The Busch Softball Classic's major division title belongs to the Fence Brokers once again.
The Fence Brokers, based in Bryant, routed Steel from Corpus Christi, Texas, 21-4 in five innings Sunday in the championship game of the Men's Major Division at the Sherwood Sports Complex.
It's the fifth title for the Fence Brokers, who won three consecutive from 2009-2011 and again in 2013. No team has won more major division titles in the 36-year history of the Busch Classic.
"We love it," said Fence Brokers Coach Chris Wilson, whose team won all five games it played in the tournament. "When we first started watching softball, we came to this tournament to watch. This was the one to win, this was the big one.
"We get so excited and pumped up for it because it is the premier tournament of the year for Arkansas."
The Fence Brokers had 18 hits in four innings. They scored 5 runs in the first and second innings, 4 in the third and 7 in the fourth against Steel, which advanced to Sunday's championship by defeating HGC/BWW 25-24 earlier in the day.
Wilson's strategy of getting on base worked Sunday.
"When you can score runs without hitting home runs, you're way ahead of the game," Wilson said. "We coasted from there and happened to get ahead of them."
The Fence Brokers sent nine batters to the plate in the first and took a 5-0 lead, the big hit a three-run home run by Chris Smith.
The Fence Brokers increased their lead to 10-0 in the second inning. Mike Cervantes' double and Alex Henry's two-run single made it 8-0. Two batters later, Brian McBryde's double made it 9-0. Pat Burton hit another double, this one off Steel first baseman Nick Guerva's glove, into right field for a 10-0 lead.
Mark Holsonback's home run in the bottom of the second cut The Fence Brokers lead to 10-1.
But the Fence Brokers continued to pour it on, scoring four runs in the third for a 14-1 lead.
B.J. Thomas led off the inning with a home run and Jason Bridges had a RBI single later in the inning. Tim Howard added a two-run home run for the Fence Brokers.
Steel made it 14-3 with two runs in the bottom of the third on Justin Mark's home run and Nick Mitschke's sacrifice fly.
But the Fence Brokers put the game away with a seven-run fourth inning, sending 11 batters to the plate, the big hits coming on Thomas' two-run single and Bridges' two-run home run. Bridges' home run made it 20-3, and after Howard doubled, Cervantes capped the Fence Brokers' scoring with a RBI single to right field.
Holsonback's second home run cut the Steel deficit to 21-4, but that was it.
Steel lost both of its games to Fence Brokers, falling 26-25 in pool play Saturday before being run-ruled Sunday.
"They're very tough to beat," Holsonback said. "They played very well."
Sports on 07/06/2015