As a first-time competitor in the ISC World Tournament, Big Apple Bagels proved that it belonged on a stage with some of the world’s elite fastpitch fastpitch players and teams.

Big Apple Bagels won Monday’s first game, beating the Winterset (Iowa) A’s 9-0, before falling 4-0 in an elimination game against Denmark (Wis.) Circle Tap Dukes at Emerson Park.

Big Apple, made up of of many players from the Midland and Tri-Cities area, finished 2-2 in the ISC Tournament. The team got a late invitation to play in the tournament.

“To win two games is a big accomplishment for us, and I think we showed a lot of teams around here with bigger payrolls that it doesn’t take that to win,” Big Apple’s Ken Hoffman said. “If you have a team that can rally behind each other and pick each other up, that’s what you need.”

Because Big Apple Bagels had already advanced past the first round on the losers’ side of the main tournament bracket, they did not move into the ISC World Tournament II bracket.

Hoffman, who had two homers in the tournament, including one against Winterset, added that gaining experience against some of the best teams in the world was valuable.

“We’d love to be playing still and we wanted to keep going, but it’s a tough thing to lose, (although) when you are playing some of the top teams in the entire world, it does make it a tad bit easier,” he said.

Another Midland team, Gillies, was also eliminated on Monday with a 6-4 loss to Muscoutah (Ill.) Pete’s Blues. Gillies finished 1-2 in the tournament.

Veteran pitcher Rick Engle hurled both games Monday for Big Apple Bagels. He started with a four-hit shutout in five innings as his team scored seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to earn a mercy victory over Winterset.

The squad pounded out 13 hits in the victory. Catcher Jeff Nowaczyk hit a home run, scored twice and had three RBIs. Kevin Dore, Bill Kunkel, Andrew Plouff and Ken Hoffman each had two hits. Sean Hoffman added a triple.

Big Apple also didn’t commit an error all day, atoning for an uncharacteristic six errors in its 6-1 loss Sunday to the Seattle Cal-State Builders.

“We didn’t have any errors today or tonight,” Hoffman said. “(The errors) yesterday were probably more errors than we made all season. We live and die with that.”

Engle also pitched a complete game in the 4-0 loss to Denmark.

“This is a great experience for all of these young guys,” Big Apple coach John Hoffman said. “I think it’s put a fire in their bellies. We’re just pleased to be here and see the competition. I can’t say enough about the ISC letting us come and play in this tournament.”

Ken Hoffman, who along with his brother and teammate Sean, manages three Big Apple Bagels stores, including the Bay City and Saginaw locations, said that being successful on the diamond came from having a cohesive unit.

“It’s fun to be with a group of your friends,” he said. “We’re looking for more of a team camaraderie. We’ll play better as a team than other teams, and that’s what is going to carry us.”