|
Friday, April 30th
The weather didn’t look like it was going to cooperate, but Friday night we took on our neighboring rivals from Crystal Lake. The game was a true battle of will. Crystal Lake jumped out to an early lead as the home team with a few long ball hitters. Our players never gave up and in the 3rd inning put up 5 runs to take the lead 5-4. Our team make some key defensive plays coupled with solid pitching up against the time limit of not being able to begin a new inning after 1hour and 10 minutes. The bottom of the 6th inning Crystal Lake had runners in scoring position, but were shut down giving the 12U Blue Cary Crush the victory!
Saturday, May 1st
Saturday, again the weather threatened but the Streamwood team had the fields ready on time to begin the day. Game 2 of pool play against the Oak Park Windmills, an organization known for being tough competitors and they would not let us down. The game was defensive battle with sound pitching on both sides of the ball 1-1 after 3 innings. Oak Park’s bats slowly came to life as they found a few holes in the defense to score 3 more. We wouldn’t give up chipping away a the lead scoring another to bring it to 4-2. With time running out in the top of the last inning, runners on base after a walk and a close play, a perfect bunt executed down the first base line would get called back as the umpire thought it hit her foot to end the late game rally.
In the afternoon, the 12U Blue Cary Crush were ready to avenge anyone after the previous game. Facing the Northern Illinois Thunder, who clearly based on size had several girls who towered over us, weren’t about to allow Goliath to dominate them. From the first pitch turned into a perfectly executed bunt, then an over throw to first, replayed again for our second batter, we would not look back. Solid defense from our outfield to stop the long ball, throwing a girl out at second from center field, a 4-1 victory was at hand.
Sunday May 2nd
Heavy rains on Saturday night would turn change the #4 seeded 12U Blue Cary Crush from rising early and playing the much lower seeded Barrington Blast at 9:45am to playing the #5 seeded Bolingbrook Gold Fury at 3PM in the quarter final matchup. This game would be a great nail biter for all the spectators. From the defense making key exchanges, to throwing girl out at first from right field, after the end of regulation with a score of 3-3, we would begin the international tie breaker with a runner on second base. Being the higher seed as the home team our defense would be tested again. Bolingbrook wasn’t ready to give up battling and squeezing to manufacture 2 runs. This was a defining moment of the Cary Crush coming together as a team. Bunting, Hitting, would prove to score the first run with a solid hit. Followed by another hit then a past ball, we had two runners in scoring position after manufacturing a run. With 2 outs the batter at the plate has been battling ankle injuries all pre-season was determined to pull us through. Fouling off the first 2 pitches then taking a ball, we were all on edge. Then a solid rip up the middle, and sound base running from the runner on 2nd base to secure the win, 6-5 in 7 innings.
The game following ours would enable us to see who our competitor in the semi-final game would be. Both teams were clearly made up of primarily 12yr old players. The Elk Grove Heat were the 8th seed giving us home team rights. We would have to battle this team kicking and clawing; and that they did. We kept them on their heels through the entire game making 3 outs at home plate, throwing a girls out at 3rd base from left field, executing 2 double plays, and sound pitching. We struggled to score our runners from scoring position with limited space behind the catcher to the backstop and getting hits in critical times. But in the 5th inning a line drive hit would score 2 runs keeping the game close 2-4. This would be the final score as the 12U Blue Cary Crush would secure 3rd place in the Streamwood Tournament. |