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!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
So....I lasted a whole 19 days lol!!
Hey guys! I'm back! I have resisted writing for 19 days but I can't resist anymore lol. Honestly I regretted the decision almost as soon as I made it and honestly I have no intentions at this point of changing anything! I went through some of blogs and found nothing I could or would change! The only thing I will do is include more about OU and Bama because I've been kind of neglecting them lol!
UW has continued to have a great season! The Judi Garman Classic went great! They didn't get to play OU because of weather but the won the rest of the games they played! They then went on to run rule Cal State Bakerfield twice that next Monday and just like that preseason was over and Pac-12 had begun. This part of the season always makes me nervous. Grant it, not as nervous as post season but nervous none the less! I mean it's like everything changes and everything that happened before means nothing. You can have an excellent preseason and then everything fall apart once Pac-12 starts. UW started Pac-12 play against Utah! They swept the series winning 5-1, 6-1, and 3-1! They really handled Utah will little problems the whole weekend. The last was game was the closest and felt alot closer than what it really was lol. Katilin struggled a little that game(in the circle anyway lol) but made it through 2 innings. Kasey came in, in the 3rd and flat took care of business. She did NOT look like a freshman in that circle that day! That is what I love about her, you'd never know by watching her that she is a freshman! She is a great pitcher and just a pillar in that circle! The defense was very solid this weekend! There were a couple of boo boos but for the most part they took care of business! Kaitlin's bat continues to be smoking hot! I love to watch that girl hit! She is just so good! I also love to watch Kimi and Victoria on the bases! They are lightening fast and know the exact right moment to steal! Both are perfect on the season on stolen bases! The offense as a whole was a little sluggish at times last weekend but they came up with big hits when needed. Overall it was a very good weekend! Now the real test! UW plays Cal tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday and this is the only team in the Pac-12 that really scares me! ASU is good but they haven't looked as strong this season. Arizona is really really struggling right now. I've been lucky enough to watch several games this season and Arizona takes the crown of worst pitching performance! Last weekend they had a lead every game and blew it every game! Sunday they led 6-0 at one point and lost 7-6! It's just bad! UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, and OSU have all had moments where they've looked really good and moments where they looked reall bad. But Cal has looked great all season! Their only loss was to Hawaii in one of the best games of the season in walk off fashion in extra innings! They've shown they aren't unbeatable but they are very very good! I have thought about these games and thought about these games and I honestly have no idea what to think! I just hope they do to UW what they did to Stanford last weekend!!
Honestly I'm still not sure what to think about OU or Bama. OU struggled early in the season and them seemed to get everything figured out and then they drop a game to Baylor and they beat OSU lol. It's just up, down, up, down, up, down! So I don't really know yet what this team is about. I do know Kelani Ricketts is doing an awesome job again this season! As far as Bama they've had alot of success and to just look at their record you'd think they were a really strong team. They lost their first game last week to Tennessee. Honestly they probably should have lost both of those games but Tennessee couldn't get the big hit when they needed it and Jackie Traina knocked a HR to end the game in extra innings. I think Bama has a problem with their pitching. Once you get beyond Jackie Traina none of their pitchers have been consistently good. They've each had their moments where they've looked really good and they've had their moments where they looked really bad. Bama had a very easy preseason schedule. The only team who maybe had an easier schedule was ASU. I'm afraid once they get into the heart of SEC they are going to run into problems. I hope I'm wrong but I just don't think they are as strong as their record and ranking would suggest.
Well that is all I have for now!! Go Huskies, beat Cal!!! Boomer Sooner! RTR Go Bama!! FTG!!
UW has continued to have a great season! The Judi Garman Classic went great! They didn't get to play OU because of weather but the won the rest of the games they played! They then went on to run rule Cal State Bakerfield twice that next Monday and just like that preseason was over and Pac-12 had begun. This part of the season always makes me nervous. Grant it, not as nervous as post season but nervous none the less! I mean it's like everything changes and everything that happened before means nothing. You can have an excellent preseason and then everything fall apart once Pac-12 starts. UW started Pac-12 play against Utah! They swept the series winning 5-1, 6-1, and 3-1! They really handled Utah will little problems the whole weekend. The last was game was the closest and felt alot closer than what it really was lol. Katilin struggled a little that game(in the circle anyway lol) but made it through 2 innings. Kasey came in, in the 3rd and flat took care of business. She did NOT look like a freshman in that circle that day! That is what I love about her, you'd never know by watching her that she is a freshman! She is a great pitcher and just a pillar in that circle! The defense was very solid this weekend! There were a couple of boo boos but for the most part they took care of business! Kaitlin's bat continues to be smoking hot! I love to watch that girl hit! She is just so good! I also love to watch Kimi and Victoria on the bases! They are lightening fast and know the exact right moment to steal! Both are perfect on the season on stolen bases! The offense as a whole was a little sluggish at times last weekend but they came up with big hits when needed. Overall it was a very good weekend! Now the real test! UW plays Cal tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday and this is the only team in the Pac-12 that really scares me! ASU is good but they haven't looked as strong this season. Arizona is really really struggling right now. I've been lucky enough to watch several games this season and Arizona takes the crown of worst pitching performance! Last weekend they had a lead every game and blew it every game! Sunday they led 6-0 at one point and lost 7-6! It's just bad! UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, and OSU have all had moments where they've looked really good and moments where they looked reall bad. But Cal has looked great all season! Their only loss was to Hawaii in one of the best games of the season in walk off fashion in extra innings! They've shown they aren't unbeatable but they are very very good! I have thought about these games and thought about these games and I honestly have no idea what to think! I just hope they do to UW what they did to Stanford last weekend!!
Honestly I'm still not sure what to think about OU or Bama. OU struggled early in the season and them seemed to get everything figured out and then they drop a game to Baylor and they beat OSU lol. It's just up, down, up, down, up, down! So I don't really know yet what this team is about. I do know Kelani Ricketts is doing an awesome job again this season! As far as Bama they've had alot of success and to just look at their record you'd think they were a really strong team. They lost their first game last week to Tennessee. Honestly they probably should have lost both of those games but Tennessee couldn't get the big hit when they needed it and Jackie Traina knocked a HR to end the game in extra innings. I think Bama has a problem with their pitching. Once you get beyond Jackie Traina none of their pitchers have been consistently good. They've each had their moments where they've looked really good and they've had their moments where they looked really bad. Bama had a very easy preseason schedule. The only team who maybe had an easier schedule was ASU. I'm afraid once they get into the heart of SEC they are going to run into problems. I hope I'm wrong but I just don't think they are as strong as their record and ranking would suggest.
Well that is all I have for now!! Go Huskies, beat Cal!!! Boomer Sooner! RTR Go Bama!! FTG!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Week 5 and last blog for awhile
Let me start off this blog by saying I feel starting this blog was one of the best things I ever did! I love writing this blog and having somewhere to put down my thoughts about the games. I love following UW softball as well OU softball and Bama softball(although I haven't blogged hardly at all about them and will correct that). With that being said, this will be my last blog for awhile. I've received some negative reaction to some of my recent blogs and I've decided to reevaluate my blog and make sure I am getting the message I am trying to get across, across in the best way possible. Let me say right now that I would never be intentionally cruel about a player or attack them. Honestly I'm not the kind to sugar coat things. But I respect these young ladies and they job they are doing. I respect that they are all working very hard and they've all had a hand in the success the team has saw this season. I don't think this team gets the recognition it deserves. I think UW softball has always been and will probably always be over looked. They aren't UCLA or Arizona and so not many people pay attention to them. I think sometimes that causes me to be a little too critical and that is wrong of me! So that is why I've decided to look at my writing style and my choice of words and make some changes. I love the Huskies! I love this team! I love the level of talent they play with! I love the chemistry between them! I love the confidence they play with! I love that there are so many touching beautiful stories within this team! My favorite thing about this team is they never ever give up! They continue to fight until the the very last out is recorded! That is the kind of teams Coach Tarr puts together and those are the kind of teams that are successful!
They posted an article on Kaitlin Inglesby today and I've read her story before but it never gets old hearing the amount of the stuff that girl has been through but more than that how she has used as motivation and seen much success because of that! She is one strong, talented, beautiful, and tough young lady and the Huskies are blessed to have her! Here is the link to the story!
http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/031412aac.html
Last weekend the Huskies played their first home games of the 2012 season and let me say they didn't disappoint! Saturday they started off the weekend by run ruling Seattle U 8-0 in 6! Kaitlin pitched and threw a great game. Giving up 1 hit, no walks, no HBPs, and 10 strikeouts! The 2nd game they played in the rain against North Dakota. They beat North Dakota 4-0! Bryanna Walker pitched and she pitched a very nice game giving up 3 hits, 0 walks, 0 HBP, and striking out 11! Sunday the Huskies started the day by run ruling North Dakota 12-4 in 5! In this game the offense was the story! Shawna Wright with 2 for 3 with her first career grand slam! Kasey Stanchek got the start in the circle and was later replaced by Bryanna walker. Neither had a spectacular day but they got the job done! They ended the weekend beating Seattle U 4-0. Kaitlin pitched and again pitched a nice game. She gave up 4 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 11! Hooch Fagaly had a very nice game and weekend. She made several great defensive plays including back handing a ball between 1st and 2nd and throwing it to 2nd from her knees to get the lead runner in the 7th! It was an impressive play to watch! She hit over .700 this weekend and lead the team in RBIs!! Very very happy for her!! So great to see her back and playing great!! This weekend also saw Coach Tarr get her 200th win!! Big congrats to her!!
Huskies start play in the Judi Garman Classic tomorrow playing UC Davis again and the Iowa after that. The big game of the weekend is on Saturday when they take on number 7 OU! OU struggled at the beginning of the season but seem to have gotten their feet underneath them now. Should be interesting to see what happens during that game!
While it's on mind I just want to wish safe trips and much success to the ladies who are already in Japan and the ones who will soon be on their way! I know this is a huge thing for them and I know they are all very excited!! I hope they all find much success and learn more about the game we all love!!
Well guys I don't know what else to say! Enjoy the next few weeks of softball!! I will be back in a few weeks hopefully with a clear mind and ready to talk more softball! Go Huskies, RTR Go Bama, Boomer Sooner(except Saturday when they play the Huskies, Huskies all the way lol!), and FTG!!
They posted an article on Kaitlin Inglesby today and I've read her story before but it never gets old hearing the amount of the stuff that girl has been through but more than that how she has used as motivation and seen much success because of that! She is one strong, talented, beautiful, and tough young lady and the Huskies are blessed to have her! Here is the link to the story!
http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/031412aac.html
Last weekend the Huskies played their first home games of the 2012 season and let me say they didn't disappoint! Saturday they started off the weekend by run ruling Seattle U 8-0 in 6! Kaitlin pitched and threw a great game. Giving up 1 hit, no walks, no HBPs, and 10 strikeouts! The 2nd game they played in the rain against North Dakota. They beat North Dakota 4-0! Bryanna Walker pitched and she pitched a very nice game giving up 3 hits, 0 walks, 0 HBP, and striking out 11! Sunday the Huskies started the day by run ruling North Dakota 12-4 in 5! In this game the offense was the story! Shawna Wright with 2 for 3 with her first career grand slam! Kasey Stanchek got the start in the circle and was later replaced by Bryanna walker. Neither had a spectacular day but they got the job done! They ended the weekend beating Seattle U 4-0. Kaitlin pitched and again pitched a nice game. She gave up 4 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 11! Hooch Fagaly had a very nice game and weekend. She made several great defensive plays including back handing a ball between 1st and 2nd and throwing it to 2nd from her knees to get the lead runner in the 7th! It was an impressive play to watch! She hit over .700 this weekend and lead the team in RBIs!! Very very happy for her!! So great to see her back and playing great!! This weekend also saw Coach Tarr get her 200th win!! Big congrats to her!!
Huskies start play in the Judi Garman Classic tomorrow playing UC Davis again and the Iowa after that. The big game of the weekend is on Saturday when they take on number 7 OU! OU struggled at the beginning of the season but seem to have gotten their feet underneath them now. Should be interesting to see what happens during that game!
While it's on mind I just want to wish safe trips and much success to the ladies who are already in Japan and the ones who will soon be on their way! I know this is a huge thing for them and I know they are all very excited!! I hope they all find much success and learn more about the game we all love!!
Well guys I don't know what else to say! Enjoy the next few weeks of softball!! I will be back in a few weeks hopefully with a clear mind and ready to talk more softball! Go Huskies, RTR Go Bama, Boomer Sooner(except Saturday when they play the Huskies, Huskies all the way lol!), and FTG!!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
NPF draft and the Colts *sigh* :(
Well today was the NPF draft! This year there were only two people I really wanted to see drafted Kimi Pohlman and Nikia Williams! So imagine my excitment when Kimi Pohlman was drafted number 2! I really wish she could have been drafted number 1 and gone to the Pride but I guess that wasn't meant to be lol! I had to leave in the middle of the draft and when I left Nikia hadn't been drafted. I got home and soon found she was drafted to play for the Pride!!! I am so excited to have another all time great Husky play for the Pride!! I think it says a ton for Coach Tarr that this summer she will have 5 of her Huskies playing professionally! That's pretty awesome!! I was also excited to Stephanie Ricketts drafted to play for the Bandits!! I really loved watching her pitch in the 09 WCWS even if she did knock off Bama to get there lol! I also like that the Pride got Michelle Moultrie!! Overall I thought the Pride's picks were a little.....unexpected. The Pride had the top pitching staff in the league last year. They traded Danielle Spaulding to the Diamonds because they didn't really have room for her and the Diamonds very much needed another pitcher. They traded the Diamonds for the first round pick in the draft so they could draft......another pitcher??? They took Britney Mack from LSU first and then they take Valerie Arioto as well. I can see Valerie. Valerie if need be can play 1st and do a nice job! She also has can flat hit the ball. But I still don't understand why the Pride needs 7 pitchers! Well I actually have my own opinions as to why they did what they did but it would be purely speculation and so I'll just say I don't exactly agree with it but I will of course support Britney and Valerie! Overall I thought it was a nice draft and I can't wait until the summer!!!
On to a non softball related note! It's been a sad couple of days for Colts fans as news broke that what we feared most was happening, the Colts let Peyton Manning go! I think this was a crapy move on the part of Jim Irsay! Peyton Manning has been the leader of this team for 14 seasons. He has given everything to this team and this how they repay him! I hope number #18 finds a team that respects him the way he deserves to respected. I'm just sad that, that team is no longer my Colts.
On to a non softball related note! It's been a sad couple of days for Colts fans as news broke that what we feared most was happening, the Colts let Peyton Manning go! I think this was a crapy move on the part of Jim Irsay! Peyton Manning has been the leader of this team for 14 seasons. He has given everything to this team and this how they repay him! I hope number #18 finds a team that respects him the way he deserves to respected. I'm just sad that, that team is no longer my Colts.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Week 4 and some soccer!
I can't believe they've already played 4 full weeks of softball!! It's going by so fast, just like it always does! This weekend the Huskies played the Louisville Slugger Classic in Stockton, California hosted by Pacific! This weekend was special more many reaons and I will detail more later but overall this was one of those weekends that just makes you smile and feel warm inside! I would just like to say a big thank you to Pacific for providing a live stream and stats for these games! It was so great to finally get to actually see the Huskies play!!
The tournament started out Friday with the Huskies taking on Sacramento State. Kaitlin got the start and pitched a great game giving up only 2 hits, 0 walks,0 HBs, 0 runs. Huskies had no problem with Sacramento State and ruled them 9-0 in 5! This was another case where they had about 15 minutes to get a drink and get back on the field. They played Delaware next. Bryanna Walker got the start and did she pitch a game! She threw her first career no hitter, walked 1, and had 8 strikeouts! This looks like a totally different pitcher than what we saw from her last season! It was a special weekend for her all around and I couldn't be more proud or happier for her! Huskies run ruled Delaware 12-0 in 5. The next day they played Pacific. Before the game Pacific retired the jersey's of Cindy Ball(current assistant coach for UW) and Gina Carbonatto(former assistant coach for UW)! You add that to the fact that Coach Tarr started her coaching career as an assistant at Pacific and you get two teams that are very connected and very close. Now to the game lol. Kaitlin pitched and she just didn't seem to have her best stuff! Kaitlin throws with alot of speed but she has some pretty amazing movement as well. She just didn't seem to have that typical movement that night. On top of that the defense just sorta crashed. I mean it could have been alot worse but it still wasn't good! UW had 2 errors and there were a couple of other plays in my opinion that could have easily been called errors. Defensivly it was a nasty nasty game for both teams. UW won the game 5-4 though and set themselves up for another game with Delaware. Kasey pitched this game and she pitched a fantastic game! This was my first time to actually get to see her pitch and I am very impressed. She doesn't have the speed or power that Kaitlin throws with but she can really make that ball move and spin. She gave up 3 hits, 3 waalks, 0 runs, and struck out a whopping 12!! Offense started off a little sluggish but got it going and won the game easily 5-0. I really felt like after the easy games on Friday they came out a little complacent. The defense was nasty and the offense was just a little sluggish. But they won both games and were headed to tournament championship. They played Pacific again in the championship game. Bryanna Walker got the start and for the first 4 innings she pitched 1 hit ball and looked good. At the beginning of the 5th inning before her and Lindsay Monk took the field they had a very long conversation with Coach Ball. Obviously I have no idea what they talked about but what I did notice was they changed their pitching choice and started going away from her change up even though it had working well the whole game. I don't know if they were worried they were going to start hitting or if they were just trying to keep Pacific off balance but it ended up costing them and honeslty I thought for a bit there it was going to cost them the game. She gave up 3 runs to tie up the score and the go ahead run in the 6th. But towards the middle of the 6th I noticed them going back more to the change up and she was able to get out of the inning without giving up anymore runs. Top of the 7th and the offense finally started getting after it again. They put pressure on the Pacific defense and the Pacific defense cracked big time giving up 4 errors and 3 runs. Kaitlin came in for the 7th inning and sealed the deal quickly! Overall Bryanna pitched a nice game she gave up 8 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks and struck out 7! It wasn't the no hitter she had friday night but over all it wasn't a bad game for her. One thing about all 3 of these pitchers is they have been able to keep their cool and not let the emotion of the game get to them!
I felt overall it was a really good weekend for the Huskies! The defense and espcially infield were a little shaky at times. But I think we all have to remember how young and inexperienced this infield is. We've been spoiled for the last few years with an extremely talented and experienced 3rd baseman and one of the best SS to every play the game in my totally biased opinion. Kylee Lahner and more so Kimberlee Souza have had their problems. But it has really been a diffcult transition I think for Courtney Gano. She accounted for 3 of the 6 Husky errors this weekend. I don't think it's a lack of talent because when she makes plays she makes good solid plays. She catches the ball cleanly and makes nice clean throws. I think the problem she is having is more mental. I think with more time and more experience she'll learn to take a deep breath and just do what she does best! I think with more time and experience we will see this infield grow and be very good. Part of that growing is making mistakes and learning from them! The pitching for UW continues to look great! As I said earlier if someone would have told me last season Bryanna Walker would look this good this season, I probably would have told you, you were nuts lol! No offense at all intended she just had a very rough freshman year. She did have an injury last season that did hamper her though. During the off season she had surgery on her foot and she just looks so much better! I am very happy for her! This was obviously my first chance to Lindsay Monk catching for the Huskies and she did a very nice job! She is very good at blocking balls and keeping them in front of her when need be. She doesn't have the arm that Shawna does(or atleast I didn't see it this weekend. Obviously it was only a couple of games so I don't for sure) but she is a strong catcher and I think it will be nice to have someone who can come in and give Shawna a break. Also with 3 pitchers doing the pitching instead of just one it's easier to have 2 catchers to keep up with everything. I mean some things are the same but at the end of the day you are dealing with 3 different pitcher with 3 differnet styles and that is alot for one person to remember. I think Shawna can rest easy in that number 1 spot because I don't know of too many other catchers who have the arm she has. One of the plays that people who were at the Cathedral City Classic were buzzing about was during the Florida game Kaitlin struck out a batter and Shawna dropped the 3rd strike. It rolled all the way to the backstop! She ran over grabed the ball and still some how managed to get it to first in time for the out! She is very very good at what she does! Well I can't think of anything else I wanted to talk about from this weekend! Next weekend will be the Husky Softball Classic and guess what it's supposed to rain all weekend lol! It always does lol! We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out but if it's like last year they won't get play half their games lol! Hopefully that won't be the case this year lol!
Moving on now to soccer! I watched the USWNT take on Japan for the first time since the gold cup came at the World Cup this morning. I really hoped they could pull out a win or atleast a tie and get to the championship game but it wasn't meant to be. It was an extremely close game but Japan won 1-0. First half the US team struggled in the middle of the field. Japan was pressing them hard and they were havign a hard time keeping possession of the ball. They brought in Lori Lindsey early in the first half and she helped them out alot with that area of the field. To start the 2nd Pia made 3 subsitutions and it did help! They were getting more chances and taking more shots! But like the World Cup nothing was going in. Japan scored on a well placed free kick towards then end of the 2nd half. I knew as I watched them set it up, it was going to give the US problems. Normally in soccer you want to spread people out so you can get one on one match ups and get to the goal easier. But Japan seemed to go with just the opposite approach. They took everyone and place them in a big ball in the box. I was thinking to myself as I watching this that there was no way Hope Solo could possibly see all of those girls let alone get somone on them. Sure enough the ball is kicked towards the back of this huge pack and headed in just past the out stretched arms of Hope. I don't think she could even tell where the ball ended up let alone who was shooting it and where to! Overall I thought there were alot of good things about this game. They had a chance to take alot of shots. Alex Morgan was getting by the defenders almost every time but her shots were just a little crazy today. I think this game was more of a mental thing than anything! They weren't attacking like they normally do and they all seemed to just be over thinking it and trying to force things to work! The defense was solid as usual! I think Pia did a nice job coaching and her lineup was exactly what I would have done. It just wasn't meant to be! They will finish up this tournament with the bronze medal game on the 7th!
Well I am about to fall asleep right here so I think I will go! Go Huskies! Boomer Sooner!! Go Bama!! RTR!! Fear the Goat(they won all 4 of their games this weekend!!)!
The tournament started out Friday with the Huskies taking on Sacramento State. Kaitlin got the start and pitched a great game giving up only 2 hits, 0 walks,0 HBs, 0 runs. Huskies had no problem with Sacramento State and ruled them 9-0 in 5! This was another case where they had about 15 minutes to get a drink and get back on the field. They played Delaware next. Bryanna Walker got the start and did she pitch a game! She threw her first career no hitter, walked 1, and had 8 strikeouts! This looks like a totally different pitcher than what we saw from her last season! It was a special weekend for her all around and I couldn't be more proud or happier for her! Huskies run ruled Delaware 12-0 in 5. The next day they played Pacific. Before the game Pacific retired the jersey's of Cindy Ball(current assistant coach for UW) and Gina Carbonatto(former assistant coach for UW)! You add that to the fact that Coach Tarr started her coaching career as an assistant at Pacific and you get two teams that are very connected and very close. Now to the game lol. Kaitlin pitched and she just didn't seem to have her best stuff! Kaitlin throws with alot of speed but she has some pretty amazing movement as well. She just didn't seem to have that typical movement that night. On top of that the defense just sorta crashed. I mean it could have been alot worse but it still wasn't good! UW had 2 errors and there were a couple of other plays in my opinion that could have easily been called errors. Defensivly it was a nasty nasty game for both teams. UW won the game 5-4 though and set themselves up for another game with Delaware. Kasey pitched this game and she pitched a fantastic game! This was my first time to actually get to see her pitch and I am very impressed. She doesn't have the speed or power that Kaitlin throws with but she can really make that ball move and spin. She gave up 3 hits, 3 waalks, 0 runs, and struck out a whopping 12!! Offense started off a little sluggish but got it going and won the game easily 5-0. I really felt like after the easy games on Friday they came out a little complacent. The defense was nasty and the offense was just a little sluggish. But they won both games and were headed to tournament championship. They played Pacific again in the championship game. Bryanna Walker got the start and for the first 4 innings she pitched 1 hit ball and looked good. At the beginning of the 5th inning before her and Lindsay Monk took the field they had a very long conversation with Coach Ball. Obviously I have no idea what they talked about but what I did notice was they changed their pitching choice and started going away from her change up even though it had working well the whole game. I don't know if they were worried they were going to start hitting or if they were just trying to keep Pacific off balance but it ended up costing them and honeslty I thought for a bit there it was going to cost them the game. She gave up 3 runs to tie up the score and the go ahead run in the 6th. But towards the middle of the 6th I noticed them going back more to the change up and she was able to get out of the inning without giving up anymore runs. Top of the 7th and the offense finally started getting after it again. They put pressure on the Pacific defense and the Pacific defense cracked big time giving up 4 errors and 3 runs. Kaitlin came in for the 7th inning and sealed the deal quickly! Overall Bryanna pitched a nice game she gave up 8 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks and struck out 7! It wasn't the no hitter she had friday night but over all it wasn't a bad game for her. One thing about all 3 of these pitchers is they have been able to keep their cool and not let the emotion of the game get to them!
I felt overall it was a really good weekend for the Huskies! The defense and espcially infield were a little shaky at times. But I think we all have to remember how young and inexperienced this infield is. We've been spoiled for the last few years with an extremely talented and experienced 3rd baseman and one of the best SS to every play the game in my totally biased opinion. Kylee Lahner and more so Kimberlee Souza have had their problems. But it has really been a diffcult transition I think for Courtney Gano. She accounted for 3 of the 6 Husky errors this weekend. I don't think it's a lack of talent because when she makes plays she makes good solid plays. She catches the ball cleanly and makes nice clean throws. I think the problem she is having is more mental. I think with more time and more experience she'll learn to take a deep breath and just do what she does best! I think with more time and experience we will see this infield grow and be very good. Part of that growing is making mistakes and learning from them! The pitching for UW continues to look great! As I said earlier if someone would have told me last season Bryanna Walker would look this good this season, I probably would have told you, you were nuts lol! No offense at all intended she just had a very rough freshman year. She did have an injury last season that did hamper her though. During the off season she had surgery on her foot and she just looks so much better! I am very happy for her! This was obviously my first chance to Lindsay Monk catching for the Huskies and she did a very nice job! She is very good at blocking balls and keeping them in front of her when need be. She doesn't have the arm that Shawna does(or atleast I didn't see it this weekend. Obviously it was only a couple of games so I don't for sure) but she is a strong catcher and I think it will be nice to have someone who can come in and give Shawna a break. Also with 3 pitchers doing the pitching instead of just one it's easier to have 2 catchers to keep up with everything. I mean some things are the same but at the end of the day you are dealing with 3 different pitcher with 3 differnet styles and that is alot for one person to remember. I think Shawna can rest easy in that number 1 spot because I don't know of too many other catchers who have the arm she has. One of the plays that people who were at the Cathedral City Classic were buzzing about was during the Florida game Kaitlin struck out a batter and Shawna dropped the 3rd strike. It rolled all the way to the backstop! She ran over grabed the ball and still some how managed to get it to first in time for the out! She is very very good at what she does! Well I can't think of anything else I wanted to talk about from this weekend! Next weekend will be the Husky Softball Classic and guess what it's supposed to rain all weekend lol! It always does lol! We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out but if it's like last year they won't get play half their games lol! Hopefully that won't be the case this year lol!
Moving on now to soccer! I watched the USWNT take on Japan for the first time since the gold cup came at the World Cup this morning. I really hoped they could pull out a win or atleast a tie and get to the championship game but it wasn't meant to be. It was an extremely close game but Japan won 1-0. First half the US team struggled in the middle of the field. Japan was pressing them hard and they were havign a hard time keeping possession of the ball. They brought in Lori Lindsey early in the first half and she helped them out alot with that area of the field. To start the 2nd Pia made 3 subsitutions and it did help! They were getting more chances and taking more shots! But like the World Cup nothing was going in. Japan scored on a well placed free kick towards then end of the 2nd half. I knew as I watched them set it up, it was going to give the US problems. Normally in soccer you want to spread people out so you can get one on one match ups and get to the goal easier. But Japan seemed to go with just the opposite approach. They took everyone and place them in a big ball in the box. I was thinking to myself as I watching this that there was no way Hope Solo could possibly see all of those girls let alone get somone on them. Sure enough the ball is kicked towards the back of this huge pack and headed in just past the out stretched arms of Hope. I don't think she could even tell where the ball ended up let alone who was shooting it and where to! Overall I thought there were alot of good things about this game. They had a chance to take alot of shots. Alex Morgan was getting by the defenders almost every time but her shots were just a little crazy today. I think this game was more of a mental thing than anything! They weren't attacking like they normally do and they all seemed to just be over thinking it and trying to force things to work! The defense was solid as usual! I think Pia did a nice job coaching and her lineup was exactly what I would have done. It just wasn't meant to be! They will finish up this tournament with the bronze medal game on the 7th!
Well I am about to fall asleep right here so I think I will go! Go Huskies! Boomer Sooner!! Go Bama!! RTR!! Fear the Goat(they won all 4 of their games this weekend!!)!
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