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SKS Battles Through Losers
Bracket at ASA Nationals, Finishes 13th out
of 50 teams in Columbus
Bracket at ASA Nationals, Finishes 13th out
of 50 teams in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio 9-6-09
The Street Kids/Suburban South/PAS
softball team made the trip to Columbus,
Ohio on Labor Day weekend to compete
in the 2009 ASA "East" National
Championship.
Street Kids opened the 50-team national
tournament against Joe Corbi's of
Maryland. Although the Corbi's put up
five runs in the top of the first inning, SKS
answered back with five of their own in
the bottom of the first. But in the third
inning, Corbi's put up seven runs and after
four complete innings, Corbi's led 12-8.
Corbi's took advantage
of a fielding error earlier
in the game that led to
four runs, and they did it
again in the fifth inning,
scoring three of their four
runs after a fielding error.
The Kids put up five
runs in the bottom of the
sixth but despite a solo
home run by Scott Martin
in the bottom of the
seventh, it was all the
Kids could muster against
Corbi's, losing 19-14.
The tough loss to Corbi's
put SKS in the losers
bracket of this enormous
tournament, where the
odds of winning would
be very slim. But they
would make their best
effort to do so, beginning
with a game against
BW3's of Michigan.
The Street Kids/Suburban South/PAS
softball team made the trip to Columbus,
Ohio on Labor Day weekend to compete
in the 2009 ASA "East" National
Championship.
Street Kids opened the 50-team national
tournament against Joe Corbi's of
Maryland. Although the Corbi's put up
five runs in the top of the first inning, SKS
answered back with five of their own in
the bottom of the first. But in the third
inning, Corbi's put up seven runs and after
four complete innings, Corbi's led 12-8.
Corbi's took advantage
of a fielding error earlier
in the game that led to
four runs, and they did it
again in the fifth inning,
scoring three of their four
runs after a fielding error.
The Kids put up five
runs in the bottom of the
sixth but despite a solo
home run by Scott Martin
in the bottom of the
seventh, it was all the
Kids could muster against
Corbi's, losing 19-14.
The tough loss to Corbi's
put SKS in the losers
bracket of this enormous
tournament, where the
odds of winning would
be very slim. But they
would make their best
effort to do so, beginning
with a game against
BW3's of Michigan.
Street Kids were still reeling after their loss to Corbi's and it may have showed in the first few innings
against BW3's. But by the fourth inning, SKS got hot, scoring eight runs. After a three run home run
by Lanny Fisher in the fifth, that would be more than enough to defeat BW3's, 14-5.
The next game on Saturday was against EWS/Boombah, a very good USSSA softball team from
Illinois. At one time, this team was picked to win the entire tournament, but they were now in the
losers bracket and now facing Street Kids. The Kids did most of their scoring in the second, third and
fourth innings, while playing outstanding defense and containing any chance of EWS to mount a good
offensive run. Street Kids put EWS away, 18-10, to eliminate EWS.
The final game of the night was against Sports55/3n2, another team from Maryland, and another
USSSA team. But the Kids were in the zone following the win over EWS and carried it over to the
Sports55 game, putting up four runs in the first, seven in the second, seven more in the third and four
more in the fourth to easily defeat Sports55/3n2, by the score of 22-6.
The Kids were now in the final 16 teams of the ASA national championship and was set for a Sunday
morning game against Precision Softball from Joliet, Illinois. SKS put up four runs int eh first and three
more in the second, but Precision answered back and both teams exchanged runs for a couple of
innings. The Kids put up six in the fifth and three in the sixth, but allowed Precision back in the game
with some shaky defense, and Precision held a six run lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
With one out in the seventh, Mark Hershberger, who played well all weekend, doubled sharply to
right and Tony Hardiman singled to advance Hershberger to third. After a sacrifice fly by Scott
Martin, TJ Jorgensen came off the bench to single to center. Nick Bishop followed with an infield
single to load the bases for Lanny Fisher. Fisher walked on a very disputed call by the home plate
umpire, which allowed a run to score. Fisher said the ball looked to be right behind the plate.
"I was obviously taking all the way with a 3-1 count," Fisher said. "It looked like it fell right behind the
plate, but he called it a ball."
The pitcher for Precision was very upset with the call and had to be calmed by Precision's manager.
After heads were cooled, the Kids were down by four with the bases loaded and the weekends top
hitter, Scott Zaciewski, at the plate. The Kids were out of home runs, so Zaciewski would have to
keep it in the park. The first pitch was called a ball for being too deep, and the next pitch appeared to
be in the same spot, but this time the umpire called it a strike. Zaciewski was upset by the call, and
felt the umpire may have done a "make up" call for missing the strike on Fisher. Zaciewski was then
forced to swing at the next pitch, one that might have been a little high and deep on him but he was
not going to take strike three and end the game. The result was a fly out to center field to end the
game and the national title run for the Street Kids/Suburban South/PAS softball team.
After the game, Zaciewski was not happy.
"I felt he took the bat out of my hands," he said. "All three pitches to me were the same deep pitch.
One was a ball, the next a strike. So I had to swing. I never said anything to the umpire afterwards
and let it go, but I just felt handcuffed."
SKS finished tied for 13th out of 50 teams, not what they were hoping for, but not bad either. They
defeated a few really good teams to get deep in the tourney, and now their run was cut short.
Zaciewski led the team with a .773 average, including four home runs and 14 rbi's. Hershberger,
Fisher and Mike Malesko all finished over .700 for the tournament.
Up next for the Kids (89-34 overall) as the season begins to wind down, is two weeks of fall league
ball before they travel back to Indianapolis for the NSA World Series on September 19-20.
against BW3's. But by the fourth inning, SKS got hot, scoring eight runs. After a three run home run
by Lanny Fisher in the fifth, that would be more than enough to defeat BW3's, 14-5.
The next game on Saturday was against EWS/Boombah, a very good USSSA softball team from
Illinois. At one time, this team was picked to win the entire tournament, but they were now in the
losers bracket and now facing Street Kids. The Kids did most of their scoring in the second, third and
fourth innings, while playing outstanding defense and containing any chance of EWS to mount a good
offensive run. Street Kids put EWS away, 18-10, to eliminate EWS.
The final game of the night was against Sports55/3n2, another team from Maryland, and another
USSSA team. But the Kids were in the zone following the win over EWS and carried it over to the
Sports55 game, putting up four runs in the first, seven in the second, seven more in the third and four
more in the fourth to easily defeat Sports55/3n2, by the score of 22-6.
The Kids were now in the final 16 teams of the ASA national championship and was set for a Sunday
morning game against Precision Softball from Joliet, Illinois. SKS put up four runs int eh first and three
more in the second, but Precision answered back and both teams exchanged runs for a couple of
innings. The Kids put up six in the fifth and three in the sixth, but allowed Precision back in the game
with some shaky defense, and Precision held a six run lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
With one out in the seventh, Mark Hershberger, who played well all weekend, doubled sharply to
right and Tony Hardiman singled to advance Hershberger to third. After a sacrifice fly by Scott
Martin, TJ Jorgensen came off the bench to single to center. Nick Bishop followed with an infield
single to load the bases for Lanny Fisher. Fisher walked on a very disputed call by the home plate
umpire, which allowed a run to score. Fisher said the ball looked to be right behind the plate.
"I was obviously taking all the way with a 3-1 count," Fisher said. "It looked like it fell right behind the
plate, but he called it a ball."
The pitcher for Precision was very upset with the call and had to be calmed by Precision's manager.
After heads were cooled, the Kids were down by four with the bases loaded and the weekends top
hitter, Scott Zaciewski, at the plate. The Kids were out of home runs, so Zaciewski would have to
keep it in the park. The first pitch was called a ball for being too deep, and the next pitch appeared to
be in the same spot, but this time the umpire called it a strike. Zaciewski was upset by the call, and
felt the umpire may have done a "make up" call for missing the strike on Fisher. Zaciewski was then
forced to swing at the next pitch, one that might have been a little high and deep on him but he was
not going to take strike three and end the game. The result was a fly out to center field to end the
game and the national title run for the Street Kids/Suburban South/PAS softball team.
After the game, Zaciewski was not happy.
"I felt he took the bat out of my hands," he said. "All three pitches to me were the same deep pitch.
One was a ball, the next a strike. So I had to swing. I never said anything to the umpire afterwards
and let it go, but I just felt handcuffed."
SKS finished tied for 13th out of 50 teams, not what they were hoping for, but not bad either. They
defeated a few really good teams to get deep in the tourney, and now their run was cut short.
Zaciewski led the team with a .773 average, including four home runs and 14 rbi's. Hershberger,
Fisher and Mike Malesko all finished over .700 for the tournament.
Up next for the Kids (89-34 overall) as the season begins to wind down, is two weeks of fall league
ball before they travel back to Indianapolis for the NSA World Series on September 19-20.