- Dec 7, 2011
- 2,368
- 38
DD just came away from D1 Juco regionals having pitched some of the best softball of her career. As soon as we got pushed into the losers bracket DD got her chance to help the team with pitching. She got in there to dispose of the opposition in the semifinals without any free passes or earned runs. Who was this DD of mine that started the year with an ERA of double-digits, that was "iffy" on pitching at all, that towards the end of the season was pitching with a sub-one ERA?!?!?
With that semi-final victory she earned the start in the first game of the finals (double-elim,..would need to take two in a row from the ranked as high as the #15 Juco in the country that bats 370 as a team). What does DD do? Gives this opponent a "no free pass / no era" 3 hit gem of a game too! Gives them their worst K game of the year!.
Long story short is that we lost the last game with our other pitcher (just wasn't her day) but I am just freaking out crazy proud of DD.
This all might not seem too "amazing" until ya stand back and see the whole story since sophomore year in HS:
DD your mom & I could not be more proud. You have overcome so much and you have proven all the nay-sayers wrong. Great lesson in life for ya. Wish you all the luck in the world - you can do anything - you proved it!
Now if we can get a good pre-med school to be so lucky enough to have you on their team for the remainder of your career... Journey continues...
With that semi-final victory she earned the start in the first game of the finals (double-elim,..would need to take two in a row from the ranked as high as the #15 Juco in the country that bats 370 as a team). What does DD do? Gives this opponent a "no free pass / no era" 3 hit gem of a game too! Gives them their worst K game of the year!.
Long story short is that we lost the last game with our other pitcher (just wasn't her day) but I am just freaking out crazy proud of DD.
This all might not seem too "amazing" until ya stand back and see the whole story since sophomore year in HS:
- Sophomore year => 1st team state selection pitcher with 280K's in year - "sky is the limit" - Get's hired by a local mid-major D1 as pitcher.
- Junior year => broken back (stress fracture) - out the year
- Senior year => recovery is slow (mental hurdles) never gets close to her potential shown in sophomore year
- Freshman year in D1 => Coach that hired her leaves right before season. New coach changes her pitching dramatically, sits her on the bench, she was a wrecked pitcher at this point (one pre-season At-Bat the entire year - that's it...)
- Summer leading towards sophomore year DD needs to change majors AND leave the coach that helped wrecked her. We get onto a wonderful mans TB team out in CO hoping that things will turn around. Pitching was "crazy erratic" at times but showed some signs. (Steve we still feel soooooo thankful for your hospitality and everything you did - You are truly one of the last truly good people in the world). Well even with the erratic pitching DD gets noticed and an offer from a good Juco. She jumps on it thinking well at least I can play first base and bat. (Dad here still knows this girl has got high-level pitching talent!)
- Then just before her sophomore year in SB starts at this Juco the coach that hired her retires.... (2nd college team - 2nd coach leaves just before the season)
- With no pitching coach DD starts her sophomore campaign as the third (maybe even forth) pitcher on the roster. Gets some circle-time in the early preseason tour but does not do too well.
- But what does DD do? => buckles-down and on her own and goes after re-learning her once thought strong talent of pitching. She ends up trending her ERA each month as follows => 10/3/2/1.
- In effect my Juco grad is really just now picking up after her sophomore year in HS.....
DD your mom & I could not be more proud. You have overcome so much and you have proven all the nay-sayers wrong. Great lesson in life for ya. Wish you all the luck in the world - you can do anything - you proved it!
Now if we can get a good pre-med school to be so lucky enough to have you on their team for the remainder of your career... Journey continues...
