It's time to focus on MACA spring sports

Sports fans may not talk about it, but I think there's always a bit of a letdown going from winter to spring. The weather just doesn't seem quite ready, on a lot of days, for this move.

I learn today (Tuesday, 4/17) that the Tiger softball game scheduled for yesterday was postponed. That surprises me. Sure, the weather was like hell on Sunday but it wasn't nearly so bad Monday.
Yes, there was a somewhat harsh wind. But I really expected the game to be played.

The Morris Area school calendar announced that the softball Tigers would play at New London-Spicer. I also think I spotted (yet another) school calendar mistake. I made note of such mistakes last winter and wondered why District #769 couldn't push a primarily online way of reporting school schedule information.

The system should encourage the habit of people simply going online.

Our school calendar reported that the MACA baseball team would be playing at New London-Spicer Monday, just like the softball team. It says "BB-NLS-A-5 pm."
Subsequent to seeing that, I could find no other confirmation this game was in fact on the slate. In fact, I learn from a media source that New London-Spicer was scheduled to play Montevideo on Monday, April 16.

I'll ask again: Why have a school calendar, and why pay to have it published and distributed, if fans find they have to confirm this information elsewhere?

The school calendar is printed to be used. Perhaps it's a complete waste of money.

The online world is a panacea in connection to all such issues. This is why we have the "virtual community" listed as a "Destiny Driver" for "Stevens Forward!"

Remember Stevens Forward? I'm hearing there is a new push to make the program effective as opposed to just an on-paper, hot air, fogbound listing of platitudes or whatnot - the kind of vacuous happy talk that tends to come and go in the bureaucratic world.

Stevens County may have lost as much as 2,000 in population since 1980. So, we don't need empty platitudes. Let's make this "destiny driver" really work!
So when I talk about how it's time to move away from ink-on-paper media to the new frontier, maybe you all should start listening and not just stare at me with blank eyes and a weak smile. OK?

I am pleased to report today on both softball and baseball - the Tigers' first games of 2012. I hope I have all the names spelled correctly, especially the MACA softball pitcher. Don't ever hesitate to get in touch with me.

I'm starting to wonder if I was misled by a girls basketball game program last winter that included the name "Tracey Meichsner" (with the possibly superfluous "e" in the first name). I am proud to get the "chs" letters in their proper order in this student athlete's last name.

My baseball coverage (a twin bill loss vs. BOLD) is on my companion website, "Morris of Course." Please click on the permalink below to read about Tiger baseball:
http://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2012/04/maca-boys-come-up-shy-in-twin-bill.html

Softball: Tigers 10, Montevideo 7

The MACA softball girls hit the ground running on Tuesday, April 10, winning with a double digits flourish in the 2012 season opener. The Tigers scored ten runs.

The big inning was the sixth when the eager Tiger offense rallied for seven runs. The foe was Montevideo. The action was here. The final score was 10-7.

Mackenzie Van Batavia was the MACA pitcher and she also had a hit in that big sixth inning.

Olivia Reimers drew a walk to begin that sixth inning outburst. Successive hits resounded off the bats of Nicole Strobel, Megan Mecklenburg and Van Batavia. Adding to the mix, by the time the rally finally subsided, were hits by Sadie Fischer and Steph Hennen and a fielder's choice.

Van Batavia was a standout in the boxscore with two hits and two RBIs, plus she pitched the whole way. She struck out four Thunder Hawk batters, walked two and gave up eight hits and seven runs (five earned). Her pitching rival was Ashley Hoehne.

Van Batavia went two-for-three including a double in her offensive showing.

Fischer's hit was a double and she drove in a run. Hennen finished one-for-three with an RBI. Nicole Strobel went one-for-three with an RBI, and Reimers and Mecklenburg both finished one-for-two.

The Morris Area Chokio Alberta line score was ten runs, seven hits and three errors.

Danielle Emkes led Monte's offense at three-for-three.

Tigers 8, BOLD 0

The Thursday (4/12) story for the MACA girls was more of same: winning. Again the home diamond was the site. The foe this time: BOLD.

Van Batavia's pitching arm was again showcased. Working seven innings again, this Tiger tossed a three-hit shutout in MACA's 8-0 win.

She fanned six batters and walked three. She easily out-dueled the BOLD pair of Emily Wallert and Paige Larson.

Fans at the local diamond cheered as MACA showed its decisive burst in the first inning: four runs. The Tigers led 4-0 after four innings after which they plated three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.

The MACA line score was eight runs, seven hits and no errors. Van Batavia's bat resonated with a double. Fischer rapped two hits in three at-bats. Tracey Meichsner had a double as part of going two-for-two.
Olivia Reimers went one-for-three and Holly Amundson one-for-two.

Taylor Ebnet had a hit in her only at-bat for BOLD.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com