Litch was in a decent position going into Thursday. The Dragons only had to win once, to beat Pipestone once. You might say the Arrows had their backs to the wall as they had to win twice. Their fans could nevertheless be fueled with confidence. And that's because of the sheer mettle of the program, its winning reputation.
How impressive is that? The Arrows are in state for the fifth consecutive year! They in fact beat the Litchfield Dragons twice on Thursday. It was deflating for the Dragons and their premier pitcher Taylor Draeger. Draeger had pitched twice with mastery vs. our MACA Tigers. On Thursday she pitched the whole way in the Dragons' game 1 loss which was by a score of 5-2.
The Dragons sought to regroup but they were stopped again in the climactic second game, score of 8-3. Action was at Schwans Regional Amateur Sports Complex, Marshall. So it's Pipestone with the 3AA crown again, bound for state.
Game 1 details were available at the time this blog post is being prepared. So we see Pipestone's Madelyn Wiese with a hot bat: two hits with one of them a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. Kayla Hubbing also contributed two hits and she scored a run and drove in one. In the all-important pitching department we see Jessa Reinert doing the work in the Arrows' winning effort. Reinert was overpowering at times as she set down nine batters on strikes. She pitched the whole way.
The Litch attack had Sydney McCann and Emma DeWolf both with a two-for-three line. McCann crossed home plate twice. DeWolf picked up an RBI. Avery Stilwell made noise with a double and she drove in a run. Janessa Olson's bat resonated with a triple.
The Litch Dragons close out their excellent 2021 season with an 18-8 record. Beating our MACA Tigers twice was a feather in their cap.
What advantages does the Pipestone program have over our MACA program? It can't be the coincidence of superior talent, not over this long a run, can it?
New Morris field to have lights
I took a walk Thursday night as darkness set in, out toward the east where the new softball field is located. I wasn't expecting to see night softball there yet. Indeed it was quiet. And dark. All that is set to change. We learned that the local funeral home is seeing to the task of having lights installed at the new field.
The field is named for Mary Holmberg, the long-time coach of the MACA Tigers, in fact the only coach we've ever had. I'm hardly surprised that Pedersen Funeral Home would be paying close attention to developments with the field. Sydney Dietz was on the roster this past spring. The funeral home is pitching in with $15,000 that will "light up" the new facility.
A funeral home spokesman talked about how softball promotes a feeling of community in summertime. The enjoyment can maybe help us forget how the heat is building to an excessive level! It sure has been hot lately. How odd we can complain after the arduous cold weather months seemed to go on interminably. Well it sure got terminated, finally.
The funeral home spokesperson talked about "family and spending quality time together." The funeral home identifies charitable purposes as a matter of ongoing practice.
You might be aware that yours truly has been a skeptic of the "Morris community softball complex" since the start. We all have a right to our opinions. Sometimes the skeptics are shown to be wrong. Still, skeptics have a role to play in our society, because sometimes you just have to put on the brakes.
So I took a walk Thursday night and wondered now nighttime softball action is going to play out. We continue to wonder about parking. A habit has developed where people park along both shoulders of Prairie Lane going out to the bypass. As I contemplated this Thursday with darkness setting in, I wondered if this system would work for nighttime. I couldn't help thinking that this parking configuration after dark would be dangerous.
Mark Ekren has already sounded the bell about safety issues. Don't we really need a bona fide parking lot out there? Until then, maybe activity at the new field should be suspended. Barricades have already been put up to prevent vehicles parked in the non-paved area between the fields. This has forced people out onto Prairie Lane. It seems not the best arrangement.
Nor do I like to see fans choosing to watch the games from just outside the outfield fence. If people are doing this, it must be because they see issues with trying to sit closer. It's not easy to see through the fence on the first and third base sides. Most glaringly, the available space for fans behind home plate seems way too squeezed, and it's evident that 2/3 of the seated fans in that area don't get a full view of the playing field. I do not consider this a minor issue.
The basic configuration of the place is probably set in stone now. It is ours forever. I'm concerned that when a truly "big game" arrives with fans pouring in, too many will not be accommodated the way they would like. Whoever planned this place ought to answer some questions, IMHO.
Please click on link below to read my summary of Litchfield's 2-1 win over St. James in the game preceding Thursday. This post is on my "Morris of Course" blog.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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