2020 held at Drakes Creek Park in Hendersonville on August 21.
Champion – H. Auto/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton, Cicero, New York
Runner Up – Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep, Calimesa, California
The rain could not stop the competition at the 2020 USA Softball Men’s Super Slow Pitch National Championship. In a day that saw rain clouds and a brief lightning delay, the bats of H. Auto/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton sealed their third-consecutive USA Softball Super Slow Pitch National Championship title after capturing a 30-29 win over Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep in Hendersonville, Tenn.
The game started out close as Monsta Athletics plated three in the top of the first inning and H. Auto responded with four to take a one-run lead after one complete inning. Keeping Monsta Athletics to just one run in the top of the second, H. Auto pulled away with eight runs of their own.
Monsta Athletics brought it within three runs in the top of the third with a pair of home runs, but the hot bats of H. Auto could not be stopped. Nine runs crossed the plate for the home team, fueled by home runs from Kyle Pearson, Bubba Mack and Brian Wegman.
Both offenses were stifled in the fourth, as Monsta Athletics plated the only run of the inning after a fielding error allowed a runner to score.
That did not last long though as Monsta Athletics exploded for 10 runs in the top of the fifth to bring the game within one run. The scoring started with a pair of doubles, a single and a triple to bring in five runs. A ground ball drove in another run, and three-consecutive singles loaded the bases for Travis Houseman, who connected for a grand slam to make it a 20-21 ballgame. After holding H. Auto to just two runs in the bottom of the fifth, the game stayed interesting with one run in the top of the sixth for Monsta Athletics, putting them down by just two runs. That score stood through the bottom of the inning after a pair of line outs and a groundout to shortstop kept H. Auto off the base paths.
Monsta Athletics took the lead in the top of the seventh after a solo home run, single and double drove in three runs. The hits kept coming as back-to-back triples added another two runs to the lead for Monsta Athletics. A two-run home run by Adam Ussery and a sac fly from Matt Schrage added the final runs of the at-bat for Monsta Athletics, putting H. Auto down by six runs in their final appearance at the plate.
Needing to score six to keep the “if-necessary” game from happening, H. Auto did just that and then some with a walk-off home run to earn the Super Slow Pitch National Championship. Solo home runs by Greg Connell, Mack, Josh Riley and Jason Magnum brought the game within two with one out, but a fly ball to left field looked to end the game with Monsta Athletics forcing an extra contest. A walk to Nic Santana kept the hopes alive for H. Auto before pinch hitter Jon Nelson pelted the ball over the left field fence to tie the game. Daniel Cayton ended the game with a no doubt, solo shot over the left field fence, giving H. Auto the 30-29 win.
Cayton earned the MVP title, while Connell led H. Auto with a .818 batting average and Mack led the team with eight home runs and 14 RBI.
- MVP – Daniel Cayton, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
- HR Champion – Travis Houseman, Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep – 9
- Batting Champion – Filip Washington, MPT/Anarchy – .929
ASA SUPER ALL AMERICAN FIRST TEAM
- IF – Greg Connell, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
- IF – Bubba Mack, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
- IF – Brett Rettenmeier, Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep
- IF – Matt Fox, Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep
- IF – Daniel Cayton, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
- IF – Jason Branch, MPT/Anarchy
- OF – DJ Hollingsworth, Bad Draw/Rapid Fire/Easton
- OF – Chris Anninos, Bad Draw/Rapid Fire/Easton
- OF – Travis Houseman, Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep
- OF – Filip Washington, MPT/Anarchy
- UTIL – Jared Hunt, Bad Draw/Rapid Fire/Easton
- UTIL – Donnie Hammonds, Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep
- UTIL – Nic Santana, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
- UTIL – Jason Magnum, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
- P – Travis Clark, H. Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
FINAL STANDINGS
1. H.Auto/Resmondo/OA Apparel/Specialty Tank, Cicero, NY (3-0)
2. Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep, Calimesa, CA (2-2)
3. Bad Draw/Rapid Fire/Easton, Gainesville, VA (2-2)
4. MPT/Anarchy, Toms River, NJ (1-2)
5. Drip City/Monsta, Grimes, IA (0-2)
BRACKET LINK – https://asp.tournamentusasoftball.com/i!/brackets/Results.php?TID=6574&BSID=7195
STATISTICS – https://gc.com/tmt/summer-2020/2020-usa-softball-mens-super-slow-pitch-national-championship-5ee3e7961c19f2a47d50a98d
LIVE STREAMING – https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/2020/August/20/Super-Slow-Pitch-National-Championship/Live-Streaming
Champion – H.Auto/Sonnys/RDD/Sprizzi/S&S/Easton
Runner Up – Monsta Athletics/Black Sheep
