Caitlin Lowe - USSSA.com

Tournament director, Elliot C. Clark, presents HR Derby Champion, Chad Durick, Team 454/
Worth, his trophy and a check.
2012 Major All-World, HR Champion and World Series co-MVP, Resmondo/Worth’s Andy
Purcell. Andy’s pitching and defensive skills have been well-proven over the years and now he
has honed his hitting talent. His World Series stats......... .738 average, 15 HRs and 31 RBIs.
All-World selection, Resmondo’s Jeremy Isenhower. Miken Sports has recently released an
Isenhower signature bat, the Miken Ink.
Resmondo/Worth’s BJ Fulk’s son, Weston, was a big hit with the ladies.
18 USSSA TODAY
In the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket on Friday
night, LaserVision/Easton throttled Reds Astros/TPS,
29-5, in the bottom half of the bracket, before local
favorite DeMarini/Dirty/3n2 edged out R&M Metals/
Easton, 17-15. Then, in the all-important winner’s
bracket finals on Saturday night, LaserVision/Easton
knocked off DeMarini/Dirty, 18-13, to put themselves in
the enviable position of having to win just one more
game on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Resmondo/Worth began its run through
the wretched loser’s bracket by beating BuziniSports.
com/BWW/Worth, 22-6, on Saturday morning. They
came back later the same day to defeat Shoppe/Team
TPS, 21-17; Reds Astros/TPS, and R&M Metals/Easton,
17-8, to make it to Sunday morning. In the finals of the
loser’s bracket, Resmondo put up 15 runs in the first
inning on their way to a 31-12 win over DeMarini/Dirty
to make it back to the championship.
Needing a pair of wins over well-rested LaserVision
to win the crown, Resmondo got off on the wrong
foot by losing the coin toss and having to be visitors.
LaserVision got out to a lead in the first inning, and
added to it over the next three frames. Resmondo was
actually in danger of being run-ruled in the fifth inning,
before an 11-run outburst put them right back in the
game. The prospects of Resmondo pulling it out and
forcing a winner-take-all “if” games seemed like a real
possibility. But LaserVision clung to their narrow lead
heading into the seventh. After the bottom three of the
Resmondo lineup all reached base, the team was soon
faced with two outs and the tying run at the plate. But
LaserVision pitcher Geno Buck enticed an infield fly to
end the game with a 27-25 victory, and the LaserVision
celebration erupted.
“I want to thank all the sponsors, fans and players of
LaserVision that made this happen,” said manager
Dan Fruwirth. “It was a long year with a lot of ups and
downs, and we all climbed the mountain but never
reached the top (during the regular season).”
Fruwirth added, “We finally put it all together at the
right time by playing one game at a time by beating
whoever they put in front of us. And we beat the best
program in softball history, Resmondo, and that alone
is a huge task. For me, Pierre and Taz (statistician Bill
Tasinari), it’s our first ring and it feels great.”
LaserVision/Easton, based in Helmer’s hometown of
Cicero, NY, averaged 23.2 runs per game during their
5-0 run. Resmondo/Worth, based in Winter Haven,
FL, averaged the exact same number in compiling a
6-2 record to finish second. DeMarini/Derty/3n2 from
Orlando capped a breakthrough year by placing third
with a 3-2 mark. R&M Metals/Easton, from Waterloo,
Iowa, added icing to their Class A world championship
season by finishing fourth at the Major World Series.
Reds Astros/TPS, a B team from Indianapolis, and Team
454/Worth, an A team from Glen Allen, VA, tied for fifth