Summer 2017 Friday Coed Softball Season Coming to a Close

Dew and Sweatshirts in the outfield!

It is the first sign a seasoned player, or an umpire, notices when fall is the air — dew on the Outfield Grass for the eight and nine o'clock games. Welcome to late September softball in Grass Valley at Litton Field. Wear your sweatshirt or coat if you get cold easily, and wear your cleats if you will be in the outfield as it will get slippery, and make sure you stretch, because pulling a muscle does not feel good.

Yes, the end of summer is nigh and it will get cold at the ball field. It effects the later games mostly. The balls will be harder, the air thinner, and the ball will go farther. Your fingers will be cold, so catching the ball with your glove is highly recommended.

The grass and ball will be slippery!

Throwing the ball with control from the outfield is also something to think about, as is in the infield because the ball will be wet, dirty, and slippery — please be cautious of your throws when a runner is in play. If you do not need to make the throw, then do not do it! Do not make stupid throws and hit someone, accidental or not!

Public Enemas · The Spirit Animals · Briar Patch

I do hope you do not get discouraged about your record, losing games, and losing sometimes by many runs. REMEMBER: This was your first year and it takes a two seasons or more before the team gets a good feel of the game, understanding the rules, feeling confident about playing, trusting and relying on your teammates, and getting better at throwing, catching, and hitting.

Ask anyone on any team that you feel is good and they will tell you the same thing — it takes time! All three teams need to work on one hurdle that is a major factor in being competitive. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings, but this is a TRUE statement: your competiveness in Coed is based on the play of the women on your team! The hurdle is getting them to feel confident when batting and actually making contact with the ball. Everyone I have watched all season has a decent - great swing, they just need to watch the ball hit the bat and the ball will go somewhere!

If you are still losing after two or three seasons of play it can be one of three, or a combination of the three, reasons.
  1. Always filling the team with new players that do not know the game of baseball/softball and therefore not getting better as a team.
  2. Not practicing to get better.
  3. Coed President has put you in a wrong Coed division.
  4. You chose to play on a night in the wrong division and should be moved to a lower division.

Most of the time it is #3 or #4, and the Coed President, ME, is working on making all Coed Divisions equal fair play to make it more fun for everyone — you might lose, but not by 10 or more, there is a difference.

Again, I hope you do not get discouraged and not submit a team next year. I truly have enjoyed your company on and off the field. Thank you for being who you are!

Friday, September 15, 2017 games

#1664: 6 pm

AJA Video: 19
The Spirit Animals: 7

This is the first game I got to umpire The Spirit Animals Softball Team — most of their games were at Memorial. They come to the ball-field with positive vibes and a fun aera. They have several players that know the game and the one's that are learning have an extra pinch of energy and excitement ready to catch, throw, or hit the ball! The Spirit Animals scored 1 in the bottom of the first and 1 in the bottom of the third, but had 2 runs in the fourth and 3 more in the fifth. They got better as the game went along at batting.

AJA started slow with 2 runs in the first and 3 in the third, but met the 7 run rule in the fourth and fifth innings. Their bats were on, but TSA was not in a defensive mode the whole game except a few great plays!

#1664: 7 pm

Beauties and Beasts: 14
Public Enemas: 7

Public Enemas had a tough night meeting up with Beauties and Beasts for the second time this season — one of three teams that Beauties and Beasts plays twice this season — and they did not fair much better than their first meeting on opening day back on July 14th at 7 when they lost 24 - 5. They did score 2 more runs and held Beauties and Beasts to only 14 runs, but BB played a different game then they did the first one.

#1669: 8 pm

Paragon Hardwood: 14
Team Briar Patch: 10

Team Briar Patch met up with Paragon Hardwood for the second time this season. Their first game on July 21 at Memorial Briar Patch lost 15 - 1. They did much better this game scoring 8 of their 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth inning, but came up 4 runs short of tying the game.

Brad Wyatt had two inside the park homeruns, and ended the night 4 for 4 or 5 for 5 — he was perfect for the night showing off his speed and skills.

#1669: 9 pm

Misfits: 15
Byers Bullets: 16

With the bitter taste of losing to Misfits last week off a long fly ball from Jake Van Vossen, Byers Bullets comes into the game semi-confident. The rest of the season for Byers and Misfits is the race for third place, so the stakes are much higher for both teams.

Byers was in third place all season until they lost to Misfits last week putting them in fourth and moving misfits to third, with Fiedler Construction climbing up the ladder. Byers needing a win to put them back in third place by .018%, played the game allot more intense and serious than Misfits did.

Misfits started with 7 runs in the first, but Byers countered with 7 runs of the own making the first inning a 20 minute inning. Misfits scored 4 in the top of the fourth, but Byers only scored 3 in the bottom of the inning. Byers held Misfits to 1 run in the third and took the lead with 3 runs in the bottom. Coming down to the fourth inning, and being the last due to time running down, Misfits crack a home run scoring only 3 runs. Byers still energized and full of energy, came up and got 2 runs to tie the game, but a tie would not do them any good. A lucky hit through the infield, brought in the winning run with no time left on the clock — Byers Bullets are now back in third place dropping Misfits to fourth.

Remaining game scenarios

Misfits

Misfits has an easy schedule only because one of their last two games is a forfeit by Bad News Beers who had to forfeit the rest of their season and their last game is with Team Briar Patch — they could pull the upset and prove me and everyone wrong which would be cool for them, but the odds are against them. So we can predict that Misfits will end the season 8 - 3 - 1 with a .708 win percentage.

Byers Bullets & Fiedler Construction

Byers plays AJA Video, a team that is up and down all season — One week they look good, the next...well, not so good. This game could and should be a loss for Byers, but if they win it, it will help them immensely. If Byers loses against AJA Video, they play Fiedler Construction their last game, which will most definitely not be an easy match. They need at least a win on one of the games to stay in the playoff picture. Both of them would be better for them.

Byers could be 9 - 3 if they win their last two games, easily putting them in third place for the playoffs. 8 - 4 if they split the last two games which would keep them in the playoffs but in fourth place for the playoffs if Misfits wins their remaining two games. Or If Byers loses its last two games and Fiedler Construction wins its remaining two games (one of them would be against Byers and the other against Briar Patch and the odds are against them beating Fielder), both will be tied 7 - 5 and the tie-breaker will be runs scored.

Fielder Construction is still in the hunt. Byers and Misfits destiny is in their own hands. No one else to wait for or blame if they do not make it. There are other scenarios that could happen, but the odds are very high that they will. But the picture will get clearer after next Friday.

Thank You for allowing me to have a front row seat to watch you have fun, play ball, and see some exciting plays and watch you grow as a player, a team, and a softball community! - gerald martin davenport - WNCSSA Coed President

Remember: Lights on for safety.