Monday, May 24, 2010

Can't Beat the Heat: Baseball & Softball Regional Championships

Class 2A Softball Regional Championship: Alleman vs. Sherrard
Class 2A Baseball Regional Championship: Macomb vs. Rockridge
(5/24/10)

It's not too often, Illinois sees temperatures in the low 90's with a heat index approaching triple digits. Normally, it seems the 90+ degree weather in May is just a dry and bearable heat. On this day, the stickiness in the air made it feel like a mid-July day.

With arms the color of a ripened tomato, and a face to match, why not add a little more color! A trip north was on the itinerary, with limited action going on. Due to the wet weather at the end of last week, many regional championship games were pushed back to Monday, including the Class 2A baseball and softball regionals at Rockridge and Aledo, respectively.

I had never been to a baseball or softball game in Aledo, which would be my first stop. I made this stop number one for two reasons. Number one, its on the way to Rockridge, and number two, its softball, a quicker moving sport than baseball. I filled up my empty water bottle from the weekend, and took off.

For some reason, I have favorites, when it comes to bottled water. It's not the actual water I prefer, its the bottling. My two top choices are Dasani and Aquafina, while I really dislike Evian and Nestle.

Driving through Aledo, I passed the Fippinger Funeral Home, and the clock outside read 99 degrees. These clocks at on bank signs and the like are usually about 5-10 degrees off. I am sure it was 99 with the heat index, but not the real temperature.

I hate air conditioning. For the most part, I would rather make an hour long drive with the window down and the hot breeze blowing back at me. There are exceptions, though, such as the times that I need to be dressed up, or have a meeting. In those moments, I don't want to feel like a sweat hog. So you guessed it, I was in hog heaven with the windows down, and the beads of sweat beginning.

Terry Tracy, who runs the P.A. for Mercer County athletic events, and also works at WRMJ in Aledo, had told me where the softball diamond was several weeks ago. When I covered the United/Mercer County softball game, I had asked where the diamonds were. I went to Aledo, figuring I could remember where he told me, but I only vaguely recalled. I did remember it was off of Route 17 on the west edge of town. As I drove to the outskirts of Aledo, I didn't see it anywhere. When I found the sign for the Mercer County Fairgrounds, I decided to venture down, and sure enough...there it was.

Jim Taylor was broadcasting the game on WRMJ, and was already on the air when I walked up to the bleachers behind home plate. Terry was on the P.A. giving the lineups just in time for me to jot them down, followed by the National Anthem.

Looking out to left field, it looks like the Golden Eagles could use a new scoreboard. The scoreboard was not working, and looked pretty rustic. Alleman led off the game, and Hayley Johnson hit a double off the left field wall.

Sherrard took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the 1st inning, when Rebecca Patterson reached on a dropped third strike. She would advance to 2nd on a wild pitch, and scored the game's first run on a Tarran Shaffer RBI double, giving the Tigers a, 1-0 lead.

The Pioneers evened up the score in the top of the 2nd inning, and then some. Lindsay Murga walked, and scored on an RBI double by Jenna Smith. Smith, and Ally Braet scored on a 2-run double by Andrea Mendoza. Mendoza scored on an RBI single by Ashley Friedland, giving Alleman a 4-1 lead.

When Alleman batted in the top of the 3rd inning, a very close call was made at 2nd base. Braet reached on a dropped 3rd strike, and was then called out when Smith hit a liner to 2nd base. At the time, it looked like a close play, and I watched the replay on my camera several times in the stands, but with such a small viewfinder, I couldn't tell how great of a play was made in the field by Sherrard. After uploading the video, and watching it on a larger screen, it was a tremendous play! Here's the web gem! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCg4gT6_UdI

The Tigers started to make their rally in the bottom of the 3rd inning, plating two runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Kayla Tatge and Ashley Anderson. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWHwZIK0njM

Alleman had a pair of baserunners in the top of the 4th inning, when Andrea Mendoza led off the frame with a single. She would advance to 2nd on a lineout by Ashley Schwenneker, and 3rd on a wild pitch. Johnson would later reach on a walk, but the Pioneers stranded both runners. I had contemplated on staying for the entire game, instead of heading up to Rockridge to watch the end of the baseball regional championship, but after the top of the 4th, I decided I should make my way up north.

Walking out, I ran into my former boss, John Hoscheidt, who owns WRMJ in Aledo. I never worked for WRMJ, but worked for him when he owned the former WHHK (Galva) and WGEN (Geneseo). He took me out on my first basketball play-by-play broadcast during the Williamsfield Thanksgiving Tournament in 2002. We talked about our respective radio stations' coverage of baseball and softball this postseason. With us, we are down to just United Red Storm softball, while WRMJ still has Sherrard softball and Rockridge baseball. They will also be broadcasting the United/Orion softball sectional on Wednesday.

Even though it was a tight game, I didn't feel too bad for leaving, since I had good company on the drive up to Rockridge, listening to the WRMJ broadcast. While heading up north, Sherrard scored three runs in that 4th inning I had just walked out on, to take a 6-4 lead. Tatge would later hit a home run to make it 7-4, and that's when I turned it off as I arrived at Rockridge High School.

This was also my first time at Rockridge for a baseball or softball game. For some reason, I was thinking the diamonds were over near the football field, so I drove past the first entrance. I must not have been paying attention to all of the cars right there in the parking lot.

Everytime I drive to Rockridge High School, I pass through the hamlet, of Hamlet. It strikes me as funny, because the population welcome sign reads, "Population: 48". It's a very serene...hamlet, but also creepy in a way. The old fashioned church, the quaint name Hamlet, and the population: 48, sign, just make it feel like it could be the setting of a cheesy horror movie. Maybe I have just watched one too many scary movies!

Walking up to the baseball diamond at Rockridge, it was the top of the 6th inning, with the host Rockets beating the Macomb Bombers, 5-1. The last score I had received was Macomb leading Rockridge, 1-0, in the 4th inning.

Macomb stranded runners on 2nd and 3rd to end the 6th inning. Rockridge's Joey Kensinger roped a single in the bottom of the 6th. An inning earlier, he knocked one out of the park. Jeremy McManus floated a long fly ball to end the inning.

The Bombers mustered up a base hit in the 7th inning, but that was it, as they fell, 5-1. Macomb finished the season, (16-17). After the game I talked with McDonough Voice sportswriter Mitch Worley. He passed along some stats for me. Cody Hinson went 2-3, with a triple, 2 RBI, run, and a stolen base. Wetteland had 2 hits and 2 RBI for Rockridge. Evan Bryant scored Macomb's lone run, scoring on a throwing error. Rockets starting pitcher Kyle Rettig struck out 13 batters.

After talking with Mitch, I headed for the gates, and was met by Macomb statistician Dan Rouse. He gave me a summary of the game that I had missed, and we talked about the rainy weather that bombarded us last week. On the way back to my car, I ran into Alan Thompson. His son Evan is one of the two seniors on the Bombers roster.

On the road, I made a pitstop back in Aledo at the Mobil station, to pick up the Jalapeno Hot Salsa sunflower seeds, and a bottle of much needed H2O. It's a good thing I grabbed a water, and not because I was dehydrated, but because the seeds were indeed, hot. I like that the jalapeno hot salsa has some kick to it, but I may need to have liquids on hand to douse the spiciness. With this flavor, I believe I have gone through each flavor of common seeds. Now, I must find the obscure sunflower seed flavors. With a quick search on the Internet, here is my top five sunflower seed flavors, that you won't see at your run-of-the-mill gas station.

1) Tequila Lime
2) Red Hot Buffalo Wing
3) Sizzlin' Bacon
4) Jamaican Jerk
5) Bleu Cheese

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