Grantsburg 15 - Barron 1

We had a special practice with some of the middle infielders...

Watch the new skills by Emily and Tiffany

 

The Frosh have strange reactions when we try and coach them!

    And so the season begins.....

 

    Last year was a very successful year.  Not only did the team go 27-0 but it also added the extra special part of earning the distinction for displaying the best sportsmanship of the 20 teams in the state tournament.  And the good news for Grantsburg is that many of the same players are back.  If you have followed softball across Wisconsin the last few years you realize that you enjoy the year as it comes. Take Poynette for example....After going undefeated in a season where they had won the state championship, Grantsburg beat them in 2006.  After Park Falls crushed Grantsburg in the 2008 sectional final they returned the entire team.  Grantsburg then crushed them in 2009.  Each team is different.  Each team is distinct. The 2010 version of the Grantsburg Pirates will be far different than the 2009 version.  We anxiously await.......

    Last year we had only 14 players on the team.  Practice was easy and not crowded....there were no lines....With only 14 players everything we did was in preparation for the game.  We did not have infield #2 and infield #3....we just kept pumping out reps at each position.  There have been two times in recent history where Grantsburg had only 14 players.  Both times they went to state.  This year we have 30 players....It is different.  The nice thing is that we have 30 players.  The bad thing is that we have 30 players.  The new frosh do have talent and it makes the future look promising. At this point, we have three frosh that will dress varsity when there is NOT a jv game.  These frosh include Johanna Lauer, Kayla Casey, and Sam Schweiger.  Kylie Pewe will be varsity.

    Grantsburg is very, very, very unique.  We have some athletes that are defending state champions in two sports. A few have even played in 3 state championship games. and...they think that is Normal!!!  It is interesting as I talk to the players and get their thoughts.  REMEMBER.....every school has 4th grade athletes whose goal is to win a state championship.  Every 4th grader thinks they can do it.  Every school plays summer ball.  So what makes Grantsburg so special???  It is somewhere between the perfect storm and just plain LUCK.... Each has its part.  The bottom line is....Enjoy it while we can.  One of the interesting things that has happened in practice is.....  Everybody remembers the last game when the team was nearly perfect.  We are currently two weeks into the season and ALL of us want to be perfect...right away!  It has taken patience on all of our parts to let practice do its thing.  Our goal is to get better EACH day.....  If we are going to be successful this year, WE have to be better.....'cause everyone else is better, too.

    So what is new for this year?  For starters 2" bobbi pins are now legal...It took years of discourse to resolve that one...so go ahead and wear your little pins....  The pitching rubber has been moved back 3 feet to match college.  In each state that has this rule, batting averages have gone up and stealing percentages have increased.  The purpose of this rule was to put the ball into play more often.  Another rule that is now official is the on deck batter.  She will always select the circle that is behind the batter.  This will eliminate the foul ball danger.  For example, if the batter ahead of you is a right handed batter, you will stand in the circle on the left field side.  You will only select the right side circle if the batter ahead of you bats left.  It is a good rule.  Grantsburg also now owns a set of long pants in case it is snowing....  you MAY see them....  You also may see Greg in a deer stand between the two home fields.  If other parents have the same issue of athletes on both sides, you may talk to Greg.  He has got an idea!

The opener was COLD....but the bats were HOT!!!!

In the off season we traded Ingrid for two foreigners!!!

   

The program I use for this web page is NO longer available at my house.  So the game stories (and there are many) will not be posted until Wednesday about 7:30...  got that Okno? or was that ONY oh!?  anyway...hope the black eye from the dome is still improving....

We watched the radar all day and saw that the rain was staying to the south.  I guess that would be south of Grantsburg because Barron was pretty wet.  We circled the field several times with the bus before sending the B bombers to some other field.  Don has played there several times but the rest of us did not know where it was.  Remember, Don went to high school in Barron.  He is a local hero.

            In the times when the economy is poor, our team invests in bats.  Many of the players now own their own bats and tonight it would pay off.  Grantsburg would collect 17 hits as they beat Barron.  Barron was coming off a win against Colfax.

            It is nice to start a season with so many returning players.  The line-up looked much like last year and the game finally started.  The 2010 season was under way.

            Tiff led off the season with a double to right center. Sarah blooped a single over second and soon we had runners at second and third with the Wisconsin Player of the Year at the plate.  Michelle bunted in the first run of the season.  Heather followed with a line shot to right center scoring Sarah.  After Annie’s double, the Pirates had a familiar lead of 3-0. Michelle would cruise through the first inning striking out two.

Tiff shows off her second base skills while playing shortstop!

            The next round of action happened in the 4th inning. Annie launched a rocket-tech about 225 feet to left center.  On our field it would have been on the baseball field but in Barron she had to settle for a triple.  Rock’n Romo hit a shot to left scoring Annie.  Together with Kylie’s double the pirates had increased their lead to 5-0.

Last time we saw Annie's ball it was headed south east!

 

            In the 5th inning, Jessica walked with two outs. Nicole played croquet with the third baseman and hit it right through the wickets.  6-0 Grantsburg.

Romo Ripped Two and threw out a runner!

            In fastpitch softball inning #6 always seems to be an important part of the game.  Grantsburg really unloaded in this inning. With 1 out, Tiff picked up hit #3.  With two outs, Michelle drilled a single.  Then Gallopin’ Gab tripled down the right field line driving in two runs.  Emily followed with a single up the middle.  After Nicole’s walk, Romo picked up another line drive hit.  Cody also ripped a shot to left.  The left fielder could not slow it down and it went all the way to the fence.  Cody raised around the bases and ended up back in the dugout.  Finchy then walked to put another runner on the bases.  Tiff drilled her 4th hit of the night.  Mac joined in as she laced one to left.  Michelle was back in the books with her second hit.  And soon the score was 15-1.  Grantsburg finished up Barron in the bottom of the 6th and the game was concluded via the 10 run rule.  It was a great start for Grantsburg.

This smash brought to you in HD    then next round tripper Compliments of Cody.

            For the game Grantsburg had 15 runs on 17 hits and 4 walks.  Barron picked up one unearned run in the 4th.  They also collected 3 hits and a walk.

 

All Action shots by Scott Hoffman.  Thanks Scott for your work.  Your pics are great!!!!!!  And when the rest of you Pirate fans see Scott...YOU tell him Thanks.

TWIS:  For those of you new to this page... TWIS stands for This Week in Softball.  Remember, the stories are mostly for the players...so if you have no idea what it means...it is NOT for you... Rocket-tech and nano-techs galore.  Learn the lingo!  The JV won 17-2.  Elise said that Stacy McKenzie was awesome.  Glad they found the field.  Nicole and EC both took Don downtown in Monday’s practice.  Emily texted her mom….saying the bat is worth it.  Nicole quietly sat down and told Stacey that she had a nice hit.  Tiffany and Romo both stood me up twice!! Talk about a couple of HOTDOGS!!  Greetings to Buddy and Sena… what awesome supporters.  Long pants???/what is this world coming to?? Tiffany intentionally drops the ball at short just so she can play second base…. Then she laughs and claims she didn’t do it.   She loves to dive.  Sarah loves her new bat.  Sarah loves her new glove.  Sarah loves softball.  Michelle pitched from 43 feet all of last summer and also this winter.  She had 10 K’s in her 6 innings.  Her bat looks likes Sarah’s bat.  HD has a hot bat and a cold leg.  Emily signed autographs after her Monday homerun.  She must like that infield stuff…and …psssssst.  Annie tried to drill Don in the third base coaching box…but missed.  After her blast to left, the outfield played soooo deep that we could only see two of them.  Did you see Romo’s helmet??????wow…..take a close look, because it is awesome….. Romo had two hits and a thrown out runner tonight.  Cody ran down a ball tonight in center…and she made it look easy…she is good.  Kylie is getting used to playing with the upper classman.  Her ability will add much to the team.  But for now….I think we scare her… either that or her back is sun burned.  Gabbie let the catcher knock her over.  Jessica looked cold.  Niccola and Tuh had never seen a game before.  Great American experience!!  WE finally got Mac out of the dugout to run for Romo… She was sleeping under some warm blankets.  Practice with 30 is kind of hard.  Northwood on Thursday….  As of now, there will be a few JV innings immediately following the varsity game.  Thanks for the cookies.  Our players are better when they have cookies.  Did you see EC trip on first?  Good to see Virginia at the game…  Time for my tree!  Sarah had to remind me of the cheer... Don's relatives stood with him in the third base coaching box.  Thanks to Brian Lund for doing all the stats... With the new on deck rule, our players spent a great deal of time standing in front of Barron's dugout...not Tiff!!  The roasted turkey delivered to the bus was awesome....

GRETCHEN we miss you… please drop out of college and come back.  Yo Ing!  Nice catch vs. Park Falls.  Satin?????  Not everybody gets an Easter Basket.  Happy 85th birthday mom (ElRose on April 7)  Northwood on Thursday. Did I mention that we miss Gretchen? In the for what it is worth department, Grantsburg has had a GOOD 4 YEARS. (112-3)

THE JV WILL PLAY a couple of innings vs. NORTHWOOD immediately following the Varsity game.

SYBTFK