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Second Place at State!

An amazing run to a well earned second place finish, complete with lots of bonus softball due to come up through the losers' bracket. Here's some brief descriptions of the games. The games were so fast and furious that the details have run together, so if you have some highlights to add, especially on defense, just let me know.

The main feature of the tournament was the hitting. Prior to the tournament, the team batting average was .250 and only four players were hitting better than .212. Then all the hard work in practice and extra hitting sessions began to pay off. We hit .420 as a team during the tournament. Only one player hit below .250 and she (Crissy) had a single to drove in the tie breaking and winning runs in the extra inning game vs. Chaska.

Friday 4-2 loss to Cottage Grove A
I was advised by Jack, the 12A coach, that anything can happen in the opening game of a tournament. It did. Lauren, the model of strike throwing consistency during the season could not find the strike zone, or anything within three feet of it for that matter. Plus our hitting had not yet started. Must have been the blue uniforms. The games started in softball fashion with Haley beating out a hit and taking second when the throw rolled about 3 feet away from the first baseman. She stole third and scored on Molly's excellent squeeze bunt. Still, that was our only hit. We almost prolonged the game. We needed to get through the bottom of the 4th in 4 minutes. Jessica, relieving Lauren, struck out the first two then the next batter was thrown out a second going for a double. Unfortunately that inning took 4 1/2 minutes and the game was over.

Saturday 12-0 over Mankato Peppers
Haley led off the game with a triple and we never looked back. We totaled 13 hits in 4 innings led by Caitlyn's 3 hits including her first ever home run. Callan had two singles plus the hardest hit ball of the game, a line drive out to left. Jessica celebrated her birthday by allowing only 2 hits and struck out 11 in 4 innings. After the game the umpire called all the players to the circle and gave Caitlyn a game ball to commentate her home run. Everybody signed it later.

Saturday 9-3 over Farmington Orange
After a great team and parent lunch at Carbone's we played a tight game. We got down 2-0 in the top of the first. Haley scored a run in the bottom of the first and drove one in during the second to tie it, but Farmington again took the lead 3-2. Katie Jo delivered a key two out, two RBI single scoring Molly and Callan to take a 4-3 lead. We could have had more that inning, but Lauren's rocket line drive to center was caught. Jessica, still the birthday girl, held them in the 4th then it was Farmington's time to try and get a quick inning so they could bat again. They succeeded in getting the quick inning, but not the one they wanted. Crissy and Haley walked and scored. Jessica and Molly had RBI singles and each scored. Kelly and Lauren hit triples. Just like that, 6 batters, 14 pitches, 5 runs. Time had not run out, but down by 6 the game was over. And to make the coaches happy, there were no called third strikes in the game.

Saturday 9-6 over Centennial White
We played a back to back game, something we would get used to on Sunday. Lauren returned to her dominant form, striking out 8 and allowing 1 hit in 3 innings. Haley pitched the 4th and although she gave up 5 runs to make the game appear closer than it was, she threw the ball very hard. And, for the 4th game in a row she led off the game and scored a run in the first inning.

Sunday, 9:30 4-0 over Winona
This was one game more about pitching than hitting. Lauren pitched 5 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits and 11 strike outs. Katie Jo led the offensive attack with a 2 RBI single in the 2nd to give us a 2-0 lead. She also had another hit. Molly had an RBI double and Rosey, after taking Saturday off, jumped into the swing of things with a single. Haley had the hardest hit ball, a liner caught in center field.

Sunday, 11:00 9-3 win over Bloomington
In the first and third innings the top of the order came up. And kept coming up, scoring 4 in the 1st and 5 in the third. Again Haley set the tone with a game starting double. Jessica had two hits as did Kelly. KJ could easily have had two, but her long fly to center was caught by a back pedaling, reaching, tip toeing center fielder. Jessica pitched very efficiently allowing 3 hits with 9 K's in 4 innings. The only called third strike we took was by, of all people, Lauren who by far had the lowest rate of striking out all season long.

Sunday, 1:00 13 - 10 over Chaska in a tie breaker
This was the only game that had any extra time between game, and we needed that to move from one park to another and grab a quick bite to eat. Then, thank you, offense. We had a tournament high 14 hits in 4 innings. Haley, Jessica and Molly each had two singles and Caitlyn had a single and a triple. We got 5 in the first and after Lauren shut them down in the 1sr, we neglected to score in the second. After they scored one in the second, one of their batters swung and hit the ball with her hand. She was unable to continue in the game. Earlier in the tournament a similar injury occurred to Chaska and the opposing coach insisted on enforcing a rule that calls for the player to be called out in that situation. Our team wants the outcome of the game to be settled on the field so we approached the ump and let that player leave the game without penalty. The Chaska coaches and parents were very appreciative, and they scored three more runs to make it 5-4. We added 4 in the 3rd on yet another Caitlyn triple which came right behind Kelly's triple which followed Lauren's double. Yet they came back and tied the game to force the international tie breaker inning. With Katie Jo starting on second, Emily hit a single then Crissy delivered the biggest hit of the tournament, a two run single. Molly also had a two run single for a 4 run cushion. Jessica relieved Lauren and cruised through allowing only the runner on second to score.

Sunday, 2:30 9 - 3 over Cottage Grove A
Some of out players heard the Cottage Grove players rooting for Chaska in the previous game. They did not want the rematch because they knew they had been fortunate beat us on Friday. And they were correct. Haley again led off the game with a triple and scored on Jessica's hit who scored on Lauren's hit. Lauren and Caitlyn drove in 3rd inning runs and Ellie, Molly had 4th inning RBI's before Lauren's 3 run double iced the game. They scored 3 in the bottom of the 4th but Jessica kept the lead at 6 so the game was over.

Sunday, 4:00 4-1 over Inver Grove Heights
As you get deeper in the tournament, the game get tougher. For the 8th time in 9 games, Haley got on base and scored in the first inning, this time on a two out single by Lauren. But in this game it was a great defensive play that turned the tide. Nursing a 1-0 lead in the 3rd, Inver Grove had runners o 1st & 3rd with one out. The batter bunted, Kelly charged and scooped up the ball. She made a very convincing fake throw which caused the runner on third to break for home. Kelly jusy causally turned around and tagged her out. Callan drove in Jessica in the bottom of the 3rd and KJ doubled home Rosey in the 4th. Ellie then knocked in KJ with a single to put us up 4-0 after 4. Lauren was cruising in the circle, giving up no hits and striking out 12 in the first 4 innings. She proved to be mortal in the 5th, allowing a single and a run on a ground out. Still, she finished with a season high 15 strike outs for the game in a great bounce back from a shakey ending to the previous game.

Sunday, 6:00 8 -2 over STMA
Actually the game was scheduled for 4:45, but the tournament directors were gracious in giving us a little extra time between games to eat and rest up. The weather was perfect for a long run, only about 80 and with a nice breeze (actually quite windy and dry after a hot muggy Friday night). St Michael Albertville had just fallen from the winner's bracket and was playing their third game of the day, 6th in the tournament compared to our 6th of the day and 10th in the tournament. We had already earned at least third place medals and for the first time we looked a little tired. They scored two in the top of the first as well as leaving the bases loaded, and we went down quietly. In the second Jessica worked out of a jam leaving two on, but we went down again with out scoring. After the first two batters reached in the third, Jessica found some energy and retired the last nine hitters of the game. Only three of those outs were K's, but the defense was flawless. In the bottom of the 3rd Ellie got a hit, Haley hit a triple, Jessica drove her in, the score was tied and the team energy was back. Caitlyn broke the game open with a 3 run triple in the 4th, and Rosey and Emily followed with RBI singles. Lauren had an RBI single in the 5th, her 3rd hit of the game, to put the game out of reach.

Sunday, 7:30 4-1 loss to Minnetonka Magic
We have some history with this team, a very good rivalry based not only on being neighbors but on being evenly matched. Last fall we came to these same Cottage Grove fields to face them only to get rained out. We played a make up game and their ace, Jessica, beat Lauren 7-3. In the state qualifier last fall again their ace Jessica beat our Jessica 10-0 and threw a no hitter. In league play this season Lauren beat their Jessica 5-2 though she had to leave the game down 2-1 after getting hit by a pitch. Our Jessica beat their second pitcher 10 - 7. So we had to beat the twice to win state, something we had already done this year. So Lauren faced off against Jessica again. We were down only 1-0 after 2 1/2 but we could not muster any offense. Back to back hits by Lauren and Callan plated a run in the 5th, and in spite of Lauren's 13 K's they got the better of us 4-1. This rivalry will be likely renewed many times in the coming years.

Here's a mention of some of the fine stats from the tournament. Five hitters hit better than .500 (Haley .579, Callan .571, Caitlyn .563, Jessica .522 and Lauren .520). Everybody scored at least one run (Haley and Jessica had 15 each in 30 and 29 plate appearances) and had at least on RBI (Lauren had 19 in 27 plate appearances). On the pitching side Lauren struck out 58 in 23 innings and Jessica recorded 52 K's in 24 innings.
Softball wisdom for this moment:
Slump ? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hittin.
  -Yogi Berra

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