| Street Kids Roll Through Jackson, Win First Tourney |
Jackson, MI-
Even though the calendar read "January", the Street Kids
Softball team were on the field, playing in their first tournament
of the 2008 season. The site was Jackson, Michigan, in the
aptly titled location, the Jackson Dome.
The rules in the Dome are a little different than outside. The
game is only five innings or 30 minutes long, whichever occurs
first. The walls are live, therefore if you hit a monstrous shot
toward the center field wall and it does not reach the "home
run" mark in the top two nets, the outfielder can catch the ball
before it hits the ground and the batter is out. Needless to say,
if you got three plate appearances in any game, it was a bonus.
The Kids opened up against Advertise Here and quickly
dispatched them, 11-5. Lanny Fisher, Jake Underwood, Joe
Horvath and Shane Varga all had two hits while Horvath drove
in a team high four runs in the game.
In the second of four round robin games, SKS played
hometown rivals and friends Kromer Softball from the South
Bend area. The Kids were hot as they ran away with a 16-3
win in four innings before the time clock ended the game.
Horvath and Dan Garey each had three hits in the game and
Jake Underwood hit a grand slam in the second inning. Along
with Chris Firebaugh, who also homered in the game,
Underwood drove in a team high four runs in the game.
Even though the calendar read "January", the Street Kids
Softball team were on the field, playing in their first tournament
of the 2008 season. The site was Jackson, Michigan, in the
aptly titled location, the Jackson Dome.
The rules in the Dome are a little different than outside. The
game is only five innings or 30 minutes long, whichever occurs
first. The walls are live, therefore if you hit a monstrous shot
toward the center field wall and it does not reach the "home
run" mark in the top two nets, the outfielder can catch the ball
before it hits the ground and the batter is out. Needless to say,
if you got three plate appearances in any game, it was a bonus.
The Kids opened up against Advertise Here and quickly
dispatched them, 11-5. Lanny Fisher, Jake Underwood, Joe
Horvath and Shane Varga all had two hits while Horvath drove
in a team high four runs in the game.
In the second of four round robin games, SKS played
hometown rivals and friends Kromer Softball from the South
Bend area. The Kids were hot as they ran away with a 16-3
win in four innings before the time clock ended the game.
Horvath and Dan Garey each had three hits in the game and
Jake Underwood hit a grand slam in the second inning. Along
with Chris Firebaugh, who also homered in the game,
Underwood drove in a team high four runs in the game.
| Dan Garey, top, and Jake Underwood, above, led the Kids with 12 hits each on Saturday at the Jackson Dome. |
Game three would prove to be the Kids toughest competition as they played a veteran team from Detroit
called Motor City Fire. The Kids would have to rally late, scoring four runs in the last two innings to win,
8-6. Jake Underwood, Carl Underwood, Varga and Hank Minix all had two hits each in the game.
The final round robin game was against Advantage Rent to Own, a scrappy team with a loud mouth
shortstop. They would lead this game for at one point 5-0 before the Kids battled back to win 7-5. Joe
Richard started the comeback in the third inning with a two run home run to put the Kids on the board.
Tony Hardiman would come to the plate with the bases loaded and deliver a big two run double. Lanny
Fisher then singled to tie the game and Horvath then singled, scoring Hardiman, giving the Street Kids a
6-5 lead. TJ Jorgensen lead off the fifth inning with a double to center and after a single by Firebaugh,
would score on a sac fly by Les Marcum.
Leading the way with two hits each in that game were Garey, Jorgensen and Firebaugh.
After receiving the number one seed in the single elimination game, the Kids were paired against Motor
City Fire, but this time, the game would not be as close, as the Kids would win easily, 16-1.
Leading the way with three hits each were Jake Underwood, Carl Underwood and Dan Garey. Jake
Underwood homered in the game, as did Shane Varga - who hit a grand slam - and Nick Bishop, who
connected for a solo shot in the third inning.
Several players from the Motor City team didn't take too kindly to the way the Street Kids players were
hitting the ball so hard inside on such a fast turf. Several balls were hit back at the Motor City pitcher -
who earned a new knick name from Joe Horvath - and he didn't take too kindly to that, despite the
Motor City players trying to hit balls back at SKS pitcher Lanny Fisher all game. Most of the time, they
were baby ground balls because their anger got the best of them and some how forgot how to hit a ball
square. After words were exchanged, players emptied the dugouts and walked to the middle of the field
were the Motor City pitcher - we will call him F.A. - was approaching Fisher.
called Motor City Fire. The Kids would have to rally late, scoring four runs in the last two innings to win,
8-6. Jake Underwood, Carl Underwood, Varga and Hank Minix all had two hits each in the game.
The final round robin game was against Advantage Rent to Own, a scrappy team with a loud mouth
shortstop. They would lead this game for at one point 5-0 before the Kids battled back to win 7-5. Joe
Richard started the comeback in the third inning with a two run home run to put the Kids on the board.
Tony Hardiman would come to the plate with the bases loaded and deliver a big two run double. Lanny
Fisher then singled to tie the game and Horvath then singled, scoring Hardiman, giving the Street Kids a
6-5 lead. TJ Jorgensen lead off the fifth inning with a double to center and after a single by Firebaugh,
would score on a sac fly by Les Marcum.
Leading the way with two hits each in that game were Garey, Jorgensen and Firebaugh.
After receiving the number one seed in the single elimination game, the Kids were paired against Motor
City Fire, but this time, the game would not be as close, as the Kids would win easily, 16-1.
Leading the way with three hits each were Jake Underwood, Carl Underwood and Dan Garey. Jake
Underwood homered in the game, as did Shane Varga - who hit a grand slam - and Nick Bishop, who
connected for a solo shot in the third inning.
Several players from the Motor City team didn't take too kindly to the way the Street Kids players were
hitting the ball so hard inside on such a fast turf. Several balls were hit back at the Motor City pitcher -
who earned a new knick name from Joe Horvath - and he didn't take too kindly to that, despite the
Motor City players trying to hit balls back at SKS pitcher Lanny Fisher all game. Most of the time, they
were baby ground balls because their anger got the best of them and some how forgot how to hit a ball
square. After words were exchanged, players emptied the dugouts and walked to the middle of the field
were the Motor City pitcher - we will call him F.A. - was approaching Fisher.
After coolers heads prevailed, the
Kids quickly dispatched of the
Fire team and moved on to the
semi final game against Kromer
Softball.
This would prove to be the
toughest game for the Kids as
Kromers gave it all they could to
beat SKS, holding on to a 4-0
lead going into the bottom of the
fourth inning. But like they did so
many times last year, the Kids
rallied with a big inning.
Tony Hardiman led off the inning
with a sharp liner to center but it
was snagged by the middle
infielder for teh first out. Lanny
Fisher and Jake Underwood both
singled and Fisher reached third
on Underwood's single. Next up
was Horvath, who hit a rocket at
Kids quickly dispatched of the
Fire team and moved on to the
semi final game against Kromer
Softball.
This would prove to be the
toughest game for the Kids as
Kromers gave it all they could to
beat SKS, holding on to a 4-0
lead going into the bottom of the
fourth inning. But like they did so
many times last year, the Kids
rallied with a big inning.
Tony Hardiman led off the inning
with a sharp liner to center but it
was snagged by the middle
infielder for teh first out. Lanny
Fisher and Jake Underwood both
singled and Fisher reached third
on Underwood's single. Next up
was Horvath, who hit a rocket at
the third baseman, who fired to second for the second out of the inning but Horvath hustled down the line to
beat the return throw to first, allowing not only Fisher to score the first run for the Kids, but keeping them
alive in the game.
"That play by Joe was big because the timer was about to go off," said assistant coach JR Shapiro. "If he
doesn't hustle that out, we lost the game and the tournament."
Horvath's speed allowed Carl Underwood a chance to hit and he made it count, connected for a monster
home run to left, bringing the Kids to within one run. With two outs, Jamie Everett lined a double to center
and that paved the way for Shane Varga to hit his second home run of the tournament, a two run shot that
gave the Kids the 5-4 lead and eventual win.
The championship game was now set between the Kids and Advantage Rent to Own. But despite some
trash talking between Advantage's shortstop and a few SK players, the game was wasn't close as the Street
Kids team would put away Advantage 5-1 and win the game and the tournament. Dan Garey, Joe Richard
and Chris Firebaugh all had two hits each in the win and Garey hit the only home run of the game.
The win gives the Kids their first tourney win of the season and they will now rest and focus on taking
swings and getting ready for their next tournament on the schedule, which happens to be back in the
Jackson Dome on February 23rd.
beat the return throw to first, allowing not only Fisher to score the first run for the Kids, but keeping them
alive in the game.
"That play by Joe was big because the timer was about to go off," said assistant coach JR Shapiro. "If he
doesn't hustle that out, we lost the game and the tournament."
Horvath's speed allowed Carl Underwood a chance to hit and he made it count, connected for a monster
home run to left, bringing the Kids to within one run. With two outs, Jamie Everett lined a double to center
and that paved the way for Shane Varga to hit his second home run of the tournament, a two run shot that
gave the Kids the 5-4 lead and eventual win.
The championship game was now set between the Kids and Advantage Rent to Own. But despite some
trash talking between Advantage's shortstop and a few SK players, the game was wasn't close as the Street
Kids team would put away Advantage 5-1 and win the game and the tournament. Dan Garey, Joe Richard
and Chris Firebaugh all had two hits each in the win and Garey hit the only home run of the game.
The win gives the Kids their first tourney win of the season and they will now rest and focus on taking
swings and getting ready for their next tournament on the schedule, which happens to be back in the
Jackson Dome on February 23rd.
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