statman3

You will find your top pitching performances from 2009 out of this list of top defensive performances in 2009: Best Defense (Points per Game) Trinity Christian .5/42 Renfroe's Jr/Sr Goodpasture .7/48 Knepper So Unicoi Co. .8/52 Woods So Sweetwater .8/25 Kerns Sr Collierville .9/25 ? Covington 1.0/41 ? Cornersville 1.0/43 Cole twins Sr's Soddy Daisy 1.0/46 ? Knox Central 1.1/49 Medley ? Cherokee 1.1/36 Gilbert Sr Houston 1.1/35 Brewer Sr Coffee Co. 1.2/32 ? Riverdale 1.3/54 Hoadwonich So Huntingdon 1.5/42 Thomas ? Lawrence Co. 1.5/33 ? Midway 1.5/31 ? Westview 1.6/50 ? Grundy Co. 1.6/32 ? Beech 1.6/44 Banks Jr Marshall Co. 1.6/30 ? My guess is each one of these teams have a pitcher or pitchers sporting ERA's below 1.0

I believe you miss the point. Apparently the competition that Unicoi faced in SC and East TN was quite sufficient in preparing them for their march through Murfreesboro. I would suggest that East TN softball has improved and will continue to improve and that some of these other areas of the state would do well for themselves to come participate in a few of these tournaments to try and improve their games also. Your point seems to be simply "play out of their area" instead of playing good competition. That makes no sense. Here are some facts: 2008 AA - 2 of the top 3 finishing teams were from East TN 2008 AAA - 2 of the top 4 finishing teams were from East TN 2009 AA - Champions from East TN 2009 AAA - 1 of the top 3 finishing teams were from East TN Granted Single A hasn't fared as well, but they are improving and I would have to give supremecy in single A to West TN anyway. And as far as Division II.....we just don't do too much of that around here.

Perhaps that is because Goodpasture and GPS neither one are really attached to one particular community. Sometimes those schools attached to communities, expecially small ones, really get a big boost from the sports team's successes and come out and support in a bigger and louder way.

Congratulations ladies.....you make all of East TN very proud!!!!

Congratulations lady devils on a big win tonight. I understand from talking to a few fans who were there tonight that Goodpasture actually was a pretty good opponent and gave the lady devils a good game. I've read so many posts this year about how in order to compete, you have to play tougher competition/tournaments. I agree with those posts whole-heartedly and I personally believe you guys are providing a testimonial to that fact with your performance at the state this week. Perhaps if some of these middle TN powerhouses would venture East to the NFS or Eastman, and face the stiff competition you had to wade through in those venues, they may improve on their game a little also. You can't convince me you could find any better than the 12 inning epic battle in the Eastman Championship. Now go finish the job and make sure you pass out a few invitations on your way out of town for some of these powerhouses to come east next year and enjoy some of the best taters & onions they will ever eat. Good luck ladies!!!!!

Unicoi over westview 2 to 0 in 8.

My particular concern prior to the start of the game was not necessarily "risk of injury", but more poor playing conditions. The field had been worked over all day long. Tarp on, Tarp off, Tarp on, Tarp off, about four times because it had been raining on and off all day with no change in sight. The infield did not seem too bad after all that work. The outfield on the other hand was unplayable. The game should have been postponed for playing conditions when that last 15 minute rain hit right before warmups. There is only so much water a field will take and that infield had had all it could stand. The surface may have appeared OK, but it was saturated. When the rains came in the first inning, it didn't take but a matter of seconds for the surface to become very dangerous to play on. That is an indication of just how close to the hairy edge it was to begin with and no reason whatsoever to believe we weren't going to get more rain. You can talk doppler all you want, but at the time the game started I could see heavy rainfall in the direction of the lake with my own eyes. It was just a bad decision. As far as pulling my daughter off the field. Blue should have stopped it at the first drop of additional rainfall. He did not and you were all about a pitch away from witnessing enough of my NC red-neck roots to make Larry the Cable Guy blush!!!!

If you were there, you heard all of the above loud and clear wednesday night. No one made too big a deal over it though once it was suspended, because your tournament director had instructed everyone the game would start over....no harm no foul. Until of course the next morning....harm and foul!

Hey Lance, It just dawned on me. I think we found the source of that stinch you were smelling earlier. OK...now I'm moving on.

Now that (for me) is a disturbing Frog Joke!

No protest that I'm aware of and personally don't think it is merited. Coaches certainly should have known the rule and maybe they did. They were apparently informed diffferently at game time. The influence of the tournament director and TSSAA authority on such a decision by a coach at game time is the debatable part here. Written rule versus verbal instruction? In the end, I think the only action that could have been reasonably expected from the Cherokee coach to avoid this situation (given the efforts being made to play that night) would have been to refuse to take the field based on safety of the players. Regardless of what you may hear, you would have had to see warmups in the outfield and the impending skies to understand fully what a poor decision it was. That storm didn't just drop in on the field, it had been doing it all day in all directions. Everyone else in East TN seemed to be able to understand that. Either way, it was a very good game on Thursday and I congratulate the PLAYERS of Morristown West on making it to the regionals and expecially McKinney who got the big hit when she had to to score the game winner. We will take Sylvia's advice from the other thread and focus on what's in front of us....not what's behind us.

Lance, I was looking for you at the game tonight. True, you have been unmasked but with a 2 for 2 showing on today's games, you must give us one more round of predictions. (frog joke optional) I must say that even though you were 2 for 2, not even the great Lance could have predicted the 8 to 7 score in the nightcap. Incredible game and hard luck loss for the lady pats. I know Leon feeling pretty down, but she is a great pitcher and will bounce back. Would just as soon not have to face her anymore this year. Go Lady Chiefs!!!!

It's up to each district. Matter of fact I don't think TSSAA dictates that the districts have to have a tournament. Each district could elect to send their representatives to the regional tournament based on regular season if they choose.

District tournament starting to take shape now: East locks up top seed with their win tonight. (Up one in the loss column with only one to play and they hold the tie break over Cherokee.) West locks in the 4 seed with the loss to Jeff tonight. (Up one in the loss column with one to play and they hold the tiebreak over Greeneville.) So that places East and West on the same side of the bracket and sets up a potential rubber match on West's home field. Jeff and Cherokee will be on the other side of the bracket in the 2 and 3 seed. Only problem is we don't know which will be the 2 seed and get the ever-important first round bye. Cherokee holds the 1 game lead in the loss column but with a Lady Chief/Lady Pat showdown coming next Monday at the lady chief's place....only time will tell. First round bye could be critical because as Lance has stated many times.....Cocke County and Greeneville are capable and chomping at the bit to break into the IMAC elite, and ruining someone's season in the opening round elimination game could do just that. Lance, Surely with all this drama shaping up, you can't leave us now.

Lance, You got the answer right, but tonight it was for all the wrong reasons. Cherokee puts up 11 runs on Greeneville in support of another stellar performance in a clutch game from Cherokee's freshman pitcher Lindsee Price. Marbles unavailable and the Lady Chiefs bats come alive. Keep those bats going ladies.

Very funny, Balllover

Statman likes stats and he particularly likes this one. "Marbles" got her 1,000th career K last night during the game with Davey Crockett

I know Mwtfan well and look forward to a get together at districts. However, my lady chiefs need to take care of some business to ensure I don't run the risk of missing it. I will be out of town for the first and second rounds of bracket play. Makes that #2 seed that much more important for me.

Keep those heads up Lady Canes. I painfully remember a similar 15 to 4 whoopin in a big game about a year ago. These things happen. Better days could certainly be ahead. Lady Trojans....congratulations on a big win especially for you seniors on Senior night.

Wow, Lance.....you are the man. Nailed this pre-season analysis to a T. I even heard last night that the Lady Canes only have 1 batter in their lineup hitting under .300 and that one isn't far back. It looks to me the pitcher(s) have stepped it up and their X-Factor is working out for them very well. Could you possibly be any smarter?

I like the joke.....wish I could say the same for the prognostication. Go Lady Chiefs!

You certainly are the man, Sir Lancelot. Looking forward to a nice frog joke some time today!

I agree and in all honesty it is all academic until district tournament time, but there are no scrimmages after the season starts and I was curious how the teams faired with some of the pool play matchups.