What I find interesting about girls’ competitive softball, is that there are 3 levels: A, B and C. An A team doesn’t bother with the recreational season; they play tournaments all year long with the best players they can recruit. B teams, like ABGSL Sting, must play a rec. season in the spring, but then hold tryouts to find their “All-Star” team. C level teams also play a rec. season and are often the less experienced or talented of an organization’s 2 teams. However, at the 10U level, all 3 levels compete against each other in any given tournament. When Sting plays a C level team, they often shut them out by 10 to 15 runs. When they play a B level team, they often win, but sometimes lose. In fact, out of 21 B teams in the USSSA system, Sting ranks 3rd in points.http://www.usssa.com/sports/Rank2.asp?State=94&ClassID=1096&SeasonID=17&RankSystem=2 This past weekend, Sting faced nothing but A level teams who challenged their confidence. But what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, right?
Antelope CA, July 13th-14th, 2013 - Summer Showdown Tournament
The Sting 10U team faced an unprecedented level of competition over the weekend finishing 1 and 3 in the ASA sponsored Summer Showdown Tournament. With one team's opposing pitchers clocking in the mid fifties, equivalent to a young Tim Lincecum 94 mph fastball, Sting was fortunate to steal one victory. That victory was an exciting walk off victory against USA Elite, the first one this year. Many of the players showed their youthfulness by not even realizing time had been called, and the were playing the final inning. As the runner ran across the plate for the final out, a few girls did not realize the game had been won.
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Sting 4- Galt illusion 13
It was odd seeing Coach Kaneko coaching first as Coach Shannon's was absent. The game started with Dixie Lewis pitching and Daisy Paige at catch. Georgia Tomasik started her 11th birthday celebration with an excellent catch at 2nd for the out. Though Lewis had one strikeout, Sting gave up 4 runs. In the bottom of the 1st, Kaitlyn Bailey smacked a triple to the fence, scoring Lewis and Tomasik. Bailey later slid home to bring the score to Sting 3 - Illusion 4.
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Great defensive play allowed Sting to hold runners in the top of the 2nd inning. Jade Woo walked, advanced by Paige's bunt and then stole 3rd. After Gianha Owens walked, the Illusion changed pitchers who walked Lewis and Mackenzie Andrew and brought Woo in for the tie. However, the Illusion pitcher found her groove and struck out Tomasik and Bailey.
In the top of the 3rd, with Andrew pitching, the Illusion started bunting. Unfortunate defensive errors by Sting allowed Illusion to score 4 runs. The bottom of the 3rd was 3 up, 3 down as the pitcher struck out player after player, Sting bats stopped hitting and their confidence declined.
As the Lady Bees continued to look deflated, they gave up 5 more runs and scored nothing in the 4th losing the game 13-4.
Sting 5- USA Elite 4
Paige having jammed her finger in Game One, was replaced by Lewis who would catch the rest of the tournament. Tomasik moved to short and Abby Kaneko played 2B. With Andrew pitching and throwing strikes, the inning went fast. Eleven Thewlis made a textbook catch at center field to end the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Lewis walked and stole her way home. Andrew batted a triple to centerfield, while Sydney Taylor smashed one up the right field line. Score 2-1.
Though an Elite runner stole home, Mac continued her strikeouts and Tomasik continued her birthday performance with a one knee catch for the final out. In the bottom of the inning, Sting had 2 strikeouts and Jazmin Terry caught a hard hit ball for the final out.
The top of the 3rd was tight. Kaneko forgot to cover first on the bunt, but then learned well and made the out at first on the next play. The Elite smashed a hit to right field bringing in 2 runners making the score Elite 4-Sting 2. Fortunately, Thewlis made the catch for the final out. As she came in, she said she was thinking, "Am I going to catch this? Am I going to catch that this?" We are happy she did.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Owens led off with a walk and steal. Lewis’s base hit advanced Owens to 3 and Tomasik’s sacrifice brought her home. Lewis was able to steal home to tie the game at 4.
The 4th inning was 3 up, 3 down for both teams as the tension mounted. Thankfully, in the bottom of the inning, Terry shot one down the RF line for a double, then stole 3rd. Dixie got the RBI for the walk off win for Sting.
Sting 2- Lady Spartans 3
In a closely matched battle Sting tied the game in the bottom of the third - only to give up the winning run in the top of the last inning to lose the game 3-2. Solia Valentine, made her first start of the season easily picking up a single to left field, preventing a potential double down the line. Two easy ground outs to Kaneko at second and Tomasik at short and strike out by Andrew shut down the inning, holding the Lady Spartans to one run.
With the Spartan pitcher throwing lots of changeups, Sting responded with a goose egg in their half of the inning. Andrew drew a walk, tested their catcher by trying to steal second but was thrown out; a rare feat at this level for the third out.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st, the Lady Spartan pitcher continued to baffle Sting hitters by throwing off speed pitches and striking out the side in the first and second inning which wasted a single by Valentine.
Down 2-0 after three innings, Sting mounted a comeback. Lewis singled and stole second, then took third on a wild pitch. Tomasik lined a RBI single to left scoring Lewis. With two outs, Taylor came up big with a RBI double scoring Tomasik, finishing with a 360 degree helicopter slide into second. Most importantly, the game was now tied 2-2. Woo pinch ran for Taylor and took third on a Terry single. Unfortunately, the two out rally ended as Sting stranded runners on second and third.
In the top of the fourth, Andrew worked herself out of a jam. With runners on second and third, Andrew struck out the Spartan batter for the second out. Andrew looked like she was out of the inning on a soft line drive to Bailey - the ball hit the heel of her glove and rolled onto the field allowing a run to score. In a gamble, the Spartan runner attempted to steal home and was thrown out at the plate.
Down by one run in the bottom of the 4th and final inning, Valentine singled up the middle. Things were looking good, but the Spartan pitcher worked her magic and struck out the rest of the batters. The game was close, but unfortunately, Sting got the short end of the stick.
Sting 1 - Monarchs 9
Watching the Monarch pitcher warm up, I took out my stopwatch and timed the speed of her pitch. Registering in the low 60’s, I triple checked my calculations and they consistently showed up in the low 60s. Michael Lewis went over to the coaches and confirmed that she normally clocks in the mid fifties. Sting, coming off several close games really had little chance. Normally, the Sting top three hitters get on base, but this time they all stuck out in the bottom of the inning. Opponents had only scored two runs against this pitcher all tournament and Sting would not perform any differently.
Not till the bottom of the 4th when the Monarchs changed pitchers did Sting score a run. With a bunting strategy, Andrews bunted to third and took second on an obstruction call by the umpire. Bailey bunted her to third and Taylor bunted her home. It was a valiant effort, but Sting was over matched.