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Cool Fastpitch Memories!

Discussion in 'Softball Forum' started by marlinfan1, Jul 21, 2008.

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Jul 21, 2008 at 10:52 PM #1

marlinfan1 Full Access Member

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Lets hear from ALL of OUR family! Tell some stories folks!

Please post as many as you want!
We love to read about the kids!
Jul 22, 2008 at 6:19 AM #2

cheeze105 Moderator Staff Member

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Lord, I've got a ton of them, some of them i've already spoken about like the love and competativness between the old 14u Carolina Stars (Ben McKinney) and our team at that time, Carolina Fear 14u (awesome games Ben, great memories.

but let me share this, at 14yrs old, we had a girl who was fast as lightning, a head or two taller than the rest of the girls, but batting right handed, she couldnt hit a lick. I went to a clinic and they talked about eye dominance and how to check which eye is the dominate one. turns out it was her left eye and on a chance, we teamed her up with Mindy Hargrove (Maiden) on our 18u team and taught her how to slap and hit from the left side. We worked on it all summer/fall/winter and spring. she struggled, but got better every tournament.

We played 18u ball the next year for another team, and one of the first tournaments we played was in morganton. this girl absolutely killed everyone with her slapping, she was unstoppable and she asked if she could try and just hit from the left side, we said ok. it not only went over the fence, it went into the next field and hit the pitching mound. her first ever out of the park home run (she had plenty of in the park homers).

this girl was Laronda McClain (Kings Mtn) and now a junior at Wingate playing ball. i understand that her on-base percentage in college has been in the 900's both years.
Jul 22, 2008 at 2:55 PM #3

Dukedog4 Full Access Member

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Fact Check: Laronda McClain

cheeze105 said: ↑

Lord, I've got a ton of them, some of them i've already spoken about like the love and competativness between the old 14u Carolina Stars (Ben McKinney) and our team at that time, Carolina Fear 14u (awesome games Ben, great memories.

but let me share this, at 14yrs old, we had a girl who was fast as lightning, a head or two taller than the rest of the girls, but batting right handed, she couldnt hit a lick. I went to a clinic and they talked about eye dominance and how to check which eye is the dominate one. turns out it was her left eye and on a chance, we teamed her up with Mindy Hargrove (Maiden) on our 18u team and taught her how to slap and hit from the left side. We worked on it all summer/fall/winter and spring. she struggled, but got better every tournament.

We played 18u ball the next year for another team, and one of the first tournaments we played was in morganton. this girl absolutely killed everyone with her slapping, she was unstoppable and she asked if she could try and just hit from the left side, we said ok. it not only went over the fence, it went into the next field and hit the pitching mound. her first ever out of the park home run (she had plenty of in the park homers).

this girl was Laronda McClain (Kings Mtn) and now a junior at Wingate playing ball. i understand that her on-base percentage in college has been in the 900's both years.
Click to expand...

This kid is a great player but .900 OB%? That's sort of like the 70 MPH pitchers we see mentioned on this board some times. Not even Natasha Whatley playing HS ball could do that! Actually, it was Laronda's OB% was .446 last season. For some perspective, Sam Marder (Ohio State) led the nation (D1, not sure about D2) in 2008 with a .633 OB%.
Jul 22, 2008 at 3:15 PM #4

Dukedog4 Full Access Member

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Fact Check: Laronda McClain

cheeze105 said: ↑

Lord, I've got a ton of them, some of them i've already spoken about like the love and competativness between the old 14u Carolina Stars (Ben McKinney) and our team at that time, Carolina Fear 14u (awesome games Ben, great memories.

but let me share this, at 14yrs old, we had a girl who was fast as lightning, a head or two taller than the rest of the girls, but batting right handed, she couldnt hit a lick. I went to a clinic and they talked about eye dominance and how to check which eye is the dominate one. turns out it was her left eye and on a chance, we teamed her up with Mindy Hargrove (Maiden) on our 18u team and taught her how to slap and hit from the left side. We worked on it all summer/fall/winter and spring. she struggled, but got better every tournament.

We played 18u ball the next year for another team, and one of the first tournaments we played was in morganton. this girl absolutely killed everyone with her slapping, she was unstoppable and she asked if she could try and just hit from the left side, we said ok. it not only went over the fence, it went into the next field and hit the pitching mound. her first ever out of the park home run (she had plenty of in the park homers).

this girl was Laronda McClain (Kings Mtn) and now a junior at Wingate playing ball. i understand that her on-base percentage in college has been in the 900's both years.
Click to expand...

This kid is a great player but .900 OB%? That's sort of like the 70 MPH pitchers we see mentioned on this board some times. Not even Natasha Whatley playing HS ball could do that! Actually, it was Laronda's OB% was .446 last season. For some perspective, Sam Marder (Ohio State) led the nation (D1, not sure about D2) in 2008 with a .633 OB%.
Jul 22, 2008 at 3:54 PM #5

Double Dog Dare Full Access Member

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Don't ever go fishing with DukeDog4.....he won't let you embellish a bit to make the story more interesting! (Guess I don't need to tell you guys about the TEETH on the 40 lb. bass that I caught last weekend...)
DDD
Jul 22, 2008 at 4:16 PM #6

cheeze105 Moderator Staff Member

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yeap, you are right, went to web site and there it was, have a habit of taking the word of certain people as gospel, next time i need to double check the figures. but still, laronda is a great kid and player....
Jul 22, 2008 at 6:23 PM #7

3bagger15 Full Access Member

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cool memories

Way back in 2000, The very first TB tournament for the newly formed 10u NC Challengers. A team that included Ashleigh Harris, Ashley "Pudge" Fowler. Amanda Davenport, B.A. Kleekamp, Heather Harris, Alex Ryan and Sara Jackson. Playing the Pitt Co, Rockets on a cold March Saturday, Sara Jackson throws 17 inngs only to loose in the championship game 1-0. What a great start for alot of girls who are now playing at the next level or are about to start there in the fall!!!
Jul 22, 2008 at 7:12 PM #8

cmmguy *

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2001 Rowan Red Devils 10U
The summer of fun!
First real travel team for my daughter.
13(I think) tournaments that summer.
What an awesome team.
No thinking about colleges,
No worries, just playing hard and having fun.

Donny leading the girls.

2001 NSA World Series picture(I am sure some would hope this picture was lost)

The only ones I know that will be playing ball in college are:

Morgan Peeler(NCSU) - Backrow, First from Left:
Katelyn Jones(SBC) - Backrow, Third from Left:
Allie Blakely(UNC) - - Backrow, First from Right:

Others may be, but I dont know who.
Jul 22, 2008 at 7:46 PM #9

marlinfan1 Full Access Member

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12u NC Dominators versus the Cobras....

...in the NSA state championship. 1 to 0 Cobras, last inning, I get a runner on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, Landon lays down bunt, ball is thrown to 1st, 1B pulls off the bag and throws home to get the 3B runner out. Bam! Cobras think its a double play, game over, Landon heads to 2nd, Heather rounds 3rd and as the cobras celebrate on the field, as they should thinking that the game was over, I send Heather home,....I swear to ya'll, it looked like the seen of that college football game when the guy ran through the band on the field. Cobras realize that the game is still on, grab the ball and tag who they thought was the runner, only to find that they tagged the batter on deck, Bam, Landon rounds 3rd coming home for the winning run in a perfectly mass confused situation. Ump throws his 2 cents in and said that 'ol marlin, the 3B coach assisted Heather on her way home which resulted in her being out!

Both teams were cool with eachother, and a positive rivalry was started.

To make a good story great....

.....the Cobras pitcher was Morgan Peeler, ...

.....who is now just like my own daughter, and a very special friend to my DD....

...they are now teammates and roomates in college!
Jul 22, 2008 at 7:48 PM #10

Dukedog4 Full Access Member

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Correct about fishing!

Double Dog Dare said: ↑

Don't ever go fishing with DukeDog4.....he won't let you embellish a bit to make the story more interesting! (Guess I don't need to tell you guys about the TEETH on the 40 lb. bass that I caught last weekend...)
DDD
Click to expand...

Just don't have the patience.

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