On March 16, our team, Panhandle Power 01 (Travel Softball) played in a single elimination softball tournament in Troy, AL. The age division is girls 12U. It was called the March Meltdown. We won out first four games, which put us in the Championship game against Bama Blaze of Geneva, AL. A Championship game is seven completed innings or 70 minutes, completed in the inning that you are in when the time expires.
Our team went five full innings with the score tied at 0-0. No one had scored a single run. Alyssa Hudson, knick name A-HUD, was pitching outstanding for us. Our defense was errorless. Actually both teams were playing very well. We were the home team, which meant we got to bat last.
In the top of the 6th inning, they got a runner on third base, and their Coach called a suicide squeeze bunt, when you steal home from third and the batter lays down a bunt to score the run. It is a very risky move. It worked this time – we got the girl out at first base but the run scored, they scored one more on an error. Now, the score is 2-0, and we are batting in the bottom of the last inning.
I had our first batter bunt a ball down first baseline, and it worked, she made it safely. She stole second base. The plan was working, then we popped the ball in the air three times in a row and that was it, BALLGAME. We lost 2-0, but we still got a big runner – up trophy and all the girls got medallions.
I am so proud of these girls. This was only our second tournament of the year too. Hopefully, big things will come from this.
I would like to thank our pitching Coach Danielle Stahll, along with Bob and Amber from Pensacola Training Academy for all their help when we go to the Training Academy once a week and hit to work on agility and conditioning.
The name of our Team is Pahandle Power 01, our next tournament is March 30th in Hattiesburg, MS.
Our sister team is Panhandle Power 00, they are playing March 23-24 in Bainbridge, GA, We wish them good luck as well.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: March Meltdown leads to championship game