The 2024 British Softball Federation Co-Ed League Nationals took place on 10-11 August at the National Baseball & Softball Complex at Farnham Park, with 24 of the nation’s top League teams battling for the championship. The two divisions – Comp and Rec – each had two groups, with Comp fighting for Platinum and Gold, while Rec duked it out for Silver and Bronze.
Saturday
The action started thick and fast on Saturday morning, with the first round of games at 9 AM and play running until 7 PM. Highlights from Day 1 included:
- Several tight, one-run games, with The Tribe from Milton Keynes winning all three they played in – vs Oxford Knights, Southport Seagulls, and Diamond Dogs
- The Tribe won their final game to pip the Diamond and win Rec Group A
- Mi-6, the 2023 Co-Ed Nationals Champions, swept the day for a perfect 5-0 record in Comp Group A
After Saturday’s play, all 24 teams were divided into the four playoff pools – Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze – for the start of Sunday’s play, and the road to the Finals!
Day 1 Standings
Sunday
With the playoff rounds sorted, teams carried over their record against the teams in their respective division to Sunday’s play. With the weather bright and sunny, the heat was on, and the softball was fierce!
The new groups formed the day before played through the 2 o’clock hour, with the Silver and Bronze groups wrapping last. After calculations, the fields were relined, and the semifinals got underway.
Semifinals
Platinum Semifinals: In the Platinum Semifinals, the Jets faced The Mob, while defending champions MI-6 took on the Manchester Thunder. MI-6 showed their skills early, and often, romping to a 16-0 rout of their opponents. The Mob, meanwhile, had a much tougher task – in a back-and-fourth contest with the Jets, the Mob would squeak out an 11-10 victory to punch their ticket to the final.
Gold Semifinals: The Gold Semifinals saw the Pyros from Nottingham face the Rebels, while the Itchen Knicks took on the Blue Sox. The Pyros doubled up the Rebels with an 8-4 score, while the Knicks outlasted the Reading side with an 11-7 victory.
Silver Semifinals: In the Silver Semifinal, the Valley Wet Sox battled the Diamond Dog, winning a 12-2 victory, while the Tribe once again found themselves eking out a 1-run victory, this time a 13-12 affair over the Fly Ballers.
Bronze Semifinals: The Bronze Semifinal saw two close games, with Southport taking on the Raiders and the Scorchers facing Base Invaders. The Seagulls defeated the London Side 11-10, while Bracknell doubled up the Base Invaders 14-7.
Finals
BSUK-TV Link/Embed
Platinum Final: The Platinum Final was broadcast on BSUK-TV again this year, and viewers got a great game. After a scoreless top of the first inning, The Mob would take an early 2-0 lead in the home half of the inning, but MI-6 responded right away, scoring six times in the second to take a 6-2 lead. The Mob then rallied back, scoring seven runs in the second, and never looked back, taking a 9-6 lead after two, and holding on for a 15-13 victory to knock off the defending champions for the 2024 title!
Gold Final: The Nottingham Pyros took on 2021 Gold Winners Itchen Knicks in the gold Semifinal, and came away with the victory by an 8-4 score.
Silver Final: The Silver final saw another one-run game for the Tribe but with a different result. In a back-and-forth affair, the Valley Wet Socks defeated their Milton Keynes rival, 11-10, for the Silver championship.
Bronze Final: Perennial contenders Southport Seagulls faced the Bracknell Scorchers Red side in the Bronze final, with Southport taking a 15-11 victory for the medal.
The next British Softball Federation event at the National Baseball & Softball Complex at Farnham Park is NSL Nationals, which will take place on 31 August – 1 September 2024. The NSL 1 Final will be on BSUK-TV and can be viewed here.