Well the season is finally over so I thought I'd update those of you who are interested.

Sheep's Team: Indians 9-10 yr old Girls.

Reg. Season Record: 12-8 6th Seed in League Tournament.

After an up and down regular season, my girls really showed out for the tourney. We started our run with a 9-8 sudden death victory over the 4th seeded Rockies. It was a terrific game by both teams that was decided by a 2 out bases loaded single in the first "extra inning". (Sudden death in softball is simple. You start with a runner at second and 1 out. It's played like sudden death in college football with the teams alternating after a run is scored.)

Round two pitted us against the top seeded and undefeated Cardinals. We had played them tough all season (3 losses by a total of 4 runs) and my girls were simply not intimidated on their way to a resounding 9-3 victory sending them to the losers bracket.

Our third round game was against the 3rd seeded A's. We lost a heart breaker 4-3 on a walk off homer by Autumn, one of my favorite players in the league. A real sweet kid with a solid future in softball. Thankfully it's double elim so we stayed in the tourney.

Sunday morning brought us alot of excitement. We started with a stunning 7-6 come from behind victory against a very solid Portage Lakes team, which placed us in the semi-finals against the 2nd seeded Springfield Tigers.

The girls played their hearts out building a 7-2 lead before loosing 9-8 on a 2 out walk off single in the bottom of the 6th sending us home for the season.

Tournament Highlights:

We became the lowest seed in League history to advance to the Semi-Finals.

The play of my LF Allyson. She went all season without a hit, only to shell out 9 of them in the tournament.

Knocking the top seed out of the winners bracket is always a highlight.

Of course Raegan was her usual special self. Going 15-17 in the tournament while throwing out 3 runners at second and 6 at third.

KK's team: Giants 7-8 year old girls (Coach Pitch)

Reg Season Record 11-5-1 4th seed in league tournament.

They had a terrific regular season, but the seedings got the best of them in the tournament. They lost both of their games by 1 run in the final at bat for the home team.

Season Highlights:

The Giants out scored their opponents 268-185.

They pounded out 81 2B, 19HR, and 21 3B.

KK had 9 Triples, 7 Doubles and 28 RBI.

The 18-4 spanking of the Vipers on their home field in the annual night game. KK won the MVP with 2 Triples, a 2B and a single. 7 RBI and 4 runs.

Tournament Highlights:

Scoring 11 runs on 13 hits in the top of the 6th to take a 17-15 lead in round 1 of the tournament. The coach of the oposing team said after the game that it was the "Greatest display of hitting I have ever seen at this age level."

Fall Ball starts soon. Jim, Steve and I will again be hand picking our team from our league and we'll put them up against the best traveling teams in the state. I'll keep you posted.

You know how I love to talk about my girls. Well yesterday, my middle one had a day she will not soon forget.

On Saturday morning, oldest sheepling had a game at 10am. League rules dictate that you must have a minimum of 8 players to play. We were fine with our full contingent of 12 girls, but our opponents were short a player.

In steps Makhayla. "Dad, can I play?" Now league rules allow for a player to be brought up from the league below (Coach Pitch) in order to fill in in such instances, but my fear obviously was she's 7 and the other girls are 9-10; not to mention that Abbae was starting, and she throws in the high 30's low 40's. "I don't know K, Abs throws hard and I'm n...." "Dad, I can do it. I'm not scared." Well I gave in, and I was amazed.

Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you that she was the star of the game, or that she ripped a solid single up the middle with the bases loaded. She went 0-2 with a BB and 2K's, but she did score a run, which she thought was really cool. What I will tell you is that this little girl climbed into the batters box against a girl that she has no business facing; and not only did she NOT back out of the box, she swung the bat....HARD. Twice she was just a hair late, and this is against a girl that was bringing it.

Raegan showed great sportsmanship towards her little sis; high-fiving her as she walked to the plate each time, which is HUGE to a little sister who looks up to and admires her big sis. I was never more proud of K.....until Saturday night.

Each year one team is invited to play a night game at water works park in springfield, under the lights against the Vipers. This year K's team was chosen based on the two prior games against the Vipers; a 13-13 tie due to darkness, and a 7-6 loss (We are the two stongest teams in the league; Vipers 6-0-1, Giants 5-1-1). I'm telling you, this game is a BIG deal. They do it up right. Pre-Game introductions are carried out over the PA much like MLB's All-Star game. The girls are introduced by name and number, and line up down their respective baselines. There are banners and signs, the singing of the National Anthem, and a guy doing play by play. Not to mention that they get to play in front of about 100 people.

They say "Great players shine when the lights are brightest", and Makhayla followed up her impressive morning showing, with a dominating evening preformance. The kid put on a show with the bat, 4-4....a two run triple, a bases loaded triple, 2 singles and 4 runs scored in an 18-4 rout of the previously unbeaten Vipers, earning herself game MVP honors and a game ball to take home (which daddy will photograph and post on the site as soon as she gets home from grama's tomorrow and I pry it out of her fingers)

It was a fun day for everyone, but an unforgetable one for her. These kind of memories are why I love being a Daddy. Especially, a Daddy of 3 AMAZING little girls.

Oh and by the way....Giants 6-1-1, Vipers 6-1-1.