Well here we are senior day! I was really hoping for a win today but it again wasn't in the cards. As I watched the game today and the post game senior stuff, I felt mixed emotions. It put a smile on my face to be honoring 4 beautiful talented young ladies for the hard work they put in for this program over the last 4 years! But I felt sad. I felt sad because they couldn't get the win today and I felt sad because I know these seniors must be be feeling pretty low about how Pac-12 season has gone.
It's been a rough weekend and just a rough Pac-12 season all the way around. People keep asking me what is wrong and honestly I don't know. Other than they aren't winning, I don't know. But I refuse to point fingers and put blame on one person. I've seen several people try to place the blame on Kaitlin Inglesby and that bothers me. I'm not saying she hasn't struggled but that girl puts enough pressure on herself, she doesn't need ours too! She can't win by herself and she can't lose by herself. I love this team and I will never ever give up on them! They are fighting hard and they want to win! I see alot of good things from this team. They have great chemistry and support each other! Always smiles, pats on the back, and a word of encouragement! There is so much talent there! They just seem to have lost their confidence! They go to Stanford next weekend and then have 2 weeks off to rest, heal injuries, regroup, and try to figure this thing out! I believe in them and I believe they can do it!
I love to watch Coach Tarr in the 3rd base coaches box! Always encouraging, always clapping, and always smiling! She is such a beautiful person inside and out! She loves this game so much and loves these girls so much! It's an honor to watch her coach and I enjoy every time I get too!
Congrats to the seniors on 4 wonderful years and thank you for a job well done! Congrats to all the seniors out there as they approach their senior days and finish out their careers!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Sorry it's been so long!
I keep meaning to write and just haven't had a chance. I think about it and then put it off and it never gets done. But here I am actually writing this time lol! Adversity has continued to be the theme of this Pac-12 season for the Huskies. Not gonna lie here it's been a rough one. Not at all what I expected after the incredible preseason they had.
After getting swept by Cal they came home to play Arizona. Honestly I felt pretty good about that series. They played well at Cal, just didn't have quite enough to get the wins and Arizona had been struggling. I really felt confident that they could out and atleast take 2. But life has an odd way of doing it's own thing and not always following what you think will happen or what should happen. They got beat the first 2 games and won last. That series started a grueling 8(was supposed to be 9 but I'll get back to that) in 8 days section of the schedule. They had to add that in because of the addition of Utah so all the teams could get all their games in. That is something Pac-12 schools are used to and neither am I lol. So I'm thinking well they got a win to end the weekend and now they can build on that. They went Oregon in the middle of the week for what turned out to be more about rain delays than actually playing softball. They got through the 5th inning of the 1st game before the flood gates opened. They were losing and I hoped coming back the next day to finish the game would give them the spark to come back and win it. They were supposed to start at like 11 the next moring and didn't end up starting until like 1 I think. They didn't come back and dropped game 1. They did however pull out a win in game 2 and even the series at 1-1. Because of all the rain delays that was all they could get in. 2 days later UCLA came to town. Again I'm thinking this is a team that has struggled surly they'll bounce back and take atleaast 2. The first game they got out to a 5-0 lead. Kaitlin was pitching a 1 hit ball game and looked great. I thought for sure they had this one and they were finally back on track and then we got to the 6th inning. I don't know what happened the wheels fell off and UCLA scored 7 in that inning alone to win the game. That loss just seem to take the wind out of their sails and they were never in the 2nd game. They didn't even score a run. Finally they came back and won the 3rd game and looked pretty good. I didn't even bother thinking they'd be able to build off that win because I'd already seen a trend with this team and it wasn't building off wins sadly. They played OSU yesterday. They jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Kaitlin was a pitching well and then the 6th inning happened. They gave up 3 runs without giving up a hit. They had 4 errors that inning, 2 of which were on Kaitlin. She only actually gave up 3 hits and 1 earned run. I was and still am devastated for her. She started again today and made it only 2 innings after giving up 6 runs including a 3 run HR. But the Huskies got a great relief work from both Kasey and Bryana! OSU didn't score another run after that and it was enough time for the Huskies to get the offense going. In the 2nd inning, Hooch hit a double and Shawna hit a 2 run HR to tie the score at 3. Then of course Kaitlin gave up the 3 run HR. In the 3rd, Niki hits a solo HR to make the score 6-4. It stays that way until the 6th when Hooch hit a 2 run HR to tie the game at 6! It would stay that way until the top of the 9th when Niki would again come through with another solo HR! Bottom of the 9th with 2 runners on and 1 out the hitter lines out to Victoria in left and the runner at 3rd tags up to try to steal. Victoria throws a bullet from left field to Shawna at home to get the double play and seal the win! I was beyond happy for them! I hope tomorrow they come out ready to play and can clinch the series!
It's been a rough Pac-12 season but these girls have continued to fight. I feel for Kaitlin and I know she is feeling a ton of pressure right now. I see it when I watch her pitch and I see it when I watch her hit. I hope she knows the things that have happened are not her fault! She has had her problems but this team would be much worse off without her!! She is such a force in that circle and in the batters box. I forget sometimes myself just how young she is! I love to watch her play when she is on. She looks so much taller than 6'1" out there! I'm glad she is only a sophomore and I can't wait to see the player she develops into!
I was just thinking earlier that with next weekend being the last home games of the regular season, Sunday will be senior day. Huskies have 4 amazing Seniors this year. They have one of the fastest players I have ever seen and one heck of a center fielder Kimi Pohlman! Watching Kimi on the base paths is always fun! She is fast and not afraid to steal! Another great outfielder who can only play a pretty mean 1st base and one of the best all around hitters I have ever seen, in Nikia Williams! You just never know what Nikia(also know as Nki but I like the name Nikia better lol) is going to do! She has a such a beautiful swing and can flat smash the ball! She has so much love and passion for the game! Then there is Taylor Smith! For Taylor her time with the Huskies has not always gone as planned. Injuries have been an issue for Taylor and she missed about half the season last year with a back injury. She ended up needing surgery. But something that I love about Taylor is her 100% devotion to this team. Seriously less than 2 weeks after having major back surgery she hops on the plane with the rest of the girls and flies all the way to Mizzou for the Super Regionals and was there to cheer them on! You won't find too many more people who are more devoted to a group of people than Taylor is! And last but not least Jenna Clifton! Jenna came to UW as a pitcher but that never really panned out. But that hasn't kept her from doing what she could to help the team. They use her in the outfield some but where you see her most is going to be coming in to PH and PR. She has been very clutch and come up with big hits when they were really needed! She can also fly around the bases and steal bases! I don't know any of these girls but from what I've seen Jenna seems to be very sweet but yet very devoted to this team and the sport of softball! All 4 of these women will be very missed! But their legacy lives on. In my heart this group of seniors and this senior day is special. This group of seniors are the last girls left from the National Championship team! To me it's kind of like after this season that will officially be a memory! These ladies were just freshman in 09 when the Huskies brought home that trophy but they were all a big part of that run. Now they are seniors and are doing their best to lead a very young team. They have been great leaders and so much fun to watch these last 4 years! I know they must be thinking the same thing I am.... I can't believe it's almost over! Where did the last 4 years go? Very soon their time in the purple and gold will over and but a memory but the lessons they've taught these young girls will live on. The memories and joy they brought to us over the last 4 years will live on in our hearts and will never forget the class of 2012! I can't believe Senior day is next weekend! It seriously seems like we were just saying goodbye to Jenn, Morgan, and Ashley like last month and now they've been gone almost a year! It still seems funny to look at the field and not see Jenn and Morgan scooping up everything that comes their way. But time Marches on and we have 3 new young ladies to watch grown and develop in that infield! But to the class of 2012 I say this, no matter how this season turns out you hold your heads up high and know you've done a wonderful job! Thank you! Thank you for the job you've done for this team, the long hours your put in to make yourself a better player so you could help the team be better, thank you for standing outside signing autographs for hours when I know you would much rather be inside taking a shower or getting something to eat or simply resting, thank you for still signing those autographs after a rough game when I know you'd much rather be anywhere else, and thank you for always setting a good example for all the little girls watching you! Thank you for the memories and the joy! Thank you for letting us hurt with you when nothing goes right and smile and laugh with you when everything goes right! I wish you all the best in whatever you do from here! There is no doubt in my mind you will all be very successful in whatever you do from here!
Now on to something else now that I find myself with eyes full of tears lol! I got to watch 2 games from the opening weekend of the Japanese league and let me tell you I was impressed! I now fully understand why these women from her go back season after season! That is how professional softball should be played. They had big loud crowds! They had a great field that they were playing at! Both games I watched were very good games! The first game was Lauren Lappin's team. They fell in extra innings but I enjoyed watching Lauren. Here she is the only American on this team. Nobody else speaks the same language she does but she was still a huge part of that team. She still found a way to communicate with her pitcher! I thought it was really awesome! I wis her team much luck and success this season! I then watched Megan Wills and Danielle Lawrie's team! Danielle pitched a great game and Megan called a great game! Those two have a wonderful natural chemistry together! It was alot of fun to watch! Their team made a late game comeback in 7th and won! I was very happy for them! From what I've heard both Monica Abbot and Natasha Whatley's team and Jordan Taylor and Megan Wiggin's team are off to great starts! Monica opened up league play by throwing a 1 hitter and Natasha had the walk off single to win the game! Not a bad way to start! One thing I noticed very quickly about these teams is most of the girls on these teams are left handed hitters. You might have 2 maybe 3 right handed hitters but most are left handed. They don't play alot of long ball. Their game is mostly short ball. Put the ball in play and try to beat it out. They are all super fast and one bobble and they are going to be safe! The pitchers were most movement pitcher again, not alot of power. The only power pitcher I saw was Danielle. The other 3 were movement pitchers with not much speed. But let me tell you they did a great job with the movement and I saw alot of strikeouts by all the pitchers. But a light bulb went off in my brain as I watch this as to why Monica has had so much success over there aside from the fact that she is just a dang good pitcher. She is left handed and she throws with a ton of speed and power! That is something those Japanese hitters haven't seen alot of and the end result is Monica being very dominate over there! I wish the best of luck to all the teams and all the Americans(or in Danielle's case Canadians lol) over there good luck!!
NPF season is just around the corner! I can't wait! I love college ball but I am ready for some NPF!!
Well that is all I have for now! Go Huskies!! Boomer Sooner!! RTR! Go Bama! FTG!
After getting swept by Cal they came home to play Arizona. Honestly I felt pretty good about that series. They played well at Cal, just didn't have quite enough to get the wins and Arizona had been struggling. I really felt confident that they could out and atleast take 2. But life has an odd way of doing it's own thing and not always following what you think will happen or what should happen. They got beat the first 2 games and won last. That series started a grueling 8(was supposed to be 9 but I'll get back to that) in 8 days section of the schedule. They had to add that in because of the addition of Utah so all the teams could get all their games in. That is something Pac-12 schools are used to and neither am I lol. So I'm thinking well they got a win to end the weekend and now they can build on that. They went Oregon in the middle of the week for what turned out to be more about rain delays than actually playing softball. They got through the 5th inning of the 1st game before the flood gates opened. They were losing and I hoped coming back the next day to finish the game would give them the spark to come back and win it. They were supposed to start at like 11 the next moring and didn't end up starting until like 1 I think. They didn't come back and dropped game 1. They did however pull out a win in game 2 and even the series at 1-1. Because of all the rain delays that was all they could get in. 2 days later UCLA came to town. Again I'm thinking this is a team that has struggled surly they'll bounce back and take atleaast 2. The first game they got out to a 5-0 lead. Kaitlin was pitching a 1 hit ball game and looked great. I thought for sure they had this one and they were finally back on track and then we got to the 6th inning. I don't know what happened the wheels fell off and UCLA scored 7 in that inning alone to win the game. That loss just seem to take the wind out of their sails and they were never in the 2nd game. They didn't even score a run. Finally they came back and won the 3rd game and looked pretty good. I didn't even bother thinking they'd be able to build off that win because I'd already seen a trend with this team and it wasn't building off wins sadly. They played OSU yesterday. They jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Kaitlin was a pitching well and then the 6th inning happened. They gave up 3 runs without giving up a hit. They had 4 errors that inning, 2 of which were on Kaitlin. She only actually gave up 3 hits and 1 earned run. I was and still am devastated for her. She started again today and made it only 2 innings after giving up 6 runs including a 3 run HR. But the Huskies got a great relief work from both Kasey and Bryana! OSU didn't score another run after that and it was enough time for the Huskies to get the offense going. In the 2nd inning, Hooch hit a double and Shawna hit a 2 run HR to tie the score at 3. Then of course Kaitlin gave up the 3 run HR. In the 3rd, Niki hits a solo HR to make the score 6-4. It stays that way until the 6th when Hooch hit a 2 run HR to tie the game at 6! It would stay that way until the top of the 9th when Niki would again come through with another solo HR! Bottom of the 9th with 2 runners on and 1 out the hitter lines out to Victoria in left and the runner at 3rd tags up to try to steal. Victoria throws a bullet from left field to Shawna at home to get the double play and seal the win! I was beyond happy for them! I hope tomorrow they come out ready to play and can clinch the series!
It's been a rough Pac-12 season but these girls have continued to fight. I feel for Kaitlin and I know she is feeling a ton of pressure right now. I see it when I watch her pitch and I see it when I watch her hit. I hope she knows the things that have happened are not her fault! She has had her problems but this team would be much worse off without her!! She is such a force in that circle and in the batters box. I forget sometimes myself just how young she is! I love to watch her play when she is on. She looks so much taller than 6'1" out there! I'm glad she is only a sophomore and I can't wait to see the player she develops into!
I was just thinking earlier that with next weekend being the last home games of the regular season, Sunday will be senior day. Huskies have 4 amazing Seniors this year. They have one of the fastest players I have ever seen and one heck of a center fielder Kimi Pohlman! Watching Kimi on the base paths is always fun! She is fast and not afraid to steal! Another great outfielder who can only play a pretty mean 1st base and one of the best all around hitters I have ever seen, in Nikia Williams! You just never know what Nikia(also know as Nki but I like the name Nikia better lol) is going to do! She has a such a beautiful swing and can flat smash the ball! She has so much love and passion for the game! Then there is Taylor Smith! For Taylor her time with the Huskies has not always gone as planned. Injuries have been an issue for Taylor and she missed about half the season last year with a back injury. She ended up needing surgery. But something that I love about Taylor is her 100% devotion to this team. Seriously less than 2 weeks after having major back surgery she hops on the plane with the rest of the girls and flies all the way to Mizzou for the Super Regionals and was there to cheer them on! You won't find too many more people who are more devoted to a group of people than Taylor is! And last but not least Jenna Clifton! Jenna came to UW as a pitcher but that never really panned out. But that hasn't kept her from doing what she could to help the team. They use her in the outfield some but where you see her most is going to be coming in to PH and PR. She has been very clutch and come up with big hits when they were really needed! She can also fly around the bases and steal bases! I don't know any of these girls but from what I've seen Jenna seems to be very sweet but yet very devoted to this team and the sport of softball! All 4 of these women will be very missed! But their legacy lives on. In my heart this group of seniors and this senior day is special. This group of seniors are the last girls left from the National Championship team! To me it's kind of like after this season that will officially be a memory! These ladies were just freshman in 09 when the Huskies brought home that trophy but they were all a big part of that run. Now they are seniors and are doing their best to lead a very young team. They have been great leaders and so much fun to watch these last 4 years! I know they must be thinking the same thing I am.... I can't believe it's almost over! Where did the last 4 years go? Very soon their time in the purple and gold will over and but a memory but the lessons they've taught these young girls will live on. The memories and joy they brought to us over the last 4 years will live on in our hearts and will never forget the class of 2012! I can't believe Senior day is next weekend! It seriously seems like we were just saying goodbye to Jenn, Morgan, and Ashley like last month and now they've been gone almost a year! It still seems funny to look at the field and not see Jenn and Morgan scooping up everything that comes their way. But time Marches on and we have 3 new young ladies to watch grown and develop in that infield! But to the class of 2012 I say this, no matter how this season turns out you hold your heads up high and know you've done a wonderful job! Thank you! Thank you for the job you've done for this team, the long hours your put in to make yourself a better player so you could help the team be better, thank you for standing outside signing autographs for hours when I know you would much rather be inside taking a shower or getting something to eat or simply resting, thank you for still signing those autographs after a rough game when I know you'd much rather be anywhere else, and thank you for always setting a good example for all the little girls watching you! Thank you for the memories and the joy! Thank you for letting us hurt with you when nothing goes right and smile and laugh with you when everything goes right! I wish you all the best in whatever you do from here! There is no doubt in my mind you will all be very successful in whatever you do from here!
Now on to something else now that I find myself with eyes full of tears lol! I got to watch 2 games from the opening weekend of the Japanese league and let me tell you I was impressed! I now fully understand why these women from her go back season after season! That is how professional softball should be played. They had big loud crowds! They had a great field that they were playing at! Both games I watched were very good games! The first game was Lauren Lappin's team. They fell in extra innings but I enjoyed watching Lauren. Here she is the only American on this team. Nobody else speaks the same language she does but she was still a huge part of that team. She still found a way to communicate with her pitcher! I thought it was really awesome! I wis her team much luck and success this season! I then watched Megan Wills and Danielle Lawrie's team! Danielle pitched a great game and Megan called a great game! Those two have a wonderful natural chemistry together! It was alot of fun to watch! Their team made a late game comeback in 7th and won! I was very happy for them! From what I've heard both Monica Abbot and Natasha Whatley's team and Jordan Taylor and Megan Wiggin's team are off to great starts! Monica opened up league play by throwing a 1 hitter and Natasha had the walk off single to win the game! Not a bad way to start! One thing I noticed very quickly about these teams is most of the girls on these teams are left handed hitters. You might have 2 maybe 3 right handed hitters but most are left handed. They don't play alot of long ball. Their game is mostly short ball. Put the ball in play and try to beat it out. They are all super fast and one bobble and they are going to be safe! The pitchers were most movement pitcher again, not alot of power. The only power pitcher I saw was Danielle. The other 3 were movement pitchers with not much speed. But let me tell you they did a great job with the movement and I saw alot of strikeouts by all the pitchers. But a light bulb went off in my brain as I watch this as to why Monica has had so much success over there aside from the fact that she is just a dang good pitcher. She is left handed and she throws with a ton of speed and power! That is something those Japanese hitters haven't seen alot of and the end result is Monica being very dominate over there! I wish the best of luck to all the teams and all the Americans(or in Danielle's case Canadians lol) over there good luck!!
NPF season is just around the corner! I can't wait! I love college ball but I am ready for some NPF!!
Well that is all I have for now! Go Huskies!! Boomer Sooner!! RTR! Go Bama! FTG!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Adversity
I should be sleeping as it is 3:30 in the morning but obviously I'm not lol. I've been over the three games from this weekend. I followed them the best I could(I'll save that for later in the blog) and I've looked over the stats. Overall I feel pretty good about this weekend. Of course you never want to come away with 3 loses but I felt they hung around with Cal better than anybody else did all season. There were alot of very good things I "saw" this weekend. There were some things that were frustrating as well.
I'll start off with the good. I want to first start off with the defense, impaticular that freshman infield! I know I've been a little harsh at times where they were concerned. But they have played 5 very clean games in a row! I don't know what changed or what clicked but they've been playing beautifully! I thought the pitching was good. The stats are a little misleading I think. Kaitlin struggled with walks on Friday night(I have opinions on that but since my information is all 2nd hand and I wasn't there I'll keep them to myself) but she didn't give up a hit until the 6th inning! She really pitched a nice game. I felt Kasey pitched a nice game as well in the first game on Sunday. She gave up a few more hits and runs than Kaitlin did but overall she held her own. She again continues to amaze me and she certainly doesn't pitch like a freshman! She has alot to learn but she has something that can't be taught and that is mental toughness! Kaitlin's 2nd outing wasn't quite as good as the first. But I wouldn't say it was bad either. Bryana Walker came in, in relief in both games on Sunday and she did a beautiful job both games! Also I was very excited to see Nikia Williams break out of her slump and smash a 2 run HR! From what I've been told it was a monster! Also Victoria Hayward continues to have a nice season getting atleast 1 hit in every game this weekend! She is not as well known as some of the other Huskies but she will probably go down as one of my favorite all time Huskies! She is amazing at what she does, she has a great attitude, and she is such a sweet, funny, bubbly person! But I really love this whole team! There is just something special about this team!
Now to the bad. At the top of the list has to be the offense. Victoria did well against the Cal pitchers, Kaitlin did very well, Hooch had her times as did Nikia and Kimi but there wasn't much from the bottom half of the lineup. Grant it most of them are freshman but these freshman have hit well all season and seems all of a sudden they are kind of in a funk. Kylee Lahners was red hot for the vast majority of the preseason. But for about the last 3 weekends her bat has been ice cold. I'm sure she will find her stuff again but they could really use her bat as well as some of the other girls in the bottom part of the lineups bats!
I have to say I was very disappointed in what Cal could offer us to be able to follow the games this weekend. They didn't even have a good enough internet access to tweet consistently themselves or run gametracker. I had to follow the mother of their players on Twitter to find out what was going on. Don't get me wrong I'm glad she did it and we did have some way to know what was going on. But she is still a Cal parent and her Cal bias definitely came through a few times. For an elite college softball team it shouldn't be that way! It is extremely sad that no matter what this team does this season they won't be considered for hosting a regional or super regional because their facilities are so poor! This softball team deserves better and the fact that their coach and parents put up with that without saying a word is just sad. Grant it the Huskies couldn't Regionals or Super Regionals either until 2010 but it was because of lack of lights. Cal's problems are so much bigger than that! I think it's time somebody stands up for those girls and see's to it that changes are made!
Well that is all I have for now! Go Huskies! Boomer Sooner! RTR! Go Bama! FTG!
I'll start off with the good. I want to first start off with the defense, impaticular that freshman infield! I know I've been a little harsh at times where they were concerned. But they have played 5 very clean games in a row! I don't know what changed or what clicked but they've been playing beautifully! I thought the pitching was good. The stats are a little misleading I think. Kaitlin struggled with walks on Friday night(I have opinions on that but since my information is all 2nd hand and I wasn't there I'll keep them to myself) but she didn't give up a hit until the 6th inning! She really pitched a nice game. I felt Kasey pitched a nice game as well in the first game on Sunday. She gave up a few more hits and runs than Kaitlin did but overall she held her own. She again continues to amaze me and she certainly doesn't pitch like a freshman! She has alot to learn but she has something that can't be taught and that is mental toughness! Kaitlin's 2nd outing wasn't quite as good as the first. But I wouldn't say it was bad either. Bryana Walker came in, in relief in both games on Sunday and she did a beautiful job both games! Also I was very excited to see Nikia Williams break out of her slump and smash a 2 run HR! From what I've been told it was a monster! Also Victoria Hayward continues to have a nice season getting atleast 1 hit in every game this weekend! She is not as well known as some of the other Huskies but she will probably go down as one of my favorite all time Huskies! She is amazing at what she does, she has a great attitude, and she is such a sweet, funny, bubbly person! But I really love this whole team! There is just something special about this team!
Now to the bad. At the top of the list has to be the offense. Victoria did well against the Cal pitchers, Kaitlin did very well, Hooch had her times as did Nikia and Kimi but there wasn't much from the bottom half of the lineup. Grant it most of them are freshman but these freshman have hit well all season and seems all of a sudden they are kind of in a funk. Kylee Lahners was red hot for the vast majority of the preseason. But for about the last 3 weekends her bat has been ice cold. I'm sure she will find her stuff again but they could really use her bat as well as some of the other girls in the bottom part of the lineups bats!
I have to say I was very disappointed in what Cal could offer us to be able to follow the games this weekend. They didn't even have a good enough internet access to tweet consistently themselves or run gametracker. I had to follow the mother of their players on Twitter to find out what was going on. Don't get me wrong I'm glad she did it and we did have some way to know what was going on. But she is still a Cal parent and her Cal bias definitely came through a few times. For an elite college softball team it shouldn't be that way! It is extremely sad that no matter what this team does this season they won't be considered for hosting a regional or super regional because their facilities are so poor! This softball team deserves better and the fact that their coach and parents put up with that without saying a word is just sad. Grant it the Huskies couldn't Regionals or Super Regionals either until 2010 but it was because of lack of lights. Cal's problems are so much bigger than that! I think it's time somebody stands up for those girls and see's to it that changes are made!
Well that is all I have for now! Go Huskies! Boomer Sooner! RTR! Go Bama! FTG!
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