A world-class field of 10 teams, including the 2012 Amateur Softball Association Major Fastpitch national champion New York Gremlins, are set to play in the Ed McCormick Hall of Fame Tournament this weekend at the Hess Avenue fields.
The top-rated Gremlins, whose roster includes Erie pitcher Bill Hillhouse and infielder Frank Perez, beat No.2 Hill United 9-4 Sunday in the ASA Nationals championship game in Ashland, Ohio. Hill United (Ontario), which beat the Gremlins 4-1 in the winners' bracket final, is also in the field along with No. 3 Broken Bow Jarvis, No. 5 Pennsylvania Power, Elkland, N.Y., No. 8 Midland Explorers, NY Swashbucklers, Kitchener/ Waterloo Cubs, the Scarborough Force (Ontario), and Argentina's Under-19 national team.
There is an exhibition game Thursday at 11th & Hess with the Argenina Under-19 team facing the Erie All-Stars at 6 p.m.
The tournament is scheduled to start Friday, with Argentina facing Midland at 7 p.m. and then the Gremlins to follow at 11th & Hess.
The teams, with the exception of Elkland, will move on to the ISC World Championships Aug. 10-18 in Midland, Mich.
"Timing and location are the two keys for this tournament," said Hillhouse, who has been slowed by a back injury. "This is the tournament that most teams come to before coming to the nationals. Erie is centrally located for most of the top-ranked teams in North America."
The Gremlins, with a distinct international flavor, had to win four games Sunday to capture the ASA title. Quebec's Mathieu Roy had 14 hits in 22 at-bats (.626 average) to earn MVP honors. Newfoundland's Blair Ezekiel hit a decisive grand slam in the final game. Pitchers Adam Kilpatrick, a 6-foot 6-inch left-hander from Australia, and Saskatchewan's Bryan Newton won the final two games while besting Hill United star Adam Folkard, an Australian and the world's top-ranked pitcher who has pitched in the Erie City Rec Fastpitch league.
Longtime softball sponsor McCormick (Erie Beer) backs the three remaining City Rec teams, which Hillhouse said appear to be playing in their final seaso that is schedule to end Aug. 7.
"We wouldn't have had the three teams this year if things didn't fall the way they did, and with Eddie backing them as he has done for years," Hillhouse said. "We're lucky to play the little bit we are this year."
