MEEKER I It’s hard to win a championship and even harder to defend it but for a second year in a row, but Ace Trucking won the season-ending coed softball tournament … the hard way.
Ace Trucking won the league tournament last year by coming through the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament, and they did it again, only against a different team.
The Rangely Merchants won all nine of their league games and entered the tournament as the undefeated, No. 1 seed. The merchants from the west side of the county won its first three games of the tournament to advance to the championship game.
Ace Trucking entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed after winning seven games and losing two, including one to the No. 1 seed. Ace advanced to the semifinals, where they were defeated by the No. 3 seed, Shelton Welding Services.
The loss dropped Ace into the consolation bracket where they defeated Longhorn Transportation to meet up with Shelton Welding, after they, too, were defeated by the Rangely Merchants, forcing an elimination game against Ace.
Ace beat Shelton Welding to face the Rangely Merchants in the championship. Ace Trucking gave the Rangely Merchants its first loss with a 13-6 victory, forcing a second and deciding championship game.
The final game turned into a home-run derby as both teams blasted several balls over the fence, but Ace Trucking hit more and won 26-22.
Berry Bros. and the Enforcers were the first two teams to be eliminated, followed by Rio Blanco Travel and Natural Soda, then ERBM Synergy, the Mountaineers and Longhorn Transportation.