EAST PEORIA --For a while, Jamie Story’s bouncing ball through the infield lingers as the end of the story for the Mattoon Pride.
After the image of the No. 10 batter in the National Softball Association rules lineup for the Indy Diamond Chix provided the walk-off seventh-inning single in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Mattoon and the NSA 18-and-under World Series championship, the Pride likely will remember other crucial plays.
Like the play ruled a trap by Pride right fielder Nicole Runde, meaning the Diamond Chix’s had a game-tying double instead of an out that would have ended the first inning.
“She caught the ball,” Pride coach Wade Bradley said. “I asked her and she is an honest kid.”
Or earlier in the day Janele Robinson’s fly ball that could have tied the game only for right fielder Halee Myers to make the catch about 10 feet in front of the right field fence ending the Pride’s five-run seventh inning and giving the Diamond Chix a wild 11-10 win in the winners’ bracket final between the last two undefeated teams in the 24-team double-elimination tournament.
“I thought it was over her head,” Bradley said.
Along with the what-if aggravations, the Pride had plenty of highlights.
Those included Olivia Mintun’s three-run homer for a tie in the fifth inning of an elimination game before birthday girl Nicole Runde as part of her 4-for-4 game and streak of getting a hit in eight straight Saturday at-bats singled and scored the go ahead run on an outfield error on the single by her twin sister Kristin Runde as the Pride defeated the CIGS Rebels 11-9.
“I’ll remember all the good times with my teammates and the spirit of the Pride,” Mintun said.
“We held them off for a long time but they were the home team and had the last at-bat. We had some tough breaks but we didn’t get the big hit when we needed it.”
On the final day of a 32-8 summer season for the Pride 18s, they experienced either kind of one-run loss you want to say is most heartbreaking – a comeback falling short on a deep fly ball or the walk-off hit in a bottom of the seventh that began with a walk and also included an error.
Surprising on this day with the wind blowing out at the Eastside Centre’s championship diamond was that after the 11-10 morning game won by the Diamond Chix and then with both teams scoring twice in the first inning of the rematch in the finals appeared headed to another slugfest, this turned into a scoreless pitchers’ duel the next five innings.
“The wind was a big factor,” said Pride pitcher Janele Robinson, knocked out of the pitcher’s circle in the first game after allowing six runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings but then going the distance in the rematch. “It definitely was not a pitcher’s day.”
But the Cumberland graduate found a way to keep the Pride in a 2-2 tie until the final inning of this game that Mattoon needed to win in order to force the if-necessary game against the Diamond Chix who went undefeated through the tourney.
“This time I changed speeds a lot and it helped just getting think thinking the off-seed is coming,” Robinson said.
Meanwhile, after Aubrey Frank and Maria Dust provided run-scoring singles in the first inning, the Pride could not score again against the hard-throwing riseball pitcher Sara Evans, who also pitched the Indy Diamond Chix’s championship win three years ago against the Mattoon Pride in an NSA 16-and-under championship game.
“We had times when we had runners on base and didn’t get the hit,” Bradley said, “but we were facing a girl going to Indiana State.”
The Middle Tennessee State-bound Robinson had the Diamond Chix under control until the seventh when Lauren Geisking led off with a walk, Evans singled to right center and Lauren Wells reaching on an error on her sacrifice bunt to load the bases with no outs.
Story’s singled through the drawn-in infield.
The Pride had no margin for error after the high-scoring showdown from the morning in which it at least renewed some confidence after nearly coming back from an 11-2 deficit.
“I told the girls I don’t ever remember being happy about a loss before,” said Bradley, who has coached countless summer softball games. “We were down 11-2 to a good pitcher and almost came back.”
A good or bad feeling?
“A little of both,” Nicole Runde said. “It’s frustrating because we came this close but it’s good that we came back.”
Before the Diamond Chix exploded for a six runs in the fourth, Runde had given the Pride the lead with a two-run homer in the third inning.
That was part of her 3-for-3, three-RBI game, not that the Teutopolis product who played for Lake Land the past spring was about to say she was in a groove.
“I don’t want to jinx myself,” she said.
Guess she didn’t continuing with a 4-for-4 game against the CIGS Rebels.
Still, the Pride trailed 8-4 and then 9-6 in this game in which Okaw Valley graduate Sam Inman had a double and a single in her first two at-bats for the Rebels.
Then Mintun, who to that point was going through an 0-for-5 Saturday, made it a new game tying things with her three-run homer over the center field fence in the fifth inning.
“I hadn’t been hitting so well and Dirk (Frank, an assistant coach) said ‘scoot up,’ ” the Neoga product said. “I just had it in my mind I was going to crush it and I did. But the rest of the team got the last two runs to win it.”
Nicole Runde singled in the sixth, her sister Kristin also singled and an error allowed Nicole to score. Dust’s single provided an insurance run for Aubrey Frank, who retired the Rebels in order in the seventh to finish her win in which she allowed two earned runs in five relief innings.
That got the Pride into the championship round before the season ended with disappointment but not despair.
“A lot of new friendships and people I didn’t know before,” Robinson said of her lasting memories of the Pride’s year. “I had a really fun summer. That was the most important thing.”
Bradley said: “A lot of good team chemistry. I can’t single any one out. Eight of the kids have another year left of 18-and-under if they want to be back.”
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- While allowing two runs, the Mattoon 16-and-under Pride also threw out a runner at third base which could have revived spirits.
Instead, on that fourth inning-ending out, Mattoon third baseman Bailiegh Basham was spiked in the hand and had to leave the National Softball Association Eastern World Series final to go to the hospital.
“We just shut down,” Pride coach Jim Glenn said. “We didn’t do anything after that.”
The Virginia Lady Titans went on to win 2-0, the second time on Friday they shut out the Pride which wound up second in the NSA 16-under Eastern World Series.
“We went from fourth to third to second,” Glenn said of a three-year run of NSA tourneys for this group. “We didn’t quite reach our goal but finish second still made for a good tournament.”
Earlier Friday the Virginia Lady Titans defeated Mattoon 1-0 in the winners’ bracket final.
Amber Shedelbower pitched a two-hitter to defeat the Chattanooga Frost Falcons 8-0 in an elimination game giving the Pride another chance at the Lady Titans in the double-elimination tournament but the Virginia team prevailed again.
In the morning game both teams had four hits but the Lady Titans got two of theirs in the first inning when scoring two runs off Reynae Hutchinson.
Hutchinson had a triple, a double and three RBIs as both she and Basham went 3-for-3 in the 8-0 win over the Frost Falcons.
Standing 37-10 this season, the Pride is to play in the ASA Northern Nationals set to start Wednesday at St. Louis.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 10:28 PM CDT
Pride 16s win ASA qualifier
By JG/T-C staff
sports@jg-tc.com
PEKIN -- The Mattoon Pride 16-and-under softball team won the championship of the American Softball Association National Qualifier Tournament, qualifying for the ASA National Championship Tournament later this month in Sioux Falls, SD.
The Pride began its weekend with a 4-0 win over the Quad City Firebirds. Amber Shedelbower pitched a two-hit shutout and knocked in a run with a single. Hannah Cole and Alison Kimble also had RBI singles.
Mattoon defeated the Midland Magic 2-1 behind the pitching of Reynae Hutchinson. Bailiegh Basham led off the game with a single, took second on Michelle Glenn’s sacrifice bunt, went to third on Hutchinson’s single and scored on Cole’s single. Maura Cummins scored the second run on a wild pitch, after singling to lead off the fifth inning.
The Pride defeated the Shelbyville Lady Lakers 2-1 in the semifinal game, as Shedelbower and Shelbyville’s Grace Moll matched up in a pitcher’s dual. Shedelbower struck out nine and Moll struck out seven. Hutchinson and Cole knocked in Mattoon’s runs. Moll’s triple scored the run for Shelbyville.
Mattoon and Shelbyville hooked up again in the championship game, which the Pride won 8-1. Kimble, who led the team with six hits in the tournament, had three hits for the Pride.
The Pride, 24-5, travels to Moline Friday to compete in the ASA Class A State Tournament.
GAME 1 Mattoon Pride 4,
Quad City Firebirds 0
Winning pitcher: Amber Shedelbower
PRIDE: Alison Kimble 2 singles; Reynae Hutchinson, Macy Shupe, Hannah Cole and Shedelbower - single.
GAME 2 Mattoon Pride 2, Midland Magic 1
Winning pitcher: Hutchinson
PRIDE: Maura Cummins - 2 singles; Cole, Hutchinson, Tana Rentschler, Chelsea Knight and Bailiegh Basham - single.
GAME 3 Mattoon Pride 2,
Shelbyville Lady Lakers 1
Winning pitcher: Shedelbower
PRIDE: Knight, Cummins, Cole and Kimble - single.
GAME 4 Pride 8 - Shelbyville Lady Lakers 1
Winning pitcher: Hutchinson
PRIDE: Kimble - triple, double, single; Basham - triple, single; Cummins - double, single; Knight, Cole, Hutchinson and Michelle Glenn - single.
ORLAND HILLS -- Janele Robinson and Aubrey Frank combined to allow just two runs in five games and Mattoon’s 18-and-under Pride won the National Softball Association Class A state tournament Sunday.
Robinson struck out three in a 4-1 championship victory against the East Peoria Express, a team the Pride had beaten earlier.
Kristin Runde had eight hits and, along with Olivia Mintun, a home run for Mattoon (13-2), which travels to Collinsville this weekend.
ORLAND HILLS – The Mattoon Pride 16-and-under softball team went 2-2 in the rain-shortened National Softball Association state tournament.
The Pride opened the tournament with a 3-2 comeback win over the Illinois Outlaws in an extra inning.. After falling 2-1 to the Quad City Firebirds the Pride blanked the Chi-Town Express Platinum 2-0 and lost to the Milan Aces 3-2.
The Pride, 15-3, is to play host to Shelbyville Wednesday in a doubleheader before traveling to Collinsville Friday for the Extreme Classic.
In the fourth inning of the win over the Illinois Outlaws Maura Cummins and Bailiegh Basham led off with this and scored on a double by Reynae Hutchinson and a single by Hannah Cole. Using the international tiebreaker rule (the person who made the third out in the previous inning starts at second base) pinch runner Chelsea Knight scored on a single by Basham after moving to third on a sacrifice by Cummins.
Alison Kimble pitched a five-hitter in the win over the Express Platinum and Paige Roytek hit a two-run homer.
Cole and hit a home run in the loss to Milan and Chelsea Knight and Tana Rentschler had RBI singles.
Game one Pride 3, Illinois Outlaws 2 Winning pitcher: Reynae Hutchinson
PRIDE: Bailiegh Basham 2 singles; Hutchinson double; Maura Cummins single; Hanna Cole single
Game two Quad City Firebirds 3, Pride 2 PRIDE: Cole single
Game three Pride 2, Chi-Town Express Platinum 0 Winning pitcher: Allison Kimble
PRIDE: Paige Roytek double, home run; Kimble single; Basham single; Hutchinson single; Cole single
Game four Milan Aces 5, Pride 4 PRIDE: Cole home run; Tana Rentschler single, double; Chelsea Knight 2 singles; Basham 2 singles; Kimble single; Hutchinson single; Michelle Glenn single
Hannah Dow:
'Our dream came true'
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
BLOOMINGTON -- As part of this storybook ending, Hannah Dow handled the dribbling bouncer back to the pitcher’s circle for the final out just fine.
Then, she lost it.
That’s OK. Her father, Mike, the former three-sport All-Big 12 Conference star from Mattoon did not exactly keep a tough guy’s image either after his daughter was named Most Valuable Player of the national junior college Division II softball tournament for champion Heartland on Saturday.
“I fielded the last out and you could just tell he was so excited,” the winning pitcher of the championship game said. “When he came out and gave me a hug we couldn’t keep our composure. The Heartland baseball team came out and supported us. Having them there and the crowd was great. Everyone was rooting us on.”
Probably none more than proud parents Mike and Peggy Dow.
Mattoon grad Dow, Andrews power Heartland to NJCAA nationals
By SCOTT RICHEY, Staff Writer
MATTOON — Heartland’s three-run lead in the sixth inning wasn’t enough to hold off Illinois Central College on Saturday afternoon at the Roundhouse Complex in Mattoon.
The Hawks’ two-run lead after a Hannah Dow two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning wasn’t enough either.
It finally took a four-run lead in the ninth inning thanks to a two-run home run from freshman center fielder Lizzie Andrews and a two-run double from sophomore right fielder Kaitlyn Ralph to put the Lady Cougars away. See More Here
RANTOUL — The Mattoon Pride 16-and-under softball team survived a late uprising by CIGS Rebels Blue to win the Central Illinois Diamonds Classic this past weekend with a 7-6 victory.
Alison Kimble, who had already pitched complete game shutouts in wins over the Vermilion County Fury and CIGS Rebels Blue, entered the semifinal game against the Charleston Chill in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and no outs and retired the side without any runs. Then she came on in the fifth inning of the championship game after the Rebels had pulled within one run but again allowed the Pride to escape without any further damage.
Kimble was also one of the hitting leaders for the Pride, as she and Hannah Cole each had seven hits, including two doubles.
After traveling to Decatur on Tuesday to play both CIGS Rebels Blue and CIGS Rebels Gold, the Pride, 13-1, is to travel to Orland Hills next weekend for the NSA State Tournament.
GAME 1: Pride 8 - Vermilion County Fury 0
Winning pitcher: Alison Kimble
Pride Kimble double and single; Maura Cummins and Michelle Glenn 2 singles; Shannon Boone, Hannah Cole, Bailiegh Basham and Macy Shupe single.
MATTOON — Macy Shupe’s eighth inning hit scored Allison Gwinup lifting the Mattoon Pride 16-and-under softball team to a 3-2 victory over the Vermilion County Fury and a championship in the eighth annual Fastpitch Classic at the Roundhouse Complex.
Trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning, the Pride scored a run on a double by Haley Sparks and a single by Hannah Cole. They tied the game in the fifth on Amber Shedelbower’s single, Brandi Hall’s sacrifice bunt and Kaylee Wilford’s double. The Pride played without seven of its regulars, six of whom are competing for the Mattoon Lady Wave in today’s IHSA Springfield Super-Sectional contest.
Mattoon won all seven of its contests, with Newton’s Shedelbower picking up four wins and Cumberland’s Alison Kimble winning three.
The Pride is to travel to Rantoul on Friday to compete in the Central Illinois Diamonds Classic.
GAME 1: Pride 5, Illiana Clash 0 (Winning pitcher Amber Shedelbower 1 hit, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts)
Pride: Shannon Boone 2 doubles; Macy Shupe, Chelsea Knight, Kaylee Wilford and Brandi Hall single.
GAME 2: Pride 13, ECI Dynamite 1 (WP Alison Kimble)
Pride: Boone triple, single; Knight and Allison Gwinup 2 singles; Shupe home run; Hannah Cole triple; Shedelbower double; Hall, Kimble, Wilford and Haley Sparks single.
GAME 3: Pride 10, CIGS Rebels Blue 1 (WP Shedelbower)
Cole 3 singles; Boone triple, single; Knight 2 singles; Shedelbower double; Sparks, Kimble, Gwinup, Hall and Shupe single.
GAME 4: Pride 10, CI Diamonds 0 (WP Kimble)
Pride: Hall 2 singles; Cole, Boone, Shupe and Knight single.
GAME 5: Pride 6, Mattoon Cobras 0 (WP Kimble)Pride: Kimble, Knight and Hall 2 singles; Shedelbower, Sparks and Cole double; Shupe single.
GAME 6: Pride 4, Marshall Big Red Machine 1 (WP Shedelbower)Pride: Shupe triple, single; Shedelbower 2 singles; Cole and Boone triple; Sparks double; Hall and Kimble single.
GAME 7: Pride 3, Vermilion County Fury 2 (8 innings)
(WP Shedelbower)Pride: Shupe Double, 2 singles; Wilford, Sparks and Boone double; Gwinup, Kimble, Cole and Shedelbower single.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 8:41 AM CDT Pride 14s win qualifier
MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 14-and-under softball team won the National Softball Association qualifying tournament over the weekend, going 7-0 in the 11-team tournament.
The Pride began single elimination by defeating Moultrie County Rush 10-0. In the semifinal the Pride defeated the Mattoon Cobras 3-2. The team won the championship with a 13-4 victory over the Central Illinois Diamonds.
The Pride, 30-4, is to play in the USSA state tournament.
Championship game Pride 13, Central Illinois Diamonds 4
PRIDE: Kacey Starwalt double, single, 2 runs, RBI; Maddi Thomason 3 singles, 3 runs, RBI; Jasie McMechan triple, 2 singles, 3 runs, RBI; Melanie Sparks 2 singles, run, 2 RBIs; Caitlyn Cordell single; Kaitlyn Bath double, run; Diedre Ledbetter 3 singles, RBI; Jaden Patterson, run; Shelby Tate 2 singles, 2 runs
Pitchers: Katie Lange 5 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 1 stirkeout; Starwalt 2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 4 strikeouts Semifinal game
Pride 3, Mattoon Cobras 2 PRIDE: Thomason triple, run, RBI; McMechan single; Sparks single, run; Cordell 2 doubles, single, 2 RBIs; Patterson double, run; Tate single
Winning pitcher: Starwalt 7 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 7 strikeouts Quarterfinal game Pride 10, Moultrie County Rush 0 PRIDE: Starwalt 2 singles, 2 runs, RBI; Thomason single, run; McMechan 2 doubles, 3 runs, RBI; Sparks single, run, 2 RBIs; Bath single, 2 RBIs; Ledbetter 2 singles, run, RBI; Lange 2 singles, RBI; Patterson single, run; Tate single, run
Pitchers: Lange 3 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts; Kaylee Conlin 1 inning, 0 this, 0 runs, 1 stirkeout Pool Play Pride 8, Central Illinois Diamonds 2 PRIDE: Starwalt 2 singles, run; McMechan 2 doubles, 2 runs, RBI; Thomason 2 singles, 3 runs, RBI; Cordell 2 runs; Sparks single, 2 RBIs; Bath single, RBI; Ledbetter RBI; Lange double
Winning pitcher: Starwalt 7 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts Pride 8, Moultrie County Rush 1 PRIDE: Starwalt double, single, run, RBI; McMechan triple, RBI; Thomason run; Cordell single, run; Sparks 3 singles, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Bath double, run, 2 RBIs; Ledbetter run; Patterson single; Conlin RBI; Tate 2 singles, run, RBI Pride 9, Collinsville 0 PRIDE: Starwalt single, 2 RBIs; Sparks RBI; McMechan triple, 2 singles, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Thomason 3 singles, RBI; Bath single; Ledbetter 2 singles, RBI; Lange run; Cordell triple, 2 singles, 2 runs; Conlin double, run, 2 RBIs; Tate double, single, 3 runs
Pitchers: Lange 3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 7 strikeouts; Starwalt 2 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts Pride 15, East Central Illinois Dynamite 0 PRIDE: Starwalt 2 singles, run; McMechan triple, 2 runs; Thomason 2 singles, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Bath run; Ledbetter 3 runs, RBI; Tate 2 singles, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Lange double, single, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Cordell double, run, RBI; Patterson single; Conlin RBI
Pitchers: Conlin 2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 strikeout; Ledbetter 2 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 8:33 AM CDT Pride 10s win qualifier MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 10-and-under softball team defeated the Collinsville Extreme in a hard fought 8-7 championship contest of the Mattoon Pride NSA Qualifier on Sunday.
The 10s rallied in the sixth inning scoring two runs to win the time-expired game.
In the semifinal earlier in the day, the Pride had a 11-0 victory over the ECI Dynamite.
The Pride were a perfect 4-0 in pool play with wins over ECI Dynamite, 12-2; Tuscola Force 3-2; Collinsville Extreme 3-2 and the Charleston Chill 17-5.
The Mattoon Pride 10U is now 24-2 and are scheduled to play in the USSSA Central State Tournament at the Roundhouse Complex this weekend.
Championship game Mattoon Pride 8, Collinsville Extreme 7 MATTOON: Ivy Nichols 2 single, walk, 2 runs; Emily Watson 2 singles; Aavery Jackson double, single, 2 RBIs 3 runs; Kyliegh Basham single, run; Kelsey Farmer 2 singles; Cassi Dow walk, 2 singles, RBI; Whitley McDaniel run; Sydeny Jackson sacrifice; Bella Coffey single
Winning pitcher: Basham 4 innings, 1 hit, 4 runs, 4 earned, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts; Cassi Dow 2 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts.
Semifiinal
Mattoon Pride 11, ECI Dynamite 0 MATTOON: Nichcols walk, run; Watson HBP, run; A. Jackson walk, run; Basham double, walk 2 runs; Farmer single, 2 runs; Dow single, walk; S. Jackson double, walk, RBI, run; Abrienne Lee single, run; Paige Arthur walk, run.
Winning pitcher: Basham 4 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 earned, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts Pool Games
Mattoon Pride 12, ECI Dynamite 2 Winning pitcher: Dow 3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts; Watson 1 inning 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 0 walks, 1 strikeout Mattoon Pride 3, Tuscola 2 MATTOON: Nichols 2 walks, run; A. Jackson single, run: Farmer double, walk, run; Dow walk; S. Jackson single, walk; Lee walk
Winning pitcher: Farmer 6 innings, 0 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts Mattoon Pride 3, Collinsville Extreme 2 MATTOON: Nichols walk, run, Watson walk; A. Jackson single run; Basham single; Farmer single, walk, run; S. Jackson walk, run; Cow single, walk; Coffey single, run; Lee single, sacrifice; Alyssa Mathias, HBP
Winning Pitcher: Watson 3 innings, 2 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts; Basham 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Mattoon Pride 17, Charleston Chill 5 MATTOON: Nichols walk, run; Watson single, walk, 2 runs; Mathias single run; A. Jackson walk single, 2 runs; Basham 3 singles, 3 runs; Farmer 3 doubles, 3 runs; Dow 2 singles, 2 runs; S. Jackson single, run; Coffey walk, single, 2 runs; Abbey Walsh walk, run; McDaniel walk
Winning pitcher Lee 2 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts; A. Jackson 1 inning, 0 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts
NORMAL -- The Mattoon Pride 14-under Softball team finished third in the 16-team ASA Twin City Classic this past weekend.
The Pride went 5-2 in this single elimination tournament.
The Pride went 2-1 in pool play beating Homer Hawks 4-3 and the Bloomington Normal Bengals 5-1 and losing to Hannibal, Mo., 2-0.
The Pride began bracket play defeating CIGS Rebels 5-1 and the Chicago White Sox Academy 4-0. New Lenox beat the Pride in the semifinal 5-2. The Pride went on the win the 3rd place game by defeating Homer 5-3.
The Pride’s season record is 23-4. The team’s next action is the Mattoon Pride World Series Qualifier starting Friday.
POOL PLAY GAME 1: Pride 4, Homer 3 Pride Pitcher – Kacey Starwalt – 6 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 11 strikeouts
Pride Hitters: Melanie Sparks run; Kacey Starwalt double, run, 2 RBIs; Maddie Thomason single, RBI; Kaitlyn Bath single, RBI; Caitlyn Cordell single; Deidre Ledbetter run; Jaden Patterson run; Shelby Tate single POOL PLAY GAME 2: Hannibal, Mo. 2, Pride 0 Pride Pitcher – Kacey Starwalt – 6 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 7 strikeouts
Pride Hitters: Kacey Starwalt single; Jasie McMechan single; Caitlyn Cordell single; Jaden Patterson single; Shelby Tate single POOL PLAY GAME 3: Pride 5, BGNSA Bengals 1 Pride Pitcher – Kacey Starwalt – 7 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts
Pride Hitters: Melanie Sparks double, run; Kacey Starwalt 3 singles, RBI; Maddi Thomason single; Jasie McMechan 2 singles, run; Jaden Patterson 2 singles, run; Deidre Ledbetter 3 singles, 2 runs; Shelby Tate single; Kaylee Conlin single TOURNAMENT GAME 1: Pride 5, CIGS Rebels 1 Pride Pitcher – Katie Lange – 7 innings, 7 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 strikeout
Pride Hitters – Kacey Starwalt 2 singles, run; Melanie Sparks single, 2 RBIs; Jasie McMechan triple, RBI; Maddi Thomason single, run; Kaitlyn Bath run; Katie Lange single, run, RBI; Caitlyn Cordell 2 singles, RBI; Deidre Ledbetter single, RBI; Shelby Tate – single, run TOURNAMENT GAME 2 Pride 4, White Sox Academy 0 Pride Pitcher – Kacey Starwalt6 innings, 8 hits, 0 runs, 8 strikeouts
Pride Hitters – Melanie Sparks run; Jasie McMechan single, run; Maddi Thomason run; Caitlyn Cordell run, RBI; Deidre Ledbetter double, RBI SEMIFINAL: New Lenox 5, Pride 2 Pride Pitcher Katie Lange 6 innings, 9 hits, 5 earned runs, 4 strikeouts
Pride Hitters: Kacey Starwalt 2 singles, run; Melanie Sparks single, RBI; Kaitlyn Bath single, run; Deidre Ledbetter RBI THIRD PLACE GAME Pride 5, Homer 3 Pride Pitcher – Kacey Starwalt – 6 innings, 8 hits, 2 earned runs, 5 strikeouts
Pride Hitters – Kacey Starwalt triple, run; Melanie Sparks single, run; Jasie McMechan single, run; Maddi Thomason 2 singles, run, 2 RBIs; Kaitlyn Bath single, RBI; Katie Lange single, run; Deidre Ledbetter single, RBI
10s, 12s and 14s win
2009 Pride ASA
Memorial Classic Tournament
MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 14-under softball team won the nine-team Pride ASA Memorial Classic Tournament. The team went 6-1 in this double elimination tournament.
After winning its pool, the Pride defeated Springfield Xplosion 6-1 and Villa Grove 14-0. The Pride then defeated last year’s NSA Class B World Series Champion, Indiana Terror 3-1 in the semi final.
After winning the losers’ bracket, the Terror came back to defeat the Pride 4-3 forcing a final championship game. The Pride then won the tournament by defeating the Terror 5-3 in the Championship game.
The Pride’s season record is 18-2. Their next action is the ASA Twin City Classic Saturday and Sunday in Bloomington-Normal. POOL PLAY
GAME 1: Pride 9, Diamond Gems 5 Pride Pitchers – Alie Tarrant – 4 innings, 3hits, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts: Kacey Starwalt – 3 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run 4 strikeouts
Pride hitters: Melanie Sparks triple, run; Shelby Tate – 4 singles, 3 runs; Maddi Thomason – single, run; Kaitlyn Bath – double, single, run, 3 RBIs; Jasie McMechan – single, RBI; Kacey Starwalt – run; Courtney Considine – single; Kaylee Conlin – single, run; Jaden Patterson – single, run, RBI GAME 2: Pride 3, IN Terror 0 Pride Pitchers – Kaylee Conlin – 5 innings, 2 hits, o earned runs, 2 strikeouts; Kacey Starwalt – 1 inning, 0 hits 0 earned runs, 3 strikeouts
Pride Hitters – Melanie Sparks – single; Kacey Starwalt – 2 singles, 2 RBIs; Kaitlyn Bath – single; Jasie McMechan – 2 singles, run; Courtney Considine – run, RBI; Jaden Patterson – run DOUBLE ELIMINATION PLAY
Pride 6, Xplosion 1 Pride Pitchers – Kaylee Conlin – 3 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 4 strikeouts; Deidre Ledbetter – 1 inning, 1 hit, 0 earned runs; Kacey Starwalt – 1 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 4 strikeouts
Pride: Melanie Sparks – single; Shelby Tate – run; Kacey Starwalt – single, run; Kaitlyn Bath – single, run; Jasie McMechan – 2 singles, 2 runs, RBI; Maddi Thomason – single, run, 2 RBIs; Jaden Patterson – single; Deidre Ledbetter – single, RBI Pride 14, Villa Grove 0 Pride Pitchers – Kaylee Conlin – 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 strikeout; Deidre Ledbetter – 2 innings, 1 hit, 1 strikeout
Pride: Melanie Sparks double, single, 2 runs, RBI; Shelby Tate – 2 singles, 2 runs, RBI; Kacey Starwalt – double, single, 2 runs; Kaitlyn Bath – double, 2 singles, 3 runs, 4 RBIs; Jasie McMechan – run, RBI; Maddi Thomason – 2 triples, single, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Courtney Considine – run, 2 RBIs; Kaylee Conlin – 2 singles, run; Deidre Ledbetter – single; Jaden Patterson – single, RBI SEMIFINAL
Pride 3, Indiana Terror 1 Pride Pitcher – Kacey Starwalt – 6 innings, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts
Pride: Melanie Sparks – single; Kacey Starwalt – 2 singles, run; Maddie Thomason – single, run, RBI; Kaitlyn Bath – single run, RBI; Jasie McMechan – single; Courtney Considine – single; Deidre Ledbetter – single CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 1
Indiana Terror 4, Pride 3 Pride Pitchers – Kaylee Conlin – 7 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 3 strikeouts; Kacey Starwalt – 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs
Pride: Melanie Sparks – triple; Kacey Starwalt single, run; Maddie Thomason – single, 2 runs; Kaitlyn Bath – double, single, 3 RBIs; Jasie McMechan – single; Deidre Ledbetter – single CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Pride 5, Indiana Terror 3 Pride pitcher – Kacey Starwalt – 7 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 4 strikeouts
Pride: Melanie Sparksdouble, single, run; Maddi Thomason – 2 singles, run, RBI; Kaitlyn Bath – 2 singles, run; Jasie McMechan – double, run, 2 RBIs; Deidre Ledbetter – single; Jaden Patterson – 2 singles, run, RBI
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 Pride 10s win title
MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 10 & Under won the Pride Memorial Weekend Classic this past weekend. The Pride defeated the Black Widows 20-1 for the Championship.
Mattoon prevailed 6-0 over the Black Widows earlier in the day in a semi-final contest.
In the first elimination game on Saturday afternoon, the Pride won 10-0 against the Illiana Sparks. The BNGSA Angels fell 10-1 to the Pride and in the first game of the weekend, the Pride defeated the CIGS Rebels 10-0.
The Mattoon Pride outscored their opponents 56-2. The 10s return to action June 5-7 at the Eighth Annual Mattoon Pride NSA Qualifier. Championship Mattoon Pride 20, Black Widows 1 Pride 421 (13)—20-17-0
Black Widows 000 1—1-5-1
Winning pitcher: Kyliegh Basham 4 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 earned, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
MATTOON: Ivy Nichols single, 2 walks, 4 runs; Emily Watson sacrifice, 3 singles, 3 RBI, 3 runs; Avery Jackson 2 singles, double, 3 RBI, 2 runs; Basham walk, 2 singles, 3 runs; Kelsey Farmer 2 singles, double, 3 RBI, 1 run; Whitley McDaniel 2 runs; Cassi Dow double, single, 2 runs; Sydney Jackson single, RBI, walk, run; Abrienne Lee single, walk; Bella Coffey double, run, 2 RBI; Paige Arthur HBP, run. Semi-Final Mattoon Pride 6, Black Widows 0 Black Widows 000 0—0-0-1
Pride 002 4—6-6-1
Winning pitcher: Dow 4 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
MATTOON: Nichols single; Watson 2 walks, double, RBI 2 runs; A. Jackson double, single, run, RBI; Basham walk; Farmer 2 singles, 2 RBI; Dow walk, single; S. Jackson run; Lee walk, run; Alyssa Mathais walk, run Elimination Game Mattoon Pride 10, Illiana Sparks 0 Sparks 000 0—0-3-3
Pride 033 4—10-9-0
Winning pitcher: Basham 4 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs 0 earned, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts
MATTOON: Walsh double, run; Watson double, 2 RBI, run; A. Jackson single, RBI, 2 runs; Basham double, single, RBI, 2 runs; Farmer 2 singles, 2 runs, RBI; Dow RBI, run; S. Jackson single, triple, RBI run; Arthur single, run Pool Games Mattoon Pride 10, BNGSA Angels 1 Angels 010 0—1-1-0
Pride 400 6—10-10-2
Winning pitcher: Dow 4 innings, 0 hits, 1 run, 0 earned, 1 hit, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
MATTOON: Nichols single, run; Watson 2 singles, double, RBI, run; A. Jackson single, RBI, run; Basham walk, double, RBI, run; Farmer 2 singles, 2 RBI, run; Mathais run; McDaniel run; S. Jackson triple RBI, run; Lee single, RBI; Coffey single Mattoon Pride 10, CIGS 0 CIGS 000 0—0-0-0
Pride 201 7—10-10-0
Winning pitcher: Watson 4 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
MATTOON: Nichols 2 singles, 2 runs; A. Jackson single, sacrifice, RBI, 2 runs; Watson single, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs; Basham 2 walks, 2 runs; Farmer 2 singles, 3 RBI, 2 runs; Dow double, single, RBI, run; S. Jackson single, RBI, run; Lee sacrifice, RBI
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
BLOOMINGTON -- As part of this storybook ending, Hannah Dow handled the dribbling bouncer back to the pitcher’s circle for the final out just fine.
Then, she lost it.
That’s OK. Her father, Mike, the former three-sport All-Big 12 Conference star from Mattoon did not exactly keep a tough guy’s image either after his daughter was named Most Valuable Player of the national junior college Division II softball tournament for champion Heartland on Saturday.
“I fielded the last out and you could just tell he was so excited,” the winning pitcher of the championship game said. “When he came out and gave me a hug we couldn’t keep our composure. The Heartland baseball team came out and supported us. Having them there and the crowd was great. Everyone was rooting us on.”
Probably none more than proud parents Mike and Peggy Dow.
“After the game when they announced all the awards he teared up,” Hannah Dow said. “At least one of my parents was there for every game this year and last year. We’ve become an extended family with the team.”
Dow, who pitched two wins, had two hits in the championship game when she pitched a four-hitter in the 4-1 win over defending champion Phoenix and earlier in the tourney had a home run in Heartland’s 1-0 win over Iowa Central, talked more about others than completing her sophomore season as the MVP of the national tourney.
“I couldn’t give any more credit to our freshman pitcher Hannah Heubbe,” Dow said. “ She pitched that first game against Phoenix. In the rotation I was supposed to pitch the next game but we figured we’d play Phoenix again and they’d already seen her so she pitched the next game, too.”
After Heubbe pitched Heartland’s 3-1 win over Lansing in the semifinals, that left Dow ready for the national final against, sure enough, defending champion Phoenix which came back through the losers’ bracket.
“Even last year that’s what I wanted to do,” the right-hander said. “I told my coach I really wanted to pitch against Phoenix.
“The defense behind me was really good. As a dropball pitcher I get a lot of ground balls. I didn’t what I needed to do and the defense did the job behind me. It wasn’t just one person who dominated. I honestly give credit to the whole team.”
Certainly, playing for this remarkable national championship program that just started softball last year when Dow was a freshman has been more than just a stepping stone for the former Mattoon pitcher-first baseman to go to play at NCAA Division I Appalachian State.
“I couldn’t ask for a better coaching staff,” Dow said. “The whole staff was named coach of the year. They run the Heartland program like a DI school. The people who stick it out, it was worth it. We had a few people quit early and you could tell their hearts weren’t really in it. Everyone on the team, we didn’t want to do it — take all those ground balls — but it paid off.
“At the beginning of the season we set goals to win our conference and win our regional and then to win the national championship. It was awesome just the adrenaline we all had the first time we played Phoenix. They were thinking they could come in and walk all over us. They were the No. 1 seed and we were No. 4 and we run-ruled them. Our dream came true.”
Of course, Dow’s preparation began long before just the preseason at Heartland.
“Coach Wade Bradley in the summer program and the high school program, they got us to the next level,” Dow said. “They play a big role in it that’s for sure.”
Even before this national championship season, Dow had a scholarship for next season at Appalachian State.
Now she has some achievements that will be hard to top at a higher level.
Plus, even national champions have some farewells.
“It was sad to see everybody go,” Dow said. “We left (Sunday) night. It was tough leaving everybody. We know that we’re a close team. We’re still going to be friends. We got to be the best of friends in two years. We’re going to see how everyone does and root for each other at the next level.
“It was a great experience the last two years. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
MATTOON — Heartland’s three-run lead in the sixth inning wasn’t enough to hold off Illinois Central College on Saturday afternoon at the Roundhouse Complex in Mattoon.
The Hawks’ two-run lead after a Hannah Dow two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning wasn’t enough either.
It finally took a four-run lead in the ninth inning thanks to a two-run home run from freshman center fielder Lizzie Andrews and a two-run double from sophomore right fielder Kaitlyn Ralph to put the Lady Cougars away.
The 13-9 Hawks’ victory clinched the NJCAA Division II Region 24 championship and secured Heartland a spot in the Division II nationals in Bloomington for the second consecutive year.
“They’ve got a lot of fight in them,” Heartland coach Shae Wesley said about her team. “Everybody came through in clutch situations. This kind of game, there are so many clutch situations, it’s hard to find which one is the one. At several different times, we had anybody and everybody come up at the right time with a big hit.”
Those big hits came from Dow and Andrews late in the nine-inning slugfest against Illinois Central.
Dow, a 2007 Mattoon grad, was 1-for-4 with a single before her at bat in the eighth inning but powered the first pitch she saw from Illinois Central reliever Taylor Preuitt over the left field wall to drive in Sarah Waylock who had reached on a leadoff double.
“Coach just said that first good pitch, drive it,” Dow said. “I just went up there with the mindset of that first good pitch that she was going to throw me I was going to hit it, and it went out.”
Andrews followed an inning later with a blast of her own. Sophomore second baseman Lindsey Jarrett led off the ninth inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore shortstop McKenzie Phillips.
Taking advantage of a strong wind to straight away center, Andrews launched a 2-1 offering from Preuitt over the wall in center field.
“Lizzie and Hannah have been hot this tournament all day today,” Wesley said. “They both had a home run earlier in the day, and they both have the ability, obviously, to do that. On any team, it would boost your confidence to know that the person above you in the lineup and below you are hitting like that.”
Dow led Heartland with her bat and her arm in the Hawks’ first game on Saturday in a 14-4 win against Lincoln Land to advance to the Region 24 championship.
Dow finished that game 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in the fourth inning and an RBI double in the fifth. She also picked up her 18th win of the season pitching five innings while giving up four runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
“She always plays big here,” Wesley said about Dow returning to Mattoon. “She has very close ties to her family and to Mattoon. I know to be able to play in front of her home crowd, it means so much to her.”
Lincoln Land jumped on Dow early scoring two runs in the first and another in the third, but the former Lady Green Wave standout settled down and held the Lady Loggers to one run and one hit the rest of the game.
“After the third inning, getting the pitches down and getting the movement was key instead of just hitting spots,” Dow said. “I’m a downball pitcher so I rely a lot on my defense, and they got the job done as well.”
The next stop for the Hawks is their home field for the NJCAA nationals, which is scheduled to start Thursday – a repeat of last season where they finished third.
“Us being all freshmen last year, they didn’t think we could go that far in the tournament,” Dow said. “They didn’t think we could make it to the tournament. Doing it back-to-back years shows it wasn’t a fluke. We work hard and deserve what we worked for.”
First game
Heartland 132 35 -14-19-1
Lincoln Land 201 01 -4-6-1
Winning Pitcher: Hannah Dow (18-4), 5 innings, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 6 hits, 4 runs.
HEARTLAND: Lizzie Andrews 4-for-4 home run, double, 3 RBIs; Dow 2-for-4, home run, double, 4 RBIs.
LINCOLN LAND: Kari Frazier 3-for-3, double, 3 runs scored.
Second game
Heartland 010 303 024 -13-18-0
Illinois Central 030 100 320 -9-13-2
Winning Pitcher: Hannah Huebbe (14-3), 9 innings, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, 13 hits, 9 runs.
HEARTLAND: Andrews 3-for-6, home run, double, 3 RBIs; Sarah Waylock 3-for-6, 3 doubles, RBI; Dow 2-for-6, home run, 2 RBIs.
ILLINOIS CENTRAL: Chelsey Rankin 2-for-5, home run, 3 RBIs; Brooke Landau 2-for-5, double, 2 RBIs.
Division II Region 24
softball tourney Roundhouse Complex Mattoon, IL
Friday, May 8, 2009
MATTOON -- The first day of the NJCAA Division II Region 24 softball tournament was stopped due to lightining. The final two games, one featuring Lewis & Clark vs. Parkland and one with Illinois Central playing Danville Area Community College, are to resume at 11 a.m. today at the Roundhouse Complex in Mattoon. Lewis & Clark leads Parkland 2-1 in the fourth inning, while Illinois Central and Danville are scoreless in the third inning.
10s, 12s and 14s are at Cobras' Mother's Day Tourney Roundhouse Complex Mattoon, IL
May 8-10, 2009
See the top of the page for Twitter updates!
Division II Region 24
softball tourney coming to Mattoon
MATTOON – Heartland, the nation’s fourth-ranked team featuring Mattoon’s Hannah Dow, is the top seed in the NJCAA Division II Region 24 softball tournament to be played at Mattoon’s Roundhouse Complex this week.
The double-elimination tournament is to start at 3 p.m. Thursday using three diamonds and continue Friday and Saturday.
Thursday’s games 3 p.m. – John Wood vs. Lincoln
3 p.m. Lewis & Clark vs. Spoon River
3 p.m. – Springfield vs. Danville
4:45 p.m. – Shawnee vs. Lincoln Land
4:45 p.m. – Heartland vs. John Wood-Lincoln winner
6:30 p.m. – Parkland vs. Lewis & Clark-Spoon River winner
6:30 p.m. – Illinois Central vs. Springfield-Danville winner
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- Coach Paul Schnarre claimed his Wabash Valley team’s unbeaten tournament standing would have worked for a national berth in case of further rainouts.
Lake Land coach Denny Throneburg spoke in certain terms that rules would have sent his top-seeded Lakers to the nationals if the rest of the NJCAA Region 24 softball tournament was not finished by Saturday night.
MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 10-and-under softball team went 2-1 in the Mattoon Pride Spring Round Robin this past Saturday.
The Pride defeated the Cumberland Invasion 13-1. Cassi Dow earned the win in the pitching circle, allowing no runs, two walks and striking out four. Abrienne Lee came in to close out the game with one run scored, one walk and two strikeouts.
Avery Jackson, Sydney Jackson and Dow each had singles while Kelsey Farmer had a double.
Mattoon just missed the win against the St. Louis Chaos and fell 5-4.
Emily Watson scored two runs on a walk and a single to lead the offense while teammates Avery Jackson, Farmer, Dow and Abbey Walsh each singled.
In the final game, the Pride had a 15-1 victory over the Black Widows.
Emily Watson earned the win with two hits, one earned run, six walks and struck out four. Farmer pitched the last inning, walking one and striking out three.
Leading the offense were Avery Jackson with two doubles, a single and three runs scored, Farmer with three singles, two runs, Dow had a single and a double and Lee with two singles.
Members of the 2009 Mattoon Pride 10-and-under team are: Paige Arthur, Kyliegh Basham, Bella Coffey, Cassi Dow, Kelsey Farmer, Avery Jackson, Sydney Jackson, Abrienne Lee, Whitley McDaniel, Alyssa Mathias, Ivy Nichols, Abbey Walsh and Emily Watson.
Game one
Mattoon Pride 13, Cumberland Invasion 3 Cumberland Invasion 0 01 1-0-3
Mattoon Pride (12)10 13-4-0
Winning pitcher: Dow 2 innings, 0 runs, 0 earned, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts; Lee 1 inning, 1 run, 1 earned, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
MATTOON PRIDE: A. Jackson single, walk, 2 runs; Watson 2 runs; S. Jackson 2 walks, 2 runs; Farmer double, walk 2 runs; Dow single; McDaniel run; Lee walk, run; Coffey run; Mathais 2 walks, 2 runs
Game two
St. Louis Chaos 5, Mattoon Pride 4 St. Louis Chaos 102 20 5-2-2
Mattoon Pride 102 01 4-5-3
Losing pitcher: Dow 4 innings, 2 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts; Watson 1 inning o hits, 0 runs, 0 earned, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
MATTOON PRIDE: A. Jackson, walk, single, run; Watson single, walk, 2 runs; S. Jackson single, run; Farmer Single; Dow walk, single; Walsh single, walk.
Game three
Mattoon Pride 15, Black Widows 1 Mattoon Pride 330 9 15-10-0
Black Widows 100 0 1-2-0
Winning pitcher: Watson 3 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 earned, 6 walks, 4 strikeouts; Farmer 1 inning, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts.
MATTOON PRIDE: A. Jackson single, 2 doubles, 3 runs; Watson 2 walks, 2 runs; S. Jackson single, walk 2 runs; Farmer 3 singles, 2 runs; Dow single, double, 2 runs; Lee 2 singles, run; McDaniel 3 walks, run; Mathais walk, 2 runs.
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- If choosing a college were a race, Jenna Bradley might be back in the pack.
If making a quick college commitment were a softball skill, then this Mattoon graduate would be the struggling bottom-of-the order hitter, not No. 3 in Lake Land’s lineup, All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference and NJCAA All-Region 24 as Bradley was last year as a freshman.
This college dilemma may have caused Bradley more problems than any opposing pitcher’s fastball or riseball has.
“I was really stressed out about if for a couple of days,” she said.
But two months after Lake Land teammates Megan Glosser, Chelsey Sullivan and Stephanie Mattocks accepted scholarship offers to be part of Murray State’s first softball team, Bradley has done the same.
“I’ve never been the kind of person who wants to go far from home,” Bradley said. “The fact three team members will be there really helps.”
In a rare instance in which an NCAA Division I program recruits four players from the same junior college team, Murray State coach Jay Pryon after visiting a workout at Lake Land offered the spot to Bradley last fall at the same time he did the other three Lakers.
““I just think it takes some kids longer than others,” Lake Land coach Denny Throneburg said. “I think Jenna knew when it was right.
“With all due respect to Murray State, they gave her enough time. They said she could take all the time she wanted. It speaks highly of their desire for her.”
Murray State’s Ohio Valley Conference neighbor was also a consideration for Bradley, who said the familiarity with the Murray State-bound Lake Land teammates was a major factor in her choice.
Rather than waiting until the NCAA’s next signing period in April to announce her choice, Bradley decided to give her verbal commitment now.
“I wanted to know that the scholarship would still be there and not have them find someone else,” she said.
After an outstanding career at Mattoon High School and then batting .396 with seven triples, 16 doubles, two home runs and 45 RBIs last season for Lake Land, this player who has seen time at about every position other than pitcher certainly looked like an NCAA Division I prospect.
“I don’t have any doubts that she can play in the OVC,” Throneburg said. “In fact, I was glad to keep her in Mattoon. She could have played there out of high school.”
A second baseman and center fielder for Lake Land as a freshman, Bradley has been told she would likely play outfield at Murray State, which as the team is forming still had the need in that area.
“I think she’s so versatile sometimes her skills are overlooked,” Throneburg said. “Really, there isn’t much of anything she can’t do on a softball field other than pitch. I think Jenna would be happy with any position as long as she has the opportunity to hit.”
Bradley’s skills started forming early as her father, Wade, was a driving force in the successful Mattoon Pride summer program. Her sister Jacki just completed her college career last year at Evansville and an older sister Jami played at Illinois.
“Really, I’ve always loved softball,” the youngest of the sisters said. “I don’t think I couldn’t love it.”
Throneburg said: “Jenna came with a strong foundation. All we had to do was tweak. Dara (Updegraff, Lake Land’s former assistant) helped her in a few things and now Nic (Nelson, this year’s assistant) is helping her a little bit. She’s grown up in a softball environment. The other thing I like is she is highly competitive. She doesn’t like to lose and is willing to learn.”
Playing for Mattoon teams that went 110-21 in her four years as a high school player, the Mattoon Pride 18-and-under ASA state champion and last year’s 26-9 Lake Land team, Bradley is not looking to give up that winning habit for a Murray State program just starting to play intercollegiate softball in 2010.
“We’re hoping to set the standards high,” Bradley said.
Before the four Lake Land products take on that venture at Murray State, the Lakers have more immediate goals after finishing second to Wabash Valley in last year’s Region 24 tournament that determined the NJCAA berth.
“We are definitely going to nationals,” Bradley said. “That’s what we’re striving for. We let it slip through our hands last year.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
MATTOON - Frequently a leadoff batter during her softball career, the thought occurred to Megan Glosser she could be the first batter in Murray State's history.
"I hope I can do that," she said.
Then came another thought to the Mattoon product now a sophomore at Lake Land.
"I hope I don't have the first strikeout," Glosser said.
Chelsey Sullivan said, "I'll take the first strikeout."
Of course, she was talking as a pitcher.
Plenty of firsts are within reach for a trio of Lake Land sophomore softball players who Thursday signed to be a part of the first Murray State softball team to begin play in the spring of 2010.
Glosser, the second baseman/outfielder from Mattoon; Sullivan, the pitcher who graduated from Casey-Westfield; and Mattocks, the catcher/infielder from Momence, liked the recruiting pitch from Jay Pryon, who has been chosen as the coach to start the program in the Ohio Valley Conference.
"We'll set a legacy no one else can have," Mattocks said.
That is not aimed to be just some early foundation either.
"I think he's recruiting to win right away," Glosser said.
At this point Pryon has landed five junior college players and nine freshmen for Murray State's 2010 team.
"I was impressed with his enthusiasm and he seems like he wants to build a program in a hurry," Lake Land coach Denny Throneburg said.
"He said he needed a catcher who could play another position, he needed a quick leadoff batter and he needed a pitcher. I said 'I'm not blowing smoke. I've got all three.' "
Pryon was one of 14 college coaches to visit Lake Land on its version of a recruiting combine this fall.
"I think we're the only junior college who actually had a recruiting day," Throneburg said. "(Assistant) coach (Nic) Nelson was responsible for putting the recruiting day together. He deserves a great deal of credit for these kids having the opportunity."
The Lake Land players made the most of the opportunity.
Jenna Bradley, another Mattoon product playing for Lake Land, also was offered a scholarship by Murray State as well as OVC member UT Martin but decided to wait to choose where she continues her education.
Throneburg said two of his other Mattoon recruits, Hailey Tinsman and Lauren Covington, are also receiving considerable interest from college coaches.
Many of these Lakers showed their skills during Lake Land's aggressive scheduling of fall scrimmages against some major college powers.
Maybe most remarkably, Mattocks received her scholarship offer with only the one day of practice after having a cast removed from a thumb injury keeping her out of other fall games.
Of course, she also helped her cause last spring when hitting .408 with four homers, 15 doubles and 35 RBIs in Lake Land's 36-9 season capped by her Region 24 all-tournament selection.
She played third base and caught as a Lake Land freshman.
"(Pryon) said he might try me other places, too," Mattocks said. "It doesn't matter to me. I just want to play."
Glosser had a .425 batting average while leading Lake Land with 55 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in as many attempts as a freshman.
"I think he kind of liked my speed," Glosser said. "He's bringing in a lot of big hitters so it's up to me to set things up for them."
A year after pitching Casey-Westfield to a Class A state runner-up finish, Sullivan earned All-Region 24 and All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference honors as a Lake Land freshman with a 20-2 record, 23.0 EERA and 100 strikeouts.
Next year she is looking for the challenge at the NCAA Division I level.
"The hitters are obviously going to be more disciplined," Sullivan said. "I just need to get my ball to move more consistently and I'm working with coach Throneburg on that.
"We got our feet wet this fall (against Division I four-year schools). We owe a lot to our coaches for giving us that schedule."
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
BLOOMINGTON -- Hannah Dow’s broken hand should be well enough for her to sign her national letter of intent later this month with Appalachian State softball.
What really was put to test from the summer into this fall was what was in the heart of the 2007 Mattoon graduate before she finally gave her verbal commitment to the NCAA Division I program.
Did she want to go all the way to Boone, N.C., to school even with the scenic mountains and friendly campus atmosphere?
Or did she like those things so well on a visit that she would take up Appalachian State’s offer to leave Heartland College before her sophomore year?
“I was really going back and forth on what to do,” Dow said. “I ended up deciding no, not all my credits would transfer and I felt like I was leaving Heartland in a bind. I didn’t feel I could leave these girls here after how well we did in our first year. I told them no but I would still keep in touch.”
She almost extended that no thanks to next school year as well.
“I told my parents, ‘no, I’m not going; it’s too far,” she said.
Then Dow decided this was a chance she could not refuse.
She plans to make things official during the NCAA signing period that begins Nov. 8.
“I knew it was going to be tough with the distance,” Dow said. “It’s an opportunity not many have. I was scared at first. Hopefully, it works out and everything. The area is beautiful. It’s up in the mountains. It’s really homey and country like. The atmosphere was really nice. The coach gave us the tour and everyone was really friendly.”
Dow introduced herself to last fall to Appalachian State, which scrimmaged Heartland during her freshman year.
After she was named to the NJCAA Region 24 all-tournament team and Mid-West’s academic all-conference last spring on Heartland’s way to a third-place finish in the national junior college Division II finals in the school’s first year playing softball, Dow eventually got the offer from Appalachian State.
Eastern Illinois and Illinois State also expressed interest but Appalachian State won the pitcher/first baseman’s heart.
“They were more interested and stayed in touch on a day-to-day base,” Dow said of Appalachian State coaches.
When telling friends of her plans, Dow learned that Appalachian State probably put itself on the map by beating Michigan last year in the stunning football upset.
Now she is looking to help a softball program improve from last year’s 11-37 season at a school that has won two straight NCAA Football Championship Subdivision championships.
This chance may beyond the initial dreams of a player who as a senior was All-Big 12 Conference for Mattoon.
“When I first started playing high school ball I had never imagined playing DI,” Dow said. “I wanted to play ball in college. I really didn’t know how serious I wanted to get about it at the time. A year ago it was tough. We had study tables and practiced four hours a day and what not. I really didn’t know if I wanted to go to that next level. I knew if I did (Heartland) coach (Shae) Wesley and (former assistant) coach (Nic) Nelson would do everything they could to get me to that level.
“I just realized we had worked way too hard in these practices to get to that level. Coach Wesley has run our program more like a DI school so going into it, it will be more like here.”
Dow’s more immediate concerns are recovering from a broken hand suffered this fall when batting.
This was the same hand broken during high school basketball although this is on the pinky side rather than the thumb.
She figures to be ready by the spring season for another good run including the NJCAA Division II Region 24 tournament again to be played at Mattoon’s Roundhouse Complex.
“I give a lot of credit to coach Wesley and coach Nelson for giving me the opportunity and for pushing me in practice to do things I didn’t think I could do,” Dow said. “I’m glad I went to Heartland first. The practices are tough but it’s worth it. In the spring time we see why we work so hard. We’re doing everything we can in practice now to win a national championship.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
2008 News Stories
Friday, July 25, 2008 11:10 PM CDT
Pride 16s finish 3rd in NSA tourney
By JG/T-C Staff
sports@jg-tc.com
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- The Mattoon Pride 16-and-under softball team captured a third place finish in the NSA Girls FastPitch Class A World Series in Columbus, Ohio. Reynae Hutchinson won her fifth game of the tournament with a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Power on Friday morning, but the Pride couldn’t stop the Lady Lasers team from Ohio or the national champion Midwest Lakers team from Michigan in 10-0 and 8-0 losses.
Hutchinson also had three hits against the Power, including a double, while Jenny Sawyer and Amber Shedelbower each had two hits and two RBIs. The Lasers limited the Pride to two hits, a single by Hutchinson and a double by Michelle Glenn, while Mattoon managed nine hits in the contest against the Midwest Lakers. Hutchinson led the Pride with 12 hits during the tournament. Sawyer and Glenn each had 10. Jordan Miller, who missed Friday’s action with a hand injury suffered during Thursday’s games, had eight hits.
The Pride finish the 2008 season with a 27-14 record. In addition to finishing third in the 75-team national tournament, Mattoon reigns as the NSA Illinois State Champions.
Pride 6, Pittsburgh Power 5 (WP - Hutchinson, 11-6)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:11 PM CDT
Pride 10s finish fifth at nationals
By JG/T-C Staff
sports@jg-tc.com
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- The Mattoon Pride 10-and-under team picked up a fifth place finish at the National Softball Association’s World Series.
The Pride finished 4-3 overall in the tournament at Columbus, Ohio. The 10s only losses came from third place finisher Ohio Ice and twice to eventual champions the Kentucky Diamond Cats — once in pool play and then to end their winners’ bracket run.
Katelyn Fisher pitched the win in the second pool play game with 17 strikeouts over Michigan’s Finesse in a 5-2 win.
Emily White had a walk and a run scored, Fisher hit a single and an RBI while courtesy runner Avery Jackson scored a run. Samantha Thompson had a pair of walks and scored. Haleigh Price singled, had an RBI and also scored a run. Emily Watson also walked twice while Shelby Youngblood walked and scored.
In the first round of bracket play, the Pride defeated the Davidson County Thunder (NC) 2-1. White, Kyliegh Basham each had singles. Fisher hit a single and double while Basham scored once and Avery Jackson courtesy ran for Fisher to score the winning run.
Basham also threw out two runners during the contest. Fisher struck out 13 batters, only walked two and gave up two hits.
Mattoon beat the Ohio Stingrays 2-1 in the second round. Fisher again sat down 13, walked none and only gave up one hit. Fisher reached on a dropped-third-strike and courtesy runner Avery Jackson scored after Kelsey Farmer singled. Youngblood walked and then scored after Basham singled for the game-winning RBI.
The Pride then defeated Indy Dreams in a 2-1 contest. Fisher struck out 10, walked two and six hits. White singled twice and scored both runs. Basham, Price and Farmer each singled. Basham hit a sacrifice fly for an RBI to score the first run. Fisher also had an RBI.
The Kentucky Diamond Cats handed the Pride their first loss in bracket play, 10-1. Emily Watson and Kelsey Farmer both pitched. Ivy Nichols put the Pride on the board in the last inning after she walked, Abrienne Lee moved her with a perfect sacrifice bunt and then Basham gained the RBI after a single.
The Pride bowed out with their fifth place finish after a 10-0 loss to the Ohio Ice. Fisher and Basham each had a single in the game.
The 10-and-under Mattoon Pride finished the season with a 50-8 overall record.
Tryouts are to be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Roundhouse Complex. For more information visit www.mattoonpride.com.
Friday, August 1, 2008 10:53 AM CDT
Pride 14s finish 13th in NSA nationals
By JG/T-C Staff
sports@jg-tc.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Pride 14-under team finished the NSA A World Series with a 5-2 record. This was good for 13th place in the 96-team tournament.
After winning its pool and earning a first round bye, the Pride opened the double-elimination tournament with a 3-2 win over the Long Island, NY Fire & Ice. They then defeated the Indiana State Champion Southbend Thunder 4-3.
The Pride then suffered a tough 2-1 loss to the defending National Champion – Columbus, OH Ice. After defeating the St. Louis Spirit 12-4, the Pride was eliminated from the tournament by the Cleveland, OH Tidalwaves 9-6.
Hannah Cole, Tana Rentschler, and Kayla Jacobs were the hitting leaders with 10 hits each. Rentschler and Jacobs each had 8 RBI’s. Cole had a 3-run homerun against St. Louis.
Maura Cummins led the pitching staff with 2 wins during the tournament.
The Pride finished with a 51-9 record for the season.
Tryouts for the 2009 14-U team are scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Sunday at the Round House Complex.
MOLINE -- The Mattoon Pride 18-and-under softball team rallied twice to earn a spot in the championship game of the ASA state tournament, then stormed through the final when it got there Sunday.
Hailey Tinsman’s three-run home run ended a 10-1 victory against the Quad-City Crush, the second time the Pride beat the Crush during the weekend. The first one, a 4-3 comeback on Saturday, enabled it to finish without a loss.
“We haven’t been behind much this year,” Mattoon coach Wade Bradley said. “When we were, we came back against some good teams, made some big plays and pulled out the victories. Any time you play the Quad City teams and beat them on their own turf it’s quite an accomplishment.”
The Pride trailed the Crush 3-1 on Saturday before Lauren Covington tied the contest with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth. An inning later, Megan Glosser singled in Alicia Wittenberg with the go-ahead run.
It needed a similar rally to win 3-2 against the only other remaining unbeaten, the Quad-City Dreamers Elite, on Sunday. Behind 2-1 in the sixth, Jenna Bradley tripled and scored on Aubrey Frank’s sacrifice fly. The game-winner came in the eighth when Megan Glosser, on second, moved to third on Bradley’s single and scored on a wild pitch.
Third baseman Casey Sowers snagged a line drive in the bottom half, starting a double play that sealed the triumph. It wasn’t the first time this team has used solid defense behind the bunting and slap hitting of speedsters Lydia Hilgenberg, Sowers and Glosser to win games.
“Then our 3, 4 and 5 hitters, somebody got a big hit and got one of them in,” Bradley said. “Our speed was really on show this weekend. Our left-handed slappers really had a big weekend.”
In its opener Saturday, Aubrey Frank (12-2) hurled a shutout and added a solo home run in the fifth as Mattoon defeated the Southwest Sluggers 2-0.
It was the second ASA state title for this group, but it does plan to do something no other has done before: compete in the ASA national tournament. That begins on July 28 at Moline. In the past, Mattoon has gone exclusively to the NSA nationals.
“We’re going to see the best of the best,” Bradley said.
Before then, the Pride (22-3) plays at Bagelfest in Mattoon this weekend and could compete in one more home doubleheader before leaving.
MATTOON: Glosser single; Sowers single, RBI; Bradley double, RBI; Frank single; Covington single, double, RBI: Tinsman double, home run, 5 RBIs; Purcell single; Hilgenberg single
10U Mattoon Pride wins Pontiac Round Robin
PONTIAC -- The Mattoon Pride 10U won the Pontiac Round Robin on Sunday. Three different pitchers picked up wins against three different teams.
NORMAL -- The Mattoon Pride 16-and-under softball team split four games in the ASA Illinois State Tournament.
Amber Shedelbower pitched a no-hitter against the Streator Thunder and Reynae Hutchinson was the hit-ting leader during the tournament with eight, two of them doubles. Olivia Mintun added seven hits.
The Pride competes in the Mattoon BagelFest Tournament this weekend and then travels to Columbus, Ohio, for the NSA World Series.
EAST PEORIA -- With another state title in hand, it’s fitting that the Mattoon Pride is set to go after a tournament it has never competed in.
Members of the current 18-and-under squad claimed their third state championship at different age levels Sunday, winning the NSA crown with a second win against the LNGSA Lightning, a suitable rival for the occasion. In its final game, the Pride ousted Mackenzie Camp, the winning pitcher for Bartonville Limestone’s Class 3A state champion.
Aubrey Frank delivered twice in head-to-head clashes with her, one in a 12-inning thriller on Saturday, the other in a 4-2 triumph in the decisive contest on Sunday. Frank threw 26 innings over the course of the weekend, walking none.
“That’s pretty amazing,” Pride coach Wade Bradley said.
Some of the other heroics belonged to Hailey Tinsman. Tinsman came up with one runner on and the championship game tied at 2-2 in the fifth inning and cracked an 0-1 pitch high over the right-field fence. It supplemented a sparkling performance in the field, including one diving catch and another play in which she raced to a ball that was lined off Frank’s leg, barehanded the roller and nailed the runner at first.
“In all the years I’ve been watching summer ball, I’ve never seen a shortstop make a better play,” Bradley said.
Lydia Hilgenberg and Megan Glosser had led off the fifth with infield singles. Jenna Bradley grounded sharply to second, and when the Lightning attempted a double play, the relay throw sailed past first, scoring Hilgenberg to tie the game.
Frank (8-2) retired the last six batters she faced.
In Mattoon’s first game in the double-elimination bracket Saturday, Alicia Wittenberg (4-1) tossed a four-hitter during a 14-1 victory against the East Peoria Express.
The Lightning, consisting of players from Bartonville and Peoria, was one of two undefeated teams remaining in the draw late Saturday. When its No. 2 hurler exited with an injury, Camp went the rest of the way herself.
The teams battled to a scoreless tie through 10 innings and each scored two in the 11th. When Shelby Holsapple was placed at second in the bottom of the 12th, per international tiebreaker rules, Mattoon trailed 3-2.
Hilgenberg sacrificed Holsapple to third, Glosser laid down a bunt single and stole second and Casey Sowers walked to load the bases. Bradley lined a base hit to left and the throw was too late to catch Glosser at home.
The Lightning beat the Pride 6-1 on Sunday to force a final playoff.
Now that it has another state title – it captured the NSA trophy two years ago and the ASA state crown last year – the Pride (16-3) heads to the ASA state tournament on Friday at Moline, also the site of the ASA national tourney later in the summer. For that reason, Bradley said the team is set to bypass the NSA national tourney in Birmingham, Ala., if it qualifies for the ASA nationals. An appearance there would be a first for the program, even though the Pride has qualified for the ASA nationals before and opted to go elsewhere.
“This will be the last shot for these kids,” Bradley said. “It’s a good group. We’ll see what they can do.”
EAST PEORIA -- For the second straight year the Mattoon 16-and-under softball team won the NSA Illinois State Tournament at the EastSide Centre last weekend. The Pride went 8-1 and won the state championship with a 3-2 victory over the Eastern Illinois Cruisers. Five players from the Class 3A state runner-up Mattoon High School team played on the same field as the IHSA state championship in early June.
Mattoon won its first three games, blanking Midwest Energy 7-0 and the Schaumburg Sluggers 6-0 before beating the Southern Illinois Attack 4-1. After a 4-3 loss to the Cruisers the Pride nipped the Illinois Angels 2-1, walloped the Attack 8-0; downed the Homer Hawks 5-1 and rallied for a 7-4 triumph over the Cruisers forcing one final game.
In the final game Cumberland’s Alison Kimble had a triple and a single, while Neoga’s Olivia Mintun had two singles and Newton’s Amber Shedelbower picked up the win.
In the first contest Sunday against the Cruisers the Pride trialed 4-1 in the fifth inning when Mintun reached base on a one-out error. Mattoon’s Kellye Kohn and Shedelbower singled as Mintun scored. Kimble singled as did Michelle Glenn of Mattoon as Kohn scored to make it 4-3.
Time had expired in the sixth with the Pride at-bat and two outs when Jenny Sawyer of Mattoon singled and advanced on a single by Mintun. Sawyer scored to deadlock the game when Kohn reached on an error.
After a scoreless seventh the international tie-braking rule was used (a runner was placed on second with no outs) and Cumberland’s Macy Shupe scored after sacrifices by Mattoon’s Bailiegh Basham and Jordan Miller. Sawyer and Mattoon’s Reynae Hutchinson knocked in a run each.
Hutchinson was the winning pitcher and set the Cruisers down in order in the eighth for the victory.
Overall Shedelbower won five games and Hutchinson won three.
Offensively, Mintun led the way with 13 hits, including 11 singles, a double and a triple. Sawyer had 12 hits with 11 singles and a double, while Hutchinson had 11 hits with three doubles (tied for the team-high in the tournament with Shedelbower) and eight singles. Basham had 10 hits, including the only two home runs and eight singles. The Pride had 88 hits in the nine games for an average of 9.8 hits per contest.
The Pride is to travel to Normal Friday to compete in the ASA state tournament.
DECATUR -- The Bloomington Angels Extreme scored two unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to avenge an earlier loss and beat the Mattoon Pride 18-and-under softball team 2-1 in Saturday’s CIGS Pepsi-Coca Shootout.
Aubrey Frank allowed only one hit in the championship game and two hits in her two starts with no earned runs.
The Pride had beaten the Angels Extreme 6-0 in pool play, one of Mattoon’s three wins before the loss.
The Pride’s Megan Glosser had 13 hits in 16 at bats for the tournament. Jenna Bradley had nine RBIs, Frank 6 RBIs, and Casey Sowers six hits and five RBI.
The CIGS Rebels reached the semifinals before losing to the Pride
The Rebels are 8-8 and are to play in this weekend’s State Farm Firecracker Tournament in Bloomington starting against the Midland Magic.
Mattoon is 11-2 and is next to play in the Friday through Sunday NSA tournament at East Peoria.
MATTOON PRIDE RESULTS
Pool game 1
Bloomington Angels Extreme 000 00 - 0-1-0
Mattoon Pride 0600 0x - 6-12-0
Winning pitcher: Aubrey Frank 1 hit, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks
ORLAND HILLS -- The Mattoon Pride 14-and-under team went 3-2 in the NSA “A” Northern State Tournament.
Due to rain, pool play consisted of one game. In that contest the Pride blanked the Lemont Rockers 5-0.
In the opening game of the double elimination tournament the Pride lost to the Chicago White Sox Academy 5-4 before winning its next two games, 11-1 over Arlington Heights and Schaumberg. Mattoon was eliminated with a 2-1 loss to the Quad City Firebirds.
Pitchers Kacey Starwalt and Maura Cummins accounted for the three wins by allowing just one run on eight hits.
Hannah Cole led the offense with nine hits, including a home run in the final game. Tana Rentschler had eight hits and Cummins had six hits.
Pride pitchers: Starwalt 4 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout; Davis 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs
PRIDE: Spraks triple, single, 2 RBIs; Cole triple, double, single, 2 RBIs; Rentschler triple, 3 RBIs; Flexter single; Lange single, RBI; Cordell single, RBI; Davis single, RBI; Starwalt single, RBI
Quad City Firebirds 2, Pride 1
Pride pitchers: Davis 4 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 strikeouts; Lange 2 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs
PRIDE: Cole home run, RBI; Rentschler 2 singles; Starwalt single
BLOOMINGTON -- The Mattoon Pride 14-and-under softball team finished in second place this past weekend in the 24-team Twin City Classic.
The Pride went 6-2 in this ASA Tournament. After losing ist first pool play game 6-1 to the Southern Force, the Pride won six straight games before losing to Metamora 2-1 in the championship game.
Hitting leaders for the weekend were Maura Cummins with 14 hits, Hailey Flexter with 11 hits, and Melanie Sparks with nine hits. Pitching leaders were Tabitha Davis and Kacey Starwalt with two wins each.
For the season, the team’s record is 19-2. The Pride’s next action is at home this weekend in the NSA World Series Qualifier.
Hitters: Maura Cummins double, 3 singles, run; Hannah Cole single, RBI; Kayla Jacobs single, run; Hailey Flexter single, RBI
Pride 10s win Memorial Day Classic
MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 10U defeated the Southern Indiana Heartbreakers 6-3 in the championship game of the Mattoon Pride ASA Memorial Classic on Sunday.
The Pride finished with a 5-1 record in the tournament and is 25-4 overall.
The 10U Pride is to compete at the 64-team Mattoon Pride NSA Classic the weekend of June 27-29 at the Roundhouse Complex. The team kicks off the tournament with a 4:30 p.m. game against the Casey Chaos on Friday, June 27.
Championship game Mattoon Pride 6, Heartbreakers 3
Heartbreakers 000 001 2—3-3-1
Pride 220 101 X—6-5-2
Winning pitcher: Katelyn Fisher 7 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 10 strikeouts, 1 walk
MATTOON PRIDE: Kyliegh Basham 2 walks, 2 runs, Avey Jackson 2 walks, single, RBI, 2 runs; Katelyn Fisher 2 singles; Ivy Nichols 2 runs; Kelsey Farmer walk; Samantha Thompson walk, single, RBI; Haleigh Price walk; Shelby Youngblood walk, RBI; Sydney Jackson single.
Semi-final game Mattoon Pride 6, Heartbreakers 2
Pride 210 03—6-5-2
Heartbreakers 100 10—2-2-0
Winning pitcher: Fisher 5 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks
MATTOON PRIDE: Avey Jackson 2 walks,, 1 runs; Fisher walk; Ivy Nichols 1 runs; Farmer double, single, run; Thompson triple, single, run; Haleigh Price walk, run; Youngblood single, walk, run; Sydney Jackson 2 walks.
Elimination game Mattoon Pride 11, Illiana Sparks 5
Sparks 102 11—5-2-0
Pride 622 1—11-11-0
Winning pitcher: Basham 3 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned 0 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks; Relief: Emily Watson 2 innings, 2 runs, 1 earned, 3 hits, 1 strikeout, 1 walk
MATTOON PRIDE: Basham 2 doubles, RBI; Avery Jackson walk, single 2 runs, RBI; Fisher single; Nichols, run, rbi, single; Price walk, run; Farmer 2 RBI, single, run; Thompson 2 singles, triple, 3 runs; Youngblood single, 3 RBI, run; Sydney Jackson single, run; White 2 singles, RBI, run.
Pool games Mattoon Pride 5, Lil Viks 3
Lil Viks 100 11—3-2-1
Pride 202 1X—5-3-1
Winning pitcher: Basham 3 innings, 1 run, earned, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks; Relief Watson 2 innings, 2 runs, 2 earned, 3 strikeouts 2 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch
MATTOON PRIDE: Basham single, walk, 2 runs; Avery Jackson 2 walks; Youngblood single, run; Farmer 2 singles, run; Sydney Jackson 2 RBI; Lee walk, run; Nichols, single; White RBI
Heartbreakers 3, Mattoon Pride 2
Pride 000 110—2-2-1
Heartbreakers 000 201—3-1-0
Losing pitcher: Fisher 6 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned, 1 hit, 12 strikeouts, 1 walk
MATTOON PRIDE: Basham single; Avery Jackson 2 walks, run; Fisher walk, single; Thomspon double; Price walk; Youngblood walk, run; Nichols 2 walks; White walk
Mattoon Pride 12, Illiana Sparks 0
Sparks 000—0-0-3
Pride 11(10)—12-5-0
Winning pitcher: Basham 3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk
MATTOON PRIDE: Basham single, run; Avery Jackson walk, 3 runs; Fisher 2 walks 2 runs 2 RBIs; Farmer single, run, RBIs; White run, walk; Thompson run, RBI; Price double, walk, 2 runs, RBI; Youngblood 2 singles, 2 RBIs; Syndney Jackson run, 2 RBIs; Watson single, run.
MATTOON -- The Mattoon Pride 10-and-under softball team swept three games at the Spring Round Robin Tournament at the Roundhouse Complex in Mattoon on Saturday.
The Pride outscored their opponents 42-8 to win the tournament. They won the first contest 18-5 against the Cumberland Vets. The Pride pounded 10 hits as a team in the win. Katelyn Fisher had three hits and led the team in the pitching circle. Haliegh Price and Samantha Thompson each had two singles.
In game two, the Pride defeated the Casey Chaos 18-3. Kyliegh Basham pitched the win and scored three runs. Fisher also scored three with a single and a double. Price had three singles and three RBIs.
In the final game of the chilly day, the Pride won 6-0 over the Clinton Gold. Fisher pitched the shutout with 13 strikeouts in five innings and only gave up two hits. Price hit a double and scored two runs while teammate Kelsey Farmer had two singles.
The Mattoon Pride is now 7-1.
Game one
Mattoon Pride 115 29—18-10-1
Cumberland Vets 021 20—5-0-2
Winning pitcher: Katelyn Fisher 3 innings 3 runs, 1 earned 6 strikeouts, 2 walks; relief Kyliegh Basham 2 innings, 2 runs, 2 earned, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk
ST. LOUIS – Mattoon Pride 14U won all six games they played last weekend. Melanie Sparks led the team with 8 hits, and Hannah Cole had 6 hits. Tana Rentschler hit two home runs, including a grand slam. Kayla Jacobs hit one home run. The pitchers were led by Tabitha Davis and Kacey Starwalt; they allowed 6 runs on 12 hits, and struck out 34 batters.
Results
Pool Game 1: Pride def. St. Louis Stingers, 3-2 Pitching: Maura Cummins 3 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 6 strikeouts; Tabitha Davis inning, 2 strikeouts Hitting: Hannah Cole single, run; Tana Rentschler homerun, single, run, 2 RBI; Tabitha Davis single, run; Kacey Starwalt single, RBI
Pool Game 2: Pride def. Northeast MO. Hot Shots, 13-0
Mattoon Pride Girls Fastpitch is located in Mattoon, Illinois.
Our purpose and mission is to give the girls instructional guidance and experience in playing fastpitch softball at the highest level of competition possible. In order to do this, The Pride sends its teams to tournaments in, and out of, the state of Illinois.
This is where the competition is, and this is where we must go to develop girls who want to play in high school or prepare for college.
The emphasis is always on sportsmanship, character, and fun, over winning.
We are a private, IRS-certified, non-profit organization that receives no financial aid or support from local or federal governments.
We gladly accept tax-deductible donations.
Mattoon has a rich history in girl's fastpitch softball and is repeatedly commended for sportsmanship and conduct on and off the field and being able to compete with the best. This is not achieved easily and the coaches and players are commended for this. The coaches and girls are very proud of their reputation and high standards.
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BRIAN NIELSEN
