Ft. Zumwalt West Tourney Recap

 Apologies for the tardiness of this entry. About midway through yesterday’s tournament, Coach Cerutti noted, “I can tell I’m older this year.” Were I young and hip (which, actually, I never was; well, I guess I was young once) I would have replied, “Word,” or “Truth,” or whatever happens to be the young hip expression du jour. Because there were numerous players within earshot I also didn’t respond, “No – uh – kidding.” I just said, “Me, too.” But better late than never (also not a young, hip, phrase, but at least an expression that’s actually older than we are).

To be honest, looking at the bracket for our third trip to the Ft. Zumwalt West JV Tournament at Ozzie Smith Sports Complex in O’Fallon, I might have predicted a 1-2 outcome. The day ended with that outcome but left me feeling a little disappointed. Not in the girls, but I just felt we had a real opportunity to walk away with the Consolation Championship Plaque and, as we entered the final game against St. Dominic, was hopeful, almost confident, that we could walk away a winner. And we came close.

Don’t misunderstand, there were lots of positives to come out of this tournament. We fell behind in each game, but battled back in each game to either tie or take the lead. We hung on in the middle game against Summit, when their coach (prematurely) pulled her starting pitcher (and catcher) and we rallied with 7 runs, added on 2 more after she re-entered her starters, and held on for a 9-6 victory. I don’t expect her to repeat that strategy when we face Summit again on Tuesday.

We played 20 of the 21 innings possible, which, on the JV level with an hour and a half time limit, is kind of remarkable and a testament to our pitchers not walking lots of girls or getting into many deep counts. 

With injuries, illness, and absences we were a little short-handed, although we’re kind of used to that; we played almost all last season with 11 players, and occasionally just 10. The girls just bowed their necks and went to work, not giving less than their best until the last out closed out the day. This is a fine group of young women and it’s a pleasure to work with them.

We had a large parent contingent out to cheer their players, and that’s always welcome. The umpiring was, um, a little uneven but I appreciated our girls and fans for living up to our high expectations for sportsmanship.

So here are the box scores and some pictures the kids took during the day.

 

First baseman Emmy Gary keeps her composure to corral a loose ball and get the out at 1.

Coaching girls is different. Just sayin'....

Pitcher Olivia Leaver gets the easy out at first.

Getting ready to fight for the Consolation Championship v. St. Dominic

Players, please note. The Summit runner is getting a TERRIBLE jump!

BaileyAllen rounds third, heading for home on Morgan Lawrence's triple.

Maddie K had a double in each game. Here she becomes better acquainted with second base as Summit changes pitchers.

Coach Cerutti and Caitlyn Boyle

Should make someone's cover photo for some social media platform, don't you think?

Freshman Bailey Allen  signals 2 outs to her teammates.

Come From Away* --WG 18, PB 12

Apologies for the tardiness of this entry. Family obligations with lots of out of town cousins in for the interment of my aunt and uncle’s ashes in the Smith Sturdy Cemetery were complicated by the addition of this Saturday contest.

Watching the Poplar Bluff squad warm up, it appeared we would have our hands full, might even be a bit overmatched, especially after a rather ragged pregame of our own.

Pre-game style points don’t carry over on the scoreboard, however, and despite our being too slow in response to their opening short game salvo, we held the Mules to a single run in the first and used our speed and aggressive base running to counter with 7 of our own. It appeared that the opposition’s 3-hour drive might not have been worth it. To their credit, Poplar Bluff refused to quit, scoring in every inning until the sixth, and closing the run gap to just 2 runs going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

Olivia Leaver restored order at the end of the game, holding PB (no J) to just 2 runs over the last three innings to record both the win and a save. Orange call ups Faith Lowry and OP (Olivia Perry) both contributed to the win, as did every other player in uniform for the contest, whether afield, on the bases, or in the batter’s box. Truly a team win, and, while not as crisply played as we might want (despite only two official errors in the box score), we always regained our composure and kept the wheels from coming off.

POG Morgan Lawrence had 4 hits and an equal number of RBI and stolen bases, Taylor Smith, Emmy Gary, Olivia Perry (triples) and Olivia Leaver (double) all added extra base hits, while Caitlyn Boyle and Ally Marshall showed that the slap/bunt game is a two-edged sword that can be used by both sides. All in all a satisfying, if not particularly expeditious, victory over a dogged opponent.
    This week’s schedule features @Mehlville on Tuesday and a visit from Kirkwood’s Pioneers on Thursday, then an early morning (6:30 in front of Roberts) bus ride to the challenging FZW Tournament on Saturday. (Look for the brackets, directions, and tournament protocols for that event tonight.)

*Come From Away is an excellent musical (played the Fox last year, about the response of a small town in Nova Scotia to all the planes diverted there on 9-11-01) that I highly recommend if you get the opportunity. While it has nothing to do with softball, it seemed an apt article title given the home locale of our opponents.

"O" earned both her second victory and first save of the season, pitching 5 innings, allowing only 5 runs.

Marko guided the action from behind the plate, added a hit and two walks to the offense.

Taylor Smith had two hits, including a triple, and was solid at short.

Maci Rekart played the entire game at first base, added a hit in her only plate appearance, a short off the 3B's glove.

Morgan Lawrence earned her second POG honor, with strong defense, 4 hits, RBI and stolen bases.

Ally Marshal continues to grow as a slapper bunter, reaching base three times, and closed well on a dying quail in CF to close out an inning and threat.

Friday Graning was solid again at 2B, offers flexibility in her ability to play almost anywhere.

O gets support from her IF to start the game.

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)

Tigers Declawed: Webster 10, Festus 0

As we head into the tough FZW Tournament this weekend we are playing good ball and remain undefeated after taking down the Tigers from Festus 10-0, in an all around solid effort against a pitcher who splits time with the varsity. And she wasn’t the only varsity player to make the trip from Jefferson County.

Nevertheless behind Taylor Knapp’s consistent pitching, solid defense, good base running, and hitting that adjusted (including Myah King’s first home run) with some solid knocks, the game was never really in doubt. Festus never mounted a threat to dent the plate and it was only a question of how many innings it would take to end the contest. The Festus coach put in a new pitcher in the fifth inning (and she wasn’t bad, although not varsity caliber), we scored the five runs we needed to trigger the 10-run rule, and that was that.

We head out to St. Charles this weekend for the rescheduled FZW tournament (Gordon washed us out two weeks ago), opening against Timberland; it looks like we’re going to be a bit short-handed with injuries and family emergencies. But we have a solid core of players; even those on the bench on any given day are good ballplayers who contribute to our team and its culture. 

Before complaining though, let’s just be thankful that’s ALL we have to deal with, and nothing like Florence in the Carolinas. When you get spoiled by success, and I am, it’s important to remind yourself that we’re not playing for world peace (or even whirled peas). That’s more advice I’m giving myself than anyone else. The weather forecast is much less ominous than two weeks ago so I’m going for cautious optimism we’ll get this one in. Hope to see you out there.

As always, thanks to Andrew Graning and the girls for the pics that follow.

Caitlyn Boyle continues to develop her LH slap/bunt skills, as well as playing an excellent RF on defense.

Friday Graning uses the backhand dart flip to get the lead runner at second as Nicola Rikand takes the toss.

TK picked up her eighth win, is on pace to set new JV season & career win marks.

Alyssa Moran stung the ball in her last three ABs, including this rocket to end the game.

This was one of the two hits allowed by TK, a swinging pop bunt just out of everyone's reach.

I could not be more pleased at this team's chemistry, love for the game, desire to improve, and sportsmanship.

The post game post mortem includes mostly compliments, a rare critique (today it was if you're on deck, help your teammate coming home by pointing where to slide), and an occasional appearance by a "Spirit Animal."

2017 Season Recap

We set records in 2016, including most wins (16, despite getting rained out of a tournament and another game) and winning percentage. It was a natural follow-up when people complimented that team, “You had a good year. What does next year look like?” Having seen what was in the pipeline through the feeder league and elsewhere, I brashly said, violating a long-standing rule of never predicting the results of any JV game, much less season, “I think we’re going to be even better.” Then I started to worry that maybe last year’s record just might be harder to eclipse than I thought. But apparently this was the year for total eclipses.

If you’re a coach, you worry. At the risk of sounding like a commercial for an insurance company with an amphibian spokesperson, it’s what you do. Those worries, as it turned out, were needless. It took us only 12 more innings to play 4 more games and compile a 22-2 record; in 2016 we outscored the opposition by 100+ runs; this year the margin was 200+. We took home a second-place plaque in our inaugural entry in the Ft. Zumwalt South Tournament and successfully defended our 4^th straight Hancock Tournament trophy. Like last year, we extended more mercy to our opponents and required none in return.

All those stats, and more, are available below. (Double click to open for a larger view.) As usual, I have also included those of previous years for those who think that’s important. I’m a fan of the Impressionist School, but JV statistics offer little more than a fuzzy replication of the season because programs vary wildly from year to year. But what is clear is that the Webster program is successfully bringing in players every year that can help our varsity program successfully compete with other schools. It was my pleasure to have coached all six graduating seniors from our 2017 varsity squad – I’m proud of the athletes they are, but even prouder of the young women they have become who do such a magnificent job of representing their team, their school and their community.

This will look familiar to sophomore parents because (full disclosure) it’s mostly copied from last year’s season-ending entry. However, truth is truth, and the core values of Webster Softball do not really change.


We do, of course, set expectations for our program, but those expectations have nothing to do with wins, losses, or any other statistic. However, our goals are fairly consistent from year to year:

     1 – There should be a noticeable improvement in each girl’s game from the first practice in August to the last game in October.

     2 – There should be an obvious growth in team culture, and, although that may look different from year to year, a team bond and commitment to teammates must be part of that culture.

     3 – Our JV Statesmen should be, well, statesmen, maintaining a high level of sportsmanship and competitiveness that reflects positively on the district, the school, the team, and themselves. We want to be a respected and sought-after opponent.  

     4 – We should produce at least 5 varsity-ready players that Coach Gibson can think about as part of the mix for the 2018 season. 

     5 – Every player should be able to look back on the season as a worthwhile and enjoyable investment of her time and effort, and a minimum of 80% are looking forward and being committed to continuing in the program next season, including participation in the off-season activities and workouts.

I think I can safely speak for my invaluable assistant coaches, Tim Cerutti, Kate Wylie, and David Knapp, when I declare this season a success. We are lucky to have such a large and talented coaching team, from the contracted staff to the many volunteers. I respect and enjoy working with all of them

Parental involvement and support is something I NEVER take for granted, although, like every year, it’s been consistently outstanding. I started my coaching career at Hancock High School. By the fourth game of every Statesmen season, I have met and almost always have seen virtually every parent of every player at one game or another. I can tell you that by the end of any four year stretch at Hancock High School, I hadn’t met every parent with a senior in the program. The support and sportsmanship the parents modeled for their daughters is an integral part of our success. Thank you for that.

If I were smart, I’d bid adieu to coaching, because I don’t think it’s possible to top this season, not in terms of wins and losses, which, while nice, are not the be-all-end-all of JV coaching. The bond of this team, the love, the family-feelings, well, they’ll be difficult, if not impossible to replicate in future seasons. But the sophomores next year who experienced the joy of this season have the leadership and personal skills to create their own dynamic and one I anticipate enjoying in equal measure. I look forward to seeing that play out, because THAT is the true value of high school sports and I have truly appreciated sharing that with my girls.

Again, many thanks to all involved, coaches, parents, district administrators, but especially the girls themselves who never gave us less than their best, who never gave up on a teammate, for a fantastic season. Looking forward to another great year in 2018. Before that, there will be one more post about 2017 with some random observations about softball, coaching, and life in general. Because that’s what I do.