The Great Lakes ThunderCats competed against 13 strong representatives from Michigan, Ohio and Canada in the USSSA Summerfest.
In game one the Cats took on the Flint (MI) Tornadoes. The Tornadoes got out in front 4-1 early in the game, and it stayed that way until the seventh inning. The Cats clawed back in the seventh, scoring six and winning 7-4 behind strong pitching from Auston Delmotte and Chris Lum.
Game two found the Cats in the Shark tank, playing the Grove City (OH) Sharks. The Cats beat the Sharks 10-0 in four innings behind pitching by Kolden Buehler and Jason Palazzolo.
In game three, the ThunderCats were up against a strong Canadian team, the Brampton Royals. The battle reached the two-hour time limit, and the Cats came away with an 8-4 win, with a combined pitching effort by Cribbs, Dunham and Palazzolo.
In the semi-final game, with the ThunderCats seeded number two, they were matched against the number four-seeded team, the Clarkston Riverdawgs. The Cats dominated the Dawgs and ended up with a 10-2 mercy win in six innings. Lum pitched a complete game and went 4-for-4 in the win.
In the final game, the ThunderCats met the number one-seeded Northville (MI) Broncos. Both teams scored one in the early innings. The Broncos scored another two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Cats could only muster one more run and dropped the championship game 4-2.
With the appearance in the championship game, the ThunderCats qualify for the USSSA World Series in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.