By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — For the second straight year, Mother Nature ended the John Spear Memorial Softball Tournament before all of the scheduled games could be played.
And for the second consecutive year, the Fitness Factory/D-Tech team is the champion of the truncated tourney, which was held at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.
Fitness Factory/D-Tech claimed the first place trophy on Sunday afternoon when a powerful thunderstorm swept through the area, forcing tournament organizers to cancel both the 12:30 p.m. loser’s bracket final and the 2 p.m. title game.
Because Fitness Factory/D-Tech was the only undefeated team remaining in the double-elimination event, it was declared the winner.
Dawson’s Motors of Middletown took home the second place trophy and Sullivan Fire placed third.
The tournament was organized by the Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Fire Department (SMVFD) and Sullivan Sports.
All proceeds from the tournament benefit Elaine Spear and her family. The tournament honors the memory of Elaine’s husband, John, a very popular teacher and varsity baseball coach at Monticello High School who died in a motor vehicle accident in January 2007.
The results of the tournament games which were played are as follows:
Friday, July 25
Dawson’s Motors defeated Burnwell Oil, 15-12
Sullivan Fire topped SMVFD, 18-17
Saturday, July 26
Gil’s Guys beat Sullivan Sports
Fitness Factory/D-Tech defeated Radio Shack
Dawson’s Motors stopped Sutphen East
Radio Shack beat Burnwell Oil, 8-5
Sutphen East topped Sullivan Sports, 5-3
SMVFD edged Radio Shack, 7-6
Dawson’s Motors defeated Sullivan Fire
Fitness Factory/D-Tech beat Gil’s Guys, 8-7
Sullivan Fire stopped SMVFD, 25-15
Sunday, July 27
Sutphen East defeated Gil’s Guys, 16-14
Fitness Factory/D-Tech topped Dawson’s Motors, 13-7
Sullivan Fire beat Sutphen East, 20-4.