Teams have been coming from outside the UK to play in the annual Softball World Series tournament ever since it first began in 1999, but no non-British team has ever won it. That changed on the weekend of 12-13 September at the Imperial College Heston Venue in Cranford, when the UCE Travellers from Germany took the title.
The win was something of a vindication for the German team, who also won the European Slowpitch Super Cup played in the Czech Republic in 2014, beating H2O and the Chromies along the way, but with many regarding that win as a one-off, especially against a Chromies team weakened by injuries. The UCE Travellers have now proved that their European Super Cup title was no fluke and they have to be regarded right now as the top slowpitch club team in Europe.
UCE Travllers captain Wolfgang Walther said, "Coming into the tournament we didn't expect anything and were just looking to play good softball against good teams! We certainly didn't expect to finish first in our group, ahead of GB Development and USA. But after we did that, we felt very confident that we could make it all the way. The key for us on Sunday was that we were able to keep that confidence level."
The result should give yet another boost for the continued development of slowpitch on the European continent, as evidence continues to accrue that the British and British-based teams are not invincible – except perhaps at national team level.
The heartening part for British slowpitch, however, was the fact that the Travellers’ defeated opponents in the Trophy Final, in a tight game that the Germans won by 16-13, was the GB Development Team, many of whose players are likely to be travelling to Plant City, Florida in November to compete for GB in the ISF Slowpitch World Cup.
This is the second time in three years that the GB Development Team has made the World Series Trophy Final, a testament to the strength of the GB Slowpitch player pool and coaching.
New ground
The 2015 World Series, organised by Bob Fromer for BSUK and delivered and supported by the BSF, broke new ground in terms of attendance.
There was still a total of 18 teams in the tournament, determined by the number of pitches at the Heston Venue, but for the first time there were entries from the Netherlands and two German entries consisting of German players (as opposed to US military personnel based in Germany). Other and more familiar teams coming from overseas this year included the Craicers and a version of the national team from Ireland, the Orcas from Switzerland and The Cage from Belgium.
There was also a refurbished British-based Latinoamerica team, consisting of far more players with Latin American roots than in the past.
Saturday pool play
The Softball World Series begins with the 18 teams playing in three round-robin groups of six teams each on Saturday, after which it splits into three separate competitions on Sunday.
The top two teams from each of the Saturday pool groups go to the Trophy Competition, the teams finishing third and fourth in each pool group go to the Plate Competition and the teams finishing fifth and sixth go to the Cup Competition, with finals in all three competitions played on Sunday afternoon.
In Group A on Saturday, two recent winners – the 2014 champions England and the 2013 champions Anzacs – made it through to the Trophy Competition. Team Murica, a late American entry from RAF Lakenheath after Scotland withdrew from the tournament, was close on their heels and had an 11-10 win over the Anzacs, but an unexpected 16-10 defeat to the Craicers put Team Murica into the Plate Competition along with the ever-improving Wales. The Craicers and Latinoamerica, who drew 13-13 with each other, went to the Cup Competition.
Group B was the closest of the three pool groups, with last year’s beaten finalists USA, GB Development and the UCE Travellers all finishing with four wins and a loss. GB Development lost to the USA, the USA lost to the UCE Travellers and the Travellers lost to GB Development. Runs conceded meant that it was the GB Development team and the UCE Travellers who gained places in the Trophy Competition, while USA wound up in the Plate Competition along with former winners Africa. The Orcas and Japan went to the Cup Competition.
In Group C, the GB Masters was the only team to go through Saturday undefeated, and they were joined in the Trophy Competition by Ireland, who had to work hard to get there. After losing to GB Masters and drawing with the Netherlands, the Irish eked out a 10-7 win over Canada, a 7-6 win over the other German team, Orange Crush, and a 9-8 victory over The Cage from Belgium. The Netherlands and Canada went through to the Plate Competition while Orange Crush and The Cage went to the Cup Competition, but The Cage will have been thrilled with their 16-7 win over the Netherlands.
Sunday format
On Sunday at the World Series, each new group of six teams, now set up as the Trophy, Plate and Cup competitions, plays a short round-robin in two groups of three teams each.
The winners of those two small groups go to the 1 v 2 game in a final Page Playoff and the runners-up also go to the Page Playoff and play the 3 v 4 game.
The two third place teams simply play each other to determine fifth place in that particular competition.
Cup Competition
In the Cup Competition, the Craicers and Japan won their round-robin groups and met in the 1 v 2 Page Playoff game, with Japan winning 18-14. That sent Japan to the Cup Final.
The Cage and Orange Crush finished second in their round-robin groups and met in the 3 v 4 Page Playoff game, with Orange Crush winning 14-10. That meant that the Cage finished fourth in the Cup Competition.
The Craicers now played Orange Crush in a game where the loser would finish third and the winner would meet Japan in the Cup Final. This game was won 19-13 by Orange Crush.
In the Cup Final, Orange Crush stormed on to take the title, defeating Japan 22-12.
Meanwhile, Latinoamerica defeated the Orcas to finish fifth in the Cup Competition, while the Orcas were sixth and last.
Plate Competition
In the Plate Competition, not surprisingly, Team Murica and the USA won their round-robin groups and met in the 1 v 2 Page Playoff game, with the USA winning 16-15 in an epic struggle. That sent USA to the Plate Final.
Africa and Canada finished second in their round-robin groups and met in the 3 v 4 Page Playoff game, with Africa winning 18-10. That meant that Canada finished fourth in the Plate Competition.
Team Murica now played Africa in a game where the loser would finish third and the winner would meet USA in the Plate Final. This game was won 9-4 by Team Murica.
In the Plate Final, Team Murica and the USA met again, and this time the result was much more decisive, with the USA winning 24-10 to take the title.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands defeated Wales by 15-6 to finish fifth in the Plate Competition, while Wales were sixth.
Trophy Competition
In the Trophy Competition at the top end of the tournament, GB Development won both games in their pool to reach the 1 v 2 Page Playoff game, but UCE Travellers and England drew 7-7 with each other in the second pool and both beat Ireland. However, UCE Travellers beat Ireland 15-5 while England’s win was by 11-8, so the UCE Travellers also reached the 1 v 2 game, where they lost 9-8 to GB Development.
That put the GB Development team in the Trophy final, but if the Travellers were going to get there as well, they would have to do it the hard way.
England and GB Masters finished second in their round-robin groups and met in the 3 v 4 Page Playoff game, with England winning easily by 12-1. That meant that GB Masters finished fourth in the Trophy Competition and the tournament.
UCE Travellers and England now met in the game where the loser would finish third and the winner would meet GB Development in the final, and UCE Travellers held England to just a single run in a 5-1 win.
So UCE Travellers and GB Development met again in the Trophy Final, before the usual large crowd down the left field line. It was the third time the teams had met over the two days, and GB Development had won both previous meetings, albeit by a total of only four runs. This game went back and forth, but this time it was the Germans who came out on top, winning 16-13 to take the Trophy and tournament title.
Meanwhile, Ireland and the Anzacs staged a tremendous battle in the fifth place game, with Ireland squeezing out a 12-11 win to finish fifth in the Trophy Competition. It was definitely an off-year for the Anzacs, who won the tournament four times between 2007 and 2013, but could not muster a win in this year’s Trophy Competition playoffs.
RESULTS
Final Trophy Standings
1 – UCE Travellers (Germany)
2 – GB Development
3 – England
4 – GB Masters
5 -- Ireland
6 – Anzacs
Final Plate Standings
7 – USA
8 – Team Murica
9 – Africa
10 – Canada
11 – Netherlands
12 – Wales
Final Cup Standings
13 – Orange Crush (Germany)
14 – Japan
15 – Craicers (Ireland)
16 – The Cage (Belgium)
17 – Latin America
18 – Orcas (Switzerland)
World Series Winners
1999 – England
2000 – Africa
2001 – Africa
2002 – USA
2003 – Africa
2004 – Africa
2005 – USA
2006 – Rest of the World
2007 – Anzacs
2008 – Anzacs
2009 – England
2010 - Lakenheath Eagles
2011 – Lakenheath Eagles
2012 – Anzacs
2013 – Anzacs
2014 – England
2015 – UCE Travellers