with a tournament best eight wins, but a loss in the quarterfinals put them in the loser’s bracket and they fell short in the loser’s bracket final against SB Performance 23-2. MST finished at 8-2.

Fourth place went to T & D Construction from Antioch, CA. who recorded a 6-2 tournament mark. T & D’s losses came to MVP, 6-5, in the winner’s bracket and elimination came against MST, 19-15, in the loser’s bracket semi-final.