No Ka Oi takes Budweiser softball crown

The King of Beers crowned the King of Islands Softball Teams last Nov. 11, as Saipan’s No Ka Oi ruled the 2006 Budweiser King of the Diamonds Softball Tournament with a 10-8 win over Guam’s Da Boyz.

Four teams—No Ka Oi and Survivors from Saipan, Da Boyz from Guam, and Selsoam from Palau—actually battled it out in the two-day round-robin tournament where No Ka Oi successfully defended its 2005 title and took home the 2006 tournament championship.

The finals between No Ka Oi and Da Boyz, a rematch of the 2005 tournament that took place in Palau, was held at Dandan Softball Field on Nov. 11 beginning at 3pm.

Da Boyz broke a 2-2 tie by scoring six runs in the top of the second inning. No Ka Oi responded with two more runs in the bottom of the third.

In the fourth inning, No Ka Oi scored three more runs to close the gap to 8-7. With teamwork and determination, the defending champions took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three more runs to secure the crown as back-to-back champions of the King of the Diamonds.

The Guam and Palau teams received an all-expense paid trip to Saipan, compliments of Budweiser and Continental Micronesia, to compete in the King of the Diamond tournament.

Ambros Inc. general manager Tom Shimizu announced that Guam will be hosting the 2007 King of the Diamonds Tournament where Saipan and Palau teams will get all-expenses paid trips to Guam to compete.

Another exciting part of the tournament was the Home Run Derby where each of the teams were allowed to enter five contestants to see who could hit the most home runs before getting five outs.

Matt Muna of Da Boyz took the title with five home runs. He won $150 cash and a Budweiser prize package.

At the end of the games, Budweiser hosted an awards banquet at Fiesta Resort and Spa and an all-day Managaha Island BBQ tour the next day, Nov 12.

Budweiser has a strong history of supporting softball and all sports on Guam, Saipan, and Palau as well as around the world.

For additional information on Budweiser’s sports programs and sponsorships, visit www.budweiser.com.

Budweiser is the world’s best-selling beer and is sold in more than 80 countries around the world through partnerships with international brewers or through independent distributors. Budweiser is imported and distributed locally by Ambros, Inc., Marpac Distributors, and Shimbros International. As the best-selling beer on Guam, Saipan, and Palau, Budweiser is associated with high quality, tradition, integrity and, most importantly, responsibility—characteristics that have made it the King of Beers.

The 2006 Budweiser King of Diamonds Softball Tournament would not have been possible without the support of main sponsor Continental Micronesia. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]