Good Monday Evening Fastpitch fans,
It's been a crazy spring but not necessarily the worst one in WIAA State softball annals. There have been a few like this one but --- back in those days we didn't have the chance to schedule 26 regular season games.
When I got started coaching high school softball as a paid coach (I volunteered during Poynette's inaugural 1979 season) we could play 12 regular season games. That's correct - 12 games. I didn't keep accurate track of when the numbers began to rise. If I had the time I could go back through all the scorebooks year-by-year and figure it out I suppose.
It went from 12 to 14 for quite a few years, then to 16, then to 18 then to 20 but those extra two had a lot of caveats that the WIAA threw in with it. Then it went to 26 because baseball had gone to a 26-game schedule and Title IX took command (with of course, help from fastpitch coaches in the state).
I took in a few innings of the first side of doubleheader between visiting St. Mary's Springs visiting Poynette on Saturday. The Pumas won that game 5-0 behind a 17-strikeout performance by first team all state pitcher Holly Lowenberg and some great hitting by several of the Pumas. The Pumas, behind the pitching of the other junior hurler, Brooke Steinhorst (also an all state infielder as a sophomore). The final was 7-2.
I loaded up a 2022 No-Hitter list page tonight. If you have information about no-hitters thrown, just email to me at faspich1@gmail.com. Three-inning no-hitters although no hits were recorded is too modifed a game for an old purist like me. I really never thought at fvie-inning no-hitter had much merit. A chinker here or there can always happen with two more innings of play. However, I will continue to post those five-inning no-hitters but only 7-inning no-hitters qualify for a Fastpitch Chronicle No-Hitter certificate.
There are many other types of Fastpitch Chronicle certficates available and like always there is no fee to get one. Just a request to me with the pertinent information:
Pitcher's first and last name and year in school
Pitcher's School
Date of Game
Pitcher's opponent
Score of Game
Pitcher's Coach's first and last name
Coach's Email address
School Colors
Mascot Name
I can take it and make it from there
The Fastpitch Chronicle will not be doing rankings this year. It's the first year in 25 years that we will not rank teams.
There have been some really interesting results so far this season and they include some head-scratchers for me. But, it's early. The weather will change, the frost is out of the ground in the southern part and Superior beat Cloquet today (but I am not positive that it was an outdoor game.).
Have a great week! And as always
Keep it Rising!
Bob
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