May showers also bring May Flowers!
That is the way things are going this spring. It’s been a cold season for the most part but things are warming up in more ways than one.
After watching the infield material blow around all day on Saturday at the Poynette Fastpitch Jamboree, it’s a whole new deal this week. Rain on Sunday night and into Monday left our fields in fantastic condition. A little more rain last night created perfect conditions at Diamond of Champions here. After our practice and two more youth practice this evening I went back into town and dragged both softball fields. It is always a treat to go around and around, back and forth when the moisture content of the infield is the way it is today. I just kept going around and around and back and forth until it was groomed perfectly.
The dates for the 2016 Poynette Softball Jamboree are May 6-7, the first Friday and Saturday in May. I haven’t been fishing on opening day of the Wisconsin fishing season for the past 29 years and it appears it will be 30 years come 2016. If you or your team are interested in getting into the 2016 Jamboree it would be best to contact me quickly. We added Lodi’s varsity field to the venue list this year and it may be that we add another Lodi field next year.
A longtime Fastpitch Chronicle website reader, Brent Erdmann sent me an email the other night informing me that Matt Smith, Head Softball Coach at Prescott watched his team win for the 100th time under his leadership. It was a 7-6 win over Ellsworth on May 1st so congratulations to Matt. I’ve added his name to the 100 win list on the Coaches Honor Roll of the website.
Kayla Konwent, Westosha Central’s phenom blasted her state record 15th homer of the season today. It came in a 10-0 rout of Badger. Kayla has hit more than 40 home runs in her 2+ years of varsity action has verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin Badger softball program. That’s a great addition to the Badger program and it’s great to see a Wisconsin player in the mix there.
Here is a scenario for you scenairo lovers. The other night in a game in Belleville the bases were magnetic break-a-way style . On a steal of second the base got knocked clean off the magnetic base and was about 3 feet from the the anchor point. The very next play was a slide into third base by a Poynette runner. Third base went sliding into the coaches box with me. Time was called in both instances but it got the umpire and I to talking. So here is the scenario. A runner slides into second base like that and dislodges said base. The ball goes into the outfield where it is fielded by the centerfielder. In the meantime the runner gets up and heads for third where the centerfielder’s throw is there in time to get the runner out. The runner, seeing that she can’t make it to third heads back to second. But wait, the base is dislodged and several feet from the magnetic anchor point. The rundown results in a throw to the second sacker somewhere near the magnetic anchor and the actual base. She runs the runner toward third and makes a throw to that base. The runner heads back for second base and then gets run toward third where she stops and heads back toward second. She slides into the dislodged base before being tagged by the centerfielder who had wisely gotten into the mix defensively. What’s the call? Safe or out?
Superior beat Duluth Marshall today 4-1. I keep close track of Amy Zembo’s Superior team. They are always competitive but seem to get lost in the shuffle too often. I try to make sure to keep track and consider that team every year when it’s time to rank teams.
There is still a lot of softball to be played before the seeding meetings and the start of the WIAA post season tournament. Enjoy the games and send in your game reports.
Have a great fastpitch day!
Keep it Rising!
Bob
