The HENDRICKSON Family: Softball 2016 - Second Half of an Undefeated Season

**GUEST BLOGGER**

~ Eric Hendrickson ~

Game 7 - June 7th

We played Belle Plaine #2 at Belle Plaine this evening and they possibly were the most talented team we played so far.

Sarah had a good play at 3rd base where she scooped up the ball and tagged out a girl heading to third.

Sarah's first at bat was a hard ground ball up the middle. DJ had to jump out of the way. If the center fielder would have missed the ball, Sarah likely would have gotten a home run. She ended up with a single.

Sarah also played 1st base, pitcher, and RF.

We ended up winning 10-0. The game was called after the top of the 4th inning due to a run rule.

The star of the game was our pitcher, Coach DJ. He was able to throw strikes. However, the other team's coach (who wasn't the nicest guy), could not throw strikes. Odd, it was his normal machine and field. I mentioned earlier that the Belle Plaine team is a talented team. I kind of felt bad for those girls on the other team because they got very few strikes thrown to hit. The other team also got a handful of outs in the field against us. Our girls hit great. Every single girl got a hit. It was fun to watch and coach. So far we are undefeated, 5-0.

Game 8 - June 9th

We played Mulvane #2 at Haysville this evening. We got to the ballpark around 5:15 and the game did not start until 6:15 so we had a long pre-game.

I have been practicing flyballs with the girls. Thankfully, only one girl has cried due to being hit by the ball.

Sarah is typically the best at catching fly balls. The other girls get upset saying I am hitting them to her. I am not, she just gets to the ball and is tall.

Look at Sarah's bat, which is second from the right, covered in ball marks. She has put that bat through a lot of use.

Stacee wanted/took a side profile of me to show off my nose. Sarah is playing first base. She did record an out by getting a ground ball and forcing a girl out at first.

She did well at the plate. She hit a hard liner to left field, where she got a double.

Sarah had an inning at pitcher and threw out a girl at first.

Sarah's side profile showing off her petite nose (glad she didn't inherit mine). She played an inning at third base and one in right field.

I snuck in a hug on Sarah while we were grouped up to run out on the field. We ended up winning 4-0.

Game 9 - June 14th

I was able to make it to pregame warm-ups and had to leave to coach the tball team. I made it back at the bottom of the 4th inning. We were playing the other Haysville softball team.

Above was my view of the Diamonds Dugout from the Yellow Jackets dugout where I was coaching the tball team.

Above, Lexy and Sarah smiling pretty.

Sarah got a double, single and a strikeout. Her swing is looking much better. She also played first base twice, third, pitcher, and right field.

I slipped my blue Diamonds shirt over the yellow Yellow Jackets shirt and started coaching. I got to see the best inning, inning 5, where we scored 5 runs.

Above, Sarah and Miley enjoy a victory hug. We won 9-2 and are now undefeated at 8-0.

My sluggers and future slugger posed for some after game pics.

Game 10 - June 16th

We hustled from Phoebe's tball game in Haysville to Sarah's softball game in Douglass.

Prior to the games, I practice infield with the girls. They have improved greatly on defense. During the game, Sarah scooped up a ball in left center field and beat the girl running to second base for an out.

Sarah's swing looked great tonight. It is great to see that the effort to correct her swing has worked.

I like when Sarah makes it over to 3rd base because I am always coaching 3rd base.

The other coaches and I were looking at the size of bats in our dugout. Sarah hits the largest bat at 30 inches and 20 ounces.

We played our best game of the season. We won 14-9 in 4 innings. Sarah hit a hard ground ball to left field for a triple and a soft liner in the infield for a single. Sarah would have been the first batter the next inning but the game had already past the time limit.

Mike, Grandma Great, Grandma Sharon, Popee, and Nanee got to see a great game played by Sarah and the Diamonds.

Game 11 - June 21st

After Phoebe's last tball game, we headed to Clearwater. We played the Clearwater #1 team.

Sarah played first base two innings, pitcher one inning, and right field two innings. Sarah got a force out at first base and threw out a runner from the pitcher position. Good job, Sarah.

Sarah went 1 out of 3 with a single and and two strike outs. Her swing looked good, she just didn't make contact. The single was a soft line to right field.