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Monday, April 6 Update on SWARM Players in College In additiona to the two college players on this year's team - numerous SWARM alumni are making names for themselves in college ! Danielle Larson and Sam Wolfe are both playing for Ohio Dominican University while Ashley Price and Natalie Zwicker play for Muskingham. Ashlee Hein is heating it up for Kent State University slamming 3 HRs in the last week. Stephanie Peterson is playing for Capital University along with former SWARM player Krista Alvich. Jackie Adams continues to lead Lincoln Memorial College, hitting .413 for the season. Great Job Ladies !
The 16 U Ohio SWARM won the 17th Annual Jami Snyder Girls Fastpitch Memorial Tournament played at Springfield Northeastern High School. Team members are pictured: (from left, front row) Kayla Peterson (West Liberty) , Emily Dune (Pleasant), Sara Price (Kenton), Presliegh Adams (North Union), Dani Feldman (Harding) and Paige Thompson (Marysville). Middle row, head coach Kathy Goddard, Kylee Greenwood (Harding), Becka Peterson (West Liberty), Maggie McMahon (North Union), Brittany Pontious (Logan Elm), Ashley Shope and Paige Westfall (Marysville). Back row, holding team banner, assist coaches Jim Peterson and Scott McMahan. Absent Amy Daniels (Pleasant) and manager Regi Adams .
SWARM 18U Takes 2nd Place at Heart Of Ohio Celebration The Ohio SWARM 18U girls fastpitch softball team battled lengthy delays and inclement weather last weekend to claim the runner-up spot in the Heart Of Ohio Celebration Softball Tournament 18U division. Seeing their games cancelled by rain both Friday and Saturday evenings, the SWARM 18U began play Sunday afternoon facing the Heart of Ohio Heartbreakers. Marysville HS junior Lindsey Hershbeger threw a complete game for the SWARM and limited the Heartbreakers to only five hits and three runs in a 6-3 victory. 2008 MHS graduate Casey Clarridge scored two SWARM runs while 2007 MHS grad Kaci Dunn and North Union junior Shanda Ridgeway each added a run. Samantha Wolfe led the SWARM offense with two hits. Game 2 saw the SWARM charge back from an early 2-0 deficit to claim an 8-2 victory over the Ann Arbor Gold. North Union Grad Ashley Price started the comeback by slamming a bases loaded 3 run double in the sixth inning. Kaci Dunn added a two run double while Casey Clarridge and Dublin Jerome grad Kirstie Snyder led the SWARM offense with two hits each. MHS junior Chelsea Burns earned a complete game win in the circle holding the Gold to only one earned run while striking out five. The win put the SWARM into the Championship game vs the Central Ohio Lady Rebels. The Championship game featured an outstanding contest between two excellent 18U teams. Ashley Price took the mound and held the Rebels scoreless through five innings aided by outstanding play from the SWARM defense. In the sixth inning the Rebels put two of their only four hits together back to back to score a single run. In spite of a seventh inning leadoff walk to MHS grad Courtney Williams, the SWARM was unable to score and lost the close fought contest by a score of 1-0. The 2nd place finished earned the SWARM a qualifying slot in the ASA Eastern National Championships in late July.
Lacey Elliott Signs with Bowling Green State University ! Logan Elm Senior and Ohio SWARM player Lacey Elliott signed a National Letter of Intent to play her collegiate softball for the BGSU Falcons on Nov 14th!
Surrounded by school administrators, coaches, and her parents Terry and Euna Vay Elliott, Lacey inks her NLI to play Division 1 College Softball . CONGRADS to LACEY!
Sunday, July 29 18U SWARM Takes Fourth Place at ASA Eastern Nationals ! The 18U SWARM finished with a 5-3 record to end up in 4th place out of 42 teams at the ASA Eastern Nationals in York, PA.
They began the tourney losing a close fought game to the Mass Lightning by a score of 6-5, then moved on to defeat the Excalibur - PA 5-0 in the second contest. The 18U SWARM ended the season with a record of: 38 wins - 17 losses.
SWARM Competes at Stingrays Tourney
The Ohio SWARM 18U and 16U teams participated in the demanding Central Ohio Stingrays Tournament held on the Ohio State University campus last weekend. Now a major college recruiting tournament, over 100 top notch teams were in attendance, along with more than 50 college coaches who were actively scouting for players. The 18U team posted a winning 4-3 record, and tied for seventh place out of 24 teams.
Successful GAPSS Tourney Ohio SWARM Teams Finish Strong at GAPSS
Ohio SWARM teams combined for a record of 15-3 at the local 16U Highlights Game one was a nail biting 3-2 victory over the Miami County Blaze. Renee
WINNING Week 3 for the SWARM!
the 16U SWARM which went 4-1 and finished as runner up at the Fostoria Redhawks USSSA Qualifier and secured a bid to the National Tourney in Salsbury, MD - and for the 18U SWARM which went went 5-3 and finished 3rd at the Sluggerfest tourney in Cincinnati, OH ! Details to follow ..............
Ohio SWARM has OUTSTANDING Week One !
WINNING one for the SWARM! In their first tournament, the 16U SWARM won six straight games at the USFA National Qualfier Tournament held at St Marys, Ohio and walked away with first place and a bid to the USFA Worlds Series, and in their first tournament at the 18U level, the SWARM 18U team won seven straight games to capture first place in the Willoughby,OH ASA National Qualifier and a bid to the ASA National Championship!
Danielle Larson Named All Conference Two Ex -SWARMER's from the Ohio Dominican softball team earned honors from the American Mideast Conference South Division. Sophomore left fielder Danielle Larson ( Bellefontaine , OH ) earned
Kristen Farley Powers Wright State Into NCCA D1 Championship! Ex SWARMer and 2003 All Ohio catcher Kristen Farley came up big for the Wright State Raiders leading the team to a come from behind victory over Cleveland State in the Horizon League Championships. The win was the Raiders fourth in a row and gave them a berth in the NCAA Division 1 softball tournament. With bases loaded, one out, and the game tied at 3-3 in the eighth inning, Farley delivered the biggest hit of the game, ripping a bases clearing double to the fence in right field. She then came in to score two batters later, helping secure a 7-3 victory. Farley was named to the Horizon League All Tournament Team and led the tourney in RBI's (5) and doubles (3).
On Thursday Jan. 11th Kaci Dunn signed a Letter of Intent to play college softball at the University of Rio Grande. In attendance at her signing were Kaci's parents Dave and Denise Dunn, brother Chase, and Rio Grande Head Coach David Pyles. From Marysville HS Coach Chris Shirer and Randy Coder attended. From the Ohio SWARM were coaches Tony Wolfe and Glen Farley. Local pitching instructor Chuck McNamee also attended. Coach Pyles expressed his satisfaction in obtaining the services of Dunn whom he called an "exciting player that we are happy to have". This makes three Ohio SWARM 18U players who have signed this winter to play college ball - further announcements are expected soon! Congrads Kaci - Go Redwomen !
Kent State Showcase - QDSN Fourteen Ohio SWARM players participated in
Dunn and Hein Selected to Ohio All Star Team Ohio SWARM 18U and Marysville HS senior standouts Kaci Dunn and Ashlee Hein have been selected to play in the Ohio - W VA All Star game which will be held at Rio Grande University on June 7, 2007. The pair was selected from hundreds of outstanding players who attended a State softball clinic last summer. Congrads to Kaci and Ashlee !
SWARM 18U Infielder made it "official" when she signed a National Letter of Intent to play college softball at the University Of Toledo for Head Coach Jo Ann Gordon. Steph signed during the Early Signing Period on Nov 8th at DeSales HS with two of her biggest supporters, Mom (Debby) and Dad (Joe) - and DeSales Coach Julie Barber, by her side. Congrads Steph ! Go ROCKETS !
Ashlee Hein (C/IF - 2007) Marysville, OH has signed a National Letter of Intent to play her college softball for Coach Karen Linder at Kent State University! Coach Linder stated, "Ashlee is an extremely strong catcher who hits for power and loves to be at bat in clutch situations. She is also an outstanding student. I look for her to make an immediate contribution behind the plate." Joining Ashlee at the signing were Mom (Brenda) Marysville HS coaches Chris Shirer and Dale Corbin, Ohio SWARM coaches Dave Dunn and Glen Farley, and many other teamates, friends and family. Congratulations Ashlee! Go Golden FLASHES!
The 2007 Ohio SWARM 18U team kicked off their season with an impressive 5-0 sweep of the BSGU/ Toledo Charity Classic. Playing some top competition from the travel ball circuit, the SWARM won each game, several times coming from behind to win. Team Members: Front row from left: Natalie Zwicker, Stephanie Peterson, Courtney Williams, Kaci Dunn, Jackie Adams Back Row: Ashley Price, Ashlee Hein, Lacey Elliott, Samantha Wolfe, Lindsey Pennell, Kristin Velt Thursday, July 27 SWARM 16U Takes 5th Place at USSSA Worlds Series The Ohio SWARM 16U travel softball team went 7-3 last week at the USSSA Worlds Series in Columbus, IN which was good enough to snare a 5th place finish out of the 76 teams who played in the season ending tournament. Hampered by heavy rain early in the week and soaring 90+ degree temperatures over the weekend, the SWARM battled their way through ten games, including four games on Sunday before their season ended with a one run, extra inning loss late Sunday afternoon. Each of the SWARM losses were of the one run variety, and two of them came in extra inning games. The SWARM 16U team ended the season with a 35-11-1 record. Thursday, July 20 SWARM 18U Takes 3rd Place at Marysville Final Fling After cruising undefeated through pool play and advancing without challengeinto the tournament semi final round, the SWARM 18U team was unexpectedly upset at the Marysville Final Fling and were forced to settle for 3rd place finish overall in the tournament. The 4-1-1 weekend gave the team a final season record of 24 wins, 12 losses, and 1 tie. GREAT JOB SWARM! More info to follow........ Monday, July 17 SWARM Teams Post Winning Record at Stingrays Tournament Both the 18U and 16U Ohio SWARM teams posted winning records at the Stingrays Invt'l Tournament last weekend. Both teams were undefeated in pool play, but after drawing number 1 seeds, could not continue their string of victories in bracket play. The 16U team ended with a record of 4 wins vs 2 losses, which included victories over the Ohio Classics, Maddogs, and eventual tournament Runner-Up, the Pitts Lady Roadrunners. The 18U team ended with a 3-2 record overall. Next weekend the 18U team will wrap up their season at the Marysville Final Fling tourney, while the 16U team will take it's 28-8-1 record to the USSSA Worlds Series in Cols, IN beginning on July 25, 2006.
SWARM 16U Finishes 2nd at GAPSS ! The Ohio SWARM 16U Fastpitch softball team continued their The SWARM reeled off seven straight victories and were two outs
SWARM Teams Win at Heart Of Ohio Tournament!
The Ohio SWARM softball organization completed a successful weekend
SWARM Underclass Players Undefeated ! Conrads to the four Ohio SWARM Central District Ohio Underclass All Star players who went a perfect 5-0 this week at Pickerington HS to win this Ohio HS Coaches Association tournament. They are: Stephanie Peterson, Kaci Dunn, Ashlee Hein, Jackie Adams
Another Winning Weekend for the SWARM !
2006 travel season. 16U Team The 16U team won the first two games at the Sluggerfest Tournament in Cinn, Oh - game one by a 7-0 forfeit over the Extreme Edge, and game two in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat the Indiana Hurricanes by a score of 5-4. The two wins game the 16U team a number one seed. In game three the SWARM defeated the Tenn Explosion by a 3-1 score as Ashley Price pitched a one hit, no earned run game. In game four the SWARM suffered a 7-1 loss at the hands of the Diamond Dusters, giving up seven runs in one inning. A final 6-1 loss to the Metro Express gave the SWARM a 3-2 record for the weekend. 18U Team The 18U team finished the Ohio Wave Classic with a 5-3 record, In game two the SWARM defeated the Indy Tradition by a 3-0 In game four the SWARM defeated the Hilliard Cats by a 3-2 Game five saw the SWARM lost a 6-5 heartbreaker to the Sunday morning saw the SWARM open with a convincing 10-2 In the final game the SWARM settled for third place overall as Sunday, June 18 SWARM 16U & 18U Teams Win Pool Play at Compuware Both the SWARM 16U and 18U teams won their opening pool play brackets at the Compuware Classic Tournament - the 16U with a perfect 3-0 run and the 18U with two wins vs a single loss. Both teams later lost in the opening round of elimination play and the 16U team ended up with a 3-2 overall record while the 18U team ended up 3-3 ----- performances that were considered very satisfactory by the coaching staffs given the competition level found at this tournament. 16U Results: SWARM 2 Munster Magic 0 The 16U began play with a 2-0 win over the Munster Magic. The SWARM scored both of their runs in the first as Kaci Dunn singled to lead off the game, and scored on an rbi single by Ashlee Hein. Hein later scored on a single by Samantha Wolfe. Courtney Williams later singled for the only other SWARM hit. No other offense was needed as Ashley Price pitched a complete game, two hit shutout for the SWARM. Price was outstanding with 10 strikeouts and never allowed a runner beyond second base. SWARM 5 Triple Play USA 4 This game remained scoreless until the third inning when Tiffany Buckmaster singled, then moved to second on a passed ball. Dunn then doubled to left center scoring Buckmaster. Dunn moved to third on an errant throw and later scored on an rbi ground-out by Williams, making it 2-0 SWARM. In the fifth the SWARM took a 5-1 lead as Dunn, Williams, and Hein all singled, and Stephanie Peterson squeezed a run home with a successful bunt. Triple Play made in interesting, scoring two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh making it 5-4, but Ashley Price struck out two in the final inning to save the victory. Samantha Wolfe also hit safely for the SWARM. SWARM 2 Compuware 1 The final 16U pool game vs host team Compuware was a close fought thriller from start to finish. Both teams scored all of their runs in the third inning. Compuware scored one run on a double, a walk, and a fielders choice and were ready to score more when a attempted steal was thrwarted by an Ashlee Hein 2-6 throwout to Steph Peterson. The SWARM scored as Natalie Zwicker singled and was replaced by pinch runner Ashley Price. Price was sacrified to second by Tiffany Buckmaster, then scored on a double by Kaci Dunn, who later scored herself on an rbi single by Hein. Zwicker pitched six strong innings, then was replaced in the seventh by Price who forced a pop-up and struck out two more to record another save for the SWARM. Game 4 Final Bracket Play SWARM 1 Pitts Spirit Black 3 The SWARM gave up a run in the first and two more in the third, and were not able to score until seventh inning against a very effective pitcher (Bryson) to fall in the opening game of the Compuware final bracket play. Samantha Wolfe provided the bulk of the SWARM offense slamming two triples and driving in the only SWARM run. Hein, Buckmaster and Sara Finkel also hit safely for the SWARM. 18U Pool Play Results Game 1: SWARM 7 Michiana Mystique 1 MaryBeth Stoltzfus took the mound for the SWARM in game one and allowed only 4 hits and one run in a complete game win. The SWARM offense was powered by Lacey Elliott and BJ Wilds with two hits each, and Brittany Creviston, Kali Parmley, Stephanie Goddard, and Rian Kinney with one hit each. Kinney also had two rbi's in the victory. Game 2: SWARM 7 Buckeye Heat 4 Lacey Elliott took the mound and held the Buckeye Heat to only four hits before giving way to Marybeth Stolzfus who earned a save.. Both Jackie Adams and Kali Parmley had two hits and scored two runs for the SWARM. Elliott added two more hits and four other players hit safely. Game 3: SWARM 0 Metro Express 1 SWARM bats went cold in the next game as they managed only five hits and could not plate a run. Jackie Adams belted two hits while Brittany Creviston,Kali Parmley, and Paige Thompson added one hit each. Jessica Long was the hard luck loser on the mound, allowing only five hits and one run. Other 18U Game Results Game 4: SWARM 1 Indy Crush 3 Game 5: SWARM 4 Pony Express (Colorado) 1 Game 6 SWARM 2 Ohio Sting 6
While the SWARM 18U schedule was rained out North Union HS pitcher Ashley Price took the mound against the FC
Game 4 SWARM 4 Heart of OH Heartaches 2
Game 5 SWARM 20 Eastwood 2 Game 6 SWARM 7 Lady Lightning 1
The final game of the tournament saw the SWARM completely dominate
High School Season Ends for SWARM Players
out of the 2006 HS playoffs as Marysville, Ready, Buckeye Valley, and Lima Bath (who had all reached the Final Eight teams in the state) were eliminated from play on Saturday May 27th. Some photos from SWARM players in action ...........
More SWARM Player Photos
Central District Playoffs in Pickerington, OH. Sunday, April 16 SWARM Spring 2006 Update
team members compete in their high school team's regular season schedule. The SWARM 16U team was also featured in a recent article in the Marysville (OH) Journal Tribune newspaper by Sports Editor (and longtime SWARM backer) Tim Miller. At last check, most SWARM feeder high schools were enjoying very successful seasons with North Union HS standing at (10-2-1), Marysville HS at (10-3), Lima Bath at (9-0). Led by Rian Kinney, Liberty Union (14-1) is averaging 8.7 runs per game. What a start by SWARM players across central Ohio !
SWARM Players SWEEP into Tournament Action
SWARM player schools are readying for a run at post season honors! Over the next couple of weeks we will attempt to post photos of SWARM players in action for their respective high school teams. Today we feature photos of three Marysville HS 16U SWARM players in action on Monday May 8 vs arch rival (and SWARM buddies & teamates) North Union HS!
"Streaming" Skills Videos Are Here The Ohio SWARM is now offering the latest way to distribute player Skills Videos via "streaming" technology directly from our team website. SWARM players will be able to send e-mails directly to college coaches with a "link" to the team website. By simply clicking on the link - the college coach will be able to view a short video clip of the SWARM player in action! This will enable coaches to easily view SWARM players from the comfort of their offices - without having to request a skills video tape or DVD. The first players able to use this service will be Ashlee Hein (16U) and Rian Kenney (18U) - both who completed skills videos this fall. Other players should advise if they are interested and plan on an early springtime taping session. Hein and Velt Compete in Europe Kristen Velt and Ashley Hein are now veterans of International softball competition with the completion of the 2006 Kfastpitch Indoor Cup Games held in Europe January 13-15, 2006. Hein played catcher for the American "Stars" team while Velt pitched and played 1B for the American "Bulls" team. Hein hit . 500 with a .583 slugging percentage and an outstanding .647 on base % for the tourney ! She ranked 3rd (after two Europeans) in hitting for the entire tournament ( for "regular" players with more than four at bats). Velt gained valuable international experience on the mound facing 41 batters and striking out nine, while giving up only 3 earned runs. Both players were then "forced" to go to Paris and endure shopping, sightseeing, and partying with the group. Welcome Home Girls! SWARM Players Active In Clinics and Games Four members of the Ohio SWARM organization were selected to participate in the Kfastpitch/ Ringor games immediately following the Kent State Showcase on January 7, 2006. They are: Rian Kenney - 2006 Ringor Tag G133 Ashlee Hein - 2007 Ringor Tag Y150 Stephanie Peterson - 2007 Ringor Tag Y187 Kristen Velt - 2007 Ringor Tag Y210 These four girls plus several other SWARM players, including Kaci Dunn and Tiffany Buckmaster will participate in the Kent State Showcase. Tiffany Buckmaster, Trisha Zamora, and Ashlee Hein also attended the Hitting Clinic held at Wright State University on December 18th. Zamora also plans on attending the OSU Clinic in February. Finally, Ashlee Hein and Kristin Velt will travel to Europe to play in the Indoor Select Showcase against other US, Canadian, and European softball teams in January. Congrads and good luck to these SWARM players ! Both SWARM teams Playing in Stingrays Tournament! Now accepted as the most prestigious fastpitch tournament held in Ohio, the OSU Stingrays Tournament has extended invitations to both the Ohio SWARM 16U and 18U teams to play in their 2006 tourney. Along with Compuware, the GAPSS tourney, and a Worlds Series appearance - the Ohio SWARM 2006 season is settling into place! We are three for three! Both SWARM Teams Playing at GAPSS ! Both the Ohio SWARM 16U & 18U teams have been accepted to play in the 2006 GAPSS Tournament, being held in Powell, OH - July 7-9, 2006. This tourney is fast becoming a recognized "top flight" tournament with excellent college recruiting opportunities. Registration was closed in early November due to demand! There will be 24 16U teams and 20 18&U teams playing. Coaches must act VERY QUICKLY now days to get in the best tourneys!
For the sixth consecutive year the Marysville Moose Family Center has agreed to support Ohio SWARM softball for the 2006 season. This strong relationship between the Moose organization and the SWARM has helped keep player fees extremely affordable and has helped enable SWARM players to earn over $ 125,000 in college softball athletic scholarships. The SWARM says Thank You to the Moose Family Center of Marysville! Gypsy Woods Farms to continue support of SWARM softball! Chuck and Joanne Smith of the Gypsy Woods Farms have agreed to continue as a major sponsor of Ohio SWARM travel softball for the 2006 season. Coach Chuck MacNamee (who introduced the Smith's to the SWARM) made the announcement at the November team meeting. "We are happy to have Gypsy Woods Farms continue their support of our team, and thrilled to be associated with such an outstanding organization", said MacNamee. Gypsy Woods Farms is a highly regarded horse training facility located near Delaware, OH. The SWARM says a BIG THANK YOU to Gypsy Woods Farms for your support!
Some SWARM team memebers are not just good athletes - they are pretty sharp looking young ladies too! Congrads to Rian Kenney who was recently named Homecoming Queen at Liberty Union High School. She follows in the footsteps of Lauren Wiley, another SWARM team member who was a Homecoming Queen. Way to go Rian !
2005 at the Liberty Township Community Center in Raymond, OH. Almost all of the 2006 SWARM players (both 16&U and 18&U) and parents attended the meeting. Topics discussed included the 2006 season schedule, uniforms, and fund raising. The meeting concluded with a College Recruiting program that included handouts and discussions on college selection, skills videos, NCAA rules, and the recruiting timeline. Players should now focus on indoor ball, staying in shape, and HITTING! Ohio SWARM 2006 Teams Announced ! The Ohio SWARM travel softball organization has announced the 16&U AND 18&U teams for the 2006 season: 18 & Under Jackie Adams OF Brittany Creviston IF Emily Davis IF Stephanie Goddard IF Rian Kenney C Jessica Long P Kali Parmley OF Krista Smith IF Marybeth Stoltzfus P Paige Thompson Lacey Elliott P BJ Wilds IF Trisha Zamora C/IF 16 & Under Tiffany Buckmaster IF Kaci Dunn P Sarah Finkle OF Ashlee Hein C Shannon Kaiser OF Ashley Price P Steph Peterson IF Kristin Velt P Courtney Williams IF Sam Wolfe IF
The SWARM 16&U squad swept through three consecutive games on Sunday Oct 9th to capture the Central Ohio Lady Rebels Fall Tourney. In game one the SWARM defeated the Rebels 16&U team by a score of 2 to 1. Ashley Price knocked in both runs and pitched the last three innings of the game to record the win. In game two the SWARM defeated the Rebels 18&U squad by a score of 3-1. Courtney Williams lead the SWARM offense as she went three for three at the plate including two triples. In the tournament finals the SWARM defeated the Westerville Warcats by a score of 3-2. Ashlee Hein provided the offensive fireworks as she blasted a 240 ft homerun over the fence to score the winning run. Ashley Price once again recorded the win in the circle. The tournament win wrapped up a successful fall season for the SWARM. Including the tourney victory, the SWARM went 7-2 in regular fall season games, and also captured third place in the Ohio Classics Fall Tournament held in Pickerington, OH.
The Ohio SWARM 16&U team had a successful weekend at the Ohio Classics NSA Fall Tourney winning four games and losing two very close games to finish in third place. The team was knocked out of the final game in an extra inning 2-1 loss to the eventual champions, the Indy Diamond Chics. Every member of the 2006 squad was at the Sunday games - and the SWARM 16U looks to be a "Super-Competitive" team for 2006 ! GO SWARM! SWARM Finishes 9th at PONY National Championship! After winning their "Sweet 16" bracket Championship at the PONY Worlds Series - the SWARM saw their season end with a 3-0 loss to the Classic Commotion and ended play with a strong 8-2 record against some top teams in the country. The teams play earned them a tie for 9th place (out of 116 teams entered). Congrads to the 16&U SWARM for a FANTASTIC season! Ohio SWARM WINS Bracket Championship !!!!! The Ohio SWARM went 5-0 the Championship of Bracket #16 at the PONY Worlds Series, winning the bracket championship and placing themselves in the "Sweet 16" of the National Championship contest. The SWARM started with a 3-0 victory over the Chester County (PA) Stars. They next won an extra inning contest over the Long Island Chargers White team by a 4-3 score, sending Long Island to the losers bracket. The district semi-final saw the SWARM defeat a select team from the Czech Republic by a 5-0 margin. In the finals, the SWARM once again was pitted against the Long Island Chargers team who had come back to win the losers portion of the bracket. In another exciting game the SWARM squeaked out a 6-5 win to capture the bracket championship. SWARM Wins Game 1 of Bracket (16) Play! The Ohio SWARM defeated the Chester (PA) County Stars by a score of 3-0 in the opening round of the PONY Worlds Series Wed morning. A change in the tournament schedule now allows the SWARM to rest until Thursday afternoon at 3 pm - when they will take on the Long Island Chargers - White team on PAK # 1. Stay tuned and ............ Go SWARM! SWARM Gains #2 Seed in Pool Play The Ohio SWARM fell in their third pool play game at the PONY World Series, losing to the Long Island Riptide by a score of 4-0. Still, with a 2-1 record the SWARM gained a # 2 seeding for placement into the PONY playoff bracket - play which begins on Wednesday. Final Pool 19 Standings: L.I. Riptide 3-0 1st seed Ohio SWARM 2-1 2nd seed Lehigh Valley 1-2 3rd seed Ewing NY 0-3 4th seed The SWARM will be advised of their playoff bracket and game assignments Tuesday evening. SWARM Wins First Two Games of Worlds Series Pool Play! Battling intense heat and humidity the Ohio SWARM 16&U team took game one of the 2005 PONY Worlds Series over the Ewing Edge NJ team by a score of 2-1. At 2:40 pm the SWARM took on Lehigh Valley, PA and came away victorious by a score of 8-0. Next game tomorrow morning ...... then it cools down! Go SWARM! SWARM 16&U: 9-1 Last 2 Weeks - World Series Bound! The Ohio SWARM 16&U team has gone 9-1-1 over the past two weekends-winning the Ohio Classics PONY WSQ at Pickerington with a perfect 6-0 record, then going 3-1-1 to finish in 5th place at the rain shortened GAPSS Tournament in Powell, OH, good enough for a fifth place finish overall. The SWARM has outscored their opponents by a 48-28 margin during the ten game period and Head Coach Bruce Davis is optimistic going into post season play. The girls are scoring runs and playing solid defense so we always have a chance to win the close game, Davis observed. Pitching will be a major concern for us at Youngstown due to the number of games that we play in a short period of time, Davis stated as he expressed confidence in his hurlers, Mary Beth Stoltzfus, Katie Rogers, and Hannah Sparling. We have also added another pitcher, Jessica Long, to our roster just for the demand that a Worlds Series brings. The PONY Worlds Series is moving to Youngstown after a 3 year stint in Raleigh, NC where the SWARM has played each year. Well miss Raleigh because the facilities were outstanding there, said Davis, but hopefully it will be cooler in Ohio and the shorter trip should allow more of our family and friends to ee the games. The Moose Family Center sponsored SWARM will begin play in Youngstown with a 33 win - 9 loss record and several impressive wins over local competitors. Some Union County folks counted us out early in the season, but under the guidance of (coaches) Chuck Mcnamee and Tom Evans the girls have really improved, Davis observed. Now we get to go back to the National Championships and see if we can match last years Top 10 finish. GAPSS Tournament Highlights Game 1 Ohio SWARM 6 OFC Heat 6 (tie) Mary Beth Stoltzfus went the distance in the circle with six strikeouts while Jackie Adams and Emily Davis each had three hits. Jamie Goddard and Katie Robinson each went 2 for 3 as Stephanie Goddard drove in 3 runs. Game 2 Ohio SWARM 4 Buckeye Heat 2 New SWARM pitcher Jessica Long started in the circle and got the win, striking out three and driving in a run with two triples at the plate. Eight SWARM players hit successfully in the win. Game 3 Ohio SWARM 5 Heart Of Ohio Crusaders 4 Katie Rogers struck out five in a win over this Union County competitor. Rogers also hit a triple and a double in the contest, driving in a run.Jackie Adams went 2 for 3 while BJ Wilds and Hannah Sparling both had 2 rbis. Game 4 Ohio SWARM 4 Heart of Ohio Sliderz 3 Stoltzfus went the distance in this victory over the Union County rival Sliderz. Stephanie Goddard and Brittany Creviston drove in two runs each while BJ Wilds and Jackie Adams had two hits apeice. Game 5 Ohio SWARM 1 Stingrays 5 Emily Davis went 2 for 3 in this final game loss to the Stingrays. Paige Bumgarner, Jessica Long, Kalee Price, and Jamie Goddard also hit successfully for the SWARM.
The OHIO SWARM 16&U travel softball team won their division of the Ohio Classics Invtl PONY National Qualifier this weekend at Pickerington,OH defeating the Buckeye Heat by a score of 6-2 in the tourney finals. In doing so, they formally earned a bid to the PONY Worlds Series in late July. Game Highlights Ohio Classics Tournament Game 1: Ohio SWARM 5 Turbos 0 Katie Rogers struck out 4 and shut out the Turbos in this opening round win. Brittany Creviston went 2 for 3 with an rbi while Kali Parmley slammed a 2 run triple. Game 2 Ohio SWARM 1 Ohio Classics 0 Mary Beth Stoltzfus got the win in this close victory over the Classics. Catcher Rian Kenney went 4 for 4 while Jackie Adams had three hits and Brittany Creviston and Stephanie Goddard each had two hits for the SWARM. Game 3 Ohio SWARM 8 Westerville Ice 3 Rogers and Stoltzfus combined in this win striking out six. Emily Davis went 2 for 4 with 2 rbis while Parmley had three hits and 2 runs batted in. Stephanie Goddard went 3 for 4 at the plate. Game 4 Ohio SWARM 8 Velocity 2 Katie Rogers fanned 4 in this complete game victory while the SWARM bats went wild. Adams had 3 hits while Stephanie Goddard, Jamie Goddard, and BJ Wilds each had two hits and Brittany Creviston, Parmley and Wilds each had two rbis. Game 5 Ohio SWARM 1 Heart of Ohio Crusaders 0 Mary Beth Stoltzfus went the distance in this semi-final contest, striking out six. BJ Wilds got the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning breaking a scoreless tie. Game 6 Ohio SWARM 6 Buckeye Heat 2 Stoltzfus came back on short rest to claim a six strikeout victory as five SWARM players had multiple hits and six players drove in runs in this tournament final.
and were 5-0 going into the semi-finals against the Ohio Classics at the Marysville July 4th Tournament when starting pitcher Mary Beth Stolzfus was hit by a line drive and was forced to leave the game. The SWARM could not recover but still ended the torunament with a 5-1 record, good enough for third place overall. The SWARM now has a record of 23-9 and will play next weekend at the Ohio Classics PONY WS Qualifier tournment in Pickerington, Oh. Ohio SWARM 6 Cincinnati Cyclones 0 The SWARM started the weekend with a 6-0 shutout over the Cyclones. Pitcher Marybeth Stolzfus was outstanding, going the distance and striking out eleven. The SWARM offense was led by Emily Davis and Rian Kenney, both with two hits, while Kenney scored twice. Stephanie Goddard, Kaylee Price, and Stolzfus also hit safely for the SWARM. Ohio SWARM 10 Lady Fury 0 The SWARM next shut out the Lady Fury by a lopsided 10-0 score. Katie Robinson pitched the shutout while catcher Katie Rogers led the offense with 3 hits and two runs scored. Emily Davis, Stephanie Goddard, and Katie Robinson each had two hits for the SWARM as they went 2-0 in pool play. Ohio SWARM 1 Heart of Ohio Crusaders 0 The SWARM next defeated the Crusaders in an outstanding game Saturday evening. Mary Beth Stolzfus was superb in the circle giving up only 3 hits in a shutout performance. With the game still scoreless in the sixth inning, Emily Davis made it to first base on a dropped third strike, then was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Jackie Adams. Stephanie Goddard then laced a triple to left field to score Davis and break the deadlock, giving the SWARM a perfect 3-0 record in pool play. SWARM 12 Blaze 2 Sunday morning saw the SWARM continue their unbeaten ways as they defeated the Blaze 12-2. Katie Robinson pitched, allowing only 2 hits with two strikeouts. Brittany Creviston led the offense with three hits (including two triples) along with Jackie Adams who also added three hits and Emily Davis with two hits. SWARM 8 Marion Rebels 0 The SWARM next faced the Marion Rebels, a team who had beated them several weeks ago in another tournament. Mary Beth Stolzfus was back in the circle for the SWARM and threw a 2 hit shutout, striking out three in the contest. Stephanie Goddard led the SWARM offensive attack going 2 for 3 at the plate and scoring 2 runs. BJ Wilds and Stolzfus both added two hits for the SWARM in the five inning, run- ruled contest, which left the SWARM 5-0 going into the tournament semi-finals. Ohio Classics 7 SWARM 1 The SWARM made several fielding errors and were down by a 2-0 score when Mary Beth Stolzfus was hit just below her knee by a line-drive shot up the middle. Stolzfus was removed from the game and taken to the hospital for evaluation. The SWARM could not recover from the loss and were defeated 7-1 by the Classics, scoring their only run on a rbi double to left field by BJ Wilds. Brittany Creviston also had a triple to left in the contest but was unable to score. SWARM 16 & U Team Finishes Fourth at Road Runner Rendezvous! The Ohio SWARM 16&U team went 6-3 in Wheeling, WV last weekend- good enough to finish in fourth place at the Road Runner Rendezvous Tourney and win an automatic bid to the PONY Worlds Series in Youngstown, OH.
Playing against 20 teams from the midwest, the SWARM took firth place in the Beavercreek Invitational last weekend. Founding memebers of the SWARM Alison Davis, Lauren Wiley, and Kristen Farley, and returning SWARMer Anissa Larimer, were joined by WSU players Brandi Steiner, Jess Lander, and Ashley Cramer. Playing from the University of Dayton was Blair Crabtree and from Ohio Dominican University, Sarah Hutson. Also playing were Alison Anderson (ONU) and Whitney Lander. SWARM pitching was excellent as Jess Lander and Sarah Hutson combined to limit the opposition to less than 3 runs per game. Jess Lander (.400) slamed a HR and drove in four over the weekend while Lauren Wiley had 2 triples and a double. Kristen Farley (.444), Brandi Steiner (.308), Lander and Wiley (.364) each had four hits while Anissa Larimer (.273) had 3 hits. Crabtree made several outstanding defensive plays from her third base position. The 23&U SWARM will take off the "Fourth" and next play at the EightLegs USSSA NIT on July 9-10 in Harrison, OH,
in Marion, OH - going 5-1, losing only 1 game, by 1 run, and allowing only 5 runs all weekend! After a disappointing 2-1 loss at the hands of the host Marion Rebels - the SWARM came back to crush the Westerville Ice by a score of 9-0, then wrapped up day one with a 3-0 victory over the Ohio Classics Purple team. Day 2 started off well as the SWARM defeated the Marion Diamonds by a score of 5-2. The SWARM then won a nailbiter with the Bravehearts, winning the game in the seventh inning 1-0 on a hit by BJ Wilds. A final rematch with the Bravehearts gave the SWARM a 7-1 victory for their final win of the weekend - good enough for third place overall. The SWARM will travel to Wheeling, WV next weekend to play in the Road Runner PONY National Championship Qualifier.
Ohio SWARM player Jackie Adams (DeSales HS) was selected to play on the Central District Underclass All Star team, June 27th and 28th, announced Head Coach Julie Barber on June 16th. Adams, an outfielder, will help lead the Central District against similar All Stars from the other districts in Ohio. Congrads Jackie !
Tourney held last weekend at Ohio State University. After dropping two very close pool bracket contests against the Heart Of Ohio Crusaders and Lady Lasers Pink - the SWARM gained their first win of the season over the Cinn Elite (who later won the losers bracket of the tourney). In the tourney playoffs the SWARM dropped their first game to the eventual tourney champs Stingrays-Housh. After enduring several rain delays the SWARM beat up on the Turbos by a 7-1 count. In the final contest of the tourney the SWARM could not hold back the Ohio Classics in a 12 midnight contest to end play at OSU. Coach Bruce Davis was optimistic about the weekend stating "We played pretty well for our opening tournament. Our defense was excellent, we just need more offense and a little more consistent pitching". Both Marybeth Stoltzfus and Katie Rogers showed streaks of dominance in the circle and Brittany Creviston played a strong 3B position. Both catchers (Kenney and Rogers) were solid behind the plate and called the majority of the pitches. The entire infield (Steph. Goddard, Davis, Wilds, Price, Sparling, Bumgarner) and outfield (Adams, Parmley, Jamie Goddard,) played nearly flawless defense for the weekend. The SWARM will next play at the Marion Summer Rebellion IV PONY WSQ at the River Valley Softball Complex. Opening game will be at 9 am Saturday June 18th vs the Marion Rebels.
All Conference Awards Announced Several members of the Ohio SWARM recently received HS All Conference honors - details as follows: Rian Kenney Academic All Ohio!!! All Mid State League Second Team MOAC Conference First Team Brittany Creviston Mary Beth Stoltfus MOAC Conference Second Team Emily Davis MOAC Conference Honorable Mention Kalee Price Stephanie Goddard Congrads to all of these SWARM players!
Ohio SWARM player Brittany Creviston was named to the OHSFPCA ALL-OHIO team (Honorable Mention) on June 2,2005. Creviston lead her North Union HS team in batting with a .417 average. She was also selected to the First Team All-District and First Team All MOAC Conference teams. Congrads Brittany ! Two 2004 SWARM Players Sign to play in College Two member of the 2004 18&U team have signed to continue their softball careers in college. Danielle Larson - OF Signed with Ohio Dominican University joining SWARM teamate Lauren Richardson who had an outstanding freshman season for ODU. Amanda Kern - SS/ IF Signing with Wright State University joining SWARM teamate Kristen Farley who had an excellent season with WSU - batting .300 in her sophomore season. Congrads to Danielle and Amanda ! SWARM " Powered By Moose" again in 2005 ! The Moose Family Center has agreed to renew it's major sponorship of Ohio SWARM softball for the 2005 season ! This makes the fifth straight year that this fine organization has provided funding and support for girls softball in Marysville and Union county. Hats Off to the Moose Family Center of Marysville! Gypsy Woods Farms to Sponsor 16U SWARM ! Chuck and Joanne Smith of the Gypsy Woods Farms in Richwood, OH have agreed to become a major sponsor of the Ohio SWARM travel softball team for the 2005 season. The announcement was made by Head Coach Bruce Davis who met with Chuck Smith in late January along with SWARM Coaches Chuck MacNamee (who introduced the Smith's to the SWARM)and Tom Evans. "We are happy to have Gypsy Woods Farms agree to sponsor our girls, and thrilled to be associated with such an outstanding organization." Gypsy Woods Farms is a highly regarded horse training facility frequented by Olympic participant George Williams, rider of the dynamic black mare, Rocher-who is owned by Chuck and Joann Smith of Gypsy Woods Farm. Two SWARMer's will be at Kent State Showcase Two members of the Ohio SWARM organization will perform at the Kent State Showcase and Ringor games on Jan 8th and 9th, 2005 - in front of an estimated 200 college coaches. Danielle Larson (OF) (2005) will display her talents along with Brittany Creviston (IF) (2006). Brit will be making a return to the showcase where she was named a "Best Of The Best" shortstop in 2003, along with fellow SWARM player, Pitcher Amber Church who was also named "Best of The Best" in 2003. Good Luck to both Danielle and Brittany !
Lauren Wiley has ended her one year absence from the field, turned in her crown (see photo) and will be returning to the field in 2005 ! Recovered from a knee injury that caused her to miss the 2004 HS and summer season - Wiley expects to be back with the SWARM for the 2005 summer season. Welcome back Lauren! College Update: Oct 1, 2004 Numerous members of the 2004 18&U SWARM are working hard for their new college softball teams in fall practice. Several teams play this weekend at the OSU Charity Classic at Ohio State University. Amber Church, Alison Davis, and Kristen Farley all play this weekend as Wright State will play 5 games at the Charity Classic. Lauren Richardson will be at the Charity Classic with Ohio Dominican University. They will play the week after at the North Lewsiburg Charity Tournament. Anissa Larimer is working hard with the Baldwin Wallace University infield.
Two more games worth of photos have been added to the professional photos of the Ohio SWARM at the 2004 PONY Worlds Series. Check them out at: http://www.glenneaves.com/pony2004 Orders can be submitted on-line if you are interested.
Members of the Ohio SWARM 18&U Travel softball team recently presented trophies won during the 2004 season to it's primary sponsor, The Moose Family Center of Marysville. Coaches and players also recognized the financial support of the lodge which has helped the team achieve a major goal of obtaining in excess of $100,000 in college softball scholarships for team members. Shown in the photo are: First row (from left): Moose Officer Bruce Boerger, SWARM players Amanda Kern, Emily Davis Second row: Moose Officers Gerald Graves, Butch Wood, Daryl Clay, Dick Couder, Bob Hyland
The Official PONY photographers caught an unbelievable shot of Alison Davis stretching for a ball thrown by Anissa Larimer on a double play at first base. Word is that this amazing shot will be featured on the cover of "STRETCH" magazine in the near future. It is also on the homepage of the PONY photographer at: http://www.glenneaves.com/pony2004/ Check it out !
The annual Ohio SWARM "End of Season" Picnic was held on August 15th at Delaware State Park with most members of the team in attendance. Mike Church did the grilling and Joe Wiley and Glen Farley brought boats for team members to use for skiing and tubing. After lunch we reviewed the VERY SUCCESSFUL 2004 season, passed out awards, and discussed the 2005 season. Then back to the water for more tubing and knee boarding. THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE 2004 SUCH A GREAT SEASON ! Louisville Lady Sluggers 2nd in ASA Nationals! The Louisville Lady Sluggers ended as Runner-Up in the ASA Nationals held last weekend in CA. Their final record for the year was 40-5. One of those losses was to the Ohio SWARM at OSU. More proof that the OHIO SWARM can play with anybody! Of our losses in 2004, 6 were by 1 run, 3 by two runs, and only 3 games by more than 3 runs this season!
http://www.pony.org/files/fast_pitch/186.jpg The Ohio SWARM, given up for dead after going 0-3-2 in its first five games at the PONY Worlds Series held last week in Raleigh, NC, then caught fire and won five games in a row to capture Bracket 6 of the National Championship and earn a spot in the Sweet 16 playoff round. This comeback marked the first time in recent history that a team in the losers portion of a bracket had come back to win, especially difficult as it required the SWARM to beat the winners bracket champion in two consecutive games. After completing this remarkable comeback, rain delays and the tournament directors forced the SWARM to play the first round of the Sweet 16 championship at 10 pm (after 14 hrs and four previous games in the same day). The SWARM battled the Grand Rapids Blaze to a 0-0 tie until the bottom of the seventh inning when with two outs the Blaze scored a run to win the game. The loss gave the SWARM a tie for 9th place in the National Tournament. Win 1: SWARM 3 Outlaws (NY) 2 In game one the SWARM took on a number 1 seeded NY-Outlaw team who were unexpectedly knocked into the losers bracket On the mound and went three innings before giving way to Amber Church who pitched the final four innings. Then SWARM took the lead in the fifth as SS Amanda Kern blasted a two run double scoring both Danielle Larson and Emily Davis. The win sent the Outlaws packing back to upstate New York. Win 2: SWARM 7 Rampage (Mass) 2 In game two the SWARM bats heated up as they scored four runs in the first. Kristen Farley drove in the first run with a sac fly to deep center field scoring Emily Davis. RayAnn Klinger had an RBI single scoring Amanda Kern. Alison Davis singled and both Klingler and Davis scored on a 2 RBI double by Anissa Larimer. The SWARM scored three more times in the second and led 7-1 when the game was postponded by heavy rains. The SWARM hung on for a 7-2 win the following morning at 8 am . Davis pitched two innings while Amber Church threw the final three innings of the contest. Win 3: SWARM 4 CT Green Devils 0 Davis started on the mound against the highly regarded Green Devils but gave way to Church in the second after suffering heat related problems. Church went 5 1/3 innings shutting out the Green Devils in the 90 + degree heat, striking out 8 and allowing only two hits. Danille Larson singled in the fourth inning and scored on a hit by Emily Davis. In the seventh inning Lauren Richardson singled and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Danielle Larson. Larson then scored on a bunt single by Emily Davis who then raced around the bases only to score herself after two throwing errors. The SWARM win sent the Green Devil players and huge Coaching/Scouting staff back to Conn in their 40 Pass Luxury Chartered Bus. Win 4: SWARM 3 Orange County (NY) Rage 0 Game four was the first of two requuired Championship games against the Winners Bracket Champion Orange County Rage (NY), a team which had previously defeated the SWARM in extra innings. Amber Church struck out seven and along with several outstanding defensive plays by Lindsey Richardson which held the Rage in check through seven innings. Tied at 0-0 the game went into extra innings with the ITB in effect. Neither team could score in eighth inning but in the top of the ninth the SWARM loaded the bases, then scored three runs as RayAnn Klingler blasted a double to the right centerfield gap. Pitcher Amber Church induced 3 straight pop-ups in the bottom of the ninth to save the victory. Win 5: SWARM 1 Orange County (NY) Rage 0 Game five was the required second Championship game against the Rage Alsion Davis recovered from a mild case of heatstroke earlier in the day to pitch six shutout innings allowing only one hit. Davis also singled in the second inning and was replaced on the basepaths by Amanda Marquis. Marquis was sacrificed to second by Anissa Larimer then scampered to third base on a wild pitch. Marquis then scored on an RBI single by Lauren Richardson. It was the only run the SWARM would need to capture the bracket championship as the team defense made several unbelievable plays in support of pitcher Davis. The win capped off 14 straight hours at the softball complex for the SWARM and five straight wins against some outstanding competition. Including the final game against the Grand Rapids Blaze, Amber Church pitched 27 innings during the final 24 hours allowing only 6 hits and three runs. Likewise Alison Davis threw 16 innings allowing only four hits and two runs. SWARM catcher Kristen Farley caught every pitch of the grueling eleven game tournment, most of it in 90 + plus temperatures. The turnaround this team made was unbelieveable, said Coach Glen Farley. We knew that the girls had the talent they just needed to believe in themselves and when the tourney got down to the wire they finally started believing. Farley also remarked that this years SWARM was the most coheisive of any team that he has coached. The girls all went down to North Carolina four days early and spent time on Wrightsville Beach. Spending ten days together without fighting is tough for ANY family, but these girls got along great. We had a tremendous time all season long. The SWARM ended their season with a 25-12-2 record against very stiff competiton.
The 3 game pool series ended for the SWARM on Tuesday with 2 ties and a loss - giving the SWARM a number 3 seed for the PONY National Tourney. In game 1 the SWARM battled to a 1-1 tie against the River City Rapids from W VA. In game two the SWARM did not allow a run but also could not score one and ended up with a 0-0 tie against the South Wake Storm from NC. In game 3 an error allowed one unearned run to score and another run was walked in giving the CT Tradition a 2-0 victory over the SWARM. "Our bats are simply not here yet" said Coach Glen Farley, "but we are working hard with extra hitting practice to get them back". The SWARM next play at 10:40 Wed morning against the Rage of NY in the opening game of the Elimination bracket.
Well...along with seven other 18&U teams who were still playing when the rains let loose cancelling the remainder of play. OHIO SWARM 3 LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS 2 In the game of the season the SWARM came back from a two run deficit to record a 3-2 victory over a very powerful Louisville Slugger squad. The Sluggers had not lost a game all season, were 24-0 coming into the game, finishing 1st in: June 20, 2004 1st place Moonlight Classic ASA Nat Qual June 26, 2004 1st place Plant City College Exp Tourn July 4, 2004 1st place Easton Classic Tournament The 2003 season had the 18U Louisville Lady Sluggers taking 5th Place in the ASA Nationals......... The Sluggers scored twice in the first off of a walk and two singles. Amber Church then buckled down to shut out the Sluggers for the rest of the contest, striking out five allowing only three more hits. OF Lauren Richardson made the defensive play of the game tracking down a huge blast to deep left field, then firing a strike to second base to hold the runner to a double. This hit would have been a HR shot 9 of 10 times - but Lauren used her speed and arm to save a score- and the game, for the SWARM. In the fourth inning the SWARM got the bats untracked as Amanda Kern singled, then scored on a double off the bat Rayann Klingler. Lauren Richardson reached on an error, then Alison Davis drove in Klingler with a hit to left. Jessie Carl walked to load the bases, then with Richardson on third, Danielle Larson laid down a perfect, two strike, bunt- freezing the Slugger defense and scoring Lauren Richardson streaking home to give the SWARM a 3-2 lead. Amber Church closed out the last inning with some help from catcher Kristen Farley who gunned down a Slugger baserunner attempting a delayed steal. Two strikeouts later Church slammed the door on the Sluggers for the SWARM win! It was the first loss of the season for the Louisville Sluggers who had 24 consecutive wins in 2004. The win gives the SWARM a record of 18-6 for the season. Ohio SWARM 4 Ohio Classics 1 The SWARM came back from some lackluster play early in the tourney to defeat the Ohio Classics by a score of 4-1 in the 8 am game Sunday morning. In the first inning the SWARM jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Kristen Farley laid down a successful suicide squeeze bunt to score Danielle Larson. With bases loaded Rayann Klingler then blasted a shot to deep left field for what appeared to be a grand slam HR as Sullivan, Larimer, and pinch runner Lindsey Richardson scored while Klingler was called safe at the plate. Upon appeal she was called OUT at home and Richardson was called out for missing 3rd base. This made the score 3-0, instead of 5-0. In the third inning the SWARM scored again as Anissa Larimer singled and was driven in by Amanda Kern who tripled to deep left field, making the score 4-0. The Classics scored a single run in the fourth but with bases loaded and and no out Amber Church rose to the occasion to record two pop-outs and a strikeout to retire the side. Alison Davis came into the game in relief to record the save. All Ohio Team Announced On June 28th the All Ohio HS SOftball teams were (finally) announced. Congrads to the three new SWARM All-Ohioans: Amber Church Pitcher First Team Div 1 Danielle Larson OF First Team Div 2 Rayann Klingler SS Second Team Div 4 Congrads also to: Lauren Richardson OF All Metro, All Dist, All OCC 1st team Amanda Kern SS All Metro, All District, All OCC 1st team Jessie Carl SS All MOAC Anissa Larimer ALL Northwest Central Conf SWARM Goes 5-2 Finishes 3rd at Wheeling The Ohio SWARM reeled off five straight victories before losing an extra inning contest to the Pittsburgh Power-Red on Sunday at the Roadrunner Tournament in Wheeling, WV . The SWARM later dropped a 7-1 contest against the Pitts Power Gold team, finshing third in the tournament, but once again qualifying to attend the PONY World Series in Raleigh, NC. This made three straight weekends where the SWARM has finshed either 2nd or 3rd in tournaments and pushed their season record to a very respectable 15 win, 4 loss mark. In Game 1 on Friday the SWARM defeated the WV Hammers 7-0 in their opening game of the tourney. Wright State hurler Alison Davis and Ben Logans Amanda Marquis combined on the mound to pitch a four hit shutout for the SWARM striking out six. The SWARM offense was led by Kristen Farley and Jessie Carl, both with two hits and Rayann Klingler who blasted a two run triple in the fifth inning. Lindsey Richardson made a spectacular double play in right field catching a foul ball on the run, then firing the ball to first to double up an advancing runner. In Game 2 the SWARM defeated the Pittburgh Power Red by a score of 3 to 1. All-Ohio pitcher Amber Church went the distance on the mound allowing only 4 hits and striking out 7. Kristen Farley went 2 for 3 but it was her sacrifice squeeze bunt in the fifth which scored Kim Sullivan streaking home from third, then an errant toss allowed Marion Catholics Anissa Larimer to score on the play as well. Sullivan went 2 for 4 and Alison Davis added an rbi single in the fourth inning scoring the SWARMs other run. In Game 3 the SWARM defeated a scrappy Diamond Aces squad by a score of 3-1. Amanda Marquis went four innings before giving way to reliever Alison Davis who sealed the victory with six strikeouts in three innings. SWARM scoring began when Anissa Larimer led off with a single in the fourth, then moved to third on two ground outs. Larimer was injured by a thrown ball sliding into third base and was replaced by pinch runner Lindsey Richardson who scored on an rbi single by Alison Davis. In the sixth the SWARM broke the game open on the strength of back to back home runs by Marysville senior shortstop Amanda Kern and Capital University bound third baseman Rayann Klingler. Klingler also had a double in the second inning to lead the SWARM offense.The win gave the SWARM the number one seed in their four team pool as they moved forward in a double elimination format. In Game 4 the SWARM won a tough fought 2-1 victory over the Ohio Classics. Amber Church was masterful on the mound striking out eleven while giving up only three hits. Buckeye Valleys Jessie Carl singled in the third for the SWARM, was moved to second on a sac bunt by Jennifer Kissinger, then scored on a error forced by Marysvilles Kim Sullivan. In the fourth Amanda Kern doubled to lead off the inning, then scored on a single by Kristen Farley. Kern later tripled to the left field fence but was unable to score. In Game 5 the SWARM faced the now familiar Road Runners for the fouth time this season, winning by a score of 5-3. Pitcher Alison Davis allowed only 4 hits and one earned run but several SWARM errors allowed two other runs to score. The SWARM scored three runs in the fourth as Anissa Larimer bunted to force an error, followed with singles by Amanda Kern, Lauren Ricardson, Alison Davis, and Jessie Carl. Amanda Kern slammed a 240 ft home run in the fifth, and Lauren Richrdson singled in the sixth and came home on a Jenn Kissinger hit to give the SWARM a 5-3 win. Game Six brought a rematch against the Pittsburgh Power Red. The SWARM took the lead in the first as Anissa Larimer reached first on an error, and then scored on a triple by Amanda Kern.Amber Church took the mound and kept Pittsburgh in check until the fourth inning when a walk and an error allowed the tieing run to score. A Pittsburgh hit gave them a 2-1 lead which stood until the seventh when the SWARM made a tremendous comeback. With two outs, consecutive singles by Danielle Larson and Kim Sullivan, and an rbi single by Anissa Larimer knotted the score at 2-2 and forced extra innings. Using the International Tie-breaker rules the SWARM moved runner Amanda Kern to 3rd but were unable to score. Pittsburgh came back to score on a single to left field winning the contest 3-2 and sending the SWARM to the losers bracket for the first time in the tourney. A six hour delay awaited the SWARM while other games proceeded. Two SWARM players (Church, Klingler)left to attend the All Ohio Softball Awards banquet in Columbus, OH while several others nursed injuries. At 6:30pm play resumed against the Pittsburgh Power Gold and while the SWARM battled, they suffered a 7-1 defeat in their final contest of the tourney. Kissinger doubled in the third and scored on an RBI single by Kim Sullivan scoring the only SWARM run. Kristen Farley also doubled in the contest. The SWARM will take off the July Fourth weekend and resume play at the Stingrays Invitational at Ohio State beginning on July 9- 11, 2004. SWARM finishes 2nd At Classics Tourney The Ohio SWARM went 5-1 at the Ohio Classics Tourney in Pickerington, OH losing a tough 1-0 decision with the C O L R team in the Championship game Sunday afternoon. In doing so the team earned a second bid to the PONY World Series in Raleigh, NC July 25-31, 2004. The SWARM scored 27 runs during the tournament giving up only one run all weekend. They also played without their Central District HS Player of the Year - pitcher Amber Church who was sidelined with an ankle injury. GREAT JOB LADIES !
The Ohio SWARM girls 18&U fastpitch softball team posted a record of five wins and one loss in their opening tournament of the 2004 season. In doing so they qualified to play in the PONY Worlds Series Championship Tournament being held in Raleigh, NC in late July. The tournament was the first time many of the girls had played together. The girls played extremely well this weekend and our pitching was tremendous, said Coach Tom Evans. Pitchers Alison Davis, Amber Church, and Amanda Marquis gave up only one earned run all weekend and the SWARM outscored the opposition by a 40 to 8 margin. We had a real tough schedule with four games on Saturday, but there are no quitters on this team, Evans observed. Outstanding performances were turned in by three players from the 2004 MHS softball squad. Kim Sullivan had 8 hits and scored 8 runs while teamate Amanda Kern blasted 10 rbis with seven hits, including an inside the park homerun. Pitcher Amber Church threw 17 innings finishing with 23 strikeouts and allowing zero earned runs. In game 1 the SWARM blasted the Lady Cobras by a score of 20-1. Marysvilles Kim Sullivan went 3 for 3 and added two walks and three runs for a 100% on base percentage and 4 RBIs. MHS Senior Amanda Kern added two hits and three runs in the 5 inning blowout. Kern also donned the catchers gear for several innings and threw out an attempted base stealer. Other SWARM sluggers included Anissa Larimer with 3 knocks, and Alison Davis, Jaime Evans, Rayann Klingler, and Jessie Carl with two hits each. Marysvilles Amber Church pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Amanda Marquis from Ben Logan HS who allowed only two hits and no earned runs in the remainder of the contest. In game 2 the SWARM put Wright States Alison Davis on the mound to face the Ohio Roadrunners. Davis struck out nine, allowing no earned runs as the SWARM banged out seven hits on their way to a 6-1 victory. Amanda Kern again had the big stick with two hits and 3 rbis while Kim Sullivan went 2 for 4 scoring two runs. Game 3 saw the SWARM face the tournament host Thunderbolts Black squad. Wright State bound pitcher Amber Church dominated the game allowing only 1 hit while striking out 12 on the way to a 9-0 victory. Amanda Kern and Kristen Farley lead the SWARM offense with two hits and two runs each while Kern drove in four runs.. By Saturdays fourth game, fatigue became a factor but the SWARM dug deep to come from behind and defeat a strong Worthington Heat squad by the score of 2-1. Church and Davis combined on the mound to hold the Heat to three hits, and zero earned runs while striking out six. Back to back triples by Kern and Farley were enough to score 2 runs for the SWARM in the fourth inning. An outstanding defensive play by first basesman Jennifer Kissinger to get a lead runner allowed Alison Davis to strike out the final Heat batter to end the game with the potential tieing run on third base. On Sunday the SWARM defeated a scrappy Ohio Rollers team from Akron by the score of 3-0. Davis returned to the mound to fire a complete game, no hit shutout for the SWARM, striking out six. The SWARM offense was led by North Union grad Jaime Evans with a rbi single in the second and Amanda Kern whose double to deep left field scored two more in the third. In their final game on the weekend the SWARM dropped a 5-2 decision to the Ohio Ice. The game was played on a surface where the right fielder was in standing water, and an unfortunate bloop hit to this exact area proved to be the difference in the contest. The SWARM jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as Kim Sullivan reached on an error and scored as Annisa Larimer slammed a double to the left field fence. The Ice tied the game in the bottom of the first but the SWARM retook the lead in the fourth inning as Kristen Farley doubled to left to lead off the inning, was moved to third on a sac bunt, then scored on a perfectly placed suicide squeeze bunt by Alison Davis. In the bottom of the fourth with two outs, the fatal blooper was hit to short right field, only to drop in the water for a hit, allowing two runs to score. A final hit by the Ice brought in two more runs to give the Ice the 5-2 decision. It was an unlucky break said Coach Glen Farley after the game. We had mentioned the field problems to the umpires before the game but they said that there was nothing that they could do, Farley added. We were just happy that nobody got hurt playing in the mud and water. Having achieved a major team goal of qualifying for the National Championship, the SWARM now moves on to the Ohio Classics Tournament being held in Pickerington, OH this weekend. Wiley Named Valedictorian! SWARMer Lauren Wiley received high honors from North Union HS as she recently graduated as Valedictorian of her senior class! CONGRADS !
On June 2, 2004 Amber Church signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball at Wright State University, joining SWARM teamates Kristen Farley and Alison Davis on the 2004-2005 squad. Church was also named First Team All Central District (D1) and the Central District Player of the Year. More awards will be announced later this week. She holds the all time strikeout record for Marysville HS.
SWARMERS Amber Church and Amanda Kern lead Marysville HS to a Conference Championship on Monday May 3rd - staring in a 3-0 victory over Watkins Memorial and avenging their only early season defeat to go 18-1 for the year. Amber Church pitched a "perfect game" facing the minimum 21 batters, giving up no hits and no walks. Church struck out 10 while overpowering Watkins. She is now 13-0 for the year with a 0.30 ERA and 112 strikeouts. Amanda Kern drove in two of the Marysville runs on a triple to the fence in the third inning. She also played sparkling defense in the win. The game was broadcast live on WUCO radio and both players were interviewed on the STAR OF THE GAME show after the contest. FANTASTIC GAME LADIES!
Former Marysville HS and AllOhio catcher Kristen Farley and North Union HS and All-Ohio pitcher Alison Davis recently completed their first season for Wright State University as the Raiders finished third in the Horizon League Conference tournament held in Chicago, IL last weekend. Wright State defeated Youngstown State, Cleveland State, and Butler University, all by the score of 1-0 before losing in the tournament semi-finals to conference runner-up, Loyola University by a score of 5-4. The Raiders had previously lost to the eventual conference champions, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), by a 3-2 margin. Farley, a freshman, was behind the plate for every pitch of the 2004 Wright State season and was one of only two players who saw action in every game. She set an all-time school record for put-outs (351), led the team in RBIs(21), and was second on the team in home runs (3)and doubles (7). Farley also finished the season with an outstanding .979 fielding percentage. Davis ended her freshman year, seeing limited action early in the season, but coming on strong late in the year. She had a team second best ERA of 4.06 and struck out 6 batters in her final ten innings of league action. Jessie Carl Hitting Big for BV ! SMARM Infielder Jessie Carl is hitting at a .489 clip for her 14-6 Buckeye Valley HS team. Still in the hunt for an MOAC Title BV plays several important games this week - and Carl is a leading offensive threat.
Amber Church had a fantastic weekend at the 2004 Kent State Showcase, Jan 3-4th. She was participant number G350 playing on team # 8. Once again Amber was named the "Best of the Best" for her performance - same as last year during the 2003 Showcase. In her first game she stuck out five of six batters and had two hits "to the fence" driving in a run. Amber matched this performance again on Sunday in several strong performances. Congrads to Amber Church on her excellent showcase! College Coaches - don't let this one get away !!! Moose Family Center Primary Sponsor for 2004 The Moose Family Center of Marysville has again agreed to be the primary sponsor of the Ohio SWARM for 2004. This marks the fourth year of support from the Moose which has helped keep player fees VERY low! Details on players and fees will be sent out soon. Player costs should be less than last season's very low amount. SWARM Takes 2nd Place in Fall Tourney ! The Ohio SWARM finished up the fall softball season by taking second place in the Delaware Fall League Tourney on October 12th. The SWARM battled back from a 2-0 deficit in the first game and defeated the Road Runners by a final score of 4-2. They next run ruled the Lady Pearls by a score of 9-0 to advance to the tournament finals. In the final game the SWARM lost a close contest to the C.O.L.R. by a score of 2-0, to finish in second place. Congrads to all SWARM summer team members who played in the fall season including A. Chuch, L. Wiley, and J. Carl, and K. Sullivan. SWARM 2003 PICNIC - a BIG Success ! The SWARM team picnic was held on Sunday August 17 at Delaware State Park. All players and families were there except for the Sullivans (at a family event) and the Macys. (We missed you guys !) Mike Church brought the grill and acted as Head Cook for the team an parents (Thanks Mike!). Joe Wiley brought fresh corn on the cob and brought his ski boat too! Mona Carl outdid herself this year with an outstanding "Photo Book" for all of the players. Thanks MONA ! Billy Richardson flew in from Florida for the event. WOW! After a great meal we passed out the 2003 stats and talked about the 2004 season! "Thank Yous" were made to ALL of the parents that helped so willingly during the 2003 season ! Nearly all players expressed an interest in playing 18&U again next year. Now the job begins of finding about 4 "top line" players for next year's team. Go to it girls! Afterwards all players headed for the water for tubing and boating. It was a great ending to a very enjoyable season. Thanks again to everyone who attended! Oh But for A Hit ! (SWARM Season Ends) The SWARM played ALL competitors tough in the PONY National Championship in Raleigh, NC - but lost two games by 2 runs and three others by a 1 run margin! The competition in Raleigh was first rate with most teams very evenly matched. In addition, the SWARM won two 1-run contests. Game 1 Rochester Lions 2 Ohio SWARM 0 (7-28-03) 8 am Rochester scored in the first on a "dink" hit behind first base, an error, and a double to the gap in left center. After this point it became a pitchers duel as neither team mounted a threat. Jaime Evans managed the only SWARM hit although the SWARM had five other baserunners on base through walks. Game 2 Cumberland (PA) Magic 3 Ohio SWARM 2 (7-28) 3 pm The SWARM jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a walk by Wiley, a sac by Bayes and a hit by Farley. The Magic tied the game with two hits in the fourth. The SWARM retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a double by Richardson and single by Carl. The Magic came back in the fifth however with three straight hits to take a 3-2 lead as time expired on the SWARM. Game 3 Richmond Storm 2 Ohio SWARM 0 (7-29) 4 pm Amber Church pitched a scoreless shutout until the fourth inning when two singles an and an error allowed a third hit to plate two runs for Richmond. The SWARM was not able to answer and had only 3 hits for the five inning game, including two by pitcher Church and one by Richardson. Game 4 Ohio SWARM vs Concord NJ Raiders (7-29) 8 pm RAINOUT - CANCELLED Game 5 Brunswick NJ Chaos 5 Ohio SWARM 4 (7-30) 8 am The SWARM jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on consecutive hits by Wiley, Bayes, and Evans. In the bottom of the third Concord came back with 5 hits to take a 5-2 lead. In the fourth the SWARM loaded the bases on hits by Davis, Church, and Smith, but could drive only one run in on a hit by Carl. In the sixth the SWARM scored again on hits by Smith and Wiley and had the tieing run on third base as the game ended on a strikeout. Game 6 Ohio SWARM 2 NJ Nightmare 1 (7-30) 3 pm The SWARM jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a walk by Wiley, a good sac by Evans, and a throwing error on the second baseman which allowed Wiley to score. Kristen Farley made it 2-0 with a homerun blast in the sixth. NJ came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth but the SWARM closed NJ out in the seventh to preserve the win. Game 7 Ohio SWARM 3 CT Mirage 2 (7-31-03) 3 pm The SWARM made it two in a row coming back from a 2-0 deficit powered by a 3 for 3 hitting performance by Farley and a 2 hit, 3 RBI day at the plate by pitcher Alison Davis. The SWARM tied the score at 2-2 in the fourth on hits by Evans, Farley, Davis, and Richardson. In the sixth inning the Mirage threatened getting a runner to second on two errors, but Lauren Richardson made the PLAY OF THE WEEK by going back into deep left to rob the Mirage catcher of an extra base hit - then firing a strike to Wiley at second to double up the runner and ending the CT threat. The SWARM went ahead in the sixth on a hit by Farley, a SAC by Smith, and a RBI hit by Davis scoring courtesy runner Sullivan for the winning run. Game 8 NJ Top Gun 3 Ohio SWARM 2 (7-31) 7:30 pm This game remained scoreless until the top of the 3rd with NJ scoring on a walk and two hits, taking a 1-0 lead. In the fifth the SWARM got things going on a dropped third strike which allowed Farley to reach first. Davis moved courtesy runner Sullivan to second on a sac, and Richardson advanced her to third on a infield hit. Richardson then stole second. Amber Church drove in Sullivan with a hit to left tieing it at 1 to 1. Richardson then scored as Carl forced a throwing error with a grounder to third base giving the SWARM a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately the lead did not stand as NJ had three consecutive hits in the sixth inning (including two doubles) to retake the lead. In spite of hits by Farley, Church, and Dodge, the SWARM could not score in the final two innings of play losing another one run decision in the final game of the season. Like the game, tourney, and 2003 season.............. SO CLOSE.......... BUT SO FAR !
Two standout Ohio SWARM players, Alison Davis of North Union HS and Kristen Farley of Marysville HS have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their softball careers together at Division I Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where they will play for Head Coach Sheila Nahrgang and Asst Coach Nikki Pluger. Davis earned All State First Team honors last season after compiling a 19-1 record. An outstanding pitcher and infielder, Davis helped lead North Union to a District Championship and in the process was named 1st Team All MOAC Conference, First Team All District, and the Central District (Div 3) Player of The Year. Farley, a four year letter winner, helped lead the Lady Monarchs to a second consecutive Div 1 District Championship. One of the top defensive catchers in the state, Farley played the entire season without an error and led her team in most offensive categories. She was named 1st Team All OCC Conference and to the Div 1 All Central Ohio District team. She also played on the USA Indoor Select Team which toured Europe in early 2003. Congrads to BOTH of these Ohio SWARM players !
SWARMer Lauren W was featured in a local newspaper photo after attending a speech given by OSU football star Donnie Nickey this week. Looks like Lauren was giving Donnie some tips on his future NFL career! Way to go Lauren !! Ohio SWARM Finishes Second in Worlds Series Tune-UP The Ohio SWARM 18&U travel softball team finshed second in the TLB USSSA Worlds Series Qualifier held in Benton Ridge, Ohio over the weekend, finishing with a record of three wins and one loss. The SWARM first defeated the Fostoria All Stars by a score of 5-4. They then pounded the Strongsville Gold Rush by a score of 8-3. After a narrow loss to the Ohio Ice, the SWARM wrapped up the tournament with a 8-3 victory over the Findlay Rockets. Marysville All Stater Kristen Farley led the team offensively going 8 for 11 at the plate including a double, two triples, and a 240 ft home run blast. North Union's All State pitcher Alison Davis added five hits, while North Union's Lauren Wiley and Marysville's Chandra Bayes, Kim Sullivan, and Amber Church had four hits each. Sara Smith also had four hits while Jaime Evans, Jessie Carl and Lauren Richardson added three hits each. Alison Davis and Amber Church were superb on the mound. Both pitched 12 innings and Davis gave up only one earned run the entire weekend while fanning seven. Church had nine strikeouts. North Union's Lauren Wiley had the defensive play of the weekend. While filing in at catcher, she took a throw from North Union second baseman Jaime Evans at the plate, ran down a baserunner tagging her out near third base, then ran down a second runner near second base, completing an energetic double play! The Ohio SWARM has completed it's local schedule and will now head south to start play in the PONY National Championships being held in Raleigh,NC beginning on July 27th. The Ohio SWARM is sponsored by the Mosse Family Center of Marysville, OH. SWARM players LIVE on WUCO Radio ! Two SWARM players, Alison Davis and Kristen Farley, were interviewed LIVE on WUCO Radio ( Marysville) on Tuesday evening at 6:15 pm. They talked about the SWARM, their high school and summer ball careers, and plans for college softball at Wright State on an envening Sports Talk program. Great Job Girls ! It was a great interview - we will play it on the way to Raleigh !!!!!
the North Union Lady Cats Basketball team ended up their 2002-2003 season with a final record of 18-6 and an undisputed MOAC Red Division Championship! The team then advanced through the Central District Div 3 bracket until being stopped by state ranked Worthington Christian HS in the District Championship finals. SWARMERS Lauren Wiley, Alison Davis, Jaime Evans, and ex-Swarmers Jenn Sheets and Coree Price played a HUGE part in the team's success. As the season now turns to SOFTBALL - these players and NORTH UNION HS should be recognized for having a FANTASTIC basketball season!!! Farley's European Trip Featured Kristen Farley's recent trip to Europe to play in the 2003 Indoor Cup was recently featured in a local newspaper article. See below: Davis Featured in Local Newspaper Article! Alison Davis was recently featured in a front page newspaper article outlining her softball career. It featured details on her play with North Union HS, the Ohio SWARM , and her upcoming college career! Congrads Alison !
SWARM and Marysville High School catcher Kristen Farley has verbally committed to play her college softball at Division 1 Wright State University in Dayton, OH. Farley will play under eleven year veteran Head Coach Shelia Nahrgang and Asst. Coach Nikki Pluger. "Wright State offers me everything I was looking for", said Farley about her choice. "It's a big school (17,000 students) with excellent facilities and a very good program in my area of study. It's also fairly close to home so that hopefully my family will be able to watch me play", she stated. Farley also mentioned the excellent coaching staff and the chance to have an impact on the program immediately as reasons she choose Wright State. The All Conference/ All District player hopes to finish up her senior season at Marysville HS with a bang before moving on to Wright State. "Although we have a very tough schedule this year, we have five seniors and six juniors returning from last season's district championship team, and we hope to do really well in 2003".
"never to be forgotten" weekends on Oct 19-20 going to the Pitts Showcase and playing two games in a "strange" environment. The outdoor showcase was rained out so the event was moved to an indoor facility and held overnight! SWARM players went through drills and then played two games at 11:30 pm and 1 am. The second game ended at 2:20 am Sunday Morning! After getting back to the motel the team slept for two hours - then jumped in the cars for a 4 hr drive back to Delaware to play in an outdoor tourney. What hard core softball players ! Thanks go to Mike Church and Bruce Davis for driving and helping out with the team - to the Macy's for driving so far to be with girls - and to the SWARM players for making it a fun and memorable weekend! FANTASTIC 2002 SWARM SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE! The Ohio SWARM ended a fantastic 2002 season with a 4 win 2 loss PONY Worlds Series record in Raleigh, NC. The final game was a never to be forgotten contest between the SWARM and the LeHigh Valley PA Patriots which went twelve innings in 100 degree heat. At the end of seven innings the game was deadlocked at 0 to 0,at which time the Int'l Tie Breaker rule was imposed. Neither team scored in the eighth but in the ninth inning the Patriots scored two runs seemingly clinching the victory. However, the SWARM came back in the bottom of the inning, tieing the score on a hit by Alison Davis and a pinch hit triple by Jacqueline Macy which scored Hannah Hoffman and Davis. In the 10th inning the Patriots struck again with a run but the SWARM responded with a hit by Lauren Wiley which scored Jenna Tullis to tie the score. The 11th inning remained scoreless as Macy replaced Amber Church on the mound. Church pitched 10 masterful innings in 100+ degree heat,punching out eight while allowing only 4 hits. Macy faced three batters in the 11th and did not allow a score as the contest continued on to the 12th. In the twelth inning the Patriots again scored making the score 4-3. Wiley ended the defensive 12th with a sparkling tag & throw out double play for the SWARM. In the bottom of the 12th Lauren Richardson was able to sac bunt Macy to third for the potential tieing run with only one out. However on the final play of the game Jenna Tullis hit a fly ball to right field which was caught while Macy tagged and headed home to try and tie the contest. The throw from the right fielder was good but in a highly debateable call, Macy was called out at the plate by the home plate umpire. SWARM fans felt the nearly 3 hr game in 100 degree heat influenced the call (he wanted OUT OF THERE) - but to no avail - the call stood. The SWARM ended a highly successful season with a final record of 33 wins and 12 losses. In their second season the team qualified for a remarkable FIVE post season Worlds Series, won THREE tournaments outright - and HAD A GREAT TIME DOING IT ! THANKS GIRLS ! SWARM Continues To Win in North Carolina ! The Ohio SWARM 16-U travel softball team upped its record to 4-0 at the PONY Worlds Series softball tournament being held in Raleigh, NC. After posting a 3-0 win Monday over the Vienna Va Stars and a second 12-1 win over the Berkshire, MA Blaze the SWARM was tested in a tough contest with the NY Panthers but prevailed in a 1-0 victory. Alison Davis started the contest at pitcher and went four scoreless innings with 5 k's before giving way to Amber Church who faced ten batters in the last three innings, striking out eight. The game winning RBI came on a hit by Jaime Evans who drove in Jessie Carl for the only run of the contest. In a game Wednesday morning the SWARM delivered a 10 to 0 spanking to the Massachusetts Drifters. Amber Church pitched two innings before giving way to Jacqueline Macy who completed the contest. The SWARM delivered 15 hits including two hits apiece from Kristen Farley, Hannah Hoffman, Lauren Richardson, and Lauren Wiley. The four wins raise the SWARMs season record to 33-10. Play will continue Wed night as the SWARM continues their quest for a Worlds Series trophy. SWARM BLASTS OPPONENT IN GAME 2! The Ohio SWARM blasted their second opponent in the PONY Worlds Series as they pounded 13 hits while defeating the Berkshire Mass Blaze by a score of 12 to 1. Alison Davis started at pitcher and went four scoreless innings before giving way to reliever Jess Wasserbeck who pitched the last two innings. Neither pitcher gave up an earned run as the only score by the Blaze was the result of several late game errors. Top SWARM hitters with two hits each were Lauren Wiley, Coree Price, Lauren Richardson, Jacqueline Macy, and Jenna Tullis. Hannah Hoffman, Kristen Farley, and Jessie Carl added hits for the SWARM. Record breaking heat continues in the Raleigh, NC area were the heat index reached 114 degrees by game's end.
The Ohio SWARM battled 100 degree heat in addition to their opponents but still came away with a 3 to 0 victory over the Vienna Virginia Stars in their opening game of the PONY World Series being held in Raleigh, NC. The SWARM used their team speed to total ten hits in the contest including two each from Coree Price and Hannah Hoffman. Hoffman, Kristen Farley, and Jaime Evans each drove in runs for the SWARM. Other hitters included Lauren Wiley, Jenna Tullis, Jessie Carl, and Jessica Wasserbeck . Amber Church pitched four scoreless innings for the SWARM and escaped from a bases loaaded, no outs jam in the second inning with three straight stirkeouts. Church was relieved by newly acquired pitcher Jacqueline Macy in the fifth inning who then went the distance for the SWARM. Church ended the game with 10 ks while Macy totalled 4 ks. We are trying to keep our pitching fresh by not letting them go any more than four innings, said Coach Tom Evans. With this heat the girls can easily become dehydrated and overheated and we are watching their condition very closely. North Union ace Alison Davis will start for the SWARM in their next contest. The SWARM will continue World Series pool play on Tuesday facing the Berkshire Mass Blaze at 11:30 am and the NY Panthers at 9:30 pm. OHIO SWARM SOFTBALL ROLLS ON !
QUALIFIES FOR ANOTHER WORLD SERIES BIRTH! When the Ohio SWARM 16-U travel softball team decided to enter an 18-U USSSA World Series Qualfier the week before heading to the PONY Worlds Series in Raleigh, NC , they were a little concerned. "The girls wanted to try playing against older college level players", said Coach Tom Evans, "but we also needed to be sure that we headed to the Worlds Series on a positive note". Not to worry however as the SWARM took care of business and totally dominated the TLB 18-U Tournament in Benton Ridge , Ohio this weekend going 4-0. In the process they qualified for an amazing fifth postseason Worlds Series birth and won their third tournament this season. The SWARM began the weekend blanking J&D of Benton Ridge by a score of 8-0. They next shut out the Ohio Stars by a score of 7-0, then followed that up with a 9-0 thrashing of the Ohio Vipers. In the tournament championship game the SWARM again defeated J&D of Benton Ridge by a score of 5-1 to clinch the tournament trophy. Pitching again led the SWARM attack as Amber Church, Alison Davis, and Jessica Wasserbeck allowed only 6 hits and one run during the entire tournament. Church ended the weekend with 16 strikeouts, Davis 15 stikeouts, and Wasserbeck had 8 K's. Kristen Farley and Coree Price were the leading sluggers with six hits each while Davis, and Lauren Wiley each had five hits. Jaime Evans, Jenna Tullis, and Lauren Richardson had four hits apiece while Wasserbeck, Hannah Hoffman,and Jenn Sheets each had three hits. Jessie Carl rounded up the attack with two hits and several key sacrifices. The SWARM defense did not commit an error the entire weekend while the offense outscored the opposition at a 29-1 pace. "The girls are playing with great confidence and all of our injured players are back with us", said Evans. "We are about as ready as we can be to head to a Worlds Series Tournament". The SWARM will take it's 29-10 record to the Pony Worlds Series beginning Monday July 28th- through August 3rd.
The Ohio SWARM 16-U Girls Fastpitch travel team had a successful weekend at the Classics Fastpitch Tournament in Pickerington, OH winning four games against only two losses. The record was good enough for third place overall in the tournament and qualified the SWARM for a bid to the PONY Softball World Series which will be held in Raleigh, NC on July 28th. This was the third softball world series bid which the SWARM has qualified for this year. The SWARM started off the weekend with wins over the Worthington Heat by a score of 6-0, and the Lady Hustle by a score of 9-0. They then played a talented Ohio Stingray team which won the highly touted Sluggerfest Tournament in Cincinnati last weekend, but lost by a score of 5-0. Sunday the tournament elimination round began with a rematch against the Worthington Heat which the SWARM won by a score of 5-2. They then found themselves again matched against the Stingrays - but this time the outcome was different as the SWARM defeated the Stingrays 4 -0 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of SWARM supporters. "This was a big win for us", said Coach Jeff Hoffman. "Our pitcher, Amber Church was absolutely awesome and our girls played with the most intensity that they have shown all season." By defeating the Stingrays the SWARM guaranteed themselves a top four finish and a bid to the PONY Worlds Series. In the final game of the weekend the SWARM lost to the Raging Thunder of Youngstown, OH by a score of 4 to 1. Top hitters were Coree Price who went 10 for 16, Kristen Farley who went 5 for 15 with 6 RBIs while catching all six games, and Hannah Hoffman who went 5 for 17 with 5 RBIs including the game winning hit against the Stingrays. Price also scored nine runs while Lauren Wiley had five hits and scored seven runs. Alison Davis, Jessie Carl, Jennifer Sheets, Jaime Evans, and Jess Wasserbeck all hit successfully for the SWARM. SWARM pitching was led by Amber Church who threw 18 innings with 22 strikeouts and Alison Davis who threw 13 innings and notched 14 strikeouts. Jess Wasserbeck pitched the final 6 innings and totalled 6 strikeouts. The SWARM will head to Milford, OH over the Fourth of July weekend to play in the NSA State Championship tournament.
swept the highly touted Ft KnoxWorth USSSA Invitational softball tournament with five straight wins playing among teams from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In doing so, the team has earned a remarkable four separate Worlds Series bids in each of the USFA, NSA, PONY, and USSSA softball Associations. The SWARM began the weekend with a 6-0 victory over the Central Kentucky Slammers, then followed that up with a 2-0 victory over the Ft Wayne Force. They next defeated the Indiana Storm by a score of 2-1 in extra innings. In the tourney semi-final game the SWARM blanked the Real Deal of KY by a score of 4-0. Finally, the SWARM defeated a powerful Louisville Lady Sluggers team in the tournament championship with a hard fought 1-0 victory. Coach Glen Farley was elated with the teams performance saying, Our girls played error free softball and gave up only one run all weekend. When you tie that kind of performance with the pitching that we received from Amber Church and Alison Davis, you are going to be hard to beat. Amber Church was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player for pitching 20 innings and giving up only 6 hits and no runs. She dominated the opposition and struck out a total of 27 batters during the weekend. Three SWARM players were named to the All Tournament team including Alison Davis,Jaime Evans, and Kristen Farley. Davis pitched 11 innings and allowed only two hits while fanning 11 batters. She also had four hits and played excellent defense at third base. Evans had five hits for the SWARM and played a strong defensive tournament from her right field position. Farley caught all five games for the SWARM and gunned down all four attempted base stealers. She also had three hits including a triple. Strong performances were also turned in by Lauren Wiley who had five hits and scored five runs, and Hannah Hoffman who had four hits and played a solid first base. Jennifer Sheets and Jessie Carl had three hits apiece and played excellent defense for the SWARM while Jess Wasserbeck had two hits. Jenna Tullis was superb at second base and included a double play in her weekend. Its always fun when you win, said Coach Farley, but this team is as close knit and supportive of each other as any team that we have seen. They are also genuinely nice girls and nearly every team that we play comments on how friendly the SWARM is and how we win or lose with class. The SWARM will take their 25-10 record to Benton Ridge,OH next weekend where they will play in the TLB 18-U USSSA Qualifier Tournament in a tune-up for the season ending PONY Worlds Series to be held in Raleigh, NC on July 28 August 3rd. SWARM SWEEPS HEART OF OHIO TOURNAMENT! The Ohio SWARM won the 16-U division of the local Heart of Ohio Summer Celebration Tournament held over the weekend in Marysville. The SWARM compiled a record of 5 wins and no losses defeating the Magic from West Seneca, NY in the final game by a score of 5-0. The SWARM allowed only two runs during the entire tournament, while scoring twenty runs. Our team defense truly won the tournament, said Coach Glen Farley after the final game. Three times this weekend our opponents had the bases loaded with no outs, and our team held them scoreless each time. Our defense has really improved as we have gained experience this season. The SWARM again enjoyed tremendous pitching from Melissa Heckel and Alison Davis who combined for 5 wins, allowing only 15 hits and two runs over 30 innings. The two pitchers had a combined 32 strikeouts. The SWARM offensive attack was lead by Ashley Cline and Kristen Farley, each with five hits. Farley also had a home run and drove in seven runs. Other SWARM hitters included Jennifer Sheets with four, Alison Davis with three, and Jennifer Nelson and Brittany Rausch with two hits each. Hannah Hoffman and Jaime Evans also contributed hits to the SWARM attack. The coaching staff gave tribute to numerous players for outstanding defensive effort during the tournament including Brittany Rausch, Jaime Evans, Kristen Farley, Jennifer Nelson, Kelli Evans, Alison Davis and Ashley Cline. The SWARM will wrap-up their summer season this weekend playing in the ASA Eastern National Tournament to be held in Whitehall, Ohio. SWARM WRAPS-UP FIRST SEASON at 20-14! The OHIO SWARM ended it's first season with a final record of 20 wins and 14 losses. The team played a very tough schedule competing in seven national qualifying tournaments and playing against some of the best teams in the midwest. In spite of having a very young team the SWARM hung tough against all competition. They were beaten by more than 3 runs only five times all season!
SWARM ends 18&U Fall League at 7-1-2 ! The Ohio SWARM (16-U) wrapped up competition in the Delaware (18-U) fall league after the final tournament was washed out by rain on October 14th. The SWARM's record finshed at 7 wins, 2 ties, and only one loss ! It was a great fall for a 16-U team. Keep up the good work ladies - next year is looking very bright indeed for the SWARM!
The North Union Girls Basketball team played their hearts out - but suffered a last second, 56-55 loss to top seeded New Albany in the Central District Div III Championship game on March 1st. Still it was a remarkable season! The overall record for the team ended at 22-3 and The JV squad finished up their 2002 season UNDEFEATED! Congrads to the SWARM members of these teams, including Jennifer S, Jess W, Alison D, and Coree P. SWARM learns from Olympic Softball Star Several members of the Ohio SWARM (and friend) attended a clinic taught by Olympic Softball Goldmedal winner Michelle Vanturella on Jan 20th. Michelle put on an excellent clinic including an "extra-special" 20 minute catcher-only session. Shown in the photo are (Wood-ville friend)Lauren W, Kristen, Michelle Vanturella, Jaime, and Hannah. Missing from the photo are Amber, and Kelly E.
Div III Central District Tournament Thursday night with a convincing 4 to 1 win over Columbus Bishop Ready. The game was heard on WUCO Radio and three SWARM players received station awards after the game including Alison, Jaime, and Lauren. North Union's season record now stands at 25-1! Their next game will be held on Wed May 29th at the Regional Semi- finals in Lancaster, OH. SWARM players Alison, Hannah, Coree, Jamie, Jess, and Jenn, and Lauren continue to have strong seasons for North Union. Go WILDCATS !
the Central District Div 1 championship Wed evening in dramatic fashion coming back in the bottom of the eighth inning from a 2 run deficit and defeating Columbus DeSales by a score of 3-2. The game winning hits (two triples) by SWARM member Kristen F and ex-SWARMER Jenn N drove in all three winning runs! Jenna T also played rock solid defense for the Monarchs. Amber C continues to provide strong pitching to the Marysville squad with an ERA of .57 and nearly 10 strikeouts per game. The Lady Monarchs will next travel to Ohio State where they will play in the Regional Semi-finals. They have now won 17 the last 19 games and post a 20-7 record overall. Good Luck to Jenna , Amber, and Kristen- the SWARM members of the Marysville team! SWARM Goes 3-2 in Weekend Tourney The Ohio Swarm 16-U Girls fastpitch travel team had a winning weekend but lost in the semi-final game of the Columbus NSA Qualifier held this past weekend in Westerville, OH. The SWARM ended the tourney in third place overall. The team has now compiled a record of 10 wins vs 2 losses for the 2002 travel season. Pitching remained strong for the SWARM as Alison Davis, Amber Church, and Jess Wasserbeck combined for 27 strikeouts and allowed only three earned runs all weekend. Both losses, including one in extra innings, were the result of fielding errors and a lack of timely hitting. Top batters included Coree Price (6 for 15), Kristen Farley (3 for 6), Hannah Hoffman (4 for 9), and Jess Wasserbeck (4 for 9). Coach Tom Evans was philisophical on the weekend results. Not to make excuses, but five of our players were ill at various times over the weekend and at times we were lucky to field a team he stated. We are hopeful that everyone will get healthy before our next tournament. The SWARM will next play in the Stingray Invitational NSA Worlds Series Qualifier being held at Ohio State University this weekend.
Qualify for World Series in Panama City The Ohio SWARM 16-U travel softball team won seven straight games this weekend to capture the Summer Rebellion Softball Tournament held in Marion, OH against some stiff competition including the SGS Magic from Toledo, OH and the Ohio Heat from Fairborn, OH. In doing so they won the right to attend the USFA World Series to be held in Panama City,FL in late July, 2002. Strong pitching lead the team performance with local players Alison Davis, Jess Wasserbeck and Amber Church combining for 60 strikeouts in only 37 innings. The group allowed only 16 hits duringthe seven games, most of those when the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt. The SWARM banged out 57 hits and outscored the competition 38 runs to 10. Leading the swat parade was Coree Price with nine hits, while Hannah Hoffman and Alison Davis had eight hits each.Other big hitters included Lauren Wiley,Jennifer Sheets, and Lauren Richardson. Every member of the team got at least two hits during the weekend. Coach Jeff Hoffman was impressed by the teams performance noting that the SWARM had not even practiced together before the tournament began. The girls just hit it off and acted like they had been playing together for years, said Hoffman adding that the team is so well balanced that in spite of numerous players being missing during the tourney due to graduation activities and illness, there was never a problem filling a position. We seem to be at least three deep in every position said Hoffman. The SWARM did not expect to play in the tournament as up until last Wednesday ten of the twelve team players were still involved in the state high school softball playoffs for either Div III North Union or Div I Marysville High School. But, after both schools were unexpectedly knocked out of the state tournament, the team decided to put their losses behind them and quickly try to get back on the winning track. The SWARM will next play this coming weekend in the Columbus NSA World Series Qualifier being held in Westerville, OH. SWARM Goes 4-1 Earns Worlds Series Berth! The Ohio SWARM 16-U travel team compiled a record of 4 wins and 1 loss in the Stingrays NSA World Series Qualifier Tournament held at Ohio State University this past weekend. In doing so they secured an NSA-A World Series birth and raised their season record to 14-3. Outstanding pitching by Alison Davis, Amber C, and Jess W again paced the team's performance. The three pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and did not allow a single earned run over the entire weekend. Jenna Tullis stood out defensively staring in two double plays from her center field position. The SWARM batters were also successful out hitting the opposition by a margin of 36 to 13 and outscoring their opponents 20 to 4. Leading hitters were Hannah Hoffman with 7 hits, Kristen Farley and Coree P with 5 hits, and Alison Davis, Jennifer S and Jessie C with 4 hits each. Every SWARM player had at least one hit during the weekend. The SWARM defeated the Northwestern Taz 4 to 1, the Columbus Crush 9 to 0, the Central Ohio Lady Rebels 1 to 0, and the Wadsworth Rage 4 to 0. The team's sole loss was to the SGS Toledo in a game which ended on a controversial play in the bottom of the seventh inning. After being down by a score of 3-1 in the final frame, the SWARM fought back to 3 to 2 margin, then felt that they had tied the score on an apparent single by Jenna Tullis. Tullis was then called out at first by the field umpire ending the game with the SWARM one run down. The SWARM's performance earned them an invitation to the NSA-A World's Series which will be held in Chattanoga, TN on July 20-26, 2002. This makes the second world series bid earned by the SWARM in the past three tournaments. The SWARM will next play in the Slugger FestII Tournament which will be held in Cincinnati, OH next weekend. |
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