STRIVE!

  The 2006 Pirates raise their hands in unity just before they won the 12 inning state championship!

    There are many rewards to athletics.  Among these are the cliché items such as discipline, team work, exercise, and focus.  One of the major items overlooked is just plain having fun.  There are also other rewards.  One of the rewards is to continue the second season in tournament play.  You get to play new teams with new skills.  Often, these teams are very similar.  So who wins????  Is it the team that hopes the most?  Is it the team that gets lucky?  Usually, it is the team that wanted it most......last week, last month, last summer.  For even though each team wants to win today.  It is the 12 month athlete that has the best chance.  One of the important lessons learned through athletics is the ability to Strive.  The long term personal success does not come from the winning or losing of one game.  It comes from the life style habit of striving.  Put in the time.... the rewards will come!

The mud at Siren was deep... Actually that is how tall Tiff really is.....

but BIG SWING!

Grantsburg 9 - Cumberland 0

Wow, there are lots of things to talk about.  For starters, we think that Cumberland saved Blume in case they met us in the tournament.  There were lots of highlights.  Cumberland could put the ball in play and Grantsburg made some fine plays.  Sarah had the greatest pump fake on a throw at third.  It worked in the dome and it worked again today.  The runner stood there totally  perplexed.  Sarah actually smiled before she tagged her out.

Great Action shot by Scott Hoffman

Cumberland hit a lazy liner over the hole at short...Ing ran, did the gazelle thing and came down with the ball.  Their coaches dropped their heads in amazement.  The ball was hit to the gap and cody slid to it as if she were on skates.  The gloves were alive today.

And the cookies from Bud and Sena were also great.  Don and I sat in the dugout and really enjoyed them....especially when it started to rain.  Sarah left early for a family thing.....

Grantsburg got the bats going this morning, too.  The hammered out 14 hits and picked up three walks.  The game started withTiff and Sarah both walking.  They both have good eyes and are tough strike zones.  Michelle and Annie went back to back singles.  Heather chimed in with another hit and soon the score was 3-0 after 1 inning.  The bottom of the second was more of the same.  Cody blasted a double down the line to start the inning.  Then Michelle, Annie, Ecmily, and Heather each picked up solid singles and the score jumped to 6-0.  It stayed that way until the bottom of the 6th. Annie rocketed one over the left fielder's head for a double. Ing bounced one off the fence and Romo lit it up down the line.  The score was now 9-0 with Finchy at the plate.  This little powerful batter will soon land one on the baseball field, but it was not today.  She hit a soft liner up the middle that would have ended the game, but the shortstop ran it down for out #3.  For the game Michelle had picked up three hits and Annie four.  Heather also looked strong getting two of her own.  Heather also picked up three RBI's.

Thanks Burnett Dairy for allowing Frederic and Grantsburg to have cones.

Game 2:  Grantsburg 10 - Osceola 5

When Cumberland and Osceola finished their game it was time for us to fire up.  Suddenly about six people appeared with rakes and made the infield look good.  Against this Osceola team we played against two of the best players that we have seen.. Their leadoff batter Krate...something was on base all five times.  The catcher made many brilliant blocks preventing runners from advancing.

Jessica took the mound for Grantsburg.  Since Romo had finished a Friday night game and Saturday morning game we though we would give her knees a break and let somebody else catch.  Sarah was gone and Ing is willing to do anything.  There were a few other players that also got to start.

Osceola had the lead off batter walk and she would score to take a 1-0 lead.  But Grantsburg would answer in the bottom of the inning.  Tiff also walk. Mich sacrificed her to second and Annie bombed one off the wall in right and the score was tied.  Even though the Pirates walked three times in the inning only one crossed the plate.  Grantsburg also scored two in the second.  Along with a couple of walks and an Osceola error, Michelle picked up the only hit but two runners came to the plate.  The Chiefs had a big third inning. After collecting  three hits and taking advantage of some Grantsburg miscues the score was tied

The switch-aroo then took place.  Mich went to pitching.  Romo back to catching.  Heather back to right.  Emily played first base as the DP because Annie and Romo could not be in the game at the same time.  They shared the same batting spot.  And soon things settled down.

In Grantsburg's 5th, the tulips bloomed, people bought brats again,  Mother's Day flowers were purchased, the temperature returned to normal and Grantsburg scored five runs.  Annie could hardly take it. Heather singled to start the inning.  AFter an Osceola error, they tried to make a couple of plays at the plate but the Grantsburg runners beat the throws.  With only two hits, Grantsburg scored five runs.  They added two more in the 6th for insurance.

Grantsburg had snuck by Osceola 10-5

Life returned to normal

By winning this game, Grantsburg should be assured of the #1 ranking in the regional tournament.  What this means is that they will have a bye the first round and play the next game at home.  If the Pirates can win that game, the regional championship will also be in Grantsburg.  Maybe Cumberland will be back but we are guessing it will be Saint Croix Central who is currently ranked in the top 15 and have only lost one game.  On Monday, I will leave practice early and go to their band concert.  Sandra's sister and brother in law teach in SCC.  This is Dave's last concert as he is retiring.  Last year we snuck by SCC 2-0 in the regional tournament.  And it was SCC that knocked our boy's BB team out of the tournament.

for now just know that Lola even worried and wet the floor!

and when it was tied 3 to 3 Michelle and Cody even looked worried!!!

TWIS:  Thanks Sena for having Buddy make warm, moist, chocolate chip cookies.  When my kids played basketball Buddy and Sena would give them Valentine treats.  They are appeciated and respected by many players....and me.  They really like the kids.  Emily, who wore black eye to the concert, tried to bribe the umps with warm cookies...but she quickly withdrew her hand and stuck the hole thing in her mouth...and went mmmmmmmmm.  Mac thought that Michelle played for Cumberland but quickly realized her mistake.  Yes, Don was waving Sarah home but she had missed the base.  So...she stopped and went back.. Good thinking Sarah...even though nobody may have seen it....in the big games they will.  This time Romo forgot her chest protecter...but she did have her glove...she gets sooo excited to get out there..besides Michelle starts warming up about 5 seconds after the third out...It is official.  Annie has DENTED her bat.... The techzilla has evolved into a flat piece of metal appropriate for cricket.. She will call Lee's and make sure they have the new bat before this one is retired....It has more hits in its life than most bats...Today it had four.  Thanks to Olivia for the music today.  Thanks to Mikey for making the run to the DAiry for Lime.  Thanks to Duke for fixing the liner.  Thanks to Mike A for helping line and set up the tourney.  NICE to see Jamie....very nice.  And Sandra came with LOLA...complete with badger shirt....fun.  As game 1 finished.... it started raining lightly...the fans covered their heads...the players squinted...but those of us in the dugout kept eating warm cookies.  macy was taking pictures today...nice.  Ing can now catch.  Duke changed the innings but we played more anyway.  Sue wondered if the game was in the 11th...guess it makes up for Frederic.  Duke fixed the pitching machine and bought me a burger. Check out his pretty blue hat below.  We had one play where Mac was trying to score on a passed ball... Ing chased her down...pushed her across the plate and scored herself.  Annie bounced one of the baggie in right.  Nice to see Erin Fox who spent 18 weeks in Grantsburg in the math department.  It was cold.  Gretchen would text us the score...  Gabbie had the strangest hotbox I have ever seen.  Emily played first????  Mollie B hit a three run homer in her tournament.  Mac kept trying to score on passed balls.  and I stilll can't believe GAbby.  I wish we had that on film.  Thanks to all the fans that braved the November wind.  There are sooooo many people behind the scenes that make this work.  We also think that playing without music during the second game disrupted our concentration.  Henry the 8th????  Oh Lydia come back...Play more lion king music.  Three more conference games to go.  Tiff made a great catch behind second.  Mich has a baby techzilla.  This is the first time for Annie in the dugout....she didn't like it...and Greg missed the first game rockets.  Soccer, you know... We had to put up a fence to keep the soccer parents away...they kept leaving their own kid's game to watch us. We now have the double poof and it comes in two colors.  Heather is climbing the totem pole.  The "S" stood for strive.  Olivia throws 42... and she is smarter than me.  Romo is awesome.  Heather smiles all the time. Ing is a great fielder and runs the bases exceptionally well.. This is only her third year of softball.

Happy Mother's Day to you...

SYBTF

More action shots by Scott