2ND ANNUAL RMSA OPEN TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF SATURDAY
MORNING 06/18/08
GAMES PLAYED AT HASELTON WRIGHT IN ROME
MIKE KOHLI

The Rome Men’s Softball Association invites your slow-pitch softball team to its 2nd Annual RMSA Open Tournament to be held Saturday and Sunday at the Haselton-Wright Softball Complex located on Riverview Parkway North in Rome. This is a competitive yet fun tournament that was created to help raise funds for improvements to the softball complex.

This year’s tournament will be a twelve team affair with a $1400 purse ($800 1st place;$400 2nd place; and $200 3rd place).

Trophies will be awarded to the top three teams as well as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Entry fee for the tournament is $200 per team, made payable to “Rome Men’s Softball Association.” Entry forms may be downloaded from the association’s website at http://www.romemenssoftball.org/ or through any RMSA board member.

A temporary fence will be set up on field two at the Haselton-Wright Softball Complex for the weekend’s festivities to allow for the excitement of the long ball. This is a three pitch tournament (each batter begins with a 2-1 count) and is double-elimination format.There is a one home run per inning limit, and a 6-12 foot pitching arc.

All teams are guaranteed two games. This year’s concessions will be provided by the Rhine Haus’ Bruce Melnick, sponsor of three RMSA teams. The full-service concession will be on hand throughout the tournament so plan to make a weekend of it. Last year’s inaugural tournament hosted ten teams and received almost universal praise.

While most were local, one team came from Liverpool (Dirty D’s/The Union) and promised to be back this year. This year’s tournament also has commitments from teams as far away as Watertown and Oneida.

The reigning RMSA Open champion is Advanced Auto/DeMatteo’s, last year’s regular season RMSA league champion, who defeated Palisades/PBA to take the first place prize.

The PBA/Palisades squad has already committed to this year’s tourney hoping to make a good showing on Sunday. For more information on the 2nd Annual RMSA Open Tournament, please visit the association’s website at http://www.romemenssoftball.org/ or contact any of the following:

RMSA board members:

• President Bill Menter: wmenter@romecitygov.com
• Vice President Mike Kohli: mkohli@romemenssoftball.org
• Secretary Rob Barone: rbarone@romemenssoftball.org
• Treasurer Brandon Lovett: blovett@romemenssoftball.org
• Board Member At-Large Brendan Ryan: bryan@romemenssoftball.org