9-2 softball win and spring band concert

Nice to find some joy in the world with the things going on in terms of race-based hatred, "replacement theory" and MAGA. So the joy is found at the micro level. It's local and it's with our young people. I can forget about pulling into a parking lot in town and seeing the pickups with "Trump" stickers on the back. It isn't easy but it can be done (to forget). 

So the MACA softball team worked to an exciting win over the New London-Spicer Wildcats. The score was 9-2 in the Monday road action. Pitching is of course a prime ingredient in the sport. And our Brienna Dybdahl impressed. She set down four Wildcat batters on strikes. Her control was pinpoint: zero walks. Both of the runs she allowed were unearned. 

The Tigers' success put a damper (a small one) on NL-S "Senior Night." NL-Spicer has five seniors in the ranks. The Tigers overcame three fielding miscues. The NL-Spicer error total was four. We outhit the Wildcats 7-5. We led 4-1 after three innings. We went on to score three runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth. 

The Wildcats used two pitchers: Nyla Johnson (pitcher of record) and Emily Ruter. Johnson fanned two batters, Ruter five. Johnson had some control difficulties as she walked four. 

MACA used a balanced hitting attack with no one having multiple hits. So we see Kortney Sanasack connecting for a double. Leah Staples had a hit in her only at-bat and drove in a run. Yasmine Westerman had a hit, drew a walk, stole a base and scored two runs. Dybdahl joined in with her one-for-three line plus she walked and scored two runs. 

Sydney Dietz had a hit, drew a walk and drove in a run. Shannon Dougherty had a hit, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored. Reilly Gibson added to the mix with a hit, a run scored and two RBIs. Brianna Marty stole a base and scored a run. Cate Kehoe walked and scored a run. 

The only player having a multiple-hit day was NL-Spicer's Sydney Feist: two-for-two with an RBI. Other Wildcats to hit safely were Brianna Wileman, Caitlin Wileman and Courtney Ronning.

The "Minnesota Scores" site tells us the MACA won-lost is 14-1, 9-0 in conference.

 

Joy with music

Monday was a tremendously special day for Morris Area music. It saw the return of the ice cream social prior to the spring concert of concert band and wind ensemble. Last year saw many activities of this kind trimmed back due to the pandemic. MAHS music fans haven't forgotten the tradition. The ice cream enjoyment is in conjunction with soloists and ensembles performing at the cafeteria. 

I had banana slices with my ice cream. There was a basket for donations to support music. Let's not ever allow music to be overshadowed by sports. It's all special, it's just that sports swells too much with a feeling of entitlement sometimes, right? 

The concert included seven seniors wrapping up their MAHS experience. Emily Hamm, saxophonist, is one. Yes she plays saxophone but her singing sticks in my mind more. Remember how she performed "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" last December? The microphone didn't work but it did not matter. That song was challenging from the standpoint of vocal range. Listeners would not have even noticed that issue, such was Hamm's in-command singing. 

She has also sung with the jazz ensemble. I'd like to see MAHS jazz get true music stands for that particular format. 

The concert program included photos of the seniors. So we have Ms. Hamm along with Cassidy Asmus (flute), Alexis Lhotka (French horn), Cortney Hickman (trumpet), Laura Surerus (trombone), Kaedan Fischer (French horn) and Tasha Koehl (flute). 

The wind ensemble performed "The Louvre" which was accompanied by a video. Of course the director was Wanda Dagen. She was on top of her game. She spoke to the audience more than usual. It was nice to see her give some attention to Adair Horgen, age 98. I remember photographing Adair when she directed a music group for Horticulture Night. 

I'm writing this on Tuesday morning which means I again monitor the media in the wake of the Buffalo NY shooting. The threat posed by the reactionary element in our society is starting to cross a line. I wish all the local Trump supporters would cover up or remove their pickup stickers. MAGA and Fox News have produced the momentum for what we are seeing now: a very dark place. 

My own personal fear of MAGA reached the point where I put gray tape over the small "Kamala" sticker I had on the rear of my vehicle. 

Keep voting Republican and they will come after you - you must realize their true agenda which is veiled by all the culture war stuff. They will come after your Social Security, they will come after your Medicare, they will come after your Affordable Care Act. They are on the precipice for wiping out women's reproductive health rights. 

Calm down on the cultural front - you shouldn't be racist, homophobic or misogynistic anyway - and recognize your own personal priorities. But I am becoming ever more skeptical this will happen. The Federal Reserve will continue stoking more inflation. Their "baby step" interest rate hikes are too little, too late. The Fed is too scared of upsetting the stock market. 

On my way home from the concert Monday, I stopped to buy a large Hershey bar: $3.09 price. The customer behind me said something about this. I agreed with him. Looks like the situation will only get worse. 

We have had a wonderful country, this United State of America. Let's try to not let it slip away.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com