A little chilly, yes, especially by game's end (and for the walk home) but enjoyment was high for MACA Tiger softball action Friday.
The school's website reported this game would be at Eagles Park but it was at Wells. I can see Eagles from my residence well enough to tell if anything is going on there. I deduced the action would be at Wells and embarked by foot.
It is my habit to take walks. I thank the good Lord I'm still hearty enough to do this, even though 40 years ago I was at Wells as media person to cover this. Forty years ago! Time seems to have been kind to both myself and to Mary Holmberg, who was the coach 40 years ago at Wells Park when the seeds were planted for Tiger softball. She worked with assistant George Graff.
Fast-forward to 2021 and there's Mary coaching with as much energy as ever from the third base coaching box. And there's yours truly, not working nearly as hard, not working at all actually. Was very fortunate to find a wide-open bench spot to sit very close to home plate. I appreciate this being saved for me - just kidding!
The game action was very enjoyable even though a one-sided complexion developed. MACA ended up owning this game. It could have gone on longer whereupon we'd all feel a little colder. But the Tigers took care of business in five inning vs. the Owls, score of 12-0.
It was thrilling to see Tiger Emma Bowman "really get ahold of one" and send the ball over the left-center field fence! What a wallop. She glided around the basepaths with moxie. The homer was the highlight of the game for me.
Not that there weren't other significant strong suits in the Tigers' play. Like, the pitching of Brienna Dybdahl: five innings, just two hits allowed. The second Owl to bat did get a hit off Dybdahl. From there she went to work to set down the next 12 batters. Her strikeout total for the game was eight. She walked none. Her pitching win was her second.
Bowman's round-tripper was in inning No. 4. She had three hits total. Makenna Hufford's bat resonated with a two-run single. The two Hancock hits were by Lexi Staples and Alexa Meierding. Carlee Hanson took the pitching loss.
The Tigers' win over Minnewaska
Previous to the Hancock game the Tigers took care of business 13-9 over Minnewaska Area. Click on the permalink below to read my summary of that win. The summary is on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." Thanks so much.
The track and field scene
With all the talk of the new softball facility east of town - actually I've heard almost no talk about it - we might overlook track and field some. The spring sports action is surely not confined to "diamonds." Let's salute our Tiger track and field athletes who are off and running for 2021.
Track and field has a spring advantage over the diamond sports in that indoor fieldhouse meets avail themselves. The weather needn't be a hindrance at all.
On Thursday the MACA athletes vied at Melrose. And the boys were the team champion among the four teams. The Tigers were buoyed by five event winners: In this circle: Monte Fehr in the discus, Evan Oberg in the shot put, Austin Clemenson in the triple jump, Ethan Lebrija in the 100m dash and Kenny Soderberg in the 300m hurdles. Way to go!
Our MACA girls fashioned a second place finish. BOLD edged our Tigers by one point. We had six event winners: Meredith Carrington was No. 1 in the 1600 meters. Claire Reed was the champion pole vaulter. Kaylie Raths took No. 1 in both the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles. Also taking No. 1 were our 800m and 4x400 relay units, sorry I don't have names.
A final anecdote
Sound systems for music interludes were unheard-of when I was in high school. Part of the reason was tech: we had no CD-based sound systems then with all their efficiency and quality. Music on the contemporary systems can be played loud with no irritation, whereas in the "old days" the "loud" sound would be accompanied by distortion - totally unpleasant except for the hippie-types who abused themselves this way (and with headphones).
So today we hear crystal-clear and rather loud sound during breaks at all sorts of sports events, softball included as we were reminded Friday. It is a delightful embroidery on the experience, one that I'm sure all the modern folks take for granted.
On Friday a little ditty played that had a naughty word. It's the naughtiest word imaginable and it was just a mistake to have it aired of course. The sound was cut off immediately. The ump and the P.A. announcer looked at each other like "well, that was a mistake" but they were not distraught! It was done with a smile.
My point is, people in my day, from when I was in high school would explode with disapproval - the ump might even declare the game immediately over and everyone should go home! Could you imagine how one-time AD Truman Carlson would react? Well, times change.
No one would argue the word is acceptable of course! That's not the point. But people today are "cool" about such things, they can laugh. We cannot pretend the word does not exist. All kids surely become familiar with it early-on. Let's not cover our eyes or our ears.
Parents of an earlier time were Victorian and wanted to cover their eyes and ears regarding all things connected to sex. As if they'd never dealt with their own sexual feelings! The Victorian attitude with its denial and shame actually did a lot of psychological harm to young people. We must look this liability in the face, now that we can reflect.
Similarly we must look on the liability of the U.S. government prosecuting the Vietnam War, I guess because people didn't get quite enough thrills winning WWII with its (expletive) "landing crafts" which became fodder for cowboys-and-Indians type movies. Shame. I repeat: shame.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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