CAROLINA LOOKOUTS 18U - 2006 18U USFA WORLD CHAMPS

CAROLINA LOOKOUTS 18U
MAKE FASTPITCH SOFTBALL HISTORY IN FLORIDA

The Carolina Lookouts 18u fastpitch softball team has made fastpitch history by being the first team to win the United States Fastpitch Association World Series two years in a row on July 14 in Panama City Beach, Florida. The Carolina Lookouts won it last year as a 16 and under team and went back to win the title again as an 18 and under team.
Coaches Greg Bissette and Kim Knox had high hopes for this year but knew it would be tough, just like last year. Coach Bissette remembers last year we had to battle with a hurricane that was hitting the Gulf Coast and threatening to cancel the whole World Series. But fortunately, the hurricane subsided and we only had to cut out one practice game from the schedule last year. We went through the tournament undefeated until the championship game when we lost by one run and then had to go on to play the deciding game for the title which we won by one run. It was great.
Coach Knox was glad the team didn't have to deal with a hurricane this year, but he knew the Lookouts would have plenty to deal with. To begin with, there were several returning teams from the 18 and under ranks that placed in the top five last year in Florida. This year the Lookouts were a first year 18 and under team. Then, to top that off, no team has ever won the title twice. Let alone 2 years in a row.
So the Lookouts set out on their quest and made the 12 hour trip to Panama City Beach, Florida to be one of the 218 teams in the tournament. Everyone was healthy, excited and hungry for another victory. The Lookouts were fresh off a top 8 finish in a National Showcase tournament and were looking good and feeling strong.
Coach Knox and Bissette said they felt really confident headed to Florida after the strong showing in the showcase tournament. We used the showcase tournament as a warm up for Florida. We fine tuned our batting line up, our pitching and our defensive positions. Everything we do in our line ups depends on what the other team's strengths are. If it's a power hitting team, we put speed in the outfield. If they bunt and slap, we speed up the infield. We used that tournament to work on our execution of plays, like the bunt and run and so forth.
Pool play started for the Lookouts on Monday and the Lookouts were on a roll and went undefeated in pool play. Pool play was fairly uneventful and we were able to tweak a few things during this time stated Coach Bissette.
After pool play, Coach Knox and I went to what we call, Grandma's Cake Recipe. Coach Bissette explained that is when we start our breaking ball pitcher, Tyler Riggan and close the game with The Chop. The Chop is our nickname for our flamethrower Charity Watson. This has been a lethal combination for us time and time again. With Tyler's junk pitches, we are able to keep the batters off balance. Then when we switch to Charity's speed, it just gives them a different look and really keeps them guessing by trying to adjust.
The Lookouts first elimination game pitted them against the Jacksonville Storm out of Florida. The Storm was a returning team from last year and would be a tough opponent. Like the Lookouts, they had speed and power in there batting lineup. Before the game even started, Coach Knox said this is going to be tough. A loss in the first game sends you to the loser's bracket immediately and you have to fight tooth and nail everyday to try to get back to the championship game. It's an uphill battle all the way and almost impossible. Before the Lookouts knew it, they were down 1 to nothing. It was not looking good. But the tough team they are, the Lookouts tied the game 1 all and forced extra innings where the Lookouts scored 2 more runs and held on to the victory sending the Storm to the loser's bracket. That was just too close for comfort some of the Lookout players commented. Close as it was, it was a good way to set the tone for the week for the level of play that would be needed to make it all the way to the championship.
With that, the Lookouts seemed to roll through the winner's bracket with solid play from top to bottom. The Lookouts needed to play one more game on Thursday night. Winning that game would send them to the Championship undefeated which would mean someone would have to beat them twice to win it all in the double elimination tournament. The Lookouts would face a team from Tennessee that had finished 3rd last year in the 18 and under bracket of the World Series. The coaches and the players were really confident in their chances of winning the game even though both teams were undefeated. A few bad hops and a few errors later, the Lookouts were down 3-0. One inning later, they were down 4-0. Coach Kim said every time we hit the ball, we hit it right to someone. We were making it easy for them. We couldn't find the gaps. But later in the game, the girls started to find some holes in the strong Tennessee defense and managed to score 2 runs cutting the margin to 4-2. Coach Bissette said we were starting to make things happen. In the last inning the Lookouts loaded the bases but could not get enough runs in and lost 4-3.
That was a tough loss. It put us in the loser's bracket which meant now the Lookouts would have to win the loser's bracket and then defeat the winner's bracket team twice. We were in shock at the loss. That was only the third bracket game we had lost all year and we should not have lost that said Coach Knox. After the game, emotions were high said Coach Bissette and Knox and we knew we had to get the team refocused before we started Friday's play. Fortunately, our players are very competitive and they hate to lose. Even more so, the biggest thing our team has going for it, is that we are a family. And like any family, we can get mad, disappointed, cry, laugh and move on.
So Knox and I knew those were the team's strengths and we had to get the players to see and use them said Bissette. We had a long talk before we started playing Friday morning. We talked about our family and how we have come to count on each other. We told them we respected their feelings regarding the loss and we were proud of them and regardless of what happens today, we were still going out to have a celebration tonight. When players Charity Watson and Taylor Rogers patted me on the back and said we got this Coach Greg. It felt great. The Lookouts needed to win the one loser's bracket game and go to the championship round.
When the Lookouts came out in the first game Friday morning, they were on fire. They needed to win that game or go home. The girls played with pride in that game and it showed. They were determined to make it to the championship game. The Lookouts scored 2 runs early and never looked back. The Lookouts did not allow their opponents from Ohio to score and shut them out 4-0. The Lookouts would now go on to face the team from Tennessee that had sent them to the loser's bracket with only 15 minutes rest between games.
This was no problem to play like this for the Lookouts. All year they had been playing in tournaments where they would often play 5 games in the heat of the day. I remember telling the players early in the year that these marathon tournaments we were playing in would really help us in Florida and now it would pay off. The Lookouts once again started strong at the bat and got runners on first and third before being retired for the inning. Even though they did not score a run, they were hitting the ball hard and everyone knew it was just a matter of time before the runs started coming. Two innings later, the runs started coming and they kept coming until the Lookouts had put 5 runs on the board. Meredith Knox belted a 2-run homer into a stiff wind over the left field wall. She also ripped a double driving in another run and scoring another. After 7 innings the Lookouts held on to a 5-0 victory and were in the second game of the Championship round. One more victory and they would be the USFA World Champions again.
Everyone felt the Lookouts would have the momentum needed to keep up the steamroller. But both experienced coaches Bissette and Knox knew the toughest thing to do was to beat a strong team two times in a row. They did not want to make the mistake of being over confident. They knew this team had been around the block a few times and were smart. Their best pitcher which they knew they were about to face again was already pitching in college this past season. Both coaches knew it was time to go back to Grandma's cake recipe. Start with the junk ball pitcher Tyler Riggan and end with The Chop, Charity Watson. Tyler and the Lookout defense highlighted by Tara Stancill's strong defensive plays at 3rd base did a great job and held the Tennessee team scoreless for 4 innings. At the end of 4 innings Tyler came to Coach Bissette and said its time to switch and bring in The Chop. I respect Tyler's judgment. She is a senior pitcher headed to the college ranks this fall. She has a great head on her shoulders for the game and what needs to happen during the game. She is a great asset said Coach Bissette.
Watson came in to begin the 5th inning and once again, the Lookouts pitching and defense held their opponents to no runs allowed. The only problem was the Lookouts had not scored either. At the end of 7 regulation innings of play, the score was 0-0. This now meant there would be an international tie breaker until there was a winner. An international tie breaker is when each team on offense starts with their last batted out from the previous inning on second base.
The international tie breaker is the Lookouts strong point and the team was feeling very good at this point. Fortunately for the Lookouts, they would start with Lauren Howard on second base. Lauren has a great deal of speed and is a very smart player. Up at bat would be Brittny Bissette, the fastest player on the team. Brittny squared and bunted the ball. Lauren moved from second to third and Brittny beat the throw out to first and was safe. The Lookouts now had runners at first and third with no outs. Brittny immediately stole second which put runners on second and third for the Lookouts with no outs. The Lookouts were in great shape with Mary Drew coming up to bat. Coach Greg said to quote Yogi Berra, it was like de javu all over again. Mary Drew had the game winning hit last year in the World Series on the same field. What were the chances of her getting another big hit? Her chances were great. That is just what Mary Drew did. She had a hard hit straight up the middle and drove in one run, just like she did last year. That would be the only run the Lookouts would plate that inning. Would it be enough to hold on for a victory?
The Tennessee team would start with a runner on second. They would then fail at a bunt attempt and pop it up for an easy out. Then they managed to get a bunt down and get a runner to first but the Lookouts defense held the runner at second. Next came a strikeout. Now with 2 outs, they would get a blooper hit and load the bases. Now one out and the game is over. A base hit could be a tie ball game and a hit and run with a good hit and the Lookouts loose. Someone in the crowd yelled a passed ball would tie the game. Coach Bissette said he wasn't worried because he new ace catcher Taylor Rogers would not let a ball get past her now. She's been here before he said. Charity was pitching well, the infield was sharp and we had speed in the outfield.
There was a real battle at the plate as the batter continued to foul off pitches from Watson. But catcher Taylor Rogers kept calling a good series mixing up location for The Chop. Then with one more crack of the bat there was a hit sailing over the second baseman, Lindsay Shaw and headed to right center. Shaw was running for the ball. Centerfielder Mary Drew was running for the ball and so was right fielder Brittny Bissette. Now at that point, everyone had an instant replay going through their mind. This was exactly how we lost that game in the last Showcase tournament. The ball just dropped in for a hit and 2 runs scored. Both coaches said it looked like it was in slow motion. But then from right field you could see Brittny charging hard for the ball. Parent David Watson said he had never seen a more determined look on a players face to make a play than he saw on Brittny's face. He said he knew she would catch that ball. And catch it she did for the final out securing the 2006 World Series Championship for the Lookouts. Brittny offered the following comments after the game. It was such a rush knowing we were only 3, then 2, then only 1 more out to being the first team to actually win the world series two years in a row. It really got your adrenaline flowing for about a week straight. Between the great coaching, the awesome players, the great camaraderie between the parents and the team, playing in the World Series and actually being the only team to win it two years in a row was truly an experience to remember.
It was a real thrill for everyone, but especially for the seniors headed off to college. It was a great way to close a travel ball career. Other players and parents had this to say:

"The travel ball experience with my daughter has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Traveling to and from tournaments, spending entire weekends together, and building friendships with other families that I never would have gotten to meet otherwise, has given me memories to cherish for a lifetime. Unfortunately, Meredith goes away to college soon, so winning the World Series two years in a row has been the perfect ending to an awesome time. To all of you who have been a part of the Lookouts family, thanks for the memories. I will miss all of you tremendously!" ---Susan Knox

"This team has meant a lot to me, not only because of the success we've had competitively, but because of the friendships and memories I have made. I will miss all of it so much. Winning the World Series was the most perfect way to end a perfect experience." --Meredith Knox

I am thrilled that my daughter finished out her softball career this way. She started playing at 4½ and though we have won tournaments before nothing to compare to the World Series. She will play ball in college but what a way to finish up her travel career. --Cindy Riggan

"This having been my first year playing for the Lookouts, being a part of this historic two time back to back wins, was a huge honor. I love my team and all the people on and around it. --Halea Boswell

We enjoyed the 2006 USFA World Series. The laughs, friendships and memories are priceless. It was another great experience. 2 back to back World Championship! Way to go Lookouts! We had the best time and the girls played their hearts out. What a great bunch of girls, coaches and parents. We were so lucky to have such talented girls and wonderful coaches. --Scooby and Donna Keech

I had another blast at the 2006 USFA World Series in Panama City Beach. Besides playing softball we had such fun hitting the sites at Shell Island, riding jet skies, the beautiful beach and hanging out with all my softball girls. All are so special. I love all the girls as well as Coach Greg and Coach K. I will miss all the seniors who are going off to college in August. I wish them all the best. You are my softball family Lookouts 18. God bless! --Taylor Rogers

Coach Bissette said it is plain to see from the comments offered that everyone had quite an experience at the World Series. I know that myself and my family did. It was great to see Tyler Riggan hit her first home run ever and it was at the World Series. Meredith Knox followed up last year's World Series home run with another one in the championship game. Marissa Fucito added a home run of her own this year. It was awesome to see my daughter Brittny catch the last out of the game.

Both coaches are particularly proud that once again, they accomplished this feat by playing every player every game. Both Knox and Bissette said, When we say played, we mean put in a position to really help the team and get into the game. Not just as pinch runner one time. We feel if you are good enough to make our team, you are good enough to play and you should make an impact. You are not just a body to help fill the roster. It is important to us as coaches to feel everyone feels they have contributed something and had fun along the way. That is a critical part of our success.

Both Coaches and players are set for a third shot at the title next summer.

If you would like to be part of the Carolina Lookouts contact Coach Bissette @ 252-883-0430