Week 9 was the regular season finale, as teams put it all on the line under grey skies and a steady downpour of rain. Once again, congratulations to the Blackouts, who officially claimed their Division B title after finishing the regular season with an impressive 14-5 record. The battle for Division A supremacy came down to the wire, as the Boozerz and Cruzerz finished the regular season with identical records of 16-3. After a brief deliberation at home plate on the baseball field, the Boozerz were announced winners of Division A by virtue of head to head record. Congratulations Boozerz!

A big thank you also goes out to everyone who participated in the Spring 2012 Shanghai Softball League. You all made this one of the most competitive and fun seasons in the illustrious history of the league, and one hell of a community to be a part of!

The Hot Tamales kicked off the day on the baseball field, suffering defeats to the Sons and Cruzerz. They finish the regular season with a 9-10 record. The Drunken Dragons ended their regular season on a high note, winning two out of three on the day, their only loss coming against the Boozerz. The Drunken Dragons are still a young team in the league, and will look to continue their growth and ascension next fall. The Cruzerz had a very impressive season, and kept the heat on the Boozerz up to the very last minute. They won both games on Sunday, defeating the Sons and Hot Tamales, and will be a tough opponent in the Cakey Cup. Suwalper went 1-1 on Sunday, losing to the Drunken Dragons before finishing strong and crushing Medaka. The Barbeerians appear to be heating up at the right time, sweeping their triple-header with ruthless efficiency. The Barbeerians and Sons finished the regular season with records of 14-5 and 13-6 respectively, and will both be very difficult opponents in the playoffs. The Step Dads went 1-1 on their final Sunday, and rallied hard in their final game to avoid what would have been a stunning relegation to Division B. Despite their surprising place in the standings, it would be foolish to count them out of a serious run in the Cakey Cup. Teams now have two weeks to rest their sore bodies and get ready for the main event, THEEEEEEEEE CAKEY CUP.

Week 8 in the Shanghai Softball League was played under clear skies and a relentless sun as teams continued their quest for the coveted Cakey Cup. The Blackouts looked to rebound from last week’s disappointment, and came out swinging in the first game of the morning on the baseball field, defeating the Drunken Dragons comfortably and narrowly coming out on top against Medaka. With two wins on the day, the Blackouts have effectively clinched Division B and punched their well-deserved tickets back up to A. Congratulations to the Blackouts!

Elsewhere, the Boozerz kicked off their Sunday beating the Hot Tamales in the other early morning game on the softball field. Next came a highly anticipated rematch between the Cruzerz and Boozerz, who are both vying for the top spot in Division A. Backed by a great defense, timely hitting and fantastic pitching, the Boozerz were able to one-hit the slugging Cruzerz, and now hold a half game lead in Division A heading into the final weekend. The Cruzerz quickly got back to their winning ways, defeating Macaca in their second game. The Drunken Dragons lost two on the day, also suffering a heavy-handed defeat to the Nevermind Riders. The Nevermind Riders completed their strong Sunday by also defeating Taike. Taike ended their Sunday with a win over Suwalper. Suwalper also had a triple-header Sunday, finishing the day with one win and two losses. The Barbeerians won both their games, beating the Hot Tamales and Step Dads. Cobra finished even on the day, defeating Medaka in a high scoring game, before succumbing to the powerful bats of the Step Dads. The Step Dads completed their triple-header Sunday with one win and two losses. The Sons had a strong Sunday as they prepare for the playoffs, defeating the Step Dads and Macaca.

With the Cakey Cup fast approaching and interleague action on the docket once again, week 7 in the Shanghai Softball League began play under an overcast sky and occasional rain showers. The Barbeerians kick started the day with a tight win over Taike, and flashed some great defense in their lopsided win over Cobra later in the morning.

Despite the weather, Macaca flashed their potent bats, defeating the Nevermind Riders by double digits and extinguishing the red hot Blackouts. The Blackouts finished a tough Sunday with three losses to the Sons, Macaca, and Cruzers. The Sons won three games on the day, having also defeated the Drunken Dragons and Nevermind Riders. The Boozerz won two on the day, and remain a half game behind the first place Cruzers, who finished with three wins Sunday.

Medaka won two games, including a big win over the Stepdads. The Stepdads recovered nicely from the disappointing one run loss to Medaka, defeating Suwalper in a low scoring affair. The Hot Tamales finished the day with an even record, losing to Medaka before defeating Suwalper in their second game.

Congratulations to all the participants of the 2012 Spring Homerun Derby held on the softball field yesterday. Coming in first place was Shanghai’s very own number one DJ and member of the Blackouts, Spencer “DJ Spenny” Tarring, who smacked seven homeruns, including a couple monster shots that cleared both fences into the baseball field. Second place belonged to Clay Roup of the Boozerz with six, and third place went to Max of Taike, with five homeruns.

Aside from the homerun derby, this week also featured interleague play. The Blackouts were a team on a mission yesterday as they not only won the homerun derby, but also beat two A division heavyweights, the Step Dads and Barbeerians, potentially clinching the B division and punching their tickets back up to A. The Nevermind Riders lost to both the Step Dads and Barbeerians. Taike took two losses on the day, including a tight one run loss to Macaca. Macaca finished their day strong shutting out the Drunken Dragons. The Hot Tamales finished the day 2-0, having also beat Cobra in the early morning game. The Boozerz and Cruzers took care of business, both defeating Medaka and Suwalper, and remain in a first place deadlock heading into week 6.