2008 Hopkins Royals 12U White Fall Ball
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September 14
Hopkins White 5, Bloomington Red 2
Easily our best game of the season. Although we managed only one hit off a very tough, hard throwing pitcher, Lauren's single drove in 2 runs including the game winner. But this game was about excellent defense and good base running. Callan recorded all three outs in one inning, catching a foul pop and handling 2 grounders unassisted at first. In the third with the score tied at 1, they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. The batter hit a weak grounder towards first. Lauren raced over, picked it up and stared the runner on third down and stopped her about half way home. Eventually she broke for the plate, but Lauren ran in and applied the tag. After they loaded the bases, that inning ended scoreless when the batter ripped one up the middle that Lauren just got a glove on. The ball deflected to Maria at second and she calmly threw to Caitlyn for the out. In the next inning with a runner on third, Caitlyn scooped up a grounder and froze the runner before tagging out the batter. The 4th inning ended with Maria making a nice play on a grounder when the tying run was on second. Ellie drove in Callan in the bottom of the 4th and we held on for the win. One interesting aside. The Bloomington team had the home field advantage of knowing how thight the backstop fence was. We lost two runners at the plate and they did not attempt to score on wild pitches that bounced back near home. KJ made a couple of nice block using technique she learned in the catching clinic.Bloomington Blue 7, Hopkins White 6
From our best game to a disappointing one. We just couldn't get the timing to get solid hits off a slow pitcher. Even Lauren's line drive single went to the opposite field. Jessica came in to relieve Haley with the bases loaded and nobody out and she struck out the next three hitters. But those same hitters came back and got key hits in the last inning as they scored 4 to pull out the game. Maria was again solid at second and Mary made a nice play at second to end the third inning. The cold rain didn't help make the game enjoyable, either.

After the game we learned that Rosey would miss the rest of the season due to a broken wrist she suffered in a soccer game. We all wish her a complete and speedy recovery. I am so glad to be involved with a civil sport like softball where players never try to intentionally hurt their opponent.

Fall Fever, September 6
Game 1, OMGAA Storm 12, Hopkins White 1
Well, the game got off to a good start with Haley hitting a single and Lauren driving her in. But the Storm showed why they won the tournament, limiting us to a Kelly single and picking up 12 runs of their own in a three inning game. Still, the players came away from the game feeling that once we got over the intimidation factor of playing an older, muchmore experienced team, that we could play right with them. We put the bat on the ball and played good defense. LAuren relieved Jessica and struck out 2 of the 3 batters she faced.

Game 2, Hopkins White 6, Prior Lake Yellow 4
Callan and Caitlyn each had a single and a double. Jessica and Caitlyn each scored two runs and Lauren had 2 RBIs. Lauren picked up 8 strikeouts and 4 innings. The defense was solid. In the most unusual play of the day one of their runners tried to steal home. Now, in the next game the Snowcatz executed the play perfectly, waiting for the throw to go back to the pitcher, then scoring. But here, Callan just waited at home with the ball and tagged her out.

Game 3, Snowcatz 11, Hopkins White 1
Don't let the makeup and pink uniforms fool you, those kids could play ball. They were the best team in the very tough field, but somehow they lost their first game and wound up facing us for the consolation championship. They are a club team meaning they can attract kids from several different communities, and the ability to recruit showed. Not only did they have excellent athletes, but they played the game with precision - every player moving on every pitch. And they all threw the ball hard. Our players took notice and made some plays of their own. Jessica retrieved an errant throw back to the pitcher and cut down a runner trying to score. Maria also prevented a run on a similar play. KJ made the best play of the weekend backhanding a sharp grounder to second and getting the out a first. But their pitcher held us hitless and scoreless until 2 outs in the 6th when Maria lined a shot up the middle to score Callan, who had walked, from second. Ellie was our only other base runner, breaking up the perfect game in the 4th by getting hit by a pitch.

September 7
Shakopee 10, Hopkins White 5
In the fall league, teams register as experienced, intermediate or beginners. Even though we are all new to 12's, we signed up as intermediate, just like 12U Blue. Shakopee was experienced, but due to scheduling and the fact that we won twice last week, they got to play us. They hit the ball pretty well, but we hung in there with them. Ellie caught a very deep fly ball to center (unfortunately she celebrated a bit too long and the runner on third tagged up and scored). Still, it was worth celebrating. Jessica, catching, was in the middle of a couple of nice plays. She tagged a runner out on a fli from Lauren. In the last inning with a runner on third she dropped a third strike. She looked the runner back, then threw to Callan at first for the out. The runner broke for home and Callan threw a strike back to complete the double play. Lauren had two singles to lead the offensive attack.
Crow River Raiders 10, Hopkins White 5
They scored 9 in the first two innings and though we kept chipping away it was too much to overcome. We only had one called stird strike - the first batter of the game. Jessica had a double. Maria smoked 2 line drives (one truned into a double play) Caitlyn turned in a nice play in center when a pop up fell amongst her and the shortstop and the second baseman. She fielded the ball and sprinted to second to get a force out. Rosey retired the next batter on a sharp liner to short.

August 24, Hopkins White 8, Eden Prairie Red 6
August 24, Hopkins White 11, Eden Prairie Black 8
What a great way to start as 12's. We played like we had been doing this for years. All of the runs in the first game were the direct result of very aggressive base running, scoring on wild pitches, overthrows, or slow reactions by the fielders. The best example was Haley stealing second, then scampering to third when the ball dribbled into center. When the center fielder leisurely returned the ball to the pitcher, Haley kept speeding for home and scored easily. Kelly led the hitting attack with a double and two singles, scoring twice. Haley had two hits and scored twice. Jessica had a hit and a run. KJ scored after reaching on a dropped third strike and Rosey and Emily scored after reaching on walks. Jessica struck out the very first 12's batter she faced, retired the first six and had an excellent outing (4 runs scored in one inning due to a variety of defensive lapses). Other than that one inning, however, the defense was solid. KJ turned in a nifty unassisted double play. With runners on first and third, the batter struck out and KJ dropped the ball. OK, not nifty yet, but with first base occupied, the batter was automatically out. So KJ alertly did not make the throw to first even though the batter ran. The runner on third tried to score, and KJ sprinted back to the plate and put on the tag. In the first of two last inning wins, we were behind 6-5 going into the last (5th) inning. We picked up three and Jessica held them scoreless to win the game.

In the second game we won the old fashioned way - hitting and defense. Callan drove in two first inning runs with a hit and Kelly followed with a two run home run - a play that ended with some adventure as Kelly got hung up between third and home but took the aggressive approach and beat the throw home. Lauren drove in the last run of the game with a double and Jessica, Caitlyn and Rosey each scored twice. Just like Jessica, Haley struck out the first 12's batter she faced. Haley ran into a bit of wildness in the second (but had two strikes on every batter) before yielding to Lauren. As in the first game, we entered the last (4th) inning down, this time 8-6. We put up a five spot in the top of the inning and Lauren pitched a 1-2-3 inning to wrap up the game. But the last inning had the defensive play of the day. With a runner on first, there was a grounder to KJ at second. Since we had a 3 run lead, there was no need to try the risky play (a force at second) so she threw to Caitlyn for the out. The runner on first kept going to third (on the coach's instructions) and Caitlyn gave her a defiant look like "You're running on the wrong person!" She casually ripped a perfect throw to Haley who tagged the runner out by 10 feet.

There were two very important plays late in the game that did not show up in the box score but contributed to the win. First, Callan was hurt trying to make a tag at home. She had tears, but refused to come out of the game. Had we needed to change catchers, time would have run out and we would not have started the last inning and we would have lost the game. When we were batting in the last inning, we were behind by two with KJ on third and there was a wild pitch. KJ could have easily scored, but listening to the coach she did not attempt to score. Why? In that situation she was more valuable at third than putting a run on the board. Sure enough Rosey strikes out and the catcher drops the ball. KJ dances off third and makes the catcher think about throwing to third. The catcher stared at KJ for several seconds before finally throwing to first - just too late to get Rosey and for good measure, KJ scored on the play. So Rosey became the tying run with only one out and she scored, as did Haley, Jessica and Caitlyn behind her to put us up 11-8.