Oklahoma City, OK 9/5/2011
The Street Kids/Easton/Rover Plus Nine softball team worked all
year to make it into the post season with aspirations of winning a
national or world title. After winning the ASA "B" state title in
South Bend several weeks ago, SKS was well on their way to some
bigger things. Their big test was the ASA "B" National Championship
in Oklahoma City, at the famed Hall of Fame Stadium.
The tournament was filled with 21 of the best "B" teams in the
nation, including players from the 2010 "C" national champions,
Pope Transport, who defeated SKS in the finals last year. This
year, Pope players split up between three teams. Some of those
players went to Precision Softball, another team the Kids played
last year twice, losing once and then eventually being the team
that sent them home last season from Minnesota.
The Kids opened the 2011 tournament against Norman Crashers
from Norman, Oklahoma. By the looks of this game, you would
think the weekend was going to be all downhill. Street Kids
exploded for 34 runs in four innings and won easily, 34-0. Their
defense was pretty solid also. Five players led the team with
four hits each: Jay Jeffery, Leland Schmucker, Scott Martin,
Fred Schmucker and Nick Bishop. Leland Schmucker and Martin
both homered twice and drove in 14 of the 34 runs themselves.
After that game, there were people walking around the complex saying "thats the team thats going to win this tournament." But something
happened from the moment that game ended, and the next game in the Hall of Fame Stadium began. The Kids took their warm-ups on the
perfectly cut outfield and were ready to take on BBS in their second round game. BBS hit the ball well, but the Kids made a few defensive
mistakes and that led to 14 runs in the first inning. BBS kept scoring, and SKS just couldnt keep up, managing one decent inning of six runs.
Eventually the Street Kids would fall to a powerful BBS team, 24-9. Jeremy Hochstetler led the way with three hits in the loss.
Hanging their heads, the Kids took a few hours to get out of the 103 degree heat and gather themselves back up for a loser bracket game
against Veissman Trucking, the team that SKS beat in the first round of the "C" National in Minnesota last year. But this game would be very
similar to the last one, little offense and a few mistakes on defense, and the Kids would fall 20-5. Veissman played very well, just as BBS did,
and there is nothing to take away from their performance. They hit the ball hard and played good defense, but Street Kids were just
outmatched this weekend. Not by talent or heart or passion for the game... this weekend they lost because they didn't bring the same game
they brought for 13 tournaments all year. They didnt bring the same game they brought just hours before in the 34-0 win.
The old saying holds true: "You can't win them all." Street Kids Softball has a great season going. Thirteen out of 14 tournaments have
resulted in either a win or a second place finish. This tough loss in Oklahoma will not be the defining moment of the 2011 season for Street
Kids. We were down for a while.. but we will get back up.
Up next after some fall league games in Mishawaka and Elkhart over the next couple of weeks is the NSA "B" World Series in Owensboro,
Kentucky on September 17-18th.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Street Kids/Easton/Rover Plus Nine softball team worked all
year to make it into the post season with aspirations of winning a
national or world title. After winning the ASA "B" state title in
South Bend several weeks ago, SKS was well on their way to some
bigger things. Their big test was the ASA "B" National Championship
in Oklahoma City, at the famed Hall of Fame Stadium.
The tournament was filled with 21 of the best "B" teams in the
nation, including players from the 2010 "C" national champions,
Pope Transport, who defeated SKS in the finals last year. This
year, Pope players split up between three teams. Some of those
players went to Precision Softball, another team the Kids played
last year twice, losing once and then eventually being the team
that sent them home last season from Minnesota.
The Kids opened the 2011 tournament against Norman Crashers
from Norman, Oklahoma. By the looks of this game, you would
think the weekend was going to be all downhill. Street Kids
exploded for 34 runs in four innings and won easily, 34-0. Their
defense was pretty solid also. Five players led the team with
four hits each: Jay Jeffery, Leland Schmucker, Scott Martin,
Fred Schmucker and Nick Bishop. Leland Schmucker and Martin
both homered twice and drove in 14 of the 34 runs themselves.
After that game, there were people walking around the complex saying "thats the team thats going to win this tournament." But something
happened from the moment that game ended, and the next game in the Hall of Fame Stadium began. The Kids took their warm-ups on the
perfectly cut outfield and were ready to take on BBS in their second round game. BBS hit the ball well, but the Kids made a few defensive
mistakes and that led to 14 runs in the first inning. BBS kept scoring, and SKS just couldnt keep up, managing one decent inning of six runs.
Eventually the Street Kids would fall to a powerful BBS team, 24-9. Jeremy Hochstetler led the way with three hits in the loss.
Hanging their heads, the Kids took a few hours to get out of the 103 degree heat and gather themselves back up for a loser bracket game
against Veissman Trucking, the team that SKS beat in the first round of the "C" National in Minnesota last year. But this game would be very
similar to the last one, little offense and a few mistakes on defense, and the Kids would fall 20-5. Veissman played very well, just as BBS did,
and there is nothing to take away from their performance. They hit the ball hard and played good defense, but Street Kids were just
outmatched this weekend. Not by talent or heart or passion for the game... this weekend they lost because they didn't bring the same game
they brought for 13 tournaments all year. They didnt bring the same game they brought just hours before in the 34-0 win.
The old saying holds true: "You can't win them all." Street Kids Softball has a great season going. Thirteen out of 14 tournaments have
resulted in either a win or a second place finish. This tough loss in Oklahoma will not be the defining moment of the 2011 season for Street
Kids. We were down for a while.. but we will get back up.
Up next after some fall league games in Mishawaka and Elkhart over the next couple of weeks is the NSA "B" World Series in Owensboro,
Kentucky on September 17-18th.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________