Yuma's Budweiser Kongs wins ASA national championship

There will be no revenge for Buster this year.

The Budweiser Kongs, a Yuma adult softball team, picked up a 15-12 win against Buster's Revenge in the championship match of the Amateur Softball Association Men's Western National Championship on Sunday at the Kennedy Softball Complex

The Kongs led large early, taking a 9-2 advantage into the bottom of the fourth. But the Long Beach, Calif. based Buster's Revenge added six runs in the next two innings to close the gap.

Christian Gallegos then hit a three-run homer in the sixth to cap a six-run, two-inning rally for the Kongs for a 15-12 lead.

“We played Buster's Revenge three or four times before, and the last time we played them we beat them 6-5, so we knew they were a scrappy team,” Kongs coach Ron Ramirez said. “Going into that last inning, with only a four-run lead, it was a little worrying.”

In the final frame, the first two batters for Buster's Revenge went to the dugout early after flying out. The team's next batter got on base, which worried Ramirez.

“When they got a base hit, it was a little worrying,” he said. “That's how their offense gets going, one batter gets on and then another and they usually keep scoring.”

But the following batter flied out to Kongs Ray McGowan, the tournament MVP, to end the game.

Ramirez said that being able to play and win a national tournament in Yuma was a remarble experience for his team.

“To be able to come home, it was great,” he said. “This was definitely, winning the national 16-inch tournament, that's the biggest tournament we've won.”

Matt Maxson can be reached at mmaxson@yumasun.com or 539-6880.