The Orlando Force is the A-Division Gay World Series Champion for 2010—and so are the Atlanta Vipers. For the first time in the history of the 34-year-old tournament, two teams were named co-champions of a division due to inclement weather.
During the championship game between the two teams, heavy rainfall flooded the field and delayed the game. Eventually organizers had to cancel the game and gave a share of the championship to both teams.
Earlier in the tournament, the Vipers defeated the Force to advance to the finals out of the winners’ bracket. Not giving up, the Force downed last year’s champions, the Phoenix Toros, in the losers bracket to earn a rematch against Atlanta’s team. To win the title, the Force would have had to win two games against the Vipers, and it was on its way to doing so after winning the first rematch, 10-6. Orlando was winning the second game 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning when that game was called.
The co-win means that the Force is still the only Orlando team to ever win a division title at the Gay Softball World Series. In 2007, the team won the B-Division title.
Other Orlando teams fared well in the series as well, but no Tampa Bay teams placed in any bracket.
The Orlando Broadway Crush finished third in the B-Division, after the first place Dallas TKO and second place Long Beach Rounders. Fourth place went to the L.A. Killer B’s.
In the C-Division, Orlando’s Gaypages Shock also finished third. That division title went to the Austin Shady Ladies, who defeated the second place Dallas Round Up Fuse. The Shock took third after downing the fourth-place Boston 5-Star Diablos.
The only Florida team to place in the D-Division was from Fort Lauderdale. Matty’s Mauraders finished fourth while the Boston Ramrod Machine took first, the Dallas Thunder took second and the Colorado XXX Threat took third.
For full results and brackets, visit NAGAAASoftball.org.
