TOURNEY TOP TEN

Thanks again to everyone that came out to play in this year's tournament.  We can't begin to describe how grateful we are to everyone who participated and helped make the event such a success.

It would be impossible to recap everything that went down on the fields (or at the bars, or in the hotel rooms).  There were, however, a number of things that happened over the course of the tournament that we simply must mention.  Some were witnessed by many, some by only a few.  Some were heroic, some were just plain idiotic.  All are evidence of a truly special weekend in Charlottesville.  Thanks again for making these memories.

10.  Double Forfeit

On Saturday night in the Co-Rec division, the Columbia 3Ls faced off against the Penn State Paintiffs (still the dumbest team name of the tournament).  Columbia technically won the contest, but afterwards told the head field marshals that they didn't want to wake up to play Villanova at 7am on Sunday morning, and that Penn State could advance in their place.  Not to be outdone, Penn State immediately refused the gift, and Villanova got a free ride to the round of 32.

9.  Co-Rec Orange's Game-Winning Grand Slam

UVA's Co-Rec Orange team shocked-and-awed their competition all weekend by combining their softball skills with their absurdity (foam butterfly hats, sequin headbands, inhuman levels of intoxication).   They went 3-0 in pod play, but found themselves down 8  runs with two innings to go in their Sunday morning game against Fordham Silver.  They rallied to bring the score within three, but were still against the wall going into their last at bat.  However, with the bases loaded, Orange's Chris Wynne launched a grand slam into right field, giving the motley crew a walk-off victory.

8.  Florida Coastal's Matt Bodie

For anyone who saw Co-Rec Champion Florida Coastal's Matt Bodie absolutely crush twelve homers in the HR derby on Saturday, this might not come as THAT much of a surprise.  In Coastal's Sunday afternoon game against Georgetown on Park Turf Field #5, Bodie launched a ball approximately 375 feet over the high fence and into the picnic table area.  It was clearly the most insane thing anyone from Georgetown had ever seen.

7.  The Cops

During the BBQ on Saturday, two Charlottesville City cops made their way down to the Park to shut down what they believed were a number of open container violations.  Despite the fact that the afternoon event was probably the calmest ever in the history of gatherings of that size, the officers threatened to "shut down the whole tournament" if the people who they claimed were sitting quietly on the lawns and drinking out of red cups didn't cease and desist.

After a few laps around the Park, the officers realized that the wild disorderlies had retreated and the mayhem had subsided, and so the tournament was allowed to proceed.  Before the cops left, however, they were spotted at the LexisNexis table hoarding free snacks, bottles of water, and flash drives.

6.  Friday Night Lights

The mood at the Park on Friday was possibly the most exciting it's been on an opening night.  Lots of fans came out to watch the dozens of games being played.  The weather was downright cold, but the competition was not.  By the time the games were over and people were heading out to the bars, everyone knew it was going to be a fantastic weekend.

5.  Fordham, Generally

After too many beers Saturday morning, they locked their keys in their own van at the Park, but just kept on drinking. They proceeded to get an "F - U" chant going when the Columbia 1Ls took the field.

**UPDATE** - Apparently, the Fordham squad is big on "your mom" jokes...so much so that players refuse to let their teammates know their mothers' names for fear of targeted ridicule.  Based on the photo below of a poster brought to one of Fordham's games this weekend, someone's name got out: 

4.  UVA Men's Gold vs. UVA Men's Blue

These two teams had scrimmaged four times in the weeks leading up to the tournament, and with Blue having won 3 out of 4 times, they knew where they stood.  Furthermore, both teams had had some shaky moments in the tournament.  UVA Gold had already lost to Washington & Lee, and UVA Blue had had to rally to get past Roger Williams (in pod play)and Penn State (in bracket play).

The meeting was in the quarterfinals, and a good showing of UVA fans picked their sides and cheered throughout the game.  Gold held Blue scoreless through three innings, while posting a modest lead.  But Blue's bats came alive in the fourth and the fifth, as they put up 14 runs and quieted the Gold fans in the process.  Gold made a late game comeback, but fell short when the final out was made, 14-12.  Blue would have one more UVA team to walk through to get to the championship, but they'd cleared their third big hurdle of the weekend in exhilarating fashion once again.

3.  Vanderbilt Reg Eliminates Defending Champ Florida Coastal

By pretty much all accounts, Vandy showed up in Charlottesville to have a good time (and, by pretty much all accounts, they did).  They didn't particularly intend to win many games, which was fine.  But, as luck would have it, these guys weren't half bad on the softball field.  They called themselves the "Juice Monsters," and they all wore jerseys of MLB players identified as having taken steroids.  They made it out of pod play on Saturday, but didn't hold out much hope for success in the brackets.

Fast-forward to Sunday, 11am.  The scrawny Vandy squad has a few more wins under their belt, but is up against reigning Reg Division Champion Florida Coastal.  They come up to bat in the top of the last inning down only a few runs, maybe four.  A few singles to lead off the inning and they're starting to eat away at Coastal's lead.  With one out, their captain foul-tips a pitch into the catcher's glove, and the umpire calls him out.  The Vandy bench argues the call, but the umpire is resolute in his ruling.  Fortunately for the Juice Monsters, they have a rule book and, with the help of two other off-duty umpires watching the game, they (rightly) get the call overturned.  Their captain, now with new life at the plate, rips a double up the middle, prolonging the rally.  Florida Coastal can't catch back up in the bottom of the inning, and Vandy advances.  The Florida Coastal faithful on the sidelines stand in stunned silence.

2.  Vermont Law at the Red Roof Inn

Saturday morning the Vermont Co-Rec team played UConn at 7am.  Stumbling out of bed following the Red Roof Inn's 6am wakeup call, one of Vermont's players decided he would heat up some leftover Mellow Mushroom pizza before the game.  After commenting to his roommate that he'd never seen a carpet square in a microwave before, he proceeded to lock a piece of pizza in the room's safe.  Forgetting the buttons he mashed in an attempt to warm up the slice, Luis had to report the incident to the front desk - who referred to him as "that pizza guy" the remainder of the trip.

1.  UVA Men's Orange

I mean, what can we say about UVA Men's Orange this weekend?  They lost their first two pod games to Western New England College and Campbell Law, and almost lost their third one to Syracuse Orange (if they had, they wouldn't have even made it to bracket play).  They eeked out a win against Syracuse to stay alive, and hit the town hard on Saturday night.

At 8am on Sunday they faced off against St. Louis University in a play-in game to get into normal bracket play.  The entire team was hungover, but their captain managed to inspire them by explaining that "we're already here, so we might as well play."

They beat St. Louis, Charlotte (against whom one of their players made a remarkable over-the-fence grab in foul territory, from which he still has fence-mark bruises all over his arm), and Columbia's "Varsity" squad to get to the Elite Eight, where they faced off against Seton Hall.  Barely clinging to a one-run lead late in the game, their #13 batter hit a 3-run HR to solidify the win and earn his team a spot in the Final Four.

In the semis Orange faced Ave Maria, a long-time softball powerhouse.  They battled back from a deficit late in the game, building a five- or six-run lead going into the last frame.  Spectacular defense from their third baseman (multiple times) and their outfielders allowed them to hang on for the win, and a chance to face UVA Men's Blue in the championship game.

Fans filled the bleachers and blanketed the hills surrounding Park Field #6 for the final game.  Of course, UVA Men's Blue ultimately won the competition, but not before Orange put up a fight.  The team of (mostly) 3Ls had come a long way from their 0-2 start to the tournament.  Countless bruises, blood-soaked bandages, double plays, miracle grabs, and homeruns later,  these scrappy vets had done the school very, very proud.