BATTITUDE FASTPITCH WILL HOST A JUNETEENTH JAMBOREE 18 TO 19 JUNE 2022 IN ALLEN TEXAS
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTS FASTPITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
OUT OF STATE TEAM ARE WELCOME
12U & 14U AGE DIVISIONS —— ENTRY $325 —— $40 PAP —– NO GATE ENTRY FEE
6 GAME GUARANTEE —— CHAMPION AND FINALIST RINGS —— TEAM MVP RINGS
https://playncs.com/fastpitch/Events/Details/3670/battitudes-juneteenth-jamboree
The Battitude Closes out Inaugural Season and 12U at the 11th Annual South X Southwest SnowBall Tournament
The excitement of watching the Battitude play their last tournament of 2022 and their last tournament as a 12 and under team filled the fans and parents.
With that excitement we expected the girls to show up and show out. Weather was decent for an early December tournament, but the girls were not feeling it the first day. They opened with a close win against a team that the coaches and parents believed they should have blown out. They followed that with three losses…..they couldn’t buy a hit if they wanted too
Parents and Coaches were mystified….what was going on. As always, the girls were smiling and joking with each other, but for some reason their optimism was not showing on the diamond. As a fans of the Battitude we were in disbelief couldn’t believe this would be the end of their season…….ok as fans we were TICKED……not happy with the girls at all
Pool play ended with bracket play set for the following day. The girls were one game away from playing their Rec Tournament Rivals and as fans we were hoping for a better showing than the day prior. They opened bracket play with a drumming of one of the Fusion teams. The score was 11 nothing when the Fusion got their first points. Battitude went on to win 16 to 5. What a different team than the day prior.
That win put the girls into a match-up with their Rec Tournament Rivals. As fans, we hoped the play from the first bracket game would continue. We hoped the girls would show consistency between games. The game started and our girls seemed like they fell back into the prior day’s mood. Three batters up…..Three batters down the Fireballs pitcher was on fire. Onto the bottom of the inning where the fireballs quickly scored. Our pitching was solid. The outfield support made it difficult for the fireballs to score, but they were able to put up two points and load the bases in the bottom of the first inning.
Bottom of the 1st inning bases loaded, two outs and no strikes. All season long the girls have fallen apart in these situations. Battitude fans were extremely worried. Fireballs had their home run hitter at the plate…..pitcher releases and the Fireballs hit a fly ball to right field. The Right Fielder was out of position and we all thought the Fireballs were going to extend their lead. Then out of the blue came #1, Lauren, with a gorgeous snag…third out inning over…..Battidue down by two heading into the top of the 2nd.
Top of the 2nd inning and the Battitude bats woke up. Fireballs were in for a game. Battitude’s speed and agility was on display. The Fireballs pitcher was forced to go into a quick pitch strategy to slow down the Battitude bats. As soon as our girls stepped into the box she would pitch making it difficult for the batter to get set. (We need to check the rule book on for next time) That strategy caught the batters off guard and the Battitude ended the 2nd inning down by one Battitude 1 Fireballs 2 —
Bottom of the fourth score still 1 to 2 Fireballs, three minutes left in regulation two outs, two on base, two strikes, and no balls with Fireballs home run hitter at the plate. If the Battiude can get that last out before regulation expires the game would extend into the 5th inning. Sloan, Battitude’s Pitcher, was having a solid day. She delivers an outside corner ball. In Sloan’s words “I saw her eyes get big as the ball neared her” –Home run– Fireballs up by 4 and their coach holds his next batter so regulation would expire. Game over….inaugural Season Over…..12U Over
You would think that was a disappointing ending, but no, the girls walked off the diamond and stated “We will beat them next time” Wow our girls grew up in one game
***A little history/back story — The Battitude played the Fireballs in Rec Level Tournaments. In each meeting the Battitude lost on a gaming ending error in the championship game. Within a week of the last tournament of 2022 two of the Battitude team members left to join the Fireballs team, with another ex-Battitude player already on their roster. Anytime a team plays members that used to be with them it’s always a battle. ***
Special Thanks to our Friends from Muskogee Oklahoma for driving down to Play with us.
In 2022 Battitude will continue its mission of growth.
Each Practice each Game we will Get BETTER with our goal of becoming the BEST
We believe we have the athletes and parental support to make that happen.
To continue our growth, we are looking for two Families two join us.
Our team is a 7th grade team made up of girls born after September 2008.
For 2022 we will be a young 14U team which will allow for faster growth.
If your athlete is ,GOOD, but wants to get BETTER, and has a goal of becoming the BEST
contact us.
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Our girls stepped up their game and played in a Open level tournament hosted by USA Softball @ NRH Walkers Park
In the first Game playing against DEx/Impact Gold, Double Zero (00) Candace Moss, our second batter in the lineup, makes a beautiful hit into right field for a double, she steals 3rd, and the team is excited.
She had the entire team up as she attempted to steal home, and everything changed. As she slides into home the other teams’ catchers turns to make the tag. The tags goes under the sliding player’s mask and catches her chin turning a routine tag into a nasty injury collision.
In a flash, our catcher is down with 5 broken teeth. It was an awful injury. The entire diamond was shocked. Such a strong little girl on the ground wincing in pain. The coaches were able to clean her up and get pain medication to reduce the pain. Her dad started calling around for an emergency dental appointment but couldn’t get her into an office until late Sunday.
Her father was upset as he discussed purchasing a mouthpiece the day prior and forgot to grab one. Now his daughter is in pain with broken and chipped teeth. This is his baby girl, the last of the pack, and because he didn’t have her wear the right equipment she is injured.
You would think that would be the end of the story.
This little lady picked herself up and said, “the damage is done and I can’t get to a dentist until after the tournament so I might as well finish”. The coaches moved her from catcher to right field and she played like she was 100%.
Anyone that has had a mouth injury understands that every time you move it hurts…It just awful. Thru the pain this little lady was grabbing balls and making beeline throws to 2nd, backing up 1st base, and running full speed.
To top everything off – She had to bat 3 more times making hits and scoring at every bat. She even slid into home …….. I wouldn’t have attempted that after taking such a hard hit.
When asked how she was able to handle the pain: Her reply “I was in pain, but I knew my girls needed me, so I had to hype myself up and get back out there”
I don’t know if an Adult could have played with a front tooth broken in half and major damage to 4 other teeth.
This little girl…no this young lady… showed the essences of team, that is not about the score, but a group of ladies fighting to get better and being there for each other. She displayed The Battitude Sisterhood of supporting each other in a simple game called Fastpitch Softball……..in these games…..these young ladies step up and do amazing things.
The scores from the tournament does not matter what matters is a 12 year old young lady showed a bunch of adults that the game really doesn’t matter it’s the relationship and bound these girls have with each other.
What Candace did for her girls is what a Sister would do for her Sisters. You stand and fight with team.
Clip of Candace 1st at bat after the injury:
Paris Townsend and Durron Neal two OU Stars Lead the Battitude in Practice Sunday 22 August 2021
In 2022 Battitude will continue its mission of growth.
Each Practice each Game we will Get BETTER with our goal of becoming the BEST
We believe we have the athletes and parental support to make that happen.
To continue our growth, we are looking for two Families two join us.
Our team is a 7th grade team made up of girls born after September 2008.
For 2022 we will be a young 14U team which will allow for faster growth.
If your athlete is ,GOOD, but wants to get BETTER, and has a goal of becoming the BEST
contact us.
The two time National Champion Paris Townsend with the University of Oklahoma will lead practice for the Battitude on Sunday August 22, 2021.
She will have her right hand man Durron Neal an All American Wide Receiver from her Alma mater the University of Oklahoma along to ensure the girls get an high caliber workout
Building a team from scratch is a large undertaking. Finding parents and players of like minds to come together with a common goal makes that undertaking difficult. Over the summer months we had Piper, Sloan’s cousin from California, filling out the roster. But, like all good things summer ended and she returned home for school.
The lost of Piper left the Battitude’s roster with only 9 athletes, with two of those athletes being pitchers. Normally the coaches don’t play pitchers in the field, but due to the shortage the decision was made to make an exception.
All is good – you would think…..
In softball Good is never Good….Red, our 1st base, had an unexpected family emergency that kept her from participating in the tournament. Now we have a problem. Not enough girls to play and the Battitude were locked into a scheduled tournament on the 14th of August.
Muskogee Oklahoma to the rescue!!!!
Battitude’s Team administrator (admin) is part of a Facebook group call Black Girls Play Softball (BGPS) within this group he started communicating (thru instant message (IM)) with another member that went by Bruce Lee Roy (the coolest nickname ever). During their IMs Bruce stated he would love to do a meetup.
As part of a meetup the team admin, in June, put together a softball clinic lead my Jessica Steward, @jessgstewart3, but a freak storm forced a cancelation of the event the morning of. Larry had traveled from Muskogee Oklahoma to Allen Texas with his young ladies to participate and the event.
Due to the storm and cancelation Larry and Battitude’s team admin did not meet.
Here comes the 14th of August.
The team manager contacted Larry to see if his girls would be interested in guest playing with the Battitude. Larry volunteered to drive down from Muskogee Oklahoma – bringing four girls to play.
He brought four amazing young ladies!!! His daughters Alexandria and Lariah along with his nieces Terrah and Tailah.
In the beginning Coach Quincy didn’t know how he would rotate in all the ladies. Coach did not want to disappoint any of the young ladies by not playing them, but an unexpected injury to Jayla, our backup 1st base, relieved Quincy of that decision as there were quickly three openings in the field.
Most teams guest players don’t fit in, but these girls made an immediate bond and as the tournament progressed they become an integral part of the team. The tournament didn’t turn out the way we all planned but the girls were able to meet new friends in the softball world and the young ladies from Muskogee had a lasting effect on our team and the girls.
The toughness and confidence the ladies of Muskogee brought to the team was a must needed boost.
Thank you, Larry, for taking on the burden of driving your young ladies over two and a half hours to assist the Battitude.
Thank you, Alexandria, Lariah, Terrah, and Tailah for Showing UP and Showing Out.
The Battitude improvement continued as the team played in the Midnight Mayhem at Corsicana Texas
Fans could see the maturation of the team as the ladies started off slow but battled back to show improvement by the final game.
The team was shocked in the 1st inning against a seasoned BOSS 08/09 in the opening game. As the BOSS 08/09 had 8 runs in the 1st inning. The Battitude buckled down and battled back to a respectable 8 to 2 lost holding the BOSS to zero points in the final innings of the game.
Piper started the game as catcher to give our starting catcher a break during pool play. As always, Piper Showed UP and Showed Out serving as a Wild Pitch Tamer. Her heroics were recognized by the opposing team head coach as he awarded her the MVP award for that game.
Battitude followed the BOSS 08/09 with a Central Texas team named Showtime. The Battitude was able to stay in that game with a resurgence by our pitcher, Izzy, after the 1st inning.
Pitchers tend to fold after a bad inning, but not Izzy. She recovered with the support of the Battitude fielders to hold Showtime to only 2 points the reminder of the game. The Battitude fell to the Showtime 7 to 2 with 5 points being scored in the 1st inning.
Izzy was awarded the games MVP award by the BOSS 08/09 coaches. To have a harsh beginning, then to recover, is a tough ask of a Pitcher, but Izzy determination was on display after those opening walks.
The third game of pool play ended in a 2 to 2 tie with “Catch 22” team from Navarro County. The Battitude believed they had a 3 to 0 lead heading into the last inning, and error with two outs allowed a two run score with two outs in the bottom of the final inning.
Red playing 1st base had a sure glove ending the game with zero errors or dropped balls. She made key tags and sharp throws to third that enabled multiple double plays. Upon completion of the game, it was revealed one of the early scores did not count turning what most Battitude fans believed was a win into a tie.
Red’s superb play at first base was noticed by the opposing coach who presented her with the games MVP award.
To close out the tournament the girls replayed BOSS 08/09. The second matchup was different than the first as the team showed their maturation over the tournament. The team was up 3 to 2 in the bottom of the last inning bases loaded with two outs. The BOSS batter laid down a slap bunt up 1st baseline. Battitude’s Catcher quickly came out of her stance got the bunt and made the throw to 1st base. But the 1st baseman’s foot came off the bag and the runner was called safe as the winning run crossed home plate. To go from an 8 to 2 blow out to a 5-3 lost to eventual tournament winners is a sign of good things to come.
The Battitude made it transition from a recreation team to a tournament team by playing in Premier Prospects Softball’s “DFW Bragging Rights Tournament” at Irving Southwest Park.
The Battitude was in the game with the “Texans” until the final ending; allowing a 3 run hit to fall to the “Texans” 6 to 3. The lost to the Texans forced a rematch with the Renegades. During the rematch the Battitude eliminated the Renegades from the tournament with a defining 10 to 4 win.
The Battitude went on to drop their last two games, but the tournament gave the team confidence that they could compete as a tournament team.
PPS DFW Bragging Rights (4GG)
Battitude 6 NTX Renegades 4
Battitude 3 Texans Fastpitch 6
Battitude 10 NTX Renegades 4
Battitude 0 Texas Lonestars 14
Battitude 1 Texas Fusion Kappus 7