REUBER: Softball: Xxyy
Scot Caster's Ambush softball team had a terrific weekend March 2 and 3 and finished second to Northern California's Automatic at Arroyo Grande in the West Pac D division.
Caster has assembled a powerful squad with a lot of big hitters. The team looms as a tourney favorite in local events in the future.
Bangers Manny Delgado, Bo Pollock, Joey Roy and Mike Benedetto supply plenty of power and Ben Gonzalez, Mike Hartwig, Chris Sardi, Rich Ricksanici, Mark Glaser, Rich Schultz and Caster all hit for a high average and are very tough outs. Amazingly, this is a team that has only been together for three months.
West Pac MVP went to Gonzalez for his play at shortstop and all-tourneys went to Pollock (pitcher), Benedetto (third base), Hartwig (first base), Delgado (catcher), Sardi (outfielder) and Roy (outfielder).
Local teams that made it to Sunday's action were Time to Mash (fifth place), Fastway (sixth place and Artillery (seventh).
Mash lost its first game of the tournament and then proceeded to win seven in a row. The team got strong tourneys from Hondo Berg, Keith Taylor, Tom Tyler, Joe Vasquez and John and Paul Duval.
Artillery was led by Joel Herd, Tom Oller, Mitch Stahl, Bill Kephart and John Tilton.
In the C division West Pac tournament on Feb. 22 and 23, local teams got destroyed. Big Daddys, M&G Bud, Sportco and TSI all failed to win a single game. Calizona, a beefed up B division team, easily claimed top honors.
• Mayhem finished a perfect 5-0 and won the 17-team ISA tournament on Feb. 23 at Freedom Park. Pitcher and manager Chris Dupree has done an outstanding job getting Mayhem up to par with the strong competition in local D action.
Cutters finished second and Balls Out took third place.
• The super B league on Tuesday night at Arroyo Grande looks like a three-team race between Drais After Hours, Team Worth and Nevada Sports.
Fred Schaller's Team Worth shocked Drais 28-23 and led the second game 30-29 in the bottom of the seventh before losing 31-30.
This league is the real deal.
DIAMOND NOTES -- Andy Robinson and Danny McMahon ran a solid West Pac.
• Larry Quaney and Vinny Marnell are putting together a world class C division team.
• League play has started at Sunset Park and at Warm Springs.
• This year's D Budweiser Far West USSSA tournament on March 22 and 23 promises to be a major event and is a must play for all local D teams.
• Do all softball legends become high school golf coaches? Jim Massey coaches at Clark High School, Howie Loosebrok coaches at Chaparral, Mike Gutowski is coaching at Mojave and John Huntington is an independent coach.
• The Alley Gators Sports Grill Player of the Week is Hondo Berg and the Team of the Week is Ambush.
TOURNEY UPDATE -- The USSSA Budweiser Far West tournament is set for Saturday and Sunday with competition in the A-AA and C divisions.
• The Bud Far West D tournament is slated for March 23 and 24.
• An NASF Jacket tournament is on tap for Saturday at Shadow Rock.
• The Mesquite World Qualifier is slated for April 6 with a four-game guarantee for each team.
• The ISA Spring Bash is scheduled for April 13.
Teams interested in any tournament can call 260-7803.
Ralph Reuber has more than 25 years of experience as a softball player, sponsor, umpire and manager. He is district commissioner for the NASF in Southern Nevada. He can be reached at 260-7803.
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