Austin, Texas – May 25-26

From our friend John Limon, in the Great State of Texas:

“Hello Fastball Friends and family, once again it is that time of year. Fastpitch Softball at it’s finest in Austin Texas on Memorial Weekend. This year’s 23^rd Annual Castro Concrete Jokers Men’s Fastpitch Softball Tournament is being dedicated to Our Long-time sponsor of 56 years Mr. Lee Castro Sr.

In December The City of Austin, Austin Fastpitch and the Jokers Athletic Club lost a Great Man. Mr. Lee was a loving, caring and giving man who supported the Jokers since their second year in existence back in 1963 to this up and coming season.

As a token of our appreciation to all the teams who have participated in our past Tournaments and to any new teams coming to this year’s event, we are waving our usual $375.00 entry fee and ask that you only pay the $50.00 Umpire fee at the plate before every game. (Tournament will cover the cost of the Championship Game)

Our Tournament is like no other and unmatched, Good Old Time Fastpitch Softball. No gate fees, and although we have a great concession stand ice chests are allowed along with outside food. We even have some teams who take advantage of the covered picnic area and Bar-b-que. The park has plenty of shaded area that helps everyone stay cool in the Texas heat.

We are known for showing teams a good time and our hospitality is well known. I hope your team will consider playing in Our 23^rd Annual Tournament and help me bring a little comfort to Mrs. Castro, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Castro Jr. and their loving grandchildren.      

Date: May 25^th and 26^th

Place: Del Valle Softball Complex (just past the Austin Airport)

Entry Fee: NONE (pay $50 at the plate before each game)

Format: 3 Game Guarantee

Time Limit: 1 hour and 30 min (Championship game 7innings)

Championship Game: 1 Game only

Rules: 2019 ASA Rules – Pitching Rule: ISF (Pitcher must start with two feet on the rubber)

Balls: K-Master (Provide by Tournament)

Awards:  1^st – 4^th Place

12 All Tournament Team

Most Valuable Player

Most Valuable Pitcher

Most Valuable Hitter

Lee Castro Sportsmanship

More Information to follow, any questions please contact myself

Tournament Director, John Limon 512-317-8502             

— 
“

Your Friend In Softball”
        John Limon
Texas ISC Commissioner    
          2005-2007
texasisc@gmail.com?

    

Archives of the live video streamed games from the 2019 Softball New Zealand National Fastpitch Championships (Feb. 14-17), courtesy of Cantebury Softball TV Facebook page. Ballpark Broadcasting’s Jason “Chopper” Gerbes on the broadcast crew.

Scores  

Tournament info

    

From Stuff.co.nz, by TONY SMITH

Connor Peden was the toast of Auckland softball after his grand slam home run lit up the National Fastpitch Championship men’s softball title.

Peden blasted five RBIs (runs batted in) in Auckland’s 9-3 win over a Wellington controversially deprived of Black Sox pitcher Josh Pettett.

Player-coach Nathan Nukunuku’s Auckland team scored eight runs in the final two innings at Christchurch’s Mizuno Ballpark on Sunday.

Peden – a former catcher who has found a niche in the outfield – showed his power hitting prowess with three hits from four at-bats for a .750 average.

Auckland finished with six safe hits to Wellington’s four, but Thomas Makea’s capital city team showed plenty of spirit to recover from the enforced loss of ace pitcher Pettett due to a concussion stand-down.

Pettett- later awarded the tournament’s top pitcher award- was hit in the face by a ball driven by Nukunuku in Saturday’s semifinal, and although cleared of concussion, had to face a 24-hour stand-down under Softball New Zealand’s concussion protocols.

The NFC tournament showcased the talents of players determined to force their way into Black Sox coach Mark Sorenson’s team for the June world championship title defence in Prague.

None more so than Peden, and Wellington second baseman Dante Matakatea, who batted two from four in the final to cap a fine weekend.

Matakatea blew the game open with a first inning home run to give Wellington a 1-0 lead.

But Auckland equalised in the top of the second when tournament MVP and top batter Kallan Compain – tripled and scored on cousin Thomas Enoka’s sacrifice fly.

Wellington went ahead 3-1 in the fifth frame after Matakatea singled and ambled home when Auckland starter Daniel Chapman threw a bases-loaded walk. 

Wayne Laulu followed on a wild throw by catcher Zane van Lieshout as Auckland attempted a home-one double play.

Auckland’s power-packed batting lineup produced the goods in the sixth with three runs, including RBIs by brothers Thomas and Campbell Enoka.

That left Peden to produce the fireworks in the seventh and put the game beyond Auckland’s reach.

Nukunuku said Peden had been “hot [with the bat] all season” and had been “one of the top hitters in the Auckland competition, while Compain – who .550 with 11 hits from 20 at-bats – had bounced back from “a pretty quiet” Challenge Cup tournament with the Black Sox.

Black Sox pitcher Nik Hayes came on in relief to hurl Auckland to their fourth title in the last five years. Click here to continue reading and to view photos at Stuff.co.nz

Scores

Tournament info

    

From Stuff.co.nz

By TONY SMITH, Stuff.co.nz

Softball New Zealand will review its player concussion policies after Wellington’s Black Sox pitcher Josh Pettett was controversially ruled out of the National Fastpitch Championships final despite being cleared of concussion.

Wellington coach Thomas Makea was “disgusted” when Softball New Zealand (SNZ) officials ruled Pettett out of Sunday’s gold medal game against Auckland, and said the rule must be changed.

Makea was “very disappointed” that Pettett could not play despite being cleared of concussion by a doctor following scans and X-rays.

He was also at a loss to understand why Auckland – who beat Wellington 9-3 in the final – had insisted SNZ implement its mandatory stand-down protocol because of their apparent concern at potential further risk to Pettett.

Pettett was hit in the face by a hard-hit drive by Auckland player-coach Nathan Nukunuku in Saturday night’s semifinal at Christchurch’s Mizuno Ballpark.

He got to his feet and wanted to resume, but was prevented from doing so by match umpires in accordance with SNZ protocols.

SNZ chief executive Tony Giles said Wellington “did everything right” in getting medical clearances for Pettett, but SNZ had had to abide by “our concussion protocols, as part of our ACC scheme”.

Giles said that protocol required anyone suspected of suffering concussion to have a “graduated re-entry” to the diamond, “because there is the potential for delayed concussion”.

He said there was initial concern Pettett had suffered a hairline fracture and contusions. 

The 25-year-old Wellington pitcher was taken to hospital for CT scans and X-rays which, Giles said, showed no evidence of a fracture or concussion.  His only injury was “contusions to the neck”.

Giles said following discussions with Wellington and Auckland team officials on Sunday morning, SNZ decided it must “adhere to the policy”.

“But we will be talking to ACC and taking a second look at our policies that are in place to make sure we better align ourselves to other contact sports that have HIA  [head injury assessment] protocols.”

A policy review cannot come quick enough for Makea, who hopes changes will be in place for next month’s national interclub tournament.

The Pettett ruling clearly rankled with the Wellington team, who, pointedly, left the ball park after the final out without waiting for Auckland to be presented with the trophy.

Makea said it was very frustrating to have Pettett ruled out by a “protesting technicality”. He could not understand why the young hurler was sidelined after being cleared by a doctor.

“We did everything right, got all the documents in place.

“There was no concussion at all, in the end it was a neck injury. He was fit to play, ready to go and he wanted to pitch.

“We are pretty disgusted. When you get to a final like that, you want to see the best against the best. We would have had the two number one [pitchers] going right at it, toe to toe. That’s what the softball public wanted to see.

Makea said Pettett had actually been ready to take the mound again on Saturday night. “Once he stood up [after being felled by the hit to his face], he said, ‘Give me the ball’., He had just bitten his tongue; there was a bit of blood, but that was all.”

Makea was surprised that Auckland had been so insistent about the protocol being enforced and wondered if Nukunuku and his team were worried whether they could beat Wellington with Pettett on the mound.

He said the outcome of the final may have been different “if we had our ace up against their ace.

“We would have been right in the hunt.”

Nukunuku, the Auckland player-coach whose hit accidentally felled Pettett, said his team were motivated out of a genuine concern about potential further risk to the Wellington pitcher.

“Half my team are his Black Sox teammates, we don’t want to be responsible for him getting hit in the head again, or something more serious … even if it rarely happens.”

Nukunuku felt it was important the protocols were adhered to and insisted he would have taken the same view had it been one of his own players. Player welfare had to come first, he said. Click here to continue reading at Stuff.co.nz and to see photos and video of the incident.

Scores  https://www.softball.org.nz/site/softballnz/images/Domestic/Tournaments/2017/Day%204%20Results%20NFC.pdf
Tournament info: https://www.softball.org.nz/201718+Tournaments/PAKnSAVE8206+National+Fastpitch+Championship+2017.html