Carolina Dynamites Tournament

June  17-23,  2002

Hi Fans!!!

We made it down here to Columbia, South Carolina.  We all arrived safe and a little tired.  Our trip took a little longer then expected because of an accident that happened right in front of us on I77 about 15 miles north of Charlotte NC.  Picture on picture page.

We got in about 10 pm and got in our rooms and then went to eat at Denney's and shopping at Walmart.  Both are happening places at 11pm.  They needed to pick up some essentials like ice cream, microwave Chinese and noodles for snacks in their room just in case  I forgot to feed them or just for in between. There was a lot of other stuff in the buggy but it was going by so fast I am not sure just what it was I was buying but the girls said they needed it for someone that did not come with us.  We have pictures the girls took.  Check out the picture page.

 I was up and down to Best Buy for a new CD deck for the Dodge van, just have to have some good tunes to play on the way to the games you know. The girls slept in till about 11am then ate breakfast and went off to the mall for some shopping and of course they had to eat again before our games, so it was the food court and what ever they have. 

Time to go now and pick up the girls at the mall then off to the games.  Today we play the Wisconsin Bandits and Columbia Peaches at 6pm and 8pm. 

Tuesday 6-18-02

You get to see the pictures after you read today's log entry and game highlights.

We decided (sometimes We really means "I") to go a little early to the field for some extra practice.  The girls were just jumping with joy to be able to hone their skills, at least that's what they said.  So we get to the field early and the ground crew had just finished lining the fields and they looked great.  I wish Pittsburgh had infield mix like that.  The girls were working on their batting with attention paid to aggressive swings attacking the ball and following through.  An umpire stopped by to chat and everybody was hard at work. Then a coach of a 12u team stopped and was rather upset.  It seams she had practice scheduled for our field at this time and what were we doing here. Well looking around we noticed that all the other fields were vacant and the only team in the whole complex was Metro.  We had assumed that our games were at Oak Grove.  Opps !!!  The game is at Pine Grove.  Ok girls let's get going, load up and get over to Pine Grove in a hurry.  Now don't worry we had plenty of time. 

Game 1 - Metro vs. Wisconsin Bandits

Well when we got to Pine Grove, what a nice field complex I will get pictures up tomorrow, the Bandits were warming up and all we could say is they grow them big out there in farm country.  It looked like we were in for a good game.  Their pitcher was fast and had some stuff.  The Metro line up: Sara pitching - Rae catching - Brit first base - Michelle second base - Steph third base - Jenny shortstop - Dee left field - Keri center field - Allison right field.  Three up and Three down for the first couple of innings.  Sara is pitching very well today with great speed and good breaking pitches.  The Bandit pitcher is good but Metro is hitting the ball hard, remember the practice, but we are hitting it right at people.  Good line drive shots right through the lineup.  The we hit a bump in the road.  The third inning and we fail to get the easy second out, error, you know how this goes if you have watched any games.  Sara get a little rattled or is it a little miffed at what just happened and the next thing you know the Bandits get three runs before we finally get out of the inning. The girls are a little down because even though we are hitting the ball hard we have not been able to put together having a runner on base and getting a base hit at the same time.  The girls continue  working at it for the next couple of innings with no results.  Sara does regain her composure and focus and continues to keep the Bandits from scoring while working out of a couple of jams created by a couple of more errors on our part.  Best Sara has done with the lefty batters today, good thing the Bandits had five of them in the lineup. You see because this was a scrimmage game the Bandits were batting all of their players. Well I digress, back to the game, only because I know you want to know what happened. Don't Your?  The seventh inning, Metro is visitor and down by three runs. It's time for motivational speech number 37.  Don't ask you don't get that information.  All you need to know is we were down with two outs and no one on base. It looked bad, not to mention the thought of wasting motivational speech number 37.  Allison had led off the inning with a double. Megan had a little problem getting the bunt down and was a strike out attempting to get it down. Then Allison  called out on runners interference on a ball hit to the SS by Brit.  See what I mean about wasting number 37.  Hang on to your seats fans, it's not over yet.  Steph hits a single up the middle and we have 2 on. Lara is up next. She has been struggling at the plate but has had a good game so far with one walk and got hit once by an inside pitch.  Lara comes through and hits a line drive shot to right center and drives in two runs.  Michelle singles and drive in one run and Rae singles and drives in one run.  Metro 4 Bandits 3.  Sara finishes off the Bandits, not exactly one two three, but finishes strong with a good overall performance.

Game 2 - Metro vs. Columbia Peaches

Well we hit the ball right at people, left the based loaded with one out and stranded a bunch of runners. Generally we played down to the level of our opponent.  Allison was 2 for 3 continuing to work her way out of her recent slump.  Not much else good happened as we had the lead a one point and then gave the peaches a couple of free runs which resulted in a 5-3 loss for us.  Sorry that all you are going to get on this one.  Oh we did work on our conditioning after the game.

Wednesday  6-19-02

Today was a day the girls got to sleep in, something every girl this age loves to do more then almost anything else.  We have a couple of early risers and the other girls are trying to teach them the art of sleeping late just because you can.  Most of the girls were wide awake by the time we departed the hotel for the field.  They were playing pump it up music in the vans on the way to the fields.  Later in the day I would question their choice of songs.  We (I) did manage to go to the right field complex today.  Some how we did manage to start warming up on the wrong field.  As we had arrived early to get some extra swing in we were hitting hard balls to the fielders (sorry, driving balls to the fielders) when two other teams arrived warm in the same area and were interested to know if the schedule had been changed and would they be playing Metro. This red, blue, green, yellow, black stuff is confusing, what ever happened to 1,2,3.

Game 1 - Metro vs. Chattanooga Mustangs

The name of this team conjures up memories of several games played in spirited and combative fashion.  Their coach was rather like myself and the team wore the ugliest candy striped socks.  Their coach was and still is the sports writer for the Tennessee Herald.  Unfortunately as is the case when you have been at this for a number of years this years Chattanooga Mustangs only picked up the name when the old team folded after the coaches daughter went on to her college career.  Interlopers they are in my book.  Can't they get a name of their own.  Any way I digress.

We seemed ready to play, warm ups went well and the pitcher (Amber) seamed ready to go and was throwing hard and her stuff looked good.  That lasted about two seconds.  Bad start when you give your opponent a 3 run lead in first inning.  Kind of  makes it a difficult on your offense style.  We did manage to get quite a few base runners but just could not move them into scoring position or left them stranded.  There was that bases loaded situation with one out that comes to mind.  Looked like we would get back into the game.  No didn't happen. Two pop ups, inning over.  Then there was the four bunting opportunities that would have gotten us back into the game, late in the game.  I do not know what happens inside of their heads and hearts, but we just could not get a but down. Failure to move the runner into scoring position and then the next batter getting a good hit that would have scored the base runner if she was in scoring position.  We did manage to have a last inning push to try and win the game. We scored three runs and left runners on second and third with one out.  Oh and I forgot we gave up a couple of runs on errors on simple basic pays that would have gotten us out of the inning.  The final score was 5-4 Mustangs.

Game 2 - Metro vs. Silver bullets.

Sara pitched this game and did a reasonably good job striking out 5 with no walks (I like that) and only giving up 2 hits.  She was not as impressive today as yesterday, but she did not need to be.  So far we have been the best team I have seen during the scrimmage games. I am sure there are better teams here, I just have not seen them.  For the game summary you can scroll back up to the previous games summary and know what happened.  It was 0-0 going into the seventh inning and we had a good scoring opportunity.  Let's see runners at first and second with no outs and our old favorite problem shoots us in the foot.  Pop ups and missed bunting opportunities.  We have a big opportunity to score several runs but we fall short with our lack of a bunting game.  Then in the bottom of the seventh  an error allows the Bullets to have a runner on first with no out.  They bunt her to second, imagine that. Then the Sara makes a mistake with two strikes on the  next batter she hits a ball to the left center field gap that allows the runner on second to score.  We get the next two outs easy and then its our turn as home team.  Again read the summary of game one and with runners on second and third with no outs we can't get the bunt down and go down on strikes.  Our next two batters pop up to the infield and that's it, Game over with a final score of 1-0 Mustangs.

That's all for today.  Round robin games start Thursday.  We will be playing  four good teams over the next two days.  Give us a little cheering from home fans, we can use it. 

Thursday  6-20-02

Last night we went to the Olive Garden for dinner.  Hopefully the last time we have time to go out late for a good sit down meal. I just do not get it, when the girls go out to eat it seams they would rather eat bread and get full then have no room left for dinner, which I think is the best part and what you are there for. But hey what do I know.  They got to bring home the leftovers.  They will be put to good use along with noodles and frozen Chinese from our favorite place Walmart.  It seams the girls do not like the hotel breakfast.  The donuts were blah so they say.  So they would rather have breakfast or should I say Brunch in the rooms.  I believe they the motive is more to stay up late and watch movies and then sleep in late.  It seams several movies found their way into the shopping cart at Walmart and either I am slipping or they are getting better at getting over. 

Today is the draw for the single elimination part of the tournament that starts on Saturday.  No brunch for me and Bill as we had to get up and be at the field by 10 am for the draw.  Bill must have been excited to attend because he called me a 8am to find out when we were leaving.  After being up late posting yesterdays travel log entry I kind of was not ready to get up that early, but oh well.  If you have never been to a draw  it's interesting, but if you have been to a whole bunch over the years it is really boring.  Every year some coach asks the same dumb questions and the rest of us just moan. Why don't they listen it has already been covered or hey stupid read the rule book, it's in there.  Any way we got a good draw, good in that we play our first game Saturday at 2:30 pm vs. the Florence Panthers from SC.  Get to sleep in, important stuff.   We may get to play an old rival the West Virginia Dusters if, OOPS, when we both win our first game.  Many barn burner games between us over the years, mostly wins for Metro.  Nice coaches, they will come to play.

Well its time to leave for our first exhibition game at 2:30 pm vs. Maryville Magic from Tennessee and then at 9:30 pm vs. the East Cobb Sonics form Georgia. 

An interesting side note.  We will play 3 out of 4 exhibition games and our first elimination game  at Pine Grove on  the orange field. What an outstanding - read multi million dollar - field complex, ask your daughter about it.

Update Late Friday Night or Early Saturday Morning

Sorry I could not update the travel log until now, sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning.  Our schedule left no time and besides I was too tired both body and mind.  I will give you a quick rundown on what's happened.

Thursday games.  We played the first game vs. the Maryville Magic.  We put dug and hole for ourselves by giving them a 3 run lead in the first inning.  Something we do a little too often.  This game like most we have played saw Metro out hit our opponents and have more base runners but we also strand more runners in scoring position then our opponents. We did manage to fight back and tie up the game in the late innings.  However as fate would have it we did not take advantage of our opportunity to win the game in the seventh inning and our opponents did.  Little mistakes and missed opportunities and we lose 5-4.

The second game  started late after 10pm with few fans left in the park except for the grounds crew.  Too bad because it was quite a good game.  Sara had another outstanding outing vs. the East Cobb Sonics from Texas.  If nothing else the girls have been able to play teams from all over the US, what a great experience.  Again we out hit and had more base runners and more scoring opportunities then our opponent but were not able to take advantage.  Poor bunting and too many pop ups cost us the game offensively.  It was 0-0 going into the seventh inning.  We as I said had the runners in scoring position, runners on 1 & 3 with one out.  Failed to hit the ball to the right side, two pop ups instead.  In the bottom of the inning with one out and one on we kind of lost our focus and made several mistakes on one play and wound up losing 1-0 to the Sonics. We were in shock, all of would have been happy with a tie with this team, they were very good and it was a major effort to keep them off of the score board.  But that may tell the story in it's self.  As I told the girls in our meeting back at the hotel, we have to learn to win these type of games.

Any way we got home very late, so late in fact that even the pizza joints were all closed.  So it was off to Denny's for a late night meal.  We had plenty of time as our game on Friday was not till 3:30 pm.  Good thing It was 3am by the time we got back and into bed.

Friday - I  Think

These long trips do take a toll on everyone.  I am sure the girls are thinking about and longing for the comfort of home, family and friends, but maybe not in that exact order.  Every one slept in today, coaches included.  A quick breakfast / lunch at the local Subway and off to the field to do battle again.  The main battle is for the girls to find themselves and what ever is missing for them to take that next step.  Sometimes that step is a hard one to take, it seams like you are standing at the top of the stairs in the dark and you know you will be ok once you find that first step but you are tentative none the less.  Any one got a flashlight. 

Our first game vs. the Georgia Extreme was not exactly a thing of beauty.  Although we took the lead in the first inning we again struggled at the plate and left a lot of runners on the base paths.  We had bases loaded with one out twice and did not get a run across the plate.  We were continually in trouble defensively with runners on because of walks, 11 total.  Our defense is very good most of the time but had a problem last night and cost us that game and would again cost us this game.  A ball that dropped into center field with three players standing 5 feet away watching with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.  We were winning 2-1 at the time.  Final score Georgia Extreme 3 Metro 2. 

Game two vs. the Carolina Curve. This I thought was our toughest opponent of the week.  A good hitting team with solid pitching.  Bethany lost the coin flip again, she does that a lot, so we got to bat, oops score first.  And Score first we did.  I don't know what got into us but I liked it.  We rocked them for five runs, that right, can't believe you read that can you.  Very impressive they were.  Finally hitting line drives and ground balls putting pressure on the other teams defense.  Just a side note here so you don't think that I was completely happy, coaches are never satisfied, at least not this one.  Our bunting game is non existent, dead, horrible and it is just killing me. We can not get a bunt down if our life depended on it.  Such a simple thing I ask.  Ok, Ok you want to know what happened.  We got another outstanding performance from Sara.  This team could hit the ball, one to nine.  Oh they got a few runners on base scattered over the game and only once did they put any real pressure on us with a opportunity to score.  Bases loaded and one out, we get a force out at home and a fly ball to end the inning.   It wasn't a no hitter but Sara had complete control of their batters and you could see the frustration on their faces, it was nice.  Any way we end the game in the sixth inning with a base hit by Brittany that drives in run number 8.  Final score  Metro 8 Curve 0.  A great win vs. a very good team.  Suddenly you can put all the gremlins behind you. 

Tomorrow or should I say Today - Saturday we will start the single elimination portion of the tournament.  It's do or die now.  We played a lot of one run games and found out a lot about ourselves and our abilities this past week.  We will know how much we grew as players  and as a team when we play that first game at 2:30 pm vs. the Florence Panthers.  I predict a win for us and a second game the max we can play tomorrow at 10:00 pm.

Saturday - June 22

The sky was overcast and a light rain falling when we left the hotel for the field this afternoon.  Maybe just relief from the heat!!!

When we arrived a the field complex play had been suspended due to the rain.  A short heavy rain that left a few puddles here and there, but only served to knock down the heavy dust that covered the field after many bracket games the last several days.  We used the delay to hit the refreshment stand for some goodies. After about 45 minutes play resumed.  Off to warm up for us.

Game vs. Florence Panthers.  We had changed our warm up routine last night and it seamed work out ok so we used it again.  The girls seamed focused and ready to go during the warm up.  Some how that overcast sky seamed to hang over us as we made our way into the third base dugout and onto the field for a few last grounders and fly balls.  Sara did not look quite as sharp as last night but still better then many pitchers we saw this week.  Panther pitcher was a little slower then we would have liked, about 54 mph maybe.  We do much better offensively with a faster pitcher, less time to think, they bring out our aggressiveness.  So I was a little concerned.  We got the coin toss for home team and took the field.  It took a few pitches for Sara to find the umps strike zone and so a couple of Panthers got on base in the first inning before we got three outs.  The Panthers can hit as most of the teams in this tournament have shown us this week.  Our first inning we got people in scoring position with multiple base runners but the demons had crept in with the clouds.  Again our failure to put down a bunt and then several pop ups would do us in.  You have to take advantage of your opportunity to put the other team down early at this level of play. For most of the rest of the game Sara was able to control the Panthers who got a runner on here and there but never really presented much of threat to score except for the fifth inning.  The panthers managed to get runners on second and third with no outs.  With several good defensive plays combined with an inspired pitching effort got us out of the inning with out giving up any runs.  Unfortunately for us we continued have a dark cloud hang over us which allowed the demons to come out and take control.  The girls were what I call playing scared.  They were cheering and enthused in the dugout but reserved and tentative at the plate and on the field for most of the game.  Unlike last night were they were driving ball and causing our opponents to make errors we were just not swinging the bat hard.  We were unable to put down a bunt and advance the runner into scoring position on numerous occasions.  Then we would get a hit right after and would have the base runner put out at second base instead of allowing her to move to third and then possibly score.  When we did have a runner on second we would hit the ball to the SS and not be able to advance the runner.  It was frustrating to watch our lack of intensity and inability to overcome our demons.  We hung in with a 0-0 score until the bottom of the seventh inning when we again had our opportunity to win the game.  Again the demons controlled us.  Runners on first and no outs and we can not get the bunt down.  Now with one out we get a hit that moves the runner from first to third.  With a sac bunt she would have scored from second base on that hit and the game would have been ours.  With runners on first and third we get a pop up to the infield and a strike out looking to end the seventh inning and take us into the eighth and the international tie breaker.  The tie breaker was designed to get the game over to keep tournaments on time and end the long 0-0 extra inning games.  As I tell the team it is almost out of your control what will happen because anything can happen when the pressure is really on.  The better team doesn't always win in a tie breaker it the team that makes a mistake that loses.  Our pitcher did her job along with our defense and we did not give up a run in the top of the eighth.  Our turn and the bunting demon again shows up.  With a runner on second and one out we must drive in the run, an infield hit will not help us now.  Again the demons a pop up and a strike out and it on to the ninth inning.  The Panthers do the job and get the bunt down we think its a foul ball at the plate. We are wrong and now we have runners at first and third and no outs.  They send the runner to second on the next pitch.  They hit the ball to the infield and we can't get a handle on it and one run scores.  Our pitcher is upset as she should be, she has had little support with a effort and quality job on her part going down the river.  We manage to get two outs but the inevitable happens they get a line drive shot to left center field that scores two more runs. We get out of the inning and have our opportunity.  When you are down 3-0 in tie breaker it's a little silly to try and play for one run which is what you normally do.  We have to try and do what has eluded us the entire game, hit our way back into the game with a least 3 runs to tie it back up.  We had as little success in the ninth as we had the whole game.  Final score Panthers 3 - Metro 0.

Not exactly the way I thought the game or the single elimination would go for us.  I truly believed that we would win the first two games before we would be challenged.  Disappointing, no it was a crushing blow for us to take.  In my opinion we were making progress each game this week.  Many of the games we lost were by one run and we were playing better each day learning what it takes to play at this level and more importantly what it takes to win at this level.  Learning how win and learning about your self are the lessons being taught to us by the game we all so dearly love to play.  This week and today the game has been teaching us a lesson that we may not have mastered just yet.  But we will continue to work just as hard as we can in the coming games and tournaments to learn the lessons and become the masters of our little demons and the game love to play. 

Pictures Click Here

Carolina Dyanmites Statistics

This file was created  on 7/10/2002 at 10:00:46

This file was created  on 7/10/2002 at 10:00:25

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