Christian Park Softball
It's time to wrap up my reports for the season. We will finish out with a trip to Kentucky Kingdom and then I'm off to Vegas where maybe I'll hit the jackpot. It's been fun and I've enjoyed meeting all the girls and their families.
For those that want to improve, remember good players and pitchers are made in the off-season. Practice what you know. Review some of the links on this web page. Play softball in school, both middle and high school, come next year. Keep the grades up and remember only the good times.
Christian Park Board of Directors will be elected some time in August. John G'sell for President. He has a good vision and in my opinion, works for the good of the park. Dan Norris, although I'm not sure what position he's trying for, is another good person to vote for. You may not always agree with him as a coach, but I think he has good organizational skill, cares for the kids and would put their needs first. As for the other lady running for president, she can't keep her own kids from stealing candy from the concession stand. Enough said. If the right people make it in, I'll see you all here in January when we start planning and organizing the events for the year.
Have some fun and stay in touch!
As blue would say, "That's game."
Kentucky Kingdom - We will be meeting at my house between 4:00-4:30 on Friday July 18. We will return Saturday July 19th about 11:30.
At the moment, Amanda's Pool Party - this weekend July 12 - has been canceled due to the resent storms that came through the city.
However, plans are still on for our trip to Kentucky Kingdom. You should be getting a letter in the mail about it shortly. We will leave Friday July 18th, spend the night at a hotel near the park. Then we will get up really early and hit the rides. We will return late that evening.
If parents and other family member want to join us, please let me know and we can get you in on the $18.00 admission price, as well, as hotel information.
It's been a long 4th of July weekend, so I'll recall as much as I can from our last game of the seaons on Thursday...
Final game of the year is now on hand - Christian Park vs. Community. They should be ready to play, since we beat them last week.
Prior to the game, while I was drawing crooked lines from the plate to first base, someone drops off two girls that say they are there to play with Community. As we talk, I learn they are from Irvington - an ASA park, not a Little League park. I've "barrowed" some players this year, but I've kept them within the league. For those that do not know, ASA is famous for it's year round training and its girl’s ability to pitch fastballs. This pitcher & catcher combine lived up to their league fame. Our girls should have been happy, they finally have a pitcher that will get them the ball and away know it will be a tight strike.
We started off slow. Too many of our girls were intimidated by the pitcher. However they played excellent in the outfield, keeping them from scoring to many runs. Sadie started us out on the pitching mount. She pitched with fine style, striking out several players. Half way through the game Melissa took over and took them out as well. Chelsy, Emily, Paula and Maria rotated threw the outfield stopping several long balls. Heather guarded third and Dena stopped the balls at short. Mariah played 2 and Sadie and Melissa which up on first.
As the game started and we guarded the field, I was worried. The first couple of hits drooled by Sadie on the mound and Melissa at first. Luckfully the balls were fouled out. After that they kicked into gear. When we got them out and headed to the bench to bat, things began to get better. In the third inning, our girls had got the pitchers timing down and they eventually switched to another pitcher. Now, we have several almost good plays. Sadie runs towards home as the catcher blocks the plate. Instinctively she puts her hand out to protect her self and she hits the catcher. Big Dan calls her out and she crosses the play. Should have slid in Sadie! Amanda on third base denied her coaches advise and stole for home. "My friend won't get me out.,” she said leaving the base. Poor Amanda, there are no friends on the other team in softball. With a long slide and a huge thud, the catcher took her out. Amanda's feet just missed the plate. On the bright side, we did make several runs. Dena stuck out, and the catcher missed the ball. She sped off in a cloud of dust on the third strike dropped ball rule and went for two. The second baseman missed the base and Dena headed for third, turned the corner and made a home run.
Now in the bottom of 6th inning, I know the score and we're down. The girls look at me and ask the score. Several times before I've found myself in this spot and have denied them the score. I break down this time, in hopes for a win. It's 6 to 11, their lead. The girls rally within them self and pull in 5 runs, tieing the score up at 11 each. Big Dan then calls the game due to darkness.
Could we play another inning? Maybe, but at that it's a great way to end the season. It left us as officially beating Community, instead of a one to one result.
After playing 18 games this season, we have won more games than most of the other teams played all season. It’s been fun, and I want to thank everyone - parents for bring the girls, players for sticking it out all season, and our fans that cheered up all on.
Coaches and board members please make sure that you fill this form out next year -
Interleague Play Form
Make sure to check the "Combination is requested for tournament play". This will allow us to combine teams and play in tournament. Several leagues had only 6 girls that could play this season. If ANYONE had filled this form out, we would have been able to put these teams together and provide a more challenging tournament.
Please make sure to do this in January when your league is just getting started. Even if you have enough players, think of your players that want the extra playing time and experience. They could prove to be a valuable asset to a team that may not have enough players. When they return to your team next season they will have that experience to give back to you.
What a nice day, the sun has been out all day and the light breeze feels so good. What a great day for softball. I step out the door at 3:30 to head home from a long slow day of work and the endless parking lot begins to fade away as big tick drops of rain begin to poor down from the sky. For thirty minutes the gray clouds shift back and forth and then just fade away. Good we can still play ball.
Several players arrive early, as so do I, at Lowell, the District 7 Major tournament field. Our Major team, from Christian Park, in their new uniforms, filter in. This is great because parents from both teams will be here to watch our game and the other game. It will be a night of great softball.
Let's talk quickly about the major team first. Since I was coaching my team, all the information comes second hand, so forgive me if I don't get it quite right. The Christian Park Major All-star team is made up of players from the Bad News Girls, Yankees, and the She Devils. They arrived in their new CP uniforms. Blue shirts with v-neck and a silky white slash cover the front with the Little League logo and a daisy yellow "CP" on the front. Sue had picked up matching shorts and they looked sharp. As I hear it, the team took an excellent lead in the first 2 or 3 innings keeping it at around 10-7. Somewhere around there CP's pitcher walked in 11 runners - I'm not sure it that was for the game or that inning. Dan, buddy, pull the pitcher. I know that's a tough call, pulling a pitcher, I've left them in a little to long before hoping they can pull out of it and they usually don't. I know in my case, they actually feel and play better elsewhere when you do. So, Lawrence ends up winning with something like 25-15. It's time to shake it off girls. You have one more chance to stay in this tournament. As granddad would say, "You can do it."
Now on the Jr. side of the ballpark, the air and the heat is as thick as pea soup. Not too hot, just muggy and the remains of rain sticks to your clothes. Seven of our players arrive for the game. A full set of 9 girls arrives for Lowell. We rent Charlie and Megan from the stands. Our team has had the pleasure of getting to know several of the Lowell players and I've spent more time this year talking to their coaches, Russell and Tracy, than any other park. Their team has about 5 players that have never played before and they are a youth team like ours. They have taught their girls to play from the heart, have fun and keep a positive attitude. Throughout the entire game they played well. If we hadn't had a miracle inning, the game would have been much closer.
Ashley takes the mount for Lowell, and pitches in several ball slow short balls to the plate. Our girls are swings at them left and right, standing at the very edge of the front of the plate and swinging as the ball rolls about the plate. Maybe one runs and where out on the field. Sadie takes the mount and pitches 3 excellent innings. Lowell scores several runs as Chelsea, Emily and Brook play down the line up. We return to the line up. With a warning from the coaches, we tell the girls not to move up in the box. Let the pitcher pitch to you. Our bats begin to work and we score several runs.
With sweat covering the bill of her visor we switch up pitchers in the third inning. Heather took the mount in the fourth and pitched a solid game. Quietly in the fourth inning Mariah asked if she could try and pitch. I like to thing of myself always letting players try and play a position if they ask to. I see to many kids wanting to try to do something and coaches wasting an opportunity to let them. It is better to fail, then to never have tried.
As the game continues, Sadie arrives at the plate. Something special is about to happen. The field becomes calm. The pitcher winds up the ball and it glides up in the air, I notice Sadie eying the ball and getting into the grove. With a solid crack of the bat she sends the ball wailing over the left field fence and through the wiry trees. HOME RUN! An excellent hit and our girls line up to give her high-fives. While jumping for joy and enjoy the hit, I challenge Charlie and Mariah to do the same. Charlie takes the ball in a line drive and runs to second. With an over throw she steal third and hustle all the way to home. Mariah, who had hit several pop flies, smacked a brilliant double. As our miracle 5th inning continues Brittany, who has struggled all season with batting, catches the fever. So far she has hits the ball every time this game and in this inning making in on base and later running in for a score. Melissa, Amanda, Megan, and Dena all hitting the ball well and making RBIs all over the place. The Lady Ranger score 18 runs in one inning, we managed to go threw the line up almost three times.
Bottom of the fifth, if we hold them, we win by the 10 run rule. We move the outfield in and the in field out. Dena gears up and Mariah, a little startled, takes the mount. She began to pitch, not perfect form, but good enough to get it over the plate. She pitched very well for her first time and with out any training from our coaches. Only walking one player, she quickly helps the team wrap up the inning with 3 outs.
Rangers win 30-6.
With the other game across the field still playing, we decided to play a new game. We leave our girls in the same mixed up spots. We manage to get in a couple of innings with Lowell in the lead, when the lights from the other field shut off and the both games ended.
A great night of fun and excitement, I wish they could all be like this.
Game tonight is at Lowell. Players need to be there about 5:15, game starts at 6:00. Sorry, I just noticed that one copy of the schedule says something different. I will also know tonight if we will have enough players for Tournament or not.