2024 55+ Mountain
Tulsa Liners 11, Team Victory 2
‘MVP Schafer Throws Complete Game Championship Victory’
The Tulsa (OK) Liners 55+ MSBL World Series team was formed when longtime Tulsa Liners Player Manager Joe Gho and Price Cutters Springfield, MO Player Manager Brad Beattie made the decision to combine resources. Brad and Joe have known each other for over 40 years after playing college baseball together at Missouri Southern in Joplin, Missouri.
The players for the 2024 Tulsa Liners are made up of a core group of players from Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. This combination of players has now been together for their third MSBL World Series in the 55+ Division.
During pool play, the Liners were trying to get some momentum after some up-and-down performances but were able to secure a playoff seeding with victories over Team Victory and the Tri-Valley Tribute. These two games had superb pitching performances by Frank Sample over Team Victory and Matt Aversa over the Tri-Valley Tribute.
After the playoff seedings were established, Team Victory defeated Tri-Valley Tribute in the only semifinal game to earn the right to play the Tulsa Liners in the 55+ Mountain Division championship game. The Liners had defeated TV in pool play 19-7. That win in pool play enabled the Liners to receive the bye into the 55+ Mountain Championship game because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The championship game was played at Hohokam Stadium, the home of the Oakland A’s, and was a rematch with Team Victory (TV). The Tulsa Liners defeated Team Victory 11-2 to win the 55+ Mountain Division World Series Championship.
The Liners benefited from an outstanding pitching performance from southpaw pitcher Jeff Schafer. The competitive lefty pitched all nine innings, allowing only one earned run, along with six K’s, on seven hits and three walks.
The Liners played a very solid game defensively but the offense busted out against TV for a total of 22 hits in the game, with 14 of those hits coming in the last three innings (6th-8th.)
The Liners scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning and then Team Victory tied it up 2-2 with one run in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Liners scored two runs to make it 4-2 and took the lead that would never be relinquished. TV starting pitcher Dave Blackburn was pitching a very effective game until the Liners were able to put some rallies together in the last three innings. The Liners followed with three runs in the seventh inning and four more in the eighth to make the score 11-2.
These Liners hitters had multiple hits in the game, with Burt Beattie leading the charge with four hits. Glenn Haueter, Larry Cutter, Jeff Schafer, and Matt Aversa each had three hits and Keith Gall had two hits.
Burt Beattie and Matt Aversa each had three RBI. Jeff Schafer had two RBI and Scott Jones, Robert Atkins, and Tom Carpentier each contributed one RBI.
“Jeff Schafer pitched a magnificent game and catcher Dayne Shoff did an excellent job behind the plate,” said Liners Player Manager Joe Gho.
“We were able to get some very timely hits and this championship victory was a total team effort but if I had to pick an MVP it would be Jeff Schafer,” continued Gho. “Schafer also had a great tournament offensively along with his fantastic pitching in the championship game. For many of the players this was their first time winning that coveted MSBL World Series ring.”
The following players were the hitting leaders for the Liners during the World Series tournament: Jeff Schafer .522, Burt Beattie .462, Scott Jones .429, Matt Aversa .417, Larry Cutter .407, Tom Carpentier .400, Glenn Haueter .389, Keith Gall .348, Brad Beattie .333, Dayne Shoff .333, and Robert Atkins .300.
Additional pitchers who contributed to the staff were Bo Ekiss, Robert Allen, Ernesto Castro, Scott Jones, David Rampey, and Dayne Shoff.
A special mention to Lynn Haueter, who was unable to play, but contributed to the team by coaching third base for the entire tournament.