|
|
After falling in a hard fought 7-6 loss to Greenville, the
Patriots bounce back, facing the same
Greenville team, winning 8-7 and
taking the tournament title. Tri-Village coach Kent Burk lies in
front
of the champion 5th and 6th grade softball team.
|
|
Tri-Village bounces back
By George Starks
ARCANUM- If the future of Lady Patriot softball was ever in doubt,
those doubts may have been erased recently. In a double elimination
tournament held this past weekend, Tri-Village was forced to do things
the hard way but prevailed in the end.
Heading into the multi-team tournament with only one loss on the year,
the Patriots had gone through the competition like a hot knife going
through butter.
Then came the moment of truth.
With the Greenville 3 team and Tri-Village standing as the only two
teams left in the winners bracket, the Patriots fell in a hard fought
7-6 loss that put them into the losers bracket.
Fighting their way back, the Patriots met that same Greenville team for the title.
The second time around proved to be a different story.
After winning the first game, 6-3, the Patriots fell behind 4-0 early
in the second, but were able to pull ahead 8-7 and gain the victory.
With Tri-Village up by a single marker, a ball was ripped down the third base line.
Aereonna Baker leaped high in the air, snagged the ball and shut down a scoring threat by Greenville and securing the title.
"I think she jumped at least five feet in the air," said coach Kent
Burk. "I really didn't think she could get up that high. If that ball
gets by her, Greenville scores at least two runs and we're forced to
take our last at bat because we're down at least by a run. It was a
great play."
It was just a year ago, the same age group never won a game.
It was a team that went from worst to first in a short period of time.
"These girls worked hard at practice," said Burk. "Their skill
level has improved immensely and they got better as the season went on
and that's the key to success. I told them if you practice hard, it
makes winning easy. My goal was to get them ready in practice. I wanted
them to know their positions and the plays. I told them that when we
win, we win as a team and when we lose, we lose as a team. These kids
learned what it means to win now."
A year ago, the now 6th grade girls were on a winless team but
according to Burk, their expectations were high coming into the new
season.
"This same core group of girls that couldn't win a game a year ago,
listened to me and could see what I was trying to do," added Burk. "I
had every practice planned out before we had our very first practice. I
think after the initial practice, they could see things were going to
be different. They have all become a great team and great players.
After we lost that first game to Greenville, I told the girls that we
controlled our own destiny and the next day, they were ready to play."
According to Burk, there is one defining moment that got the attention on him and his team.
"We had one girl, Emma Rhodes, that hadn't played since she was in
t-ball", said Burk. "I sent her up to bat. She's pretty timid and
doesn't swing a lot. She got up there and hit five or six foul balls
before she struck out. I told the girls if Emma could go up there and
win, then we could do it. It seems things started to click at that
point. I was so proud of these kids."
Now, this same bunch of girls will enter another tournament at the end of the month, playing in Greenville.
|
|
|
|
