Colliers defeated Baird & Warner 2-0 in extra innings to capture its first Downtown Real Estate Softball League (DRESL) Championship since 2018, completing a playoff run that included a semifinal upset of Stream and a title-game victory over the league’s No. 1 seed.
DRESL games are typically seven innings, but not this one. For eight innings, Colliers and Baird & Warner traded defensive gems, escaped scoring threats and battled through the late-summer Chicago heat without allowing a single run. Then, in the ninth inning, Colliers finally found its opening and Captain Joe Stevens Jr. provided an ending worthy of one of the most dramatic championship games in DRESL’s 48-year history.
The championship matchup brought together two teams that knew what it felt like to get close. Colliers has consistently fielded one of DRESL’s stronger teams but had been unable to turn that success into another championship. Baird & Warner entered the playoffs as the #1 seed and was appearing in the championship for the second consecutive year, hoping to finish the job after falling short in 2025 during the championship game with CBRE. Both had just won semifinal games, with Baird & Warner defeating CBRE 4-2 and Colliers routing the #2 seed Stream 10-3 in an upset.
From the opening inning, it was clear the championship would be decided by defense. Despite oppressive heat and humidity, both teams were sharp in the field. Pitchers kept hitters off balance, outs at first and double plays erased potential rallies and nearly every scoring opportunity was answered by a defensive play.
One of the biggest came in the sixth inning. With a Baird & Warner runner on third, a fly ball to shallow left appeared capable of finally breaking the scoreless tie. However, the runner was tagged out at home plate. The game remained 0-0.
Baird & Warner continued to put runners aboard in the late innings, repeatedly appearing one hit away from ending the game. But Colliers kept finding a way to escape.
Seven innings became eight, and still neither team had scored. Then came the ninth.
Colliers strung together several timely hits in the top half of the inning and finally cracked the Baird & Warner defense, pushing two runs across for the game’s first lead.
Baird & Warner, however, had one final opportunity. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the tying runs stood on second and third as Nick Minella came to the plate. Minella drove a line shot toward the gap in right-center field, and for a moment, it looked like the championship was about to be tied. If the ball fell, both runners were likely scoring.
Joe Stevens Jr. never gave it the chance. The Colliers captain raced across the outfield and made a spectacular diving catch just above the grass, narrowly avoiding a collision with a teammate as he secured the final out.
In an instant, an eight-year wait was over. Colliers was the 2026 DRESL Champion.
For Baird & Warner, the loss was a heartbreaking conclusion to another exceptional season. The team earned the league’s top seed and reached the championship game for the second straight year, ultimately finishing just one hit =, and perhaps a few inches, from extending the game.
For Colliers, the victory was the culmination of years spent knocking on the door. The team made the defensive plays when it mattered, found the only two runs of the night and ended its championship drought with a play that will be talked about around DRESL for years.
See video highlights of the championship game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osh-Gppk_e8
