Softball 2015 ~ Games

**GUEST BLOGGER**

 ~ Eric Hendrickson ~

I was excited that Sarah played fast pitch (machine pitch) softball this year and I helped coach her team.  There were 9 teams playing in Sarah's league this year.  Two teams from Haysville and the other seven from surrounding towns.  Our team of 6-8 year old girls decided on the team name, "Twisters", and the color purple for their jerseys.

Game One (5/19/15) vs. Mulvane 2 - cancelled/rescheduled
 We started practicing back in April.  Due to a record amount of rainfall for the month of May, we had our first game postponed.

Game Two (5/21/15) vs. Clearwater 2

Sarah plays a lot of first base because she is able to catch the ball well.  She did well in the infield, scooping up several grounders throughout the game, and touching first base to get a runner out in the second inning.

I missed the first game due to coaching Phoebe's T-ball team.  Sarah has a good stance and a pretty good swing.  Unfortunately, like most of the other girls on the team, went hitless the first game and we lost to Clearwater team 2 in Clearwater, 7-0.

Game Three (5/26/15) vs. Mulvane 1 - Cancelled/rescheduled
Unfortunately, this game was never made up, due to Mulvane 1 not being able to get enough of their players available for the make-up date.

Game Four (5/28/15) vs. Mulvane 3
Sarah played first and third base during this game.

I was only able to help coach for half the game as I had to leave to coach T-ball.  Sarah fouled off a few pitches her first at bat, but finally struck out.  I missed the double she had on her next at bat that scored two runners.  (I heard Mommy, Popee, Nanee, and Silas cheered loudly for her!  Mommy even tried to reenact the whole thing later for us all to see.) We beat Mulvane in Haysville winning 5-0.

Game One - Make up game (5/29/15) vs. Mulvane 2

I missed most of this game because I was coaching Phoebe's Tball game.  I was able to be here for the last few innings.  Below, Sarah playing pitcher.

Below, Sarah playing first base.

Below, Sarah is on second after her first at bat.

 3rd at bat - 2nd triple of the night for Sarah!

We beat Mulvane in Haysville.

Game Five (6/2/15) vs. Mulvane 3
1-2-3 TWISTERS! Look a hot coach!  Nice buns. (This was added by my wife)

Silas brings some cars and trucks to every game so he can play during the game.  Occasionally we hear him yelling "Go Sarah", but mostly he plays with his toys and Phoebe.

 Below, Sarah playing first base.

Below, Sarah playing pitcher.

Sarah hit two triples and a homerun!

 In the dugout after hitting the her first homerun, she could NOT stop smiling
She was so excited!  She had been told by Coach DJ's wife, Miranda, that she would make her a cake if she hit a homerun this season!  She even came over to the fence after running the bases and getting back into the dugout, to ask Stacee, "Do you think she is really going to make me a cake?"

I was only able to watch the first inning and I was off to coach Phoebe's Tball game in Haysville, but  Grandma Sharon, Popee and Nanee saw Sarah play an excellent game.  We beat Mulvane in Mulvane.

Sarah's friend, Lauren, played for Mulvane 3.  Lauren's Mom took this picture below of the girls after the game.

Game Six (6/4/15) vs. Clearwater 1
No Tball game tonight so I was able to coach the entire game.

I am coaching first base giving Sarah a "fist" for a good hit.

We beat Clearwater's Team 1 in Haysville via run rule.

Game Seven (6/9/15) vs. Mulvane 1

I was able to make it to the first 1/2 of this game before heading over to coach Tball.

Sarah left the game after getting dehydrated.  Learning lesson is to not swim prior to games, don't eat Long John Silver's fried food prior to games, and to drink plenty of water on game days.

We beat Mulvane in Haysville 6-3.

Game Eight (6/11/15) vs. Belle Plaine 1
After hydrating Sarah all day, we were off to Belle Plaine.
Sarah played well at first base getting several girls out.

She hit another homerun!  Her second of the season.

I coached 3rd base the entire game.  I think the coaches and fans for Belle Plaine were getting upset at our aggressive running and they started making comments at me.  After finally hearing enough, I went and talked to them saying that we were playing within the rules, which we were.

"Homerun Queens" Sarah and Mylie

Mike and Grandma Great came to watch the game.  Sarah likes to treat out of town family who come to watch with a home run.  Mike and Grandma then treated us with Pizza Hut.

We beat Belle Plaine in Belle Plaine 14-4.

Game Nine (6/16/15) vs. Rose Hill 1

Tough girls, ready to play!

We beat Rose Hill in Haysville.

Game Ten (6/18/15) vs. Belle Plaine 1

We were not able to go to this game because we were in Texas for a family reunion with some of Stacee's family.  This was a rematch against Belle Plaine.  As you can read from our game 9, the fans and coaches from Belle Plaine were likely glad I wasn't there.

Game Eleven (6/23/15) vs. Clearwater 2

Just like we had in Upward Basketball, there is one game that just blows you away with how the girls played.  This was that game.

It was a rematch with Clearwater 2 who stomped us the first game of the season.  This team is well coached and ruthlessly aggressive (a lot like our team).

Even though we only had 7 girls playing this game, and a few of those missing girls were some of our better hitters, we returned the stomping on Clearwater, 17-4.

Sarah and Mylie celebrating a great win with ice cream.

Game Twelve (6/25/15) vs. Haysville 1

The last game of the season.  If we win, we would reach double digit wins.

Sarah was dropping her bat head on a few swings, but she was still hitting the ball.  Unfortunately, they were right at the defenders.  One girl caught a pop fly and the other forced her out at first.  Our team was hitting, but the other team was playing excellent defense.

We beat the other Haysville team 2-0.

1-2-3

TWISTERS!

Back Left to Right:  Sarah's Dad (me), Lexy's Dad (Matt), Mylie's Grandpa, and Mylie's Dad (DJ)

Middle Left to Right:  Hope, Aleigha, Sarah

Front Left to Right:  Madilyn, Josie, Mylie, Alayna, Lexy, Brittany

Not present:  Cay, Maddy

Another impressive year, Sarah, my MVP.  I love your competitiveness and athleticism (reminds me of myself).  I enjoyed being able to experience this softball year while coaching you.

Family Reunion

About three weeks ago we went to Denison, Texas for a family reunion.  It has been a long time since I have gotten to see any of these cousins of mine.  This would be my Grandpa, Ernest Grant's side of the family.  

Vera Thompson Jarvis had five children.  Her first husband was Roy Grant.  They had two children from this marriage.  Their oldest was Ernest Leroy Grant, my Grandpa.  Next Ruby Grant Deininger.  Vera and Roy divorced.  Then Vera married Cleve Sallee and had Shirley Sallee Clark and the youngest, Beverly Sallee Beckham.  They also had an infant son who died.  After Cleve Sallee died, she married Ed Griesel.  After Ed died, she later married R.D. Jarvis.  Vera and R.D are buried in the Perkins, Oklahoma cemetery.

Ernest Grant and Georganna Kienholz Grant, my grandparents had two children Ernest Grant Jr. (Ernie) and Gloria.  Ernest and Georganna are buried in the McGuire Cemetery near Lucien, Oklahoma.

Ruby and her husband, Gilbert Deininger had three boys, Gilbert (Gil), David, and Paul.  Gilbert is buried in cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

Shirley and her husband Robert Clark (Bob) had three girls, Jammye, Roberta, and Jana.  Roberta died as an infant.  Shirley is buried in a cemetery at Minco, Oklahoma 

Beverly (Bev) and her husband Fred Beckham had three children, Patti, Michael (Mike), and Connie.  Fred is buried near Grand Saline, Texas.

Below, Ernest's family with his sisters Bev and Ruby, left to right: Eric, Stacee Sarah, Silas, Paul, Gloria, Phoebe, Judy, Ernie, and Lindsee.

Below, Ruby's family with her sister Bev, left to right: Debbie and Paul, Fran and Gil.

Below left picture, Shirley's girls with her sisters Bev and Ruby, left to right: Jana and Jammye.
Below right picture, Bev and her three children, left to right: Mike, Patti, Bev, and Connie.

Pictured below are some of the cousins kids that were there, with Bev and Ruby... 

Cousins, top row left to right, Stacee, Lindsee, Mary Catherine, Brad, Cameron (Cam), Sallee, and Abby.

Sarah caught a small frog during the picture taking session.  All the kids gathered round to look at it, hold it, and scream a little.

Many of us enjoyed cooling off and swimming in the hotel pool.

There was a nice meeting/commons area with a huge window right beside the pool where we all gathered to visit, and could watch the action outside happening in the pool.

We ate dinner together on Saturday night at Huck's Catfish.  It was very crowded there.  We were all able to sit at several tables on one side of the restaurant.  The food was delicious!  Eric and Silas both ordered the Catfish.  (I normally do not eat Catfish.  It is one kind of fish that thoroughly grosses me out...to the max...which is A LOT.  But, Silas shared some of his with me and I thought it was pretty good.  I wonder if they sell their seasoning mix or give out their recipe????)

Below, are the kids out front at Huck's.

Back at our hotel the kids had fun playing outside together while the adults visited and some of the guys played washers.

Below, playing washers.

Silas, Sarah, and Phoebe all had a fun time with Aunt Lindsee!  Lindsee decided a couple weeks prior to the reunion that she would fly into Dallas and surprise Mom and Dad for the reunion.  EP, Eric, Sarah, and I were the only people in on her secret.  She arrived in Dallas late Friday night then rented a car and drove to our hotel in Denison, Texas.  She arrived at our hotel and sleepily walked to our room and knocked on the door at about 3:15 am on Saturday morning.  She crawled into bed with Phoebe and I.  Then Saturday morning I called Dad's cell phone to tell him the kids were hiding in our room and wanted him and Mom to come and try to find them... Dad and Mom played along nicely, coming to our room and knocking on the door and looking all around the hotel room for the "kids" before finding them in the obvious spot on the bed covered in the sheets and blankets... Ha!  The joke was on them though when they ripped back the covers and found not only the "kids" but LINDSEE, Sarah, Phoebe, and Silas!  Some time during the excitement of the hiding and finding under the covers Silas managed to head-butt Lindsee right in the mouth and give her a bloody fat lip.  So, when they were all found under the covers Lindsee emerged with a hide and seek battle wound.  Way to take one for the team, Lindsee.

Below, a beautiful Texas sunset....

Pictured left to right below, Eric, Ernie, Gil, David, Cam, Paul H., Paul D., Michael, and Mike, after playing washers.

Pictured below are all of the living cousins and their aunts, in cousin birth order, top row left to right: #1 Ernie #2 Jammye #3 Gil #4 Gloria #5 Mike #6 David #7 Patti.  Bottom row left to right: Aunt Bev, #8 Jana #9 Paul #10 Connie and Aunt Ruby

Family ties are precious threads no matter where we roam.  They draw us close to those we love, and pull our hearts to home.