SOFTBALL PLAYER IN BOBSLED MEDAL HUNT
USA-2, driven by Erin Pac and pushed by former GW shortstop Elana Meyers, is a mere 0.13 seconds away from track-record-setters Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse of Canada after Tuesday’s first two runs of the Olympic women’s bobsled competition. The event concludes Wednesday with two more runs at the maligned and modified Whistler Sliding Center track. The jubilation was evident in Pac’s upstretched arms and Meyers showing off her red, white and blue mouthpiece. The USA has won medals at the 2002, 2006 Olympics.
A VANCOUVER REFRAIN FAMILIAR TO USA SOFTBALL
As the world press has noted, a number of officials and competitors have groused that women’s hockey should be eliminated from future Olympics because the sport is dominated by the USA and Canada. Sounded familiar to columnist Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post, who reminded of the same catcalls accompanying USA softball success – reaching a crescendo when softball was ultimately eliminated from the 2012 and 2016 programs. Hamilton writes that USA efforts helped build softball into a true international sport, but failed to impress the Euro-centric International Olympic Committee who she says “pulled the plug on softball.”. And, as we recall from comments about softball, there were some in Vancouver urging the USA team to try not to win by such wide margins. As Hamilton and others have written, the Netherlands has long held sway in long-track speedskating; until Vancouver, the Austrians dominated alpine events; Germany for years has owned sliding events like luge and skeleton, etc, and there have never been suggestions that sports in which Europe excels be curtailed. Everyone in softball can concur with Hamilton’s argument: “It seems unfair to penalize the best competitors in the game simply for being the best.”
PORTER AND ISF REPS ATTEND THE WINTER OLYMPICS
International Softball Federation President Don Porter was in attendance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver to attend the International Olympic Committee‟s Session that preceded the start of the Games.
Mr. Porter was joined by ISF Secretary General Ms. LOW Beng Choo (MAS) and ISF 1st Vice President Dale McMann (CAN). In addition to the IOC Session (meeting of IOC Members), there were a number of meetings and visits with IOC, National Olympic Committee, and other international federation colleagues.
The ISF president, along with Mr. McMann, was also scheduled to take part in the ISF Hall of Fame induction of Russia‟s Slava Smagin in Vancouver during the Games. Mr. Smagin was in the northwest Canadian city with the Russian Olympic delegation.
In addition, Team USA outfielder Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympic medal winner in softball (Athens 2004 – gold, Beijing 2008 – silver) is presently in Vancouver covering the Games as a blog reporter for Yahoo! Sports. She was a BackSoftball Athlete Ambassador and is the president of the Women‟s Sports Foundation.
Also in the news: The Wall Street Journal reports on the aggressive marketing of weapons by Russia in Latin America. Among the big buyers: Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez – who bought a reported $4 billion of armaments. Not bad for a guy who can’t keep the lights turned on.
MONDAY & TUESDAY COLLEGE GAMES
NFCA Scoreboard
| Feb 23, 2010 | Nova Southeastern Mercyhurst |
9 0 |
5 Innings | Related Story… | |
| Feb 23, 2010 | Oakland (MI) South Carolina State |
8 2 |
7 Innings | ||
| Feb 23, 2010 | Oakland (MI) South Carolina State |
12 7 |
7 Innings | ||
| Feb 23, 2010 | Hawaii Loyola Marymount |
8 0 |
0 Innings | ||
| Feb 23, 2010 | Kennesaw State Troy |
5 1 |
7 Innings | Read more >> Related Story… |
|
| Feb 23, 2010 | Kennesaw State Troy |
17 9 |
5 Innings | Read more >> Related Story… |
|
| Feb 23, 2010 | Nova Southeastern Mercyhurst |
7 0 |
7 Innings | Read more >> Related Story… |
|
| Feb 23, 2010 | Memphis Belmont |
7 0 |
Innings | Related Story… | |
| Feb 23, 2010 | Memphis Belmont |
12 4 |
5 Innings | Related Story… | |
| Feb 23, 2010 | Tennessee New Mexico State |
10 1 |
5 Innings | Read more >> | |
| Feb 23, 2010 | Lenoir-Rhyne Pfeiffer |
14 1 |
5 Innings | ||
| Feb 23, 2010 | Lenoir-Rhyne Pfeiffer |
12 1 |
5 Innings | ||
| Feb 23, 2010 | West Alabama Miles |
4 1 |
7 Innings | ||
| Feb 23, 2010 | West Alabama Miles |
8 0 |
5 Innings | ||
| Feb 22, 2010 | Lynn Mercyhurst |
3 0 |
7 Innings | ||
| Feb 22, 2010 | Lynn Mercyhurst |
4 3 |
7 Innings | ||
| Feb 21, 2010 | North Carolina State Michigan State |
4 0 |
7 Innings | Related Story… | |
| Feb 21, 2010 | Iowa State UTSA |
9 0 |
5 Innings | ||
| Feb 21, 2010 | UTEP Wichita State |
2 0 |
7 Innings | Read more >> Related Story… |
|
| Feb 21, 2010 | Alabama Ohio State |
7 1 |
7 Innings | Related Story… | |
| Feb 21, 2010 | Arizona State Rutgers |
14 0 |
5 Innings | ||
| Feb 21, 2010 | Auburn Southern Illinois – Edwardsville |
7 0 |
7 Innings | Read more >> | |
| Feb 21, 2010 | Bowling Green State Virginia Tech |
3 2 |
7 Innings | Read more >> | |
| Feb 21, 2010 | Fordham Morehead State (KY) |
4 0 |
7 Innings | Read more >> Related Story… |
|
| Feb 21, 2010 | Kansas Marshall |
7 3 |
Innings |
NO. 21 UT SECURES TROY COX TITLE WITH 10-1 (5 INN.) WIN OVER NEW MEXICO ST.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The No. 21 Tennessee Lady Vol softball team (6-2) picked up its sixth straight victory and wrapped up the Troy Cox Classic title with a commanding 10-1 (5 inn.) win over New Mexico State on Tuesday evening at the New Mexico State Softball Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M.
The effort wrapped up one of the most dominant weekends in UT softball history as the Big Orange out scored its five opponents 66-15, hit .467 as a team, posted 11 doubles, four triples and seven home runs, swiped 12 bases and registered double-digits in each contest.
Reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Week Raven Chavanne finished out what amounted to a perfect weekend at the plate by posting her third 4-for-4 game at the event to go along with three RBIs. The freshman third baseman ended up going 17-of-20 overall for a staggering .850 batting average and singled to lead off all five of UT’s match-ups during the tourney. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native reached base safely all 20 times she stepped into the batter’s box, 17 times by hit, twice via error and once on a fielder’s choice and tied for the team lead with 10 RBIs. She is now hitting .621 for the year with an impressive .645 on-base percentage.
In her first game since returning from an illness, sophomore designated player Jessica Spigner appeared all better, registering a perfect 3-for-3 night with a triple, a homer and three RBIs. The Santa Clarita, Calif., native ended up just a double short of becoming the second known Lady Vol ever to hit for the cycle.
Sophomore shortstop Ashley Andrews was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI as she hit .455 overall at the event with nine RBIs. Freshman second baseman Melissa Brown knocked in the first tally of her brief career as part of a 1-for-3 evening.
In the circle sophomore right hander Cat Hosfield was outstanding, throwing a complete-game, four-hitter with nine strikeouts to improve to 3-2 on the year and a perfect 3-0 at the Troy Cox Classic.
COMMITMENTS
Gold Coast Hurricanes Gold-Norman
Tianna Strassner 2010 CF/UT verbal commitment to Gardner-Webb University
Shannon Fitzgerald 2010 OF /Victory USA Gold
January 22nd ~ Verbal to Monmouth University
Lindsey Patterson -2011 Pitcher Southern Express verbal to Southeast Missouri State
Madison Thompson – 2011 – RHP – Tulsa Elite – Univ of North Texas
