Kids Lack the Big Hit Late, Fall to
Zannesville at Bash for Cash
Zannesville at Bash for Cash
Cincinnati, OH-
The weather was wet and muddy but it was
not enough to stop the opening of the 2008
softball season!
The Street Kids/Easton/PAS softball team
traveled down to Cincinnati, Ohio this
weekend with hopes of winning their fifth
straight tournament, dating back to last
season. They already won their first two
events of this season in Jackson, Michigan
and a tournament win at the 7th annual
World Softball League Bash for Cash
would be a great start to this year.
Friday night featured the annual softball celebrity home run derby, featuring elite players like Rusty
Baumgardner, Jeff Hall and Street Kids
Easton sponsor, Brett Helmer. Each of
the superstar players of softball hit
mammoth shots that traveled over 500
feet and impressed the crowd. In the end,
the Easton team of Helmer and Wegman
won the event.
On Saturday, a continuous light rain fell
throughout the day, bringing along with it
some very muddy conditions. The outfield
had standing water everywhere. The base
paths seemed more like a military training
ground than a softball diamond. But the
games must go on, and on they went!
The SKS team began around 5pm after a rain delay, as they drew Team Oakley for their first of three
pool play games. The Kids were down by nine runs before they even took to the field but 2006 MVP
Hank Minix got them on the board with a monstrous three run home run, his 128th career home run in a
Street Kid uniform (only two years). After Oakley went quietly in the top of the third, SKS came back
with eight runs, highlighted by a three run home run by SK single season home run king, Joe Horvath, his
124th in a SKS uniform, and a three run shot by Dan Garey. Two batters later, Minix answered with his
second home run of the game. The teams would go back and forth, including Jake Underwood
connecting for a three run shot, one of five hits he had in the game,
and a grand slam by Jamie Everett in the seventh inning, but they
would fall one run short, losing to Oakley, 25-24. Ironically, they
lost to this same team last season, by the exact same score.
Street Kids would not hang their heads low, however, as they
prepared for Last Call, their next opponent in the round robin
pool. This time, they would not wait to score some runs as they
put 16 on the board in the first inning. Horvath connected for his
second home run of the tournament, and the first of two he would
hit in the game. Carl Underwood connected for a home run in the
inning then Dan Garey ended the first inning scoring surge with a
three run shot to left center. The Kids would tack on 11 more runs
in the second inning, highlighted by another home run by Horvath,
this time a grand slam, and that would be enough to put away
Last Call, 27-3 the final score.
That set up a big showdown against Class B powerhouse,
Thortons/Circle City in a game that both teams needed to win in
order to get into the championship "money" bracket on Sunday.
Both teams started slow, as the score would be tied at five after
three innings. SKS scored their runs on an rbi single by Jake
Underwood and a sac fly by Jamie Everett in the first inning, and
a game tying three run home run by Underwood in the third.
Thortons would put up another run in the top of the fifth and go
scoreless in the top of the sixth, but the Kids would answer back.
Joe Horvath hit his second grand slam of the tournament, and
fourth home run overall to highlight a four run fifth inning and then
SKS would put the game away in the sixth as Jake Underwood
would hit a two run homer and three batters later, his father, Carl,
would end the game with a 458-foot* three run home run to give
the Kids a walk off winner, 17-6 (* courtesy Google Earth).
With the win, SKS secured a spot in the championship bracket on Sunday morning, beginning at 8am.
After an hour delay of letting the hard working grounds crew better prepare the fields for play, the Kids
were set to face a young and determined Zannesville softball team. The infield was still in rough shape, but
the outfield had improved a little.
Street Kids put up three runs in the bottom of the second inning, highlighted by a Carl Underwood home
run, but Zannesville would answer back with a two run home run in the top of the fourth, then six more
runs in the top of the fifth. But the Kids would answer back with a six-spot of their own in the fifth,
highlighted by two three run homers by Jamie Everett and Carl Underwood, his fourth of the tournament.
After five innings, the Kids held a slim 9-8
lead, but after some shaky defense by what
was nearly a perfect defense on the part of
SKS all weekend, Zannesville was able to
capitalize and put seven runs on the board
in the top of the sixth inning, taking a 15-9
lead. The Kids would manufacture three
runs in the bottom of the sixth to bring the
score to 15-12 and after shutting down
Zannesville with some more great defense
(one of the best infield plays of the
tournament by Dan Garey!), SKS headed
into the bottom of the seventh inning, facing
elimination. They needed three to tie and
four to win, and still had a home run to hit,
so chances looked good for the Kids...
Carl Underwood led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch
runner Joe Richard after Dan Garey walked as well, bringing
the tying run to the plate in Jason Fowler. Fowler hit a rocket
on the ground to the first baseman, who probably would not
have fielded it at all if the mud was not so thick. He forced
Garey out at second, and Fowler reached first on a fielders
choice, while Richard moved to third base. Now there was
one out, still two men on base and big Hank Minix at the plate.
"When I saw the momentum swinging in our direction and saw
Hank walking to the plate, I was thinking this game is over,"
said Jamie Everett.
But Minix could not get a could pitch to drive and was forced to hit the ball on the ground. Due to the
rough infield, the shortstop was unable to turn a double play, and Richard scored on Minix' fielders
choice, bringing the score to within two runs. That brought Scott Goodwin, a player with plenty of power
to tie the game, to the plate. But the pitcher did a great job of
giving Goodwin nothing up in his "wheel house" but Goodwin
was able to drive the ball hard up the middle, actually striking
the pitcher in the leg, but bouncing right to the waiting hands of
the shortstop, who threw out Minix at second to end the game,
and send Street Kids home for the weekend. The final score
was 15-13.
"It was a tough loss," said TJ Jorgensen. "They were a good
team, but the better team did not win this game. We just
couldn't come through late when we had the chance."
There will be plenty of second guessing on several decisions
made that may or may not have effected the outcome of the
game, but in the end, the team that will average over 20 runs
a game all season, failed to beat Zannesville, who ended up finishing third in the WSL C division.
"This is one tournament," said Lanny Fisher,
who made only three outs all weekend. "It
sucks we lost, of course, and we all should
be disappointed, but looking at the glass half
full, we have a long and exciting season ahead
of us. We'll put this behind us and get ready
for Grand Rapids."
The Kids (16-2 overall) will travel to Grand
Rapids, Michigan on March 29th for the NSA
Class B/C Grand Slam event, their first NSA
event of 2008. They will be without Dan
Garey, who is scheduled for an appendectomy
on March 20th, and will be out for about four
weeks, and Hank Minix, who has a previously scheduled family wedding.
See the box scores on this page for an in depth look at each players performance.
The weather was wet and muddy but it was
not enough to stop the opening of the 2008
softball season!
The Street Kids/Easton/PAS softball team
traveled down to Cincinnati, Ohio this
weekend with hopes of winning their fifth
straight tournament, dating back to last
season. They already won their first two
events of this season in Jackson, Michigan
and a tournament win at the 7th annual
World Softball League Bash for Cash
would be a great start to this year.
Friday night featured the annual softball celebrity home run derby, featuring elite players like Rusty
Baumgardner, Jeff Hall and Street Kids
Easton sponsor, Brett Helmer. Each of
the superstar players of softball hit
mammoth shots that traveled over 500
feet and impressed the crowd. In the end,
the Easton team of Helmer and Wegman
won the event.
On Saturday, a continuous light rain fell
throughout the day, bringing along with it
some very muddy conditions. The outfield
had standing water everywhere. The base
paths seemed more like a military training
ground than a softball diamond. But the
games must go on, and on they went!
The SKS team began around 5pm after a rain delay, as they drew Team Oakley for their first of three
pool play games. The Kids were down by nine runs before they even took to the field but 2006 MVP
Hank Minix got them on the board with a monstrous three run home run, his 128th career home run in a
Street Kid uniform (only two years). After Oakley went quietly in the top of the third, SKS came back
with eight runs, highlighted by a three run home run by SK single season home run king, Joe Horvath, his
124th in a SKS uniform, and a three run shot by Dan Garey. Two batters later, Minix answered with his
second home run of the game. The teams would go back and forth, including Jake Underwood
connecting for a three run shot, one of five hits he had in the game,
and a grand slam by Jamie Everett in the seventh inning, but they
would fall one run short, losing to Oakley, 25-24. Ironically, they
lost to this same team last season, by the exact same score.
Street Kids would not hang their heads low, however, as they
prepared for Last Call, their next opponent in the round robin
pool. This time, they would not wait to score some runs as they
put 16 on the board in the first inning. Horvath connected for his
second home run of the tournament, and the first of two he would
hit in the game. Carl Underwood connected for a home run in the
inning then Dan Garey ended the first inning scoring surge with a
three run shot to left center. The Kids would tack on 11 more runs
in the second inning, highlighted by another home run by Horvath,
this time a grand slam, and that would be enough to put away
Last Call, 27-3 the final score.
That set up a big showdown against Class B powerhouse,
Thortons/Circle City in a game that both teams needed to win in
order to get into the championship "money" bracket on Sunday.
Both teams started slow, as the score would be tied at five after
three innings. SKS scored their runs on an rbi single by Jake
Underwood and a sac fly by Jamie Everett in the first inning, and
a game tying three run home run by Underwood in the third.
Thortons would put up another run in the top of the fifth and go
scoreless in the top of the sixth, but the Kids would answer back.
Joe Horvath hit his second grand slam of the tournament, and
fourth home run overall to highlight a four run fifth inning and then
SKS would put the game away in the sixth as Jake Underwood
would hit a two run homer and three batters later, his father, Carl,
would end the game with a 458-foot* three run home run to give
the Kids a walk off winner, 17-6 (* courtesy Google Earth).
With the win, SKS secured a spot in the championship bracket on Sunday morning, beginning at 8am.
After an hour delay of letting the hard working grounds crew better prepare the fields for play, the Kids
were set to face a young and determined Zannesville softball team. The infield was still in rough shape, but
the outfield had improved a little.
Street Kids put up three runs in the bottom of the second inning, highlighted by a Carl Underwood home
run, but Zannesville would answer back with a two run home run in the top of the fourth, then six more
runs in the top of the fifth. But the Kids would answer back with a six-spot of their own in the fifth,
highlighted by two three run homers by Jamie Everett and Carl Underwood, his fourth of the tournament.
After five innings, the Kids held a slim 9-8
lead, but after some shaky defense by what
was nearly a perfect defense on the part of
SKS all weekend, Zannesville was able to
capitalize and put seven runs on the board
in the top of the sixth inning, taking a 15-9
lead. The Kids would manufacture three
runs in the bottom of the sixth to bring the
score to 15-12 and after shutting down
Zannesville with some more great defense
(one of the best infield plays of the
tournament by Dan Garey!), SKS headed
into the bottom of the seventh inning, facing
elimination. They needed three to tie and
four to win, and still had a home run to hit,
so chances looked good for the Kids...
Carl Underwood led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch
runner Joe Richard after Dan Garey walked as well, bringing
the tying run to the plate in Jason Fowler. Fowler hit a rocket
on the ground to the first baseman, who probably would not
have fielded it at all if the mud was not so thick. He forced
Garey out at second, and Fowler reached first on a fielders
choice, while Richard moved to third base. Now there was
one out, still two men on base and big Hank Minix at the plate.
"When I saw the momentum swinging in our direction and saw
Hank walking to the plate, I was thinking this game is over,"
said Jamie Everett.
But Minix could not get a could pitch to drive and was forced to hit the ball on the ground. Due to the
rough infield, the shortstop was unable to turn a double play, and Richard scored on Minix' fielders
choice, bringing the score to within two runs. That brought Scott Goodwin, a player with plenty of power
to tie the game, to the plate. But the pitcher did a great job of
giving Goodwin nothing up in his "wheel house" but Goodwin
was able to drive the ball hard up the middle, actually striking
the pitcher in the leg, but bouncing right to the waiting hands of
the shortstop, who threw out Minix at second to end the game,
and send Street Kids home for the weekend. The final score
was 15-13.
"It was a tough loss," said TJ Jorgensen. "They were a good
team, but the better team did not win this game. We just
couldn't come through late when we had the chance."
There will be plenty of second guessing on several decisions
made that may or may not have effected the outcome of the
game, but in the end, the team that will average over 20 runs
a game all season, failed to beat Zannesville, who ended up finishing third in the WSL C division.
"This is one tournament," said Lanny Fisher,
who made only three outs all weekend. "It
sucks we lost, of course, and we all should
be disappointed, but looking at the glass half
full, we have a long and exciting season ahead
of us. We'll put this behind us and get ready
for Grand Rapids."
The Kids (16-2 overall) will travel to Grand
Rapids, Michigan on March 29th for the NSA
Class B/C Grand Slam event, their first NSA
event of 2008. They will be without Dan
Garey, who is scheduled for an appendectomy
on March 20th, and will be out for about four
weeks, and Hank Minix, who has a previously scheduled family wedding.
See the box scores on this page for an in depth look at each players performance.
Bash for Cash
Game by Game Scores
Game 1 vs. Team Oakley, Lost 25-24
Game 2 vs. Last Call, Won 27-3
Game 3 vs. Thortons, Won 17-6
Game 4 vs. Zannesville, Lost 15-13
Game by Game Scores
Game 1 vs. Team Oakley, Lost 25-24
Game 2 vs. Last Call, Won 27-3
Game 3 vs. Thortons, Won 17-6
Game 4 vs. Zannesville, Lost 15-13
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