Fox Tourney: Close, but no Cigar, Second Place

Apologies for the delay in reporting on the Fox Tournament. Yesterday was a long day plus I feared I had misplaced my scorecards. Fortunately, I found them today (where I thought I had previously looked) and all is well.

We switched over from the Hancock Tournament, which we had won the last five years, to Fox, where we expected better competition, because it’s not just about winning. Parents and fans who drove down to Arnold got their $5 worth, I think, with three exciting, competitive games and a second place trophy.

When you’re playing for plastic in the final game of the day, the experience was worth the effort. We continued our tradition of each player getting at least one full game; in a way I miss the “bat the lineup option” that Hancock’s tourney featured, but this was more traditional softball.

Game 1: Webster 9, Fox 6

We believed that Fox was better than the 20-5 drubbing we handed them a week or so ago, and we were right. Nevertheless, our “speed kills” top of the lineup put up 4 and 3 runs, respectively, in the first two innings. The Warriors came back with 4 of their own in the top of the second, but we answered quickly and the game settled in, staying at 7-4 until the opponents added a pair in the top of the 6^th. We countered with 2 of our own and Nic Rikand closed the door to save Olivia Leaver’s eleventh win of the season.

Game 2: Webster 11, Northwest-CH 1

The Lions of Northwest Cedar Hill prowled over to our field, having defeated Jefferson R-7 to swipe right toward the championship. They will be visiting us again this week as they pay a visit to Plymouth Field on Thursday. Theirs is a competitive program that always presents us with a challenging game. Unfortunately, we tamed them with arguably our best game of the year, featuring strong pitching (Olivia Leaver notched win #12 and Nicola Rikand finished with 2 dominant innings of relief), stellar defense, including two spectacular plays by Taylor (Ozzie) Smith in the hole, a balanced offense featuring hits from every spot in the order and monster shot HR w-a-a-a-y over the fence in left center by Marko, which sealed the deal and put an end to the six-inning contest.

I don’t think Northwest expected us to be that good and left impressed. Maybe some of that intimidation will carry over on Thursday, although maybe they’ll be psyched up and bring their best. The thing is, they did not play badly at all; we just beat them in every aspect of the game on this day.

Game 3: Summit 13, Webster 4

Don’t let the score fool you, this was another close, competitive game that slipped away on some bad luck (and maybe a missed call) in the last inning. In retrospect, perhaps I should have taken visitors when we won the toss. Scoring first is an advantage, and one we experience often with the Boyle-Marshall speed tag team. They struck again in this game, but merely closed a 3-run deficit to one. We might have more but had to settle for two sacrifice flies on good OF plays by the Falcons.

We trailed by only 2 runs, 6-4, as we headed into the seventh inning, with hopes of winning the rubber match of our 3-game series. Nicola Rikand was on fire in relief of Olivia, but a swinging bunt and a questionable call on a close throw at third on a runner trying to advance and the momentum noticeably shifted. By the time the smoke cleared, Summit (who had improved their team with a strong player not available to them earlier in the season due to injury) had added on 7 runs and the game ended quietly. Nevertheless, the coaching staff and the girls had lots to feel good about. We played 20 innings of high energy, quality softball and provided players and fans an fun morning and afternoon. We couldn’t prouder of how our girls are growing as players and a team. Thanks to our traveling cheering section. The girls and coaches really appreciate the support.

We’re heading into the Final Four with a 12-8 record. Monday we have the second (late start and possibly abbreviated) game against the Parkway West “JV” (will include some end of the bench varsity players); we travel Tuesday to Pattonville (not exactly, though – it’s not at the school but the Bridgeton Municipal Athletic Complex. We finish with two home games, Northwest CH again on Thursday and then a challenge from Fort Zumwalt West on Monday the 14^th. Please mark your calendars – we will continue our tradition of celebrating our season at Serendipity after the game (Coach’s treat). One final treat – a few pix from the tourney, courtesy of the players themselves.

Caitlyn Boyle padded her stolen base total with 10 more on Saturday.

Freshman Morgan Lawrence added four to her team lead in RBI.

Sophomore Taylor Smith leads a solid IF defense.

Olivia Leaver picked up her eleventh and twelfth wins, helping herself by fielding her position well in the circle.

Maci Rekart consistently provides solid defense at first base.

Nicola Rikand has been invaluable in closing out games in relief of Olivia. The tandem makes for a solid combination.

Final Thoughts (Softball Banquet Script)

I know that the coaching staff went into this season thinking that last year would be difficult, if not impossible, to match. Not in terms of wins and losses, so much, although that task was daunting enough, but in terms of team chemistry and cohesion. While every team is unique, of course, the sophomores of this year modeled the sophomores of our 17 squad (who, in turn, had the models from 16 to follow) and built a team that was, day in and day out, a pleasure to coach and work with. Oh, and we won 20 games again, so that was cool, too. As always, your players were blessed with an incredible group of coaches, including the varsity and Orange; thanks, also, to Coach Collins for his support of the program on all three levels. I especially want to thank Coach Cerutti, Coach Knapp, and our spirit guide, Coach Wylie, for making this job such a pleasure. I’ll remember these seasons after they stick me in the home for retired coaches.

Many of this year’s freshmen will have the responsibility to continue that leadership trend in 2019. And let’s just say we are confident that they can live up to those expectations from their coaches. We’ll be announcing some of the individual awards as we wander through our roster, but all of those were close votes with at least 3 contenders for each. I think that speaks well of both the depth of our squad and the respect the girls have for their teammates.

• Emmy Gary had a solid rookie year, splitting time between 1B and the OF and we’re looking forward to seeing her grow as a player. Emmy has made the commitment to up her game with a strong team for the spring and summer and the coaches are looking forward to seeing how much an already strong player improves.

• Our Rookie of the Year was our third baseman, Myah King, who set a couple records, including most HRs in a season (6, including 5 that cleared the fence; that number also ties the JV career record set by Anna Whelan in her two JV years, and not coincidentally, intentional walks, also 6).

• Fortunately for us, that intentional walk strategy was frequently foiled by our catcher, Nora Marcinkiewicz, who thanks to all those runners Myah wasn’t allowed to drive in, lead our team in RBI with 38 in our 22 games. But Nora also did a great job of field leadership, working not only with our pitchers but our entire team.

• Our OF defense was anchored by Venus (Flytrap) Moran in CF. Alyssa was a one-woman Web Gem show and taught me not to mark the scorecard too soon lest I have to scratch out the hit and mark in an “8.” Oh, and she hit .550 with 7 triples.

• Our own José Oquendo (except she hit better) was Taylor Smith who can, and frequently did, play everywhere. That flexibility was crucial when we were bitten by the injury bug. The question, “Well, now who’s going to play that position” always involved Taylor, whose bat also grew stronger as the season progressed as she hit over .500 and averaged an OBP of 67%.

• Finally, Zoe Weik kind of got cheated out of her freshman season by an Astroturf hop at Fox that put her on concussion protocol and out with cracked eye orbit. Remember that the next time you roll your eyes at an OF with a mask. Bad hops happen, and not just on turf. Right Noel? Fortunately for Zoe and us she was able to return in time for the Hancock Tournament and share in our 5^th consecutive first-place trophy.

Which brings us to our third straight group of amazing sophomores who, every year, take a group of girls and help them bond into a team. Two years ago Julia and AP were a key part of that core. Last year it was Maya, Megan, JP, Rebekah and Noel. This year it was….

• Lydia Beggs who played some third, first and DP in addition to her leadership role. Like her sophomore teammates, she modeled playing the game the right way, working hard all the time, (and overtime) and putting her team – and teammates – first. She also hit .350, not too shabby.

• Caitlyn, Speed Racer, Boyle took on the challenge of joining the team as a sophomore and coming back from an injury at the same time. As injuries mounted her role expanded and her skills increased as she developed into an accomplished slapper/bunter and hustling defender in RF. Coach Cerutti, Coach Wylie, and I marveled at how she was able to back up throws from an IF BEFORE it hit the fence! Oh, in addition to batting over .600, she also set the JV record for SBs with 39.

• My girl Friday, (Taylor Graning) who has gamely put up with my penchant for creating nicknames, also saw her role expand as the season progressed and finished the season as our regular 2B, where she made only 3 errors and had a fielding % of about .950. She also clearly demonstrated that she understands the concept of team and lent both her softball and leadership skills to JV Orange on numerous occasions when they were short-handed.

• It speaks to the depth of our team that TK, Taylor Knapp (we had enough tailors to open our own shop) was not a unanimous choice for team MVP. But she clearly WAS the choice as she wrote her name in the JV Statesmen record books, setting the standard for wins in a season (17) and a career (28), eclipsing Olivia Collins’s marks. TK’s love for the game and her teammates were just as valuable as her skills in the circle. I often quote Douglas Adams’s admonition from HGTG, “Don’t Panic,” and TK’s calmness in the circle embodies that and keeps the wheels from coming off.

• Nic Rikand saw her role change this year and I can’t tell you (well, obviously I can and now will) how much respect she earned from the coaching staff. With her fellow sophomores she was not just a great teammate, but a great leader, no matter where she was playing in the field. She took charge and helped keep us focused, game after game, and gave us 100% effort, every inning, every AB.

• Finally we come to our last sophomore leader, Sarah “Sockeye” Sammon. Leadership is never an easy task, because true leaders lead with actions, not just words (although words do matter). It’s easier, of course, when you’re in the limelight or always on the field. It’s much more of a challenge when you could be (rightfully) frustrated by a limited role, when you want to be doing more than you’re too often given the chance to do. That is so hard, and so important, that over a decade ago we even created what I think is our most important award, originally named for Jennifer Matthews and Casey Murphey, to honor that kind of leadership. The players who have earned this award have all gone on to success and I am as proud of each of them as any players I have ever coached. Congratulations, Sarah, on joining that admirable and exclusive sorority.

Closing the Books on 2018

Season Wrap Up --

After the records we set in 2017, including most wins (22) and winning percentage, it occurred to me that I should seriously think about retiring. How could any team do any better? Yet, to my surprise, the 2018 squad threatened to do exactly that. Were it not for a tough loss to Kirkwood to end the season, we would have set a new winning percentage record. Although that was not to be, 2018 was another magical season, complete with two 10-game winning streaks and an overall 20-2 record.

Highlights included an exciting 3^rd place finish in the Ft. Zumwalt West Tournament, despite playing short-handed and losing only to the eventual champion; we had easily vanquished the second place finisher, Summit, earlier in the week. Our fifth straight Hancock championship lacked the drama of last year’s final, but was nonetheless satisfying as we again played without a key player. Taylor Knapp set records for most wins by a JV pitcher in both a season (17) and career (26), Caitlyn Boyle notched a new stolen base mark with 39, and Myah King pounded six (6!) homeruns, five of which cleared fences in four different ballparks (she also was walked intentionally five times).

All those stats, and more, are available below. 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, so 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 both graduating seniors, Julia Love and Allison Peters, from our 2018 varsity District Champion squad – I’m proud of the athletes they are, but even prouder of the young women who do such a magnificent job of representing their team, their school and their community.

This piece will look familiar to sophomore parents because (full disclosure) it’s mostly copied from last year’s season-ending entry (again!). But despite protests to the contrary from some quarters, truth is truth.


We do, of course, set expectations for our program, but those expectations have nothing to do with wins, losses, or any other statistics. 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 next (2019) season. Whether that remains a shared objective remains to be seen and may require some thoughtful decision-making down the road.

     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 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.

An additional huge "Thank you" to the girls, their parents, and fellow JV coaches who made me feel valued and validated. Whatever the future holds, those warm feelings will live in me for many years to come. I am beyond grateful for the honor and pleasure of carrying them with me.

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 or themselves, for a fantastic season. There will (probably) be one more post about 2018 with some random observations about softball, coaching, and life in general. Or not. It may not always seem so, but I try not to speak (or write) unless I believe that I have something that needs to be said. I hope you enjoyed this season even half as much as I did.

Double Click on any Stat Box to Enlarge

Five in a Row -- Hancock Tournament Champs

Looking at the brackets for Saturday’s Hancock Tournament there was some hope that both Orange and Black would be playing for plastic in the final game. We didn’t play each other, but Orange did have a shot at the Consolation Bracket trophy. Unfortunately, the host Tigers came back to score four runs (with two out) to snatch that plastic.

Our road was smoother, although it looked fraught because Notre Dame had salted their roster with a varsity pitcher. I thought that our second game would actually be the championship tilt because of that and because I doubted Valley Park, a small school with a pretty good program, could have enough to compete.

With Nic Rikand in the circle, we made short work of the Lady Gators from Gateway Science, a (relatively) new school and nascent softball program, 17-2. Taylor Knapp muscled up with her first home run and catcher Sarah (Sockeye) Sammon cleared the bases with a triple to close out the scoring in the bottom of the second in this mismatch.

For the first inning and two outs into the second, the game against the Notre Dame Rebels (who apparently have no understanding of irony in mascot choices) the game was as advertised. Then Myah King, to paraphrase that famous country western song, “ripped out their heart and stomped that sucker flat” with a monster HR well over the 215 foot fence. There was no rebel yell after that. We added five more runs in the third and Notre Dame surrendered. Six runs each in fourth and fifth shut the door behind the combined shutout of Taylor Knapp (who picked up her 16^th win) and Nic Rikand, 18-0.

In the championship contest we faced a school we’d never seen, the Hawks from Valley Park. Although we were initially told there would be no time limit, that was contradicted by the umpiring supervisor when we were briefly delayed when one of the Blue became ill. That rule reversal seemed to discombobulate the VP coach, although by that time it seemed to me she needed to worry more about the run rule than the time limit; a line drive double play with the bases loaded prematurely ended the second inning, but our run total was still 14 after three innings. The Hawk pitcher struggled with the strike zone which slowed the game to a crawl. In any case, the final closed after three and a half innings, 14-4, and we had our fifth straight Hancock championship.

It may be time to move on, although I expect we will come back to the pack next year, but if we continue to have 3 teams, this tournament probably makes more sense for Orange, which showed it could compete. Just one of the many decisions we need to make about the program in the weeks and months ahead.

A couple more notes before sharing box scores (including, New This Year! a composite box for the three games) and some more Karen Smith pictures. As is our tradition, our lineup is statistical, not strategic. The girls with the fewest plate appearances over the course of the season bat at the top and the girls with the most at the bottom. That has been questioned in the past, but one of the reasons for our success has been that we have a depth to our lineup that few JV squads can match. Game after game we have generated offense from the bottom of our order – no easy innings for the opposition. Our other advantage is that we have catchers. It's one thing to have a pitcher, but catchers who can save wild pitches, avoid passed balls, and throw out runners trying to steal is a tremendous asset. Marko and Sockeye provided that for us, and Emmy Gary showed she’s much more than competent as an emergency #3 receiver.

We still have two games to go, including the season finalé against the Pioneers at Kirkwood on Tuesday, but this team has been remarkable. Not just its 19-1 record, but in their support for teammates and cohesion, their love of the game and each other. It’s been a remarkable year. I’ll revisit this in the season wrap up, but this also seems an appropriate time to mention it.

Nicola Rikand won her second game, makes the throw to first on a tap back to her.

Welcome back, Zoe Weik. This is how a bunter/slapper gets that run home from third -- and herself to first.

Myah King's bomb (her fifth overall, fourth over the fence) broke a scoreless tie and Rebel Hearts.

When you're happy for your teammate. Love those smiles.

No option to ask for the headphones and instant replay. Caitlyn was called out. She wasn't. It didn't matter.

Sockeye Sammon easily beats the throw home. Blue got this one right.

Taylor (Don't Call Me Swift) Smith continues to drive the ball. And the search for a good nickname goes on....

Sarah Sammon lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt against the Valley Park Hawks in the first inning.