New Image Wins 2007 NAFA AA-Major World Title
August 20, 2007
West Des Moines, IA
West Des Moines, Iowa
New Image (Monfort, Wisc) defeated the Black Knights (Fargo, ND) 8-5 Sunday evening at Racoon River Park in West Des Moines to win the inaugural NAFA Class AA-Major crown.
With the win, New Image becomes the first team in NAFA history to win World Titles in back-to-back years after claiming the AA World Title last year in Appleton, Wisconsin.
New Image bumped the Black Knights into the Loser's Bracket Saturday afternoon, forcing Kegel to play five games just to get into the Championship Game.
A win by the Black Knights would have made them the first three-time NAFA World Champions after winning the 2000 Class A Title (Fargo, ND) and the 2003 Open Title (Eau Claire, Wisc).
In the Championship Game, New Image jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on RBIs by Jim Peccararo and Kris Agnew.
The Black Knights countered with a run in the bottom of the first then tied the game in the second by scoring on a passed ball and a Nathan Wiens RBI single.
The Black Knights grabbed the lead by scoring an unearned run.
New Image tied the game again the next inning on a Todd Burlage RBI double.
In the sixth, New Image scored three runs on a sacrifice fly by Brent Holman and singled by Harvey Knutson and Jim Peccararo.
The Black Knights cut into the lead in the bottom half with a run, which New Image countered in the top of the seventh.
The Black Knights' Nathan Weins was named the Most Valuable Player while Jeramie Holman of New Image was awarded the Most Valuable Pitcher award.
Brett Bresnahan
breshz(at)minnesotafastpitch.com
