SUNDAY 1 APRIL, 2012 @ ISB
0900   LAS VEGAS  V.  HOME RUN
1010    LAS VEGAS V. ROADHOUSE
1120    RAJAWONGSE V. HOME RUN
1230    LAS VEGAS V. ROADHOUSE
1340    RAJAWONGSE V. ROADHOUSE
1450    MSPORT V. RAJAWONGSE
1600    MSPORT V. RAJAWONGSE

MSPORT V. ISB (NOTHING CONFIRMED)
ISB V. MSPORT (NOTHING CONFIRMED)

SATURDAY 7 APRIL, 2012 @ ISB
DAY 1 YEAR-END TOURNAMENT
SUNDAY 8 APRIL, 2012 @ RIS
DAY 2 YEAR-END TOURNAMENT

2011-12 One-Pitch Champions: MSPORT
2011-12 One-Pitch MVP: Pete Faller, MSPORT

On Saturday 28 January, 2012 at RIS the BISL One-Pitch Tournament was held under clear blue skies and featured plenty of exciting games. The tournament opened up with a depleted Rajawongse facing a Home Run team at full strength. Home Run came out swinging and came away with an easy double-digit victory. The second game of the day featured Roadhouse and newcomers Las Vegas. It remained a close game but the more experienced Roadhouse pulled it out and moved on to face #2 seed MSPORT. The challenges of a One-Pitch Tournament showed in the bats of MSPORT as they came out hitting flat while Roadhouse’s momentum carried over and led most of the game. MSPORT was finally able to get a few key hits and won the low scoring game while moving on to the semi-finals. In perhaps the most anticipated match-up between #1 seed Tilac vs. Home Run, the hot bats of Home Run continued but was outmatched by Tilac’s who went on to win 14-8 and showed why they were the defending One-Pitch Champs. So semi-final 1 was set between #1 Tilac vs. #2 MSPORT. MSPORT jumped out to an early lead, never let up, and Tilac couldn’t recover. So who would MSPORT play in the finals?

Out of the losers bracket both Rajawongse and Las Vegas were the first teams to be eliminated. Las Vegas played well and with more experience will come back stronger and more confident. Rajawongse with only 7 players never gave up but a tough feat for any team to win games with numbers like that. Roadhouse continued to play inspired ball and knocked-out Home Run setting up semi-final 2 against Tilac. Perhaps it was fatigue as Roadhouse was playing its 5th game of the day but they just couldn’t get the bats going against Tilac or was it the stellar pitching of Kevin “You can call me Jose” Cuervo as he recorded a questionable No-Hitter. It was a line-drive shot back up the middle off Cuervo’s glove and into the hands of Tilac’s shortstop who had a play at first base but then made an errant throw. The official score was ruled an error. You make the call. A great pitching performance regardless!

So moving on to the Championship game, Tilac was fired up for its rematch against MSPORT and couldn’t have asked for a better start. Mark Leonard’s lead-off double was followed up by 8 walks by MSPORT pitcher Dave Rimi and Tilac walked out to a convincing 1st inning, 7 – 0 lead! In the bottom of the 1st inning MSPORT responded by getting 3 runs back with the help of a 2 run homer by Eric Harrison. Over the next 4 innings the walks by Rimi continued but Tilac couldn’t capitalize as both teams were flying out left and right, neither team had momentum. Heading into the bottom of the 6th inning Tilac led 9-4 as MSPORT could just not get it going. Pete Faller, the One-Pitch MVP, was hitting lights out but led off with a F-8. Then the rally happened. Sparked by a line drive single by #8 hitter Joon-Bug, followed by a line drive single by Dave Michaels then a walk to #10 hitter Benz. With bases loaded and back to the top of the MSPORT line-up, Kong hits an RBI Sac-Fly making it 9-5 but with 2 outs. Up next Eric Harrison who was 1 for 3 with a home run and 2 consecutive fly outs came up clutch and kept the rally alive with a 2-RBI single getting MSPORT to only a 9-7 deficit with Gary Stewart coming to bat. It had been an on/off tournament for Gary Stewart hitting some long shots but also consistently flying out. He was 0 for 3 with 3 fly-outs with the game on the line. Sure enough he hits a long shot down the right field line with the Tilac rightfielder giving chase. With what appeared to be the 3rd out of the inning turned into a game tying home run as the ball lands fair by about 2 feet. Game tied 9-9, still 2 outs and still MSPORT weren’t done. Tam follows up with a double, Peter Brandt walks, then a go-ahead single by Dave Rimi getting some sweet redemption. Faller back to pure hitting form continues with an RBI single then Joon-Bug puts the dagger in with a 2-RBI single. The inning ends with MSPORT now leading 13-9 after scoring 9 runs with 8 of those runs with 2 outs. The top of the 7th inning Tilac would not go down without a fight. After recording a lead off out, Tilac loads the bases with 2 singles and a walk with one of their hottest hitters and always dangerous Andy Minckler coming to bat. It just wasn’t to be as Dave Rimi gets him to hit into a double play to end the game. MSPORT regains the One-Pitch Championship! Joon-Bug gets the “Player of the Game” and Pete Faller takes home the Tournament MVP!

It was great day full of great ball and plenty of good times. Thanks to all the players and teams that made it out! Thanks to Ron Moss and Home Run Bar & Grill for providing the delicious BBQ and ice cold beers. Thanks to Kevin Cuervo and RIS for a great venue.

2011 Bangkok International Tournament Stats (excel)

2011 Bangkok International Award Winners (pdf)

What a great tournament, amazing venue and competition!
Congratulations to Korea Guzzlers for their hardest fought Championship yet!
Full list of awards are below.
It is very likely the 2012 Bangkok Int’l Tournament will again be held at Pattaya.
Thanks again to the Thai-Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya for an amazing venue and all the hard work.
Thank you to our main sponsor AngelWitch Pattaya.
Thank you to all 12 teams that participated:

Bangkok HRBG
USA Fattboyz
Korea Guzzlers
Taiwan Taichung Big Lemon
Singapore River Rats
Singapore Headhunters
Shanghai Boozers
Shanghai #1 Sons
Shanghai Blackouts
Saigon Water Buffalo
Saigon Monkeys
Tokyo Coco Bay Stingrays

See you all in 2012!

Gary Stewart
BISL Commissioner
Bangkok Int’l Tournament Director

2011 BISL International Tourney Brackets-PDF

Brackets in Excel format

2011 D'Pelicans