FZW Tourney: Third Place

If you were expecting this earlier, I apologize. I needed a nap. #joysofaging Of course it was more than that. What a day!

Game 1: Webster 21, Timberland 5

The cool morning didn’t put a chill on the JV-Black’s enthusiasm – or their bats as we faced a Timberland team that had only lost one game coming into this tournament. In last year’s contest against the Wolves we threw a 12-spot on the board in the first inning, effectively ending the contest. So, unlike the 2017 tournament, Timberland wasn’t as stunned by the six runs we put up, highlighted by Marko’s first of two triples. They answered with two runs of their own, but were shut down by a DP on a nice play by Nicola Rikand, who had to have set some kind of record by notching 3 outs AND an assist in that inning.

Seven runs went up on the scoreboard in the second as Taylor Smith joined in the “Triple Your Fun” promotion that we were apparently running. To Timberland’s credit, they didn’t give up and added three of their own tallies. However the synchronicity of 8 runs in the third subdued the Wolves and they whimpered quietly in their dens as the game came to an end and our winning streak stretched to 9.

Game 2: Francis Howell Central 12, Webster 0

All good things must come to an end and Francis Howell Central sent a wake-up call. The eventual winners of the tournament are a very strong team and I probably made a strategic error in choosing “Home” when we won the toss (well, technically, they lost the toss and I got to pick). I strongly, if briefly, considered batting first and, hopefully, grabbing the momentum. I went with conventional wisdom, though, and FHC started strong with 2 runs. Their good pitcher wiggled out of 2-on, 2-out jam and we never really gained traction after that, managing only two more hits and whiffing 8 times in the four innings.

When they added 3 more runs in the third and we were generating nothing in the way of offense, I pulled TK to save some pitches for the final game and to give the Spartans a different look. Despite our throwing strikes, their offense was on a roll (we know how that goes) and didn’t slow down; the game ended on a time-limit ruling with Webster’s winning streak and hope for a championship rematch with Fort Zumwalt West dashed.

Game 3: Webster 17, Ft. Zumwalt West 14

It may have been a Saturday afternoon, but despite the score this was not a football game. Both teams had on their hitting shoes and ball was flying. So was our CF, Alyssa (Venus Flytrap) Moran, who recorded 5 putouts, including 3 spectacular ones (see pic below).

In our post-mortem of the previous game, after our first loss and definitely our most poorly played contest (taking nothing away from FHC – I think we can give them a better game, but if we played them 10 times, I think they’d probably win most of them), we talked about the character of a team being defined by how it responds to adversity, how it bounces back.

If you weren’t sure of the character of this team, this game put it on a 3-story mural for all to see. And we did it against the team we had hoped to play in a rematch of the 2017 championship game, the team that ended our winning streak last year in the final of this same tournament, Fort Zumwalt West. Both their coach and I were happy to have a rematch, based on last year’s great contest, just not in the third place game!

We jumped out to a 6-run lead in our first AB, but the Jaguars responded with 5 of their own, and countered our two in the second (HR by Marko! – no courtesy runner needed, but thanks to JV-Orange’s Maci Rekart for spending the day with us and serving in that important role) with two of their own. We traded scoreless third innings with no real threats by either side and we added a run in the fourth on Alyssa Moran’s second triple and great base running dash home on a short passed ball.

But the Jags put up 4 in the fifth and 2 more in the sixth and despite the sunshine (finally!) things looked dark for the Statesmen as we headed into the seventh down by 4 runs.

Character? Believe it, the same way these girls believe in themselves. Taylor Graning, with her second double of the day, chased home Nicola and Maci to put us within 2 and advanced to third on the throw. Caitlyn Boyle did her thing to put herself on first (and then second with a stolen base) and bring in Friday (on Saturday. #sorrynotsorry). Taylor Smith sewed up the tie with a base hit and we headed into the bottom of the seventh all even.

Pitcher Taylor Knapp bowed her back and put the heart of the Jaguars’ order down 1-2-3, setting the stage for another 4-run inning. FZW answered with a long bomb and two more hits to start the eighth, but a well played bunt by Lydia Beggs and 2 Ks from TK ended a great game with an exclamation point and a third place trophy.

I could not be more proud of this team. They could have quit but just refused to do. That’s an attribute that goes well beyond softball, as is their support for each other. The next winning streak has started and I’m looking forward to this week to see how far it can run. We travel to Hazelwood West on Tuesday, we play after the varsity at Affton Athletic on Wednesday (full game, they have lights, just not quite enough players) and then host Kirkwood on Friday. I hope you’ll be able to find the time to join us and cheer on this great group of girls.

We have a few pics from today, but check back later either tomorrow or Monday evening because I hope to add some more. Captions will also be included , but this first pairing deserves special treatment, as you see Venus (Flytrap) Moran’s amazing catch and her teammates’ reaction to it! (Photo Credit Karen Smith)