ORANGEMEN 5^TH AT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

            The Rice Lake Orangemen sandwiched five wins between a pair of losses to Ricola of Morris Plains, New Jersey to place fifth in the 18 team A-Major Division of the North American Fastpitch Association championship tournaments held August 19-29 at Hutchinson, Kansas.

            The Rice Lake squad fell to Ricola in the opener 5-2, then reeled off consecutive victories over the 49ers of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, 10-1; Salt Lake City Kings, 6-0; Village Inn of North Hudson, Wisconsin, 2-0; Health Tech of Thornton, Colorado, 5-1; and Odin Fastpitch of Odin, Minnesota, 6-2, before being eliminated by the New Jersey ball club, 9-4.

            Larry Cushman hurled four of the wins and was charged with one defeat while Tim Hall split a pair of pitching decisions for the Orangemen.  Hall, Tatum Candler, and Andy Mathews had one home run each for the Orange.  Dave Lay was Rice Lake’s leading hitter, batting an even .400.

            Other Orangemen team members include player-manager Scott Musolf, Mike Kuehl, Pat Cushman, Mark Paulsrud, Brad Reichert, Dave Gutsch, Jeff Bader, and Brett Bresnahan.

            The Clippers of Boise, Idaho won the A-Major tournament division with the A’s of Fisherville, Ontario second, Ricola third, and Abie’s Bar of Eaton Rapids, Michigan fourth.  The A division title went to the Mokan Twins of Fort Scott, Kansas, the AA to Wilber Lime of Galesville, Wisconsin (winner of the 2004 Rice Lake Aquafest Invitational) and the AAA to the Yuicapa Bombers of Calimesa, California. 

Playing shortstop for the Bombers was Albert Mendibles, who was a roster pickup player for the Rice Lake 1985 squad which represented the United States and finished second to New Zealand at the Junior Olympic World Games.  Mendibles was a seasonal resident of Rice Lake that summer.