Harvard Lady Sting team wins Game Day USA tournament

By Jackie Fiegel

ELLEN LABIANCO PHOTO Belvidere Daily Republican
Harvard Lady Sting Softball team recently won the Game Day USA fast pitch softball tournament.

Coach

Harvard Lady Sting started as a recreational fall softball program. From there it expanded and in the last two years Lady Sting added tournament teams. Currently Harvard Lady Sting has multiple levels/ages of tournament teams.

Recently, at the Game Day USA tournament in Rockford, the Lady Sting program had three age groups participating in the tournament. We had a 10U, 12U, and 16U team there. All three teams advanced to the bracket play by being seeded in the top half of the teams. The 16U team went on to win the championship game against the tough McHenry Elite Warriors. They had lost to this team earlier in the tournament but beat 3-2 when it counted most.

These ladies never gave up. Each and every player stepped up at different times to make a big play or have a huge hit. Throughout the tournament big plays and great hits kept the team fired up – some huge hits by Emily Nipper (of Poplar Grove), or bunts by Kyra Dworak and Pieper Fiegel that move runners – really got the girls excited. Big strikeouts by pitchers Michaela Froehlich and Emma Ackland or key defensive plays by infielders Pieper Fiegel, Hannah Beran (of Poplar Grove) and Kimmyra Neal in the infield kept the excitement going. Solid play behind the plate by Kerrigan Kottecki kept runners from stealing.

This team just never gave up. At one point in the Championship game the team was down 4-1.

In the championship game, pitcher Emma Ackland anchored the team. She did a great job moving the ball around and keeping the hitters on their toes. She also contributed greatly at the plate.

In the second to last inning Sting was down 4-1. Michaela Froehlich started off with a single and the bats stayed hot from then on. Emma Ackland and Riley Alness each singled from there. Hannah Beran hit to the shortstop that could not make the play. The first run of the inning scored, making it 4-2. This brought Jenna Brookner to the plate. The pitcher was a little frazzled and runners were able to advance on pass ball.

1. Ackland scored and Brookner was eventually hit by a pitch. Kimmyra Neal got to the plate and had an active at bat- eventually walking and scoring the third run of the inning, tying it up. Kyra Dworak then hit a hard ground ball to the third baseman who got Hannah Beran out at home. Kerigan Kottecki was at the plate and hits a single scoring the go ahead, and Kimmyra Neal was thrown out at home on an aggressive attempt to score. At two outs- Pieper Fiegel walked and with more aggressive base running Dworak scored. The inning ended as Nipper flew out to second.

The last inning began as McHenry hit a couple of singles. With runners on first and second Pieper Fiegel snagged a fly ball at second holding the runners. The batter hit a groundball to shortstop Hannah Beran who tossed it to Fiegel at second for the second out. Runners were at the corners. The game ended in excitement as Kimmyra Neal dove for a line drive to end the game.

The team’s core group of players has played together for many years. Hannah Beran, Kerrigan Kottecki, Brennah Briggs, Emily Nipper, Pieper Fiegel and Emma Ackland. Michaela Froehlich joined the team a couple years ago. New to the team this year is Riley Alness, Makayla Martinez, Kimmyra Neal and Kyra Dworak. Jennah Brookner also subs on the team.

The team has players from all over. Three are from Boone County, one from…

For complete article, pick up the June 24 BDR.