Shoreline Stinger CT 6/28 & 29/08
I’m getting really tired of packing. I’m starting to think I should just leave a suitcase packed by the front door. It was not a good morning for me. I was told we needed to leave no later than 6 am. I should have remembered that when I was still up at midnight working on a vodka and club in the “whose counting” category. Dan was far smarter than I on Friday night; he went to bed by 11 full well knowing he had a long drive ahead of him.

He was out of bed by about 4:30 am to deal with the dog. I reluctantly got out of bed by 4:45 wondering how I was going to make it through the day as well as the night as we had tickets to Mohegan Sun to see Billy Joel. I ate a handful of Advil and washed it down with black tea. I was talking to myself as I was packing everything to go. I had to, or I would have fallen asleep at the kitchen counter.

 

All things considered, we were out the door at 6:07 am. A full seven minutes later than Danno wanted. I heard about it for six more. By the time we hit the L.I.E. I figured it would be a good idea to attempt a nap. It’s better if I sleep when he’s driving anyway. The fact that I have no depth perception is generally cause for argument especially on the bridges.

Kira was with the Ca-Ca-Carmodys, but we had her gear. We were hoping that we weren’t going to be THAT late.
“We can’t be late, there’s Joe and Rachel ahead of us.” Sure enough, they were. We started to tail them. Joe’s GPS was slightly different than my mapquest directions, but sure enough, we found the school without too much of a problem. Finding parking was a different story. But big blue makes its own parking spots.

I scanned the area. Uh oh. Port-o-potties. Stay positive!!! Stay positive!!! Ok. How about a concession stand with coffee? Dear God… PLEASE… at least let there be coffee!! Under a tent, in front of a utility building at the bottom of a hill, there was a table with a few boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Dan already had a cup in his hand.

Okay, so all there was to do was wait for the 9:30 am game against Kaos. It wasn’t a bad way to start out the day as the Riptide ended with an 8 - 0 win as they run-ruled them after only five innings. But I learn something new ever time I watch these games. Just as in Hockey, trying to make the right call is the hardest job. But for some reason the umpires working this game were making calls on assumptions. Coach Pete took exception, and rightly so.

 

It was 4 - 0 by the 3rd. The girls were working hard, but it was the parents who were drenched with sweat. Why is it so damned hot so early in the morning??? I don’t get it!!

Annie’s Grandmother was treated to good game where Annie had some nice solid hits and all the girls did very well. Leann had two RBI doubles, Kat had the same. Rachel made a great catch in left field in the 2nd that had the Riptide parents cheering. Ashley had six strike outs from the mound and an RBI single. Hanna had an RBI single up the middle, Kira turned in 3 put-outs in the field. Kate’s been working on that bunt, and it brought in two runs in the fifth to make it 7 -0. One more run was all that was needed to end the game early. They got it.

 

There were quite a few hours before the second game on Saturday so we wanted to check into the hotel, clean up and grab some lunch. Some of the other girls and their parents decided to hit the beach which wasn’t far. It sounded inviting, but the Advil was wearing off and I really needed out of the sun, and a nap wouldn’t be bad.

 

We drove the 1.5 miles to the hotel only to find there had been some sort of mix up and they were short one room. One phone call to Mama Bear and she was at the desk as if she was beamed down from the Enterprise. “How could you be short one room? I went over this more than once.” As Nancy is very good at this, I knew she was right, and the woman who only worked 4 hours a week was wrong.

 

It boiled down to the fact that they weren’t short one room, the woman had been told not to give out one particular room because something was “wrong” with it… but she didn’t’ know what.
A very nice woman and very pleasant. Not bright.

 

“I’m not sure if the air conditioning is working.” She smiled.

“Tell you what. Can we send the HVAC inspector that I’m married to over to have a look-see at it?” I asked her while Nancy was already on the phone booking another block of rooms. After about 15 minutes of Kevin and Danno looking over the room, they could find no fault with it. Air conditioning… check. Toilet flushes… check…. Nothing dead in the tub… check…. Refrigerator not smelling of rotting deer meat… check… no blood stains on the walls (CSI Sayville at work)… check. Nope. We were good to go! Let’s unpack that truck and shower! So we did.

 

With plenty of time before game 2 we hit the road in search of lunch. While the local restaurants seemed inviting, Friendly’s seemed a better choice for the girls, and Dan had his heart set on a Fribble. Nancy went in search of a replacement cooler as hers seems to have done a disappearing act from the field. It must be with the tent covers we keep losing.

 

I had a lovely time talking old time Italian family style with Sal. We covered everything from cooking snails to grandma’s home made artichokes. Being a Nassau county girl I also grew up spending my weekends at the Farmer’s Market in Bethpage. Those were the days. It was Little Italy in a tin roofed, concrete military compound. If it existed on the planet, you could find it at the Farmer’s Market.

 

Food and conversation still left time for exactly what I needed most… A NAP. Back to the hotel for a little rest before facing what would become an enemy like no other.
NY Times Mike had arrived to cheer on the team and now Annie had both her Grandparents there to watch her play. I looked like a deer in headlights for a few minutes as Sandy tried to trip me up introducing her Dad as a famous Hockey coach. I wasn’t biting though because I remembered she told me the stories of the frazzled phone calls her Dad would get because he shared the same name as a famous coach.
Game 2 was against the Conn. “Terminators”  (as us Bleacher Creatures liked to call them) Red. They went 30 and 0 for the season. They weren’t a softball team. They were a Balco experiment. The Riptide were run ruled in 4 ½ innings with an 8 - 0 loss. Hanna pitched her heart out, and Coach Mike gave her all the possible encouragement from the dugout. But how do you coach against a Red Army? We were looking for some DNA tests just to make sure.

 

Our outfield was very busy. There were some nice catches by Rachel in center field and Annie in right field. Danni C and Gabby had some nice plays in the infield and Kat was solid at first, but the girl on the mound with the scary mask looked like a six foot tall alien, striking our girls out one after another.

“Besides everything else… These girls don’t shut the hell up!” Ranger fan John was disgusted watching the devastation. Sandy kept knitting, but knew exactly what was going on without having to look up. I kept looking at my watch knowing that we had to be on the road by 7 for that 8 pm concert.

#57 on the mound had such a huge stride that it made it difficult for our batters to see the ball. She had 8 strikeouts. Despite it all, Annie’s Grandma was trying to rally the troops, but it was futile. Dan was a little hard on Kira as she stamped her feet and walked away from him. It was one of those “you should’ a” conversations.
Matt Seltz had stayed to watch the last inning, and while Dan was going over all the things he felt Kira should have done differently, I watched that sly smile come over his face.

“Oh really? Look who got the MVP Knucklehead??” And Matt slapped Dan on the back and walked away laughing. Didn’t he feel foolish now as Kira trudged over carrying the medal? He certainly did.

 

We couldn’t believe we had to leave for Game 3, but we couldn’t go to the concert straight from the field, looking the way we did. Or smelling the way we did for that matter.

 

Dan handed Joe the stat book like a passing of the torch and Maureen and I handed over our girls to the parenting advisor. It was a perfect fit. Okay, so maybe Maureen had far more conversation than I did about it. My instructions sounded more like “Mike, she’s got a room key. Just don‘t forget her.” Okay. I was good with that and off I went.

 

By the time we were in the truck heading toward Mohegan Sun, Ranger Fan John was calling us.
“Kate’s junk is working!” he said. Of course it was. We weren’t there, and their bats were coming alive. Of course they were. Danni C had 2 triples, Danni B had 2 singles, and so did Gabby.

Leann, Ashley and Kira all had singles at bat. The Sting pitcher must have been angry with the girls’ skill level because Leann took a beating getting hit by pitches twice and Rachel was beaned once too. Kate pitched a great game, but it was Kira who walked away with yet another MVP with 4 put outs in the field. The game ended after the 4th inning run rule and Riptide walked away with a 10-1 win.

Um… Billy Joel put on a great show and Mohegan Sun is an awesome venue to see a show. I highly recommend it.

Sunday came quickly and we were headed for a different field a few short miles away. This was in a lovely neighborhood in front of a Church. But the true savior of the morning was a Starbucks within walking distance. Caffeine and bathrooms, could we want for anything more?

 

I was sorry that Annie’s Grandparents weren’t there to see THIS game against the Titans Blue as Annie banged out a double to bring Ashley in for a run. I guess this makes up for her missing her brother’s graduation ceremony? I hope so.

 

I had my head down in my notes when Kira hit a double on the first pitch she took. By 10:30 am, Kate was struck on the mound with a hard hit comebacker and she dropped to the ground. She stayed in the game (trouper that she is) but it was a turning point for the girls. Every time one girl goes down hurt, the others seem to get rattled. It didn’t help that Blue missed an out at first by a mile and our coaches went ballistic. Things just soured from there. Errors in the field brought in three runs for the opposition.
With the Riptide up at bat, they were quickly brought to their third out without any runs being scored. You could sense their frustration as Kat tossed the ball back toward the mound in complete disgust. But some how they turned it around, and the wheels were back on the bus and their bats started to get hot. There was more Blue complaining and more discussion.

 

Ashley was brought in to pitch with only minutes left of the game. Wouldn’t you love to know what Danni C and Kira say to each other in the infield while Ashley warms up?

There were two outs, but a ball rolled passed Ashley and into the outfield to advance the runners, now the bases were loaded and the game was on the line. Ashley needed to shut the Titans down there, or we just go home.

 

Just to add a little drama to the morning, a wall of dust blew across the infield and toward our direction. This isn’t literary license; a wave of dust REALLY did rise up off the field. Ashley got the out and the Riptide was back up to bat. They were one minute away from ending the game, but 4 batters were out and now they would have to play the 7th inning.

 

Ashley needed to focus and get 3 big outs. Ken yelled “Tough D!” That was the most important thing. It was how bad they wanted to play Game 2 on Sunday, or if they wanted to get back in the cars with their fathers. Come on! You know how it ended! Riptide won 5 - 3 after 6 ½ innings.

 

Notable stats: Danni B had a great shot to center field but was robbed by a great catch. Rachel had an RBI sacrifice bunt, and Ashley had a single as well as being a force on the mound. Kira had a single, a double and was hit by a pitch. Kat had a bunt single. The infield was very busy in this close game with Kira, Danni C, Ashley and Kat combining for 7 put outs, and while Kate was at the mound, she had 9 strike outs.

 

What a morning, the church bells sounded so sweet as we packed up the cars and headed out to the other field for Game 2. At least we weren’t heading home. They were still in the game and the game would be against… OH NO… The Chargers!

 

Once back on the other field, watching the tents move around looked like an ant farm. Was it hot and the sun was blaring? Of course it was. Even though they were playing the Chargers, they wouldn’t be facing Kira’s close Sayville friend, Marissa. She wasn’t set to pitch that game, so Kira wouldn’t have to worry about that “pudding promise” she made at school.

 

This would turn into one of the greatest games in Riptide history. Well, THIS Riptide for sure.
“One pitch and they’re on first!” Ughhhh!!! Did it have to start this way?

 

The Riptide almost made a double play as Rachel caught a fly ball and threw to home, but not in time. Quick thinking Leann threw to Kira for an out at 3rd. Damage was held at one run.

The Riptide had two outs, and Hanna was already on 3rd running for Leanne who banged in a double. Ashley came up to the plate and knocked in the first run with a single in the second inning to tie the game. These were 1 -2 - 3 innings. Leann had a super game hitting that double and 3 singles, but in the 4th inning the Chargers went up 2 - 1.

 

But Danni C tied it at 2 with a double that brought Annie in to score. Danni B needed to bring Kate in to make it 3 - 2. I held my breath and said “Please, please” about 10 times. She must have heard me as she came away with a single that gave them the go ahead run.

 

Not wanting to be outdone, Kira hit a single to make it 4 - 2. It was more of a “bloop”, but it brought in a much needed run.

It was the bottom of the 7th inning and the Chargers got “last licks.” Their first batter, #7 in their batting order flies out to Kate for out #1.

The next batter was walked. Ashley got an important strikeout for out #2. Then the top of their order came up with two outs. The batter bunts in a single. Their next batter hit’s a single to make it 4 - 3. On the sidelines the parents are holding their breath and pacing.

 

The #3 hitter grounds out to Danni C, who throws to Kat at 1st and GAME OVER!!! The Riptide WIN! There are cheers on the Riptide sidelines while the Charger sidelines were in shock.
“It’s a funny game, this softball.” as Dianna had said to me weeks ago, was never truer. The Chargers came to play that game as the first seed in this tournament. Perhaps they discounted their opponent, perhaps they were a little shot from winning all their other games, or perhaps they just found out that on any given day, any given team can beat the best.

 

The girls’ reward for such a hard fought win? They got to play the Terminators AGAIN! Woo hoo! Weren’t they LUCKY? The thought of facing that masked pitcher again sent shivers through me. And then the rains came. I had a flash back from the tournament that wasn’t.

It only lasted a few minutes to wet down the fields. It thought it would cool things off a little, but that was only wishful thinking!

 

So there they were facing the fierce Amazon women with their non-stop yapping. Their pitcher was just too much for our batters as Kira was the only one to reach 1st base on an error by their infield on a pop fly. Confusion led to the ball dropping behind the pitcher. Although she struck the girls out THIRTEEN times, she wasn’t very agile reaching to the ground.

Ashley and Kate held this team that had beat everyone else the entire season to only three runs over seven innings. Truthfully, I think that really pissed them off. Especially when Kate came in at the bottom of the 4th and was throwing “junk” (her off speed pitches) that just made their hitters look downright silly. Her “junk” garnered three strikeouts and probably put her on the top of their most hated list.

 

Our infield was busy again with 10 put-outs. It was a great effort against a true “14U” team that was undefeated and had been “steamrolling” their competition in blowouts. And here they were, almost two years younger than they, and going toe to toe. Nope. They weren’t going to run-rule the Riptide. The rains came back, but they weren’t stopping. They were playing this one out.

When the game was finally over, the girls were actually relieved. And exhausted. Dan had “bucket butt” and Coach Pete had “bucket envy” but also a smile on his face. They did a great job and were proud of the effort they put up. They were even more proud when the coach of the Eliminators complimented them during the soggy trophy ceremony.

Truth be told, Game 2 on Sunday was really the Riptide’s final. And winning that game, against a local rival was just as good as coming home with first place. It certainly made for a pleasant drive home.