Their occupations range from steelworker to electrician to selling industrial products.

Their recreation is joining forces to play softball.

And they win. Often.

Known this year as the HMR 55's, Dave McMaster and Ken Wissinger of Saxonburg and Paul Zalus of Butler are part of a 12-player contingent that in October captured its fifth senior softball world title since 1998.

This year's squad won the Senior Slow-Pitch Softball World Championships in Las Vegas by winning 10 of 11 games in a four-day, double-elimination tournament.

That included five games on Oct. 3 - the tournament's final day - because of a 14-9 loss to host Las Vegas in the winner's bracket finale.

The HMR 55's, named after McMaster's manufacturing company, which sponsors the team, competed in the age 55-and-over division for the second time this year.

"I give all the credit in the world to our four outfielders," McMaster, 59, said. "They played every inning of every game that final day and did a lot of running.

"I have no idea how they did it. I was getting tired and I play first base," he added.

Four outfielders are permitted on the field at the same time in slow-pitch softball. HMR's outfielders were Jimmy Jones, 55, of East Pittsburgh, and 57-year-olds Robert Abel of Irwin, Randy Savor of New Castle and Ken Otlowski of Ellwood City.

The HMR 55's competed in the 40-and-over North Hills League during the spring and summer and won 22 of 25 games. From April through September, the team competes in one out-of-town weekend tournament per month.

"We keep the tournaments within driving distance to save on expenses," McMaster said. "Each player pays for his own travel expenses."

To qualify for the world tournament, a team must finish first or second in a sanctioned tournament during the season.The HMR 55's didn't have to worry. They played in weekend tournaments in Akron, Ohio, and Cleveland, as well as events in Virginia and Maryland, and finished first or second in each."We play together, and we're known for our defense," Zalus said. "We take pride in our defense. At a tournament in Chicago one year, we turned 60 double plays."McMaster said his team committed fewer than five errors in its 11 games in Las Vegas."We rely on defense and aggressive base-running," he said. "We stay out of potential double plays and force plays on the bases. We have to keep moving runners because we don't hit with a whole lot of power."Through much of the 2004 season, the team did hit with power because of a six-player contingent from Cleveland.McMaster said a businessman from Cleveland was interested in co-sponsoring the team and brought these players with him."These guys could hit the ball a long way," McMaster said. "They made us so good that we competed in the major-plus division in tournaments, the highest division you can play."But the sponsor lost interest in softball during the season and those players lost interest with him. They eventually quit and our 18-player roster was reduced to 12," he added.But the team kept playing - and winning.There were 28 teams in the major division that the HMR 55's competed in at nationals. The squad's one-run wins of 28-27 and 24-23 over host Las Vegas in the finals were the result of final at-bat rallies.The HMR 55's rallied from a three-run deficit in their final at-bat to force a deciding game, then scored five times without making an out in their final at-bat of the final game to win the crown."It was simply refusing to lose," McMaster said. "We traveled all that way and worked so hard. That (Las Vegas) team didn't make the sacrifices we made and we weren't going to let them take it from us."Almost every other team out there had 16 to 18 players. We had our 12 and still won it. I'm very proud of that."Other HMR 55's team members are Michael Arnold, 57, of Pittsburgh, Ron Coligan, 58, of Canonsburg, Howard Hoffman, 61, of South Euclid, Ohio, Fred Junker, 60, of Pittsburgh, Bob Knight, 60, of Carnegie, Tom Larkin, 60, of McKees Rocks and Chuck Widel, 64, of Belle Vernon."We formed as a team over time, through dedication to the game," Zalus said. "We've had a nice nucleus, and, as the years go by, we seem to get better and better."The team also won the Pennsylvania Senior Games softball event in August and will participate in the National Senior Games June 8 to 10 in Pittsburgh.