Things looked bleak, to put it mildly, for the Green Team Properties/Gotcha Covered Blinds G-Force of Chicago, playing July 3-4 in the annual Minuteman Classic gay softball tournament in Boston, Mass.
The G-Force went 0-2-1 in the seeding round and was the 12th-seeded team in the C-Division—out of 12 squads.
"We just had a slow start," said G-Force coach Brian Kettner, who is also the team's second baseman.
But the team came alive when it mattered and showed why it will be representing Chicago in the annual Gay Softball World Series next month in Columbus, Ohio. The G-Force won its next five games to claim the championship, including an 11-3 win over the No. 1-seeded Geoffrey's D2 Mets of Boston for the title.
"This was a great tournament, a great team win. There was great competition; all 12 teams [ in our division ] were very good," Kettner said. "This is a huge momentum-builder for the World Series."
Left fielder Jeff Milio was the tournament's offensive hero for G-Force, highlighted by four home runs. Pitcher Randy Detert was on the mound for all eight games. First baseman Joe Green also delivered clutch hitting from the number-three spot in the lineup.
"We only had 11 players and all stepped up over and over," Kettner said.
Outfielder Chuck Jacobson celebrated his birthday July 4 with the win, and he delivered a game-saving diving catch in right field en route to the championship.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association hosted the 5th annual ChiTown Softball Classic for 27 teams over July 4th weekend—and the local teams excelled.
Big Chick's Wicked won first place in the D-Division, edging out Hamburger Mary's, also of Chicago. The Madison ( Wis. ) Madd Dawgs finished third.
Big Chick's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang won the C-Recreation Division, despite the team's 0-3 record in opening-round play. The Minneapolis Racers came in second place, followed by the Fluid Flaming Aardvarks of Milwaukee.
The D.C. National All Starz, from the nation's capital, won the top-tiered C-Competitive Division, while the Cleveland Twisted Bears finished second, followed by the Windy City's Hamburger Mary's.
"Overall, it was a very successful tournament," said tournament director Gary Taylor. "We had beautiful weather and the level of play in all three divisions was really good.
"The Chicago teams were very well-represented."
