Skip to main content

MB News

Meadows Parents Claim 2nd Straight Softball Title

Jun 13, 2016 09:55AM ● By Mb News Staff
More than 120 parents turned out Sunday to play in the 11th annual Parents Softball Classic, raising funds for MBX, the athletic foundation supporting Manhattan Beach schools' teams and activities.

Parents stocked 10 teams playing for their respective Manhattan Beach schools, split into two divisions, "East" versus "West." In the East division were Pennekamp, Meadows, Mira Costa High School (MCHS), Manhattan Beach Middle School (MBMS), and a combined team of parents from MCHS/MBMS. The West division was made up of parents from Pacific, Robinson, Grand View, American Martyrs and a second team from Meadows. 

All teams played 4 games starting in the morning, with "division" winners MCHS/MBMS and the second Meadows team squaring off in the final.

In the championship, the MCHS/MBMS team, captained by outgoing tournament director Ross Kay, took a 4-run lead, but gave up 4 in the 5th inning. With a tie after the regulation 6th inning, the game continued through the 7th. Meadows got 2 runs in the top half, but while MCHS/MBMS scored once, it wasn't enough. Meadows claimed the victory 6-5.

Meadows defeated Martyrs in 2015 to win the tournament title as well. (See DigMB's post, "Meadows Claims Championship in MBX Parents Softball Classic.")

Manhattan Beach resident Kay started the tournament 11 years ago when his daughters were in first and third grades at Pennekamp. This year, he shared duties with incoming tournament director Dave Fratello (publisher of DigMB), who has children at MBMS and Robinson. 

Kay told DigMB last year that he got the idea for the tournament "after seeing Jeff Goodrich put together the idea for soccer...  It just seemed to be a natural to do the same thing for softball." (See DigMB's post on the 2016 event, "Parents Take the Field at Goodrich Soccer Tournament.")

In addition to Kay's and Fratello's work on the tourney, MBX and the Mira Costa softball boosters provided invaluable support to stage the tournament. With 10 teams, it was the largest ever in 2016, and operated smoothly throughout the gorgeous June day.

Funds from the softball tournament have been used "to improve sports and athletic facilities at Mira Costa and to support Costa’s wonderful softball program," Gary Wayland of MBX Foundation told DigMB last year. MBX is a tax-exempt organization dedicated to supporting all extra-curricular activities at Mira Costa High School and in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District.

Currently, the organization supports more than 35
 sports, performing arts, and extra-curricular booster groups that have become MBX stakeholders, partnering with these groups to hold fundraising events.

Subscribe to MB News Emails * Don't Miss a Thing, Sign Up Today!

* indicates required
Email Format

Subscribe to MB News Emails * Don't Miss a Thing, Sign Up Today!

* indicates required
Email Format