Kickball365 & CBS Sports

Thanks Casey of CBS Sports for the shout out!

6. Recess Rant

Last weekend in Washington, D.C., 22 kickball teams from along the East Coast gathered for the first Kickball365.com Kickball Open. The tournament was made up of 10 teams from Virginia, four from Washington, three from New York, two from Florida and one each from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia. The tournament was regarded as the most competitive to date since the top seven nationally ranked teams were either in attendance or represented in some way.

After nine hours and six games of kickball on a beautiful day at Hains Point, the championship game came down to both Florida teams after they knocked off Make it Rain (Va.) and Frosty Balls (Va.), the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation. Even though the Florida teams decided to split the $1,500 prize pool, there was still a creative trophy and a lot of competitive pride at stake.

Make it Hail stormed out to a 3-0 lead and held a two-run lead in the last inning when One Night Stand made one of the most impressive comebacks ever. It scored three runs, led by Nicole Lorini, who drove in the winning run for a dramatic 4-3 victory. Naturally, the team wearing baby blue stormed the field, mobbing their hero in what looked like a World Series celebration.

Once all the dirt had settled and the excitement subsided, all the teams met at Eighteenth & Red to celebrate the success of the tournament and the progression of kickball as a competitive and social sport. And while the final two teams were enemies for one hour on the field, they were once again friends at the bar as both squads drank from the championship trophy.

Full story here.