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Softball tourney keeps going — and growing

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Charlie Hamm, right, of Litchfield, scores a run for Riverside Tavern as FM Janitors’ catcher Marcus Buschette, left, of Moorhead, fields the late throw during Saturday’s Litchfield Fire Department Softball Tournament.

Charlie Hamm, right, of Litchfield, scores a run for Riverside Tavern as FM Janitors’ catcher Marcus Buschette, left, of Moorhead, fields the late throw during Saturday’s Litchfield Fire Department Softball Tournament.Staff Photo by Louie Opatz

Left fielder David Knutson, left, of St. Cloud, pulls in a fly ball in short left field during his team Royal Pains’ 22-7 win over Hilltop Roadshop in Saturday’s men’s slow pitch softball tournament.

Left fielder David Knutson, left, of St. Cloud, pulls in a fly ball in short left field during his team Royal Pains’ 22-7 win over Hilltop Roadshop in Saturday’s men’s slow pitch softball tournament.Staff Photo by Louie Opatz

Hilltop Broadshop right fielder Dillon Storm, of Litchfield, makes a falling catch in right field during the Litchfield Fire Department’s slow pitch softball tournament Saturday. Hilltop Broadshop lost all three of its games in the 28-team men’s tournament.

Hilltop Broadshop right fielder Dillon Storm, of Litchfield, makes a falling catch in right field during the Litchfield Fire Department’s slow pitch softball tournament Saturday. Hilltop Broadshop lost all three of its games in the 28-team men’s tournament.Staff Photo by Louie Opatz

Royal Pains’ shortstop Ricky Doriott, of Blaine, turns a double play on Saturday. Royal Pains won three and lost two in the weekend’s tournament and were eliminated by KR Rockets, who took third place overall.

Royal Pains’ shortstop Ricky Doriott, of Blaine, turns a double play on Saturday. Royal Pains won three and lost two in the weekend’s tournament and were eliminated by KR Rockets, who took third place overall.Staff Photo by Louie Opatz

In its fourth year of being run by the Litchfield Fire Department, the Men’s Slow Pitch Softball Tournament at Watercade has grown to include 28 teams — nearly as big of a field as in the tournament’s heyday, roughly 40 years ago.

This year’s tournament was won by Demarini Swag, a St. Michael-Albertville-based team.

Demarini Swag beat Budweiser/Promolink, of Chaska, twice to claim the title and the $1,400 cash payout; Budweiser/Promolink earned a $1,000 payout for its second-place finish.

“That’s the largest that it’s been in maybe 20 years or so,” said tournament organizer Matt Kadelbach. “Back when it was at its peak, we’ve heard numbers from 32 as high as 36 at one point. We’re trying to get back to that level.”

The annual softball tournament has brought some of the highest-caliber men’s slow pitch teams in the Midwest, according to Kadelbach.

“In the four years that we’ve been running it, we’ve been able to pull some teams that play all summer long — that’s all they do,” Kadelbach said. “... The competition is probably the highest, certainly in the area, that you’re going to find.”

Despite the stiff out-of-town competition, Litchfield-area teams have acquitted themselves well: KR Rockets, a Litchfield team that took second place to Budweiser/Promolink two years ago, finished in third this year and earned a $650 prize.

“They’ve been right there every year and it’s good to see,” Kadelbach said.

KR Rockets were joined near the top of the tournament by another Litchfield team, Peter’s/Rambow, who finished in fourth place and earned $450.

The weekend had to be considered a success, considering that Kadelbach and the rest of the organizers avoided a massive tournament’s worst nightmare: nasty weather.

“When you’re running a softball tournament for two days, the thing that you’re completely running against is rain and a potential washout, obviously,” Kadelbach said. “To have the weather hold off was certainly a plus.”

Results

Litchfield Fire Department’s

Men’s Slow Pitch Softball Tournament

July 11 and 12

1. Demarini Swag, $1,400 payout; 2. Budweiser/Promolink, $1,000; 3. KR Rockets, $650; 4. Peter’s/Rambow, $450; 5-t. OSS/Top Choice, $150; 5-t. Valley Sports/Stagecoach, $150.

Copyright 2015 Litchfield Independent Review/Crow River Media/Media News Group.

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Softball tourney keeps going — and growing