Beating a team that's better than you

[JayW]

I diasgree with the aggressive base running. If you don't have a lot of runners, giving away outs is the last thing you want to do. Especially at 3rd base. Stealing 2nd is one thing, but trying to steal 3rd is just giving your runner up. Save that for a passed ball.

If they have one dominant hitter, don't hesitate to walk her.

Switch up pitchers if you have more than one.

Have your batters step out to the extent allowed if their pitcher is a fast worker.

Watch for opposing runners leaving early or tagging up early. Ask the ump for a ruling if it's close.

And if you beat them, they're not better than you.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Some things I have seen over the years. You have to get the other team to do or see something that they don't usually try to do.

1. Playing with your defense in odd places (no RF for example)
2. Bunting every at-bat (until they set up 15 feet off the plate. This usually leads to a lot of drama, not for the squeamish)
3. Playing offense for first and third scenarios to induce chaos (one of the most effective tactics I have seen)
4. Throwing changeups for 90% of your pitches and missing with the fastball. This is surprisingly effective.
5. Delay/stall tactics offensively and defensively in a timed game
6. Slapping every at-bat
7. Slingshot pitching
8. Walking/not pitching to the top batters all game

 

[canyonjoe]

Once you do all you can and are somehow in the game you then can look at possibly stealing a run or an out. It might be a crazy 1st and 3rd play that they don't expect to steal a run. If you get someone on 3rd squeeze bunt,etc. Stealing an out by back picking the trail runner who isn't paying attention. Sometimes really good teams don't have their foot on the gas. (Other times these all backfire and you lose 13-2)

 

[CatchersPaPa]

Some things I have seen over the years. You have to get the other team to do or see something that they don't usually try to do.

1. Playing with your defense in odd places (no RF for example)
2. Bunting every at-bat (until they set up 15 feet off the plate. This usually leads to a lot of drama, not for the squeamish)
3. Playing offense for first and third scenarios to induce chaos (one of the most effective tactics I have seen)
4. Throwing changeups for 90% of your pitches and missing with the fastball. This is surprisingly effective.
5. Delay/stall tactics offensively and defensively in a timed game
6. Slapping every at-bat
7. Slingshot pitching
8. Walking/not pitching to the top batters all game

This works. Throwing changeups for 90% of your pitches and missing with the fastball.

 

[daywalkerdad]

I diasgree with the aggressive base running. If you don't have a lot of runners, giving away outs is the last thing you want to do. Especially at 3rd base. Stealing 2nd is one thing, but trying to steal 3rd is just giving your runner up. Save that for a passed ball.

If they have one dominant hitter, don't hesitate to walk her.

Switch up pitchers if you have more than one.

Have your batters step out to the extent allowed if their pitcher is a fast worker.

Watch for opposing runners leaving early or tagging up early. Ask the ump for a ruling if it's close.

And if you beat them, they're not better than you.

I agree on the base running. In my experience better teams are better at throwing people out.

1. Well pitched game throwing first pitch strikes.
2. Good defense with 0 or 1 errors, maybe getting 1-2 outs not supposed too.
3. A little luck. A couple of balls just foul, or a couple of hard hits right at someone. Even runner at second has to check up on a fly because of 1 out vs scoring easily with 2 outs.
4. Timely hitting on your part, untimely on their part.

 

[CoachJD]

I agree on the base running. In my experience better teams are better at throwing people out.

1. Well pitched game throwing first pitch strikes.
2. Good defense with 0 or 1 errors, maybe getting 1-2 outs not supposed too.
3. A little luck. A couple of balls just foul, or a couple of hard hits right at someone. Even runner at second has to check up on a fly because of 1 out vs scoring easily with 2 outs.
4. Timely hitting on your part, untimely on their part.

Responding to everything in the thread here.

I agree on the base running. I've seen video of their catcher. She's very good. We won't be stealing on her.

Their pitcher won't be the fastest we've ever faced, but she's no slouch. I don't know if she has good or any secondary pitches. She's a senior, but she's not pitching in college, for whatever that's worth.

We both gave up 3 runs to the same below average team. All three we gave up were unearned (they only had 1 hit against us). Not sure if there's much to read into that.

Our biggest issue this year has been the terrible inning with multiple errors. It usually happens in the first or second inning. We absolutely will not win if we have one of those innings.

I'm curious about those saying 90% changeups. My pitcher has a decent change. My guess is her fastball will be somewhere in the middle of what they've seen this year, so I do think they'll figure that out. Her drop has been really hit or miss.

Unfortunately, I don't know if their team has a lineup of 9 who can hit or if it's top heavy. Pitching around the top few might be an effective strategy, but I won't know until I'm one time through the order.

For those suggesting bunting: I'd feel confident with 6 of my 9 starters bunting, but a couple of them are so, so slow. There could be situations to do it, but with how our defense can be shaky, I'm not sure playing for a run here or there will be enough.

Thanks for the thoughts. We have a game tomorrow we should win easily, a practice Thursday, and then this game Friday. We'll see how it goes.

 

[YoungBuck]

Walking the other team's best batter (or two) is the most underutilized approach in high school softball.

In this year alone I've seen several Power 5 recruits make us pay (against my suggestions) in games for pitching to them. Don't let the best player beat you. Make the other seven or eight players make the play.

 

[Orange Socks]

Walking the other team's best batter (or two) is the most underutilized approach in high school softball.

In this year alone I've seen several Power 5 recruits make us pay (against my suggestions) in games for pitching to them. Don't let the best player beat you. Make the other seven or eight players make the play.

Coaches' Ego and/or inexperience gets in the way of good decision making.

 

[Cougars]

When looking back at games we won/played really close against teams I knew were measurably better, the common theme was we played clean (few errors/walks allowed/baserunning mistakes). So I guess the strategy would be "go out and play great". Simple really.....

 

[canyonjoe]

Walking the other team's best batter (or two) is the most underutilized approach in high school softball.

In this year alone I've seen several Power 5 recruits make us pay (against my suggestions) in games for pitching to them. Don't let the best player beat you. Make the other seven or eight players make the play.

I know a coach who was up 2 with bases loaded in final inning and walked the other teams best hitter and it worked.