|
NEPVA
Red Sox Wheelchair Softball Team wins |
 |
| Front row -
Left to right: Gary Clarke, Mike Guilbault, Bill Hill, Tom Dodd, Ray
Beers, Marc Sanders Second row: Juan Silva, Ron Gendron, Russ Pace, George Norton, Steve Davis , Damon Isles, Mac Williams Standing:Terry Kershaw, Missy Rinaldi (Team Asst), Coach Keith Clements |
On Wed., August 10, 2005 the New England PVA Red Sox wheelchair softball team traveled to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the 2005 National Wheelchair Softball Tournament. After the conclusion of opening round games, 15 teams were split into Division I and Division II brackets. After teams are placed into one of the Divisions, they battle for their respective Division's championship. Having lost the championship game in Division II last year, the Red Sox's were determined to bring home a championship this season.
Preliminary games on Thursday brought the NEPVARed Sox a victory over the Whitewater Warhawks followed by a 5-2 loss to the Nebraska Barons, (last season's NWST Div.1 Champions), and a victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After getting knocked out of Div. 1 by the Chicago White Sox early on Friday, the NEPVA Red Sox set their sights on the NWST Div. 2 Championship. The Red Sox cruised to an easy win over the United Spinal Yankees followed by wins against Baltimore and the Wisconsin Warhawks.
Saturday morning the Red Sox found out that they would be playing the Wisconsin Whitewater Warhawks for the Div. 2 Championship. In order for the Warhawks to win the National Div. 2 Title they would have to win two games in a row against the NEPVA Red Sox. "One and Done" quickly became the Red Sox rallying call and when the first game was over that was exactly what happened. "One and Done" and the NEPVA Red Sox were now 2005 Div. 2 National Champions of the National Wheelchair Softball Tournament with an 8-6 victory over the Wisconsin Whitewater Warhawks. Three NEPVA players were named to the All-Tournament team, Tom Dodd, Right Field, Attleboro, MA; Mike Guilbault, Catcher, Best Quad, North Attleboro, MA; and Juan Silva, 3rd Base, Brockton, MA.
Next up for the NEPVA Red Sox is a trip to the 5th Annual Major League Wheelchair Softball Tournament on Sept. 23-24, 2005 at Shea Stadium in New York. The Major League Tournament invites wheelchair softball teams throughout the country that are name affiliated with a Major League Baseball team to compete in the tournament. In this year's tourney, teams such as the United Spinal Mets, United Spinal Yankees, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs and NEPVA Red Sox will be competing to see who is the best Major League Affiliated Wheelchair Softball team in the country.