While one title game was more suspenseful than the other, Black Hills Auto and Mike’s 12 Pack ultimately enjoyed their men’s fall city softball league championships within five days of each other at Riverfront Park.
Black Hills won its first title of the fall softball league, presented by the Cottonwood Parks and Recreation department, with a 3-2 victory Oct. 28 over the Reapers, who had lost to Black Hills two days earlier in the B league semifinals.
The Reapers earned a shot in the championship of the six-team tournament Oct. 28 with a 7-4 win over Roto Rooter in the consolation bracket.
They had shut out the Dirty Rats, 18-0, in the tournament first round Oct. 19.
The Dirty Rats would be eliminated a week later, failing to score a run in the postseason as Roto Rooter shut them out, 7-0.
Black Hills edged Roto Rooter, 6-5, in the first round of the B league tournament.
Mike’s came out of the A league consolation bracket to follow up that win with a far more relaxed 15-4 victory Nov. 2 over HDH, sponsored by Angie’s House.
“We beat HDH twice,” said Tarrin Walz, head coach of Mike’s 12 Pack. “They were big wins.”
Indeed they were, as Mike’s had just handled HDH, 12-6, to force an extra game in the double-elimination tournament.
The result turned the tables on HDH, which had edged Mike’s, 10-7, in the Oct. 28 semifinals to send Walz’s team into the consolation bracket. Mike’s would blow out Diablo, 19-1, to return to the championship Nov. 2.
Earlier that evening, Diablo had defeated Signs 928, 9-2, after downing El Patio 10-4 in the first round of the five-team double-elimination tournament.
The coed league title games will take place Thursday, Nov. 12, as undefeated Lazerlyte and Red Rock Collision battle for the A League championship.
For the full story, more photos and coed city softball championship schedule, please see the Wednesday, Nov. 11, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
