The Fastpitch Chronicle

Hey Look this over Fans, 

Madison College’s softball team won the NJCAA regional and a trip to the National Tournament in Alabama. Former Poynette pitcher and 2019 WFSCA Division 3 Player of the Year Casey Fountain pitched all three games of the regional. In the championship game’s second inning  she knocked down a ball with her pitching hand but injured the pinky on that hand. In much pain she showed grit and moxie finishing the game in eight innings and sending the Wolf Pack to the National. She had the hand X-rayed a couple days ago and it’s in bad shape. Actually it’s out of shape and today she learned that she will need surgery to fix it. So, she will not be pitching in the National Tournament. 

The Coaches Poll got posted today. Let’s take a look and compare. In Division 1 we had Superior as the #1 team after an impressive showing at the Chippewa Falls invite the weekend prior. Last week we had them at #6 and the coaches poll did not include them. This week the coaches poll has them at #10. In division 2 the FPC learned of the trials and tribulations at several schools with COVID quarantines including top ranked New Berlin West. Our rankers still think West is the team to reckon with and have Baldwin-Woodville at #2 and Jefferson, the coaches #1 team at #3. They have Evansville at #10 in Division 2 whereas they have not been very high on our watch list yet. They have allowed 80 runs in just 11 games. That is a lot of runs for a top ten high school softball team to give up. Whereas the Fastpitch Chronicle's rankers #8 team Medford has allowed just 10 runs in 11 games or an average of less than one per game. Take a look at both polls and compare runs allowed. Runs scored mean less to the rankers unless they score a lot against another team with strong pitching. They are both interesting.

On Tuesday the Tomahawk Hatchets beat Northland Pines. The 6-1 win boosted head coach John Larson up into the list of Wisconsin High School Head Coaches whose teams have gifted them with at least 300 career victories. Congratulations to John and the Hatchet’s softball program. In 2018 our Poynette team played Tomahawk in the Division 3 State Tournament State Tournament championship game. They were a tough opponent and were a group of first class players and coaches. 

On April 30th, the Athens softball program turned a triple play in a most interesting 8th inning against Marathon. In the top of the 8th Athens scored two runs to bust up a tie game at 5-5. In the bottom of the inning things got dicey quite fast. Marathon got a runner aboard on a single and the next two batters both drew a base on balls. That brought up Marathon's power hitter Lindsey Pintor. The Blue Jays chose to intentionally walk Pintor for fear of her getting a walk-off win. It was the second time in the game that Athens forced Pintor to take a hike to first base. Of course the intentional walk forced in the sixth run of the game making it a one run contest at 7-6. The next batter hit a hot comebacker to pitcher Paige Westaby who quickly threw to catcher Shauna Belter who was camped on home plate for the first out. A crow hop and hot throw to shortstop Jazelle Hartwig retired the runner headed to third and when Hartwig wheeled and threw a bullet to Sophia Coker standing atop second base the Marathon threat ended instantly on the completion of the 1-2, 2-6, 6-4 triple play. All four girls involved have received a Fastpitch Chronicle Triple Play Award Certificate.  walking in a run and setting up what would soon be a "Game Ending" triple play! There is an interesting side note to this story and the two intentional walks to Pintor but you will have to ask her or Athens Head Coach Craig Diedrich to tell you that part of the deal.

On Monday highly ranked Dodgeville and River Valley entertained the crowd in Dodgeville in a 14-10 game that was won by River Valley. Twenty four runs in the game. Most of you are probably wondering how that can be. Here is a clue. The plastic, temporary fences at the village field in Dodgeville where the Dodgers play their home games are set at 180’. That’s right -- 180’. I;m sure there were some balls that were tagged well enough to clear fences much deeper because those two Southwest Conference schools can flat-out hit. Still, 24 runs by two teams that are ranked high in both the Fastpitch Chronicle rankings (River Valley 4th and Dodgeville 7th) and the Coaches poll ( River Valley 3rd and Dodgeville 4th) is a head shaker. If there is a girl on either team whose last name is Spees I could just hear somebody shouting, “Come on Spees, hit one to the trees!” One thing is for sure. To beat Dodgeville in that park you either have to outhit them by a bundle or be able to send them to the bench with their bat in their own hands to hang it back on the bat rack (take em down on strikes) and use the intentional walk wisely.

The proposed rule changes and language changes in the NFHS softball rules arrived in my inbox today. Here is one that concerns the pitching rule.

Proposed Rule Change for 2022 --
6-1-1 ART. 1 . . . Prior to starting the delivery (pitch), the pitcher shall take a position with the pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate and the non-pivot foot in contact with or behind the pitcher’s plate. Both feet must be on the ground within or partially within the 24-inch length of the pitcher’s plate.
a. Prior to pitching, the pitcher must take a position with shoulders in line with first and third base with the ball in the glove or pitching hand, and with the hands separated.
b. While in this position, the pitcher shall take (or simulate taking) a signal from the catcher for one second.
c. After completing “b” above, the pitcher shall bring the hands together in front of the body for not less than one second and not more than 10 seconds before releasing the ball. The hands may be motionless or moving.
d. The pitcher shall not be considered to be in pitching position unless the catcher is within the lines of the catcher’s box and in position on to receive the pitch.
e. The pitcher may not take the pitching position on or near the pitcher’s plate without having possession of the ball.
f.) The pitcher may remove herself from the pitching position as follows: 1. before the hands came together, the pitcher may legally step back from the pitcher’s plate with both feet; 2. when the hands are together and no part of the windup motion has been made, the pitcher may legally step back from the pitcher’s plate with both feet; 3. either foot may be removed first.
Rationale: Too many pitchers make contact with the pitcher's plate and immediately bring their hands together. In college there is a 2 second pause. High school should be the same as college (two second pause), or one second pause, or eliminate the word immediately. If you cannot bring your hands together immediately, then there must be a pause for one second. There must be a pause or simply allow the pitcher to immediately bring her hands together as long as the hands are brought together for one second before they separate. Otherwise, call a Quick Pitch! 

I have watched several pitchers this season do exactly as this proposal covers. They do not put the ball in their glove and actually do not even touch the glove with the ball. The pitch does not start until the hands separate and if they are never together there is no legal separation. Rule 6, Article 2, a, states: The pitch starts when the pitcher’s hands separate after they have come together while the pivot foot is in contact with the pitcher’s plate.

As long as I’m typing about pitching I will mention this. The Poynette Fastpitch Organization’s 14-U team (The PFO Shock) is seeking a pitcher for the rest of this season and perhaps the next few seasons. They are an excellent, amazingly coached team and with great leadership. If you are interested in talking to them about a pitcher you know, your daughter etc. contact the coach Sean Mackey (he’s still an assistant in the high school program and has been with me since 2011). Contact Sean at mackey369@gmail.com.

I have been busy every night and some days creating Fastpitch Chronicle award certificates for kids that hit first-ever home runs, Grand Slam home runs, more than one home run in any one game, no-hitters, perfect games, triple plays (2) and Big Game Days. They are available but must be reported by or confirmed by the player’s coach or by newspaper report. Take a look at the 2021 No-Hitter list as well.

There are lots of games on the docket Thursday. Until then -----

Keep it Rising!

Bob