VVBase Team Finds Improvement Along With Fun
Dayton, OH (July 5, 2004) The Lady Spartan fast-pitch softball team continues to improve as their season comes to an end.
"We have seen a lot of improvement and that's the goal of this league. They come into the first day of practice (at the high school level) with very little experience. Some of the girls have never seen a fast-ball," assistant coach Jack Warner said.
Last Tuesday, the girls took a very hard loss 22-6, but they mounted a come back on Thursday to lose by only one run to one of the best teams in the league. The final score was 8-9, just inches away from stealing a big win.
The girls were down 8-0 going into the second inning, but made the score 8-1 after Sara Smith crossed home plate. After that the ladies only allowed one run to get in on them while they scored an additional seven.
In the top of the third inning, Chelsea Brown stayed strong at the mound, making two outs from line drives up the middle. Kim Izor then took an out at first base to bring her teammates back to the plate.
Brooklyn McGennis started things off with a walk before Erika Marion walked and McGennis stole third. Kim Izor had a base hit that drove McGennis home, but were two down after a strikeout. Brown then drilled a hit to left field for a triple making the score 8-4. Becky Perkins grounded out to end the inning.
The next inning started with two quick outs when shortstop Smith made a great play to first base and Marion pulled a nice throw to make the second out. The opposing runner made it to first on an error and then made it to home plate off a bad pitch.
Hope Baunbch grabbed a fly ball for the girls final out, but the damage had been done. The score was 9-4.
The next inning was scoreless, but the girls hadn't given up just yet. Time was running out and the team could only play one more inning. League rules don't allow for an inning to start after an hour and twenty-five minutes from the first pitch.
They were serious about stopping runs after they got three consecutive outs. Kristy Izor stopped a grounder before Hope Baunbch recorded a strike out with Kim Izor stepping in for the final out.
Coach Warner told the girls as they were going up to bat, "This is it ladies. We're going to come back and we're going to do it now," Warner noted.
Marion got on base by a walk before Izor smashed a hit over the right fielder's reach for a double. Things were looking up with runners on second and third, but two strikeouts put the ladies under a little more pressure. Perkins squashed that pressure with a line drive to right field which pushed in Marion and Izor.
The score was 6-9 and the ladies were ready to go all the way. Smith reached first on an error and on the next two pitches, both Smith and Perkins made it home on steals. The score was 8-9, but the game ended on a strikeout.
Warner was coaching for the night when head coach Molly Countryman wasn't able to attend. Warner has been to almost every game this summer and has noticed a big change in the girls overall skills. One skill, which is the most important, has been the improvement at the mound.
"Before this league was formed, we had to teach the girls from scratch during their freshmen year," Warner said.
"I put a lot of faith in Jill (Dickson), who pitched while she was a player at Valley View. She helps out with the varsity team, but I'll usually ask her to stay for an extra half-hour to work with the junior varsity team," Warner added.
Although the girls are learning some crucial things about fast-pitch softball, they are also having a blast.
"The girls are all working hard, but this league is more for fun. It's a learning experience and the part we like to emphasize is just to have fun," noted Warner.
The girls were only two runs away from winning last Thursday and that was with some starters missing.
"We are missing several starters, but the girls all played really well and came back," Warner commented.
Smith and Baunbch are both from Eaton and have brought a lot to the team."We realized we only had eight players at the last minute and Shorty (Clyde Brewer) remembered that Eaton had wanted to form a team, but didn't have enough players, so we asked a couple of them to come and play with us," Warner said.
The VVbase team returns to action Thursday night at Kettering Fields. Warner is hoping to see more improvement and more fun.
"Our outfielders need to get the ball in quicker and the base-running still needs some work. Basically we just need to be more aggressive all around," mentioned Warner.
