Two weekends ago the Tower Junction men’s fastpitch softball team from Monfort finished second out of 32 teams in the A Division of the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) World Series.
     The event was held Aug. 16–18 in Topeka, Kan.
     Tower Junction won its first five games of the tournament to reach the championship.
     But the Santa Rosa Fastpitch Club from Northern California won five straight games in the loser’s bracket, including three on Sunday morning, after a Friday evening quarterfinal loss to reach the championship.
     Santa Rosa (9–1) won the first championship game 8-1 to force the if-necessary game against previously unbeaten Tower Junction in the double elimination tournament.
     Santa Rose then claimed the championship with a 10–6 sluggfest victory over the Monfort-based team.
     Tower Junction, which won the NAFA A Division state championship on July 1, finished the nationals with a record of 5–2.
     The top six or seven finishing teams from this year’s A Division World Series, including Tower Junction, will be reclassified to A-Major for the 2013 World Series in Des Moines, Iowa.
     Tower Junction pitcher Ike Campbell was selected to the All-World A Division all-tournament team for his pitching low era and his hitting prowess.
     He finished the tournament with a 3–1 record, a 2.62 ERA, 21 strikeouts and just 21 hits allowed in 24 innings pitched in four starts. In his first three starts he allowed just one earned runs in 18 innings pitched before being tagged for eight earned runs in the championship game loss to Santa Rosa.
     Campbell tossed a two-hit shutout in the winner’s bracket final as Tower defeated the Wizards of Oz 6–0. Campbell also hit .462 (6-for-13) with four walks and three RBI.
     Other Tower Junction All-World players were catcher Travis Halverson, outfielder Trey Dennison and second baseman John Novinskie.
     Halverson led Tower with a .500 average, 10 hits and also had a homer and two RBI.
     Dennison batted .435 (10-23) with a team-high three homers, 10 hits and 10 runs scored, as well as three RBI. Dennison also hit a game-winning inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning of Tower’s 3–2 victory over the Balboa Fastpitch Club Friday afternoon.
     Novinskie hit .375 (6-16) with five walks and six RBI.
     Other Tower team members were Dustin Bollant (3B), Luke Sanders (C), Drew Moen (SS), Kyle Riemenapp (OF), Ryan Allen (1B), Dustin Rickard (OF), Ricky McMannes (P) and Cody Zoha (OF).