Street Kids Run Out of Gas in Wabash;
Finish Fourth in NSA Qualifier
Finish Fourth in NSA Qualifier
Wabash, IN-
The Street Kids/Easton/PAS softball team traveled to Wabash, Indiana this weekend looking for their
fourth tournament victory in five attempts. This weekend was the first official National Softball Association
World Series Qualifier, where the winner of the tournament would qualify to play in the World Series in
September.
The Street Kids were still without three starters, including Dan Garey (appendix), Shane Varga (vacation)
and Carl Underwood (work) but were looking to get back to the field and make a push for another
tournament win. The weather was typical of what it has been so far this season for The Kids, rainy and
cold.
The #4 ranked Street Kids opened up against #2 ranked Cousins Roofing in a much anticipated game,
featuring two of the top teams in the State of Indiana. The Kids struck first with nine runs in the bottom of
the first inning, highlighted by a two run home run by Jake Underwood getting the Kids on the board, then
a three run shot by Tony Hardiman, who would turn out to have a big day. After four complete innings,
SKS led 14-9, but a long home run by Cousins cleanup hitter Jerry Seinfeld cut the lead to just three.
Street Kids would answer back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a TJ Jorgensen
home run and consecutive run scoring extra-base hits by Les Marcum, Lanny Fisher and Jamie Everett,
and that would prove to be enough as the Kids beat a very tough Cousins team, 19-14. Fisher and
Jorgensen both had four hits each in the game, while Hardiman and Jason Fowler each added three a
piece.
The next round featured the Kids against Chico's, a good base hitting team with some surprising power
from their 150-pounders. Chico's struck first with three runs in the second inning, but the Kids answered
back with two in the home half of the second, thanks to a two run homer by Tony Hardiman, his second
of the day. After Chico's scored two more in the top of the third, the Kids answered back with six in the
bottom of the inning, taking an 8-5 lead. Home runs by Chris Firebaugh and Hank Minix highlighted the
inning.
Chico's put up six runs in the top of the fourth, then the Kids came back with four in their half of the
fourth, highlighted by a two run shot by Jamie Everett, putting the score at 12-11 in favor of the good guys
from South Bend. In the top of the sixth inning, Chico's scored five runs, taking a 16-12 lead, but SKS
came back with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted an rbi triple by Everett, a two run home
run by Jake Underwood, and a three run triple by Hardiman. The Kids went into the top of the seventh
inning with a 19-16 lead, needing three outs to advance to the next round of the winners bracket. But
some shoddy defense would give Chico's some extra outs, thus allowing them to score seven runs in the
inning, taking a 23-19 lead. The Kids would go quietly in the bottom of the seventh and lose the game,
sending them to the loser bracket. Underwood had five hits in the game while Hardiman added four in the
loss.
From the losers bracket,
Street Kids began to find
their swing, putting up 11
runs in the first inning
against Xcalibur from
Warsaw, whom the Kids
defeated in the
championship to win their
last tournament. Xcalibur
did what they do best,
playing small ball,
advancing runners and
was able to put up 18
runs against the Kids, but
in the end, the Kids would
win the game 29-18,
sending Xcalibur back to
Warsaw. Tony Hardiman
remained red hot, gathering
four more hits and getting a
walk to reach base five
times. Jamie Everett had
three hits, including a
home run and a double
in the win. Lanny Fisher
reached base five times with two hits and three walks, while TJ Jorgensen reached base four times (two
hits and two walks).
Up next for the Kids was Team Sumo, a class E team from Plymouth. This game was actually close until
the Kids put up eight runs in the sixth inning to win the game 25-15, eliminating Team Sumo. Chris
Firebaugh had four hits, including a home run and five rbi, while Jake Underwood, Jason Fowler and
Hank Minix all added three hits each. Underwood and Fowler both homered in the game.
In game five, the Kids were to face a very
overmatched Young Guns team and the scoring
showed. Street Kids sent 31 batters to the plate
in the first inning, and scored 26 runs, 20 of them
before the first out was recorded. They just missed
breaking the team record of 27, set last year in
Mishawaka. They went on to win the game in two
and half innings, 32-8. Hardiman, Underwood and
Everett all had four hits each, with Underwood and
Jason Fowler hitting the only home runs in the game.
Lanny Fisher added three hits and five rbi's.
The victory put the Kids in the final four of the tournament, and were now set to face Cousins Roofing for
a second time. But the Kids just ran out of gas and Cousins took advantage, defeating SKS 19-9, ending
the Kids chance of wining the tournament. Cousins would go on to play in the championship against
Chico's, and won the first game, forcing the "if" game. But at that time, Cousins - who had been playing
since losing to SKS in the first game at 9am - also ran out of gas, and Chico's went on to win the game
and the tournament.
The Street Kids on paper looked as if they had a good day, having a team on base percentage of close to
.700, but the games they needed to win against Chico's and Cousins, they struggled, whether it was on
defense, or coming up with timely hits in the clutch. But the Kids will make no excuses - yes, they were
without three starters and the weather was brutal. But Chico's outhit the Kids early and Cousins came to
play late in the day when they needed it most.
Tony Hardiman - who had struggled early in the season and actually
was moved down in the lineup - came back strong with a 19-for-22
performance, including driving in a team high 18 runs. He was glad to
be back in the number two slot of the lineup, trying to set the table for
guys like Jake Underwood.
"It felt good to be able to hit the way I know I am capable of," said
last years Comeback Player of the Year winner. "Being able to see
the ball better coming in makes a difference."
Hardiman had some trouble with his contacts and recently went to
see his doctor. He discovered that his prescription for his contacts was incorrect, and after have the
adjustment made, was able to see more clearly.
"I'm not saying that having that corrected is the reason, but being able to see more clearly did give me a
longer look at the ball and not take an awkward swing," said the third baseman. Hardiman hit for the cycle
in the game two loss to Chico's, connecting for a homerun, then a single, double and triple. The last player
to get a cycle for the Kids was Lanny Fisher last fall.
Four players had an onbase percentage of at least .800: Lanny Fisher, Tony Hardiman, TJ Jorgensen and
Jason Fowler. Along with his 14 hits, Fisher walked six times, while Jorgensen added a team high seven
walks to his 10 hits.
Up next for the Street Kids team (24-4 overall) will be the MSA Softball tournament in Mishawaka this
weekend.
The Street Kids/Easton/PAS softball team traveled to Wabash, Indiana this weekend looking for their
fourth tournament victory in five attempts. This weekend was the first official National Softball Association
World Series Qualifier, where the winner of the tournament would qualify to play in the World Series in
September.
The Street Kids were still without three starters, including Dan Garey (appendix), Shane Varga (vacation)
and Carl Underwood (work) but were looking to get back to the field and make a push for another
tournament win. The weather was typical of what it has been so far this season for The Kids, rainy and
cold.
The #4 ranked Street Kids opened up against #2 ranked Cousins Roofing in a much anticipated game,
featuring two of the top teams in the State of Indiana. The Kids struck first with nine runs in the bottom of
the first inning, highlighted by a two run home run by Jake Underwood getting the Kids on the board, then
a three run shot by Tony Hardiman, who would turn out to have a big day. After four complete innings,
SKS led 14-9, but a long home run by Cousins cleanup hitter Jerry Seinfeld cut the lead to just three.
Street Kids would answer back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a TJ Jorgensen
home run and consecutive run scoring extra-base hits by Les Marcum, Lanny Fisher and Jamie Everett,
and that would prove to be enough as the Kids beat a very tough Cousins team, 19-14. Fisher and
Jorgensen both had four hits each in the game, while Hardiman and Jason Fowler each added three a
piece.
The next round featured the Kids against Chico's, a good base hitting team with some surprising power
from their 150-pounders. Chico's struck first with three runs in the second inning, but the Kids answered
back with two in the home half of the second, thanks to a two run homer by Tony Hardiman, his second
of the day. After Chico's scored two more in the top of the third, the Kids answered back with six in the
bottom of the inning, taking an 8-5 lead. Home runs by Chris Firebaugh and Hank Minix highlighted the
inning.
Chico's put up six runs in the top of the fourth, then the Kids came back with four in their half of the
fourth, highlighted by a two run shot by Jamie Everett, putting the score at 12-11 in favor of the good guys
from South Bend. In the top of the sixth inning, Chico's scored five runs, taking a 16-12 lead, but SKS
came back with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted an rbi triple by Everett, a two run home
run by Jake Underwood, and a three run triple by Hardiman. The Kids went into the top of the seventh
inning with a 19-16 lead, needing three outs to advance to the next round of the winners bracket. But
some shoddy defense would give Chico's some extra outs, thus allowing them to score seven runs in the
inning, taking a 23-19 lead. The Kids would go quietly in the bottom of the seventh and lose the game,
sending them to the loser bracket. Underwood had five hits in the game while Hardiman added four in the
loss.
From the losers bracket,
Street Kids began to find
their swing, putting up 11
runs in the first inning
against Xcalibur from
Warsaw, whom the Kids
defeated in the
championship to win their
last tournament. Xcalibur
did what they do best,
playing small ball,
advancing runners and
was able to put up 18
runs against the Kids, but
in the end, the Kids would
win the game 29-18,
sending Xcalibur back to
Warsaw. Tony Hardiman
remained red hot, gathering
four more hits and getting a
walk to reach base five
times. Jamie Everett had
three hits, including a
home run and a double
in the win. Lanny Fisher
reached base five times with two hits and three walks, while TJ Jorgensen reached base four times (two
hits and two walks).
Up next for the Kids was Team Sumo, a class E team from Plymouth. This game was actually close until
the Kids put up eight runs in the sixth inning to win the game 25-15, eliminating Team Sumo. Chris
Firebaugh had four hits, including a home run and five rbi, while Jake Underwood, Jason Fowler and
Hank Minix all added three hits each. Underwood and Fowler both homered in the game.
In game five, the Kids were to face a very
overmatched Young Guns team and the scoring
showed. Street Kids sent 31 batters to the plate
in the first inning, and scored 26 runs, 20 of them
before the first out was recorded. They just missed
breaking the team record of 27, set last year in
Mishawaka. They went on to win the game in two
and half innings, 32-8. Hardiman, Underwood and
Everett all had four hits each, with Underwood and
Jason Fowler hitting the only home runs in the game.
Lanny Fisher added three hits and five rbi's.
The victory put the Kids in the final four of the tournament, and were now set to face Cousins Roofing for
a second time. But the Kids just ran out of gas and Cousins took advantage, defeating SKS 19-9, ending
the Kids chance of wining the tournament. Cousins would go on to play in the championship against
Chico's, and won the first game, forcing the "if" game. But at that time, Cousins - who had been playing
since losing to SKS in the first game at 9am - also ran out of gas, and Chico's went on to win the game
and the tournament.
The Street Kids on paper looked as if they had a good day, having a team on base percentage of close to
.700, but the games they needed to win against Chico's and Cousins, they struggled, whether it was on
defense, or coming up with timely hits in the clutch. But the Kids will make no excuses - yes, they were
without three starters and the weather was brutal. But Chico's outhit the Kids early and Cousins came to
play late in the day when they needed it most.
Tony Hardiman - who had struggled early in the season and actually
was moved down in the lineup - came back strong with a 19-for-22
performance, including driving in a team high 18 runs. He was glad to
be back in the number two slot of the lineup, trying to set the table for
guys like Jake Underwood.
"It felt good to be able to hit the way I know I am capable of," said
last years Comeback Player of the Year winner. "Being able to see
the ball better coming in makes a difference."
Hardiman had some trouble with his contacts and recently went to
see his doctor. He discovered that his prescription for his contacts was incorrect, and after have the
adjustment made, was able to see more clearly.
"I'm not saying that having that corrected is the reason, but being able to see more clearly did give me a
longer look at the ball and not take an awkward swing," said the third baseman. Hardiman hit for the cycle
in the game two loss to Chico's, connecting for a homerun, then a single, double and triple. The last player
to get a cycle for the Kids was Lanny Fisher last fall.
Four players had an onbase percentage of at least .800: Lanny Fisher, Tony Hardiman, TJ Jorgensen and
Jason Fowler. Along with his 14 hits, Fisher walked six times, while Jorgensen added a team high seven
walks to his 10 hits.
Up next for the Street Kids team (24-4 overall) will be the MSA Softball tournament in Mishawaka this
weekend.
| Wabash NSA Qual. Game by Game Scores Game 1 vs. Cousins Roofing, WON: 19-14 Game 2 vs. Chico's, LOST: 23-19 Game 3 vs. Xcalibur Softball, WON: 29-18 Game 4 vs. Team Sumo, WON: 25-15 Game 5 vs. Young Guns, WON: 32-8 Game 6 vs. Cousins Roofing, LOST: 19-9 |
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