South Effingham Angels 18U GOLD: My Site News
Wednesday, March 4News from the Angels in college!
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| Marie just moments before she hits her first career HR in college. |
At Georgia Southern, Marie Fogle is seeing a lot of action and has become an important part of the starting line-up in her freshman year.
At USC-Sumter, Lauren Gentry is finding herself in several key roles and is playing a big part of that team.
Monday, July 6
Signings & Committments
2012 Commitments
Lindsey Wilcox - Georgia Southern
2011 Signees
Lexi Allen - Georgia Southern University
Betsy Braswell - Wingate College
Maddie Byrd - Univ. of SC Beaufort
Kayla Byrom - Shorter College
Laura Cardell - East Georgia College
Caitlin Campbell - Armstrong Atlantic State Univ
Heather Sexton - Augusta State
Nikki Sims - East Georgia College
Savannah Sloan - Jacksonville State University
Taylor Turner - Columbus State Univ.
Shelby Zipperer - Univ. of SC Beaufort
2010 Signees
Shelby Altman - Univ. of Georgia
Victoria Hilton - Young Harris College
Marlee Hollomon - Young Harris College
Samantha Howard - Waycross College
Ashlyn Newman - Univ. of West Georgia
Lorin Ricketson - Armstrong Atlantic
Lauren Wilcox - Armstrong Atlantic
2009 Signees
Brandi Brewer - Georgia Perimeter
Kali Carswell - Georgia College and State University
Kelly Delashmit - Georgia Tech
Tabby Douberley - Georgia Southern University
Kayla English - Middle Georgia College
Sarah Ling - Campbell University
Amy Nagel - Georgia Southern University
Katie Rietkovich - University of Georgia
Erin Wilson - Georgia Perimeter
2008 Signees
Becca Caldwell - Presbyterian College
Marie Fogle - Georgia Southern University
Lauren Gentry - University of South Carolina Sumter
Alison Kirkland - Chipola JC
Lauren Michalczyk - Aurora University
Our Policy:
All of these girls played in the Angel Gold organization during the time that their
college decision making process was being made and their play in this organization was
directly beneficial to them signing with the college listed. Or their college recommended
playing in the Angel organization prior to reporting to college and they credit the
Angels Gold to helping them get ready.
Monday, December 29
2009 Angel Grads Ink Scholarships
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Monday, March 31
Angels Finally Get the 2008 Season Underway
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| Bobby shows Sally how "he used to do it" |
THe 2008 season is finally underway. After snow and rain, the Angels finally got to play in the King of the Mountain tournament in Jackson, GA. THe highlights of the weekend were Cloth's no-hitter against the Slammers on Saturday afternoon and Marie's 1st homerun as an Angel.
Sally faced one batter over the limit in the first round of play in a 5 inning 2-0 win against the Slammer. A perfect way to start bracket play with an almost perfectly pitched game. Her only blemish was a lead off walk. Ah, that's OK! Way to go Cloth!
While Marie is no stranger to putting one out of the park, this was her first homerun in an Angel uniform. It came in the 2nd pool game against the Worth Cobras and proved to be the winning margin as the Angels won 2-1.
The Angels will play next in the XM GOLD Friendly.
Tuesday, April 1
All Three 2008 Graduating Angels will be heading off to college to play softball.
Marie Fogle to Georgia Southern, Ciara Knowles to Armstrong Atlantic and Lauren Michalczyk to Aurora University.
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Tuesday, March 4
Michalczyk Commits To Aurora University
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Sally and Katie named to High School All-State Team
The GACA announced its All-State teams for 2007-8 and there were the two orginal Angels honored in the AAA. Katie was a unanimous selection to the 1st Team All-State and Sally was named as an honorable mention. Both girls played for South Effingham High School which came in 5th in the state in AAA for the 2007-8 season.
Monday, December 17
ANGELS DECLARED BEST OF THEIR REGIONS!
The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association announced its All-Region teams for the 2007-8 high school softball season. Six Angels were listed amoungst the best players in their region and the state for this year.
In AAAA Region 3:
From Effingham County High School
Shelby Duff and Marie Fogle
From Glynn Academy
Lauren Michaelczyk
From Statesboro High School
Meghan Cassedy
In AAA Region 3:
From South Effingham High School
Sally Faircloth and Katie Rietkovich
CONGRATULATIONS ANGELS!
Monday, November 5
FOGLE TO SIGN WITH GEORGIA SOUTHERN!
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EFFINGHAM COUNTY, GA - MARIE FOGLE OF THE SOUTH EFFINGHAM ANGELS SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION AND EFFINGHAM COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL TO SIGN WITH GSU FOR WOMEN'S FASTPITCH SOFTBALL THIS WEDNESDAY.
On Wednesday November 14, 2008 at 8:00 AM Marie Fogle will officially sign a letter of intent to attend Georgia Southern University for Women's fastpitch softball next fall. The ceremony will take place in the media center on the campus of Effingham County High School off of highway 119 in Springfield, GA. Marie is a 4 year letterman for Effingham County High School and has been the school's starting catcher for all 4 years. Earlier in her career and then returning this past spring, Marie has played and now plays with the South Effingham Angels girls fastpitch travel softball team.
Marie becomes only the 2nd player ever in this area of Georgia to sign with an NCAA Division I women's softball program and follows last year's 1st ever signee, Megan Smith, in going just up the road to Georgia Southern. Like Fogle, Smith, who is now a freshman at GSU, also attended Effingham County High School. Fogle choose Georgia Southern over Armstrong Atlantic, UNC-Wilmington, and Brevard College just to name a few.
Statement from Ty Rietkovich, Head Coach of the 18u "A" Angels and the director for the South Effingham Angels softball organization :
"The entire Angel organization, from our "Lil Bitty" 10 and under team, all the way up to our 18u team, we are all excited for Marie and her family. This is such a great accomplishment for her and a huge step in her life. We are all proud to be a part of this. She is the first Senior in this organization and the first signee, so I guess we are 1 for 1 in getting our players placed in college. We are just so happy to be a part of it and to see it happen for her first hand. She is and always has had all the tools to be a great player. If I said I was surprised by her signing a division 1 scholarship, I would be lying. I think this is something I always knew would happen for her. It seems like only yesterday that we were sitting in my living room, starting this team and wondering where the road would take us. I guess now we know. She started her fast pitch career as an Angel and I am beyond happy to say that she is finishing it that way too. It was very fortunate for Marie and for the Angels that she returned to the organization this past summer like she did. Once she got to playing out of this little area of the world, got back to playing with us and got a chance to be seen in some of the right tournaments with us, it was amazing how the interest grew in her as a softball player. To Marie's credit, she also has the academics to go along with her athletic skills. Her athletic ability opened the door fast, but her academic ability allowed her to walk through those doors. So many college coach's wanted to know where she had been and why they didn't know about her. It was scary, but all of that is over and now we can all breath a sigh of relief. As she and I have said, it all happens for a reason. It is a time of celebration!
I want to personally thank Coach Pace at Effingham County HS for letting us work together to help Marie. She runs a good program and those college coach's who followed up to see Marie play this past fall with her and the high school were all very impressed with the team, Coach Pace and the program in general. She and I have been in constant communication since early August on making sure we each knew what the other was doing to help Marie. Things like, who was watching the games, who was calling to get more information, all of that is information that we both needed in order to make sure Marie had as many choices as possible and to make sure Marie made the right choice. Without this level of support and communication, I am not sure this would have all happened. It is amazing what happens when the high school and the travel coach work together for the betterment of the kids. From the stories I hear, it is not this way in all parts of Georgia and this country. But thank goodness for the kids who live in Effingham County it is here. We have a great working relationship with the head coach's at both schools in this county and we appreciate it. I want Coach Pace to know how much I appreciate her willingness to allow us to work together for these kids sake and for her support of what we are doing in the Angel organization and us towards her program."
Tuesday, June 19
Angels Show Off New Look and Skills at the Dynamite Classic
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| Shelby Brings the Heat! |
The Angels would like to say thanks to the many schools that took information and/or took the time to stop by and watch us play. If you did not get an information booklet on the Angels, please e-mail me and I will send one to you.
Monday, March 6
ASA "A" Class Season Opener Brings Promise to 2007 Season
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| ANGELS EVERYWHERE! |
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1st Angel Clinic Huge Success
Over 30 of the younger Angels showed up at Bobby Oglesby Field Saturday for the first Angel offensive clinic. The Big Angels worked with their younger counterparts on hitting and baserunning. Afterwards there was a big dinner that everyone enjoyed. Just another great part of being in the Angel family.
Wednesday, November 1
Angels Receive Their Championship Rings
The Angels were rewarded recently for their outstanding play at the ASA 16u Nationals by receiveing their first ever National Championship Rings.
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ANGELS WIN 16U ASA EAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
Altamonte Springs, FL - Fastpitch softball has come a long way in South Georgia. Six years ago there were no teams and now there is a National Champion. The Angels qualified for the 16u East B Nationals a few weeks ago and Sunday they defeated the North Georgia Blast 5-2 to bring the first ever National Championship to South Georgia. The Angels began their impressive run by going 2-0 in the pool games. First defeating the Lady Merchants from Syracuse, NY 3-1 and later in the day defeating the Mass Intensity from Worchester, Mass 9-1. Securing a #1 seed in the double elimination tournament, the Angels opened tournament play with a win over the North Coast Stingers from Ohio 8-2. Later that day an impressive 8-0 win over the Lebanon Explosion from Lebanon, PA put the Angels into the quarter finals of the winners bracket. Saturday was the day for intra-state games. First up was a game vs the Roswell, GA Riptide which the Angels took 6-1. And then later it was a semi-final match up against the North Georgia Blast from Acworth with the same results 6-1. With the win the Angels qualified for the championship game on Sunday. The North Georgia Blast won the right to face off against he Angels in the championship. Needing to win only 1 more game, the Angels wasted no time. After taking a 1-0 lead in the 3rd, they added 3 more in the 4th and 1 more in the 5th for a 5-0 before the blast could even break on to the scoreboard. For the Blast a mere run in the 5th and one more in the bottom of the 7th was not enough as the Angels took home the championship with a 5-2 win.
On the mound the combination of Cloth and Kirkland kept all opponents in check during the perfect 7-0 run. On offense Austin stayed hot and went 11 for 21 for a .524 ave. Duff and Cloth both had good tournament as they were 9 for 25 (.360) and 7 for 21 (.333) respectively. Also on offense in the final two games of the tournament, Meghan went 5 for 5 with 1 HR and Katie went 4 for 6.
The Angels will now take a break as all of the players join their friends to represent their respective schools in the upcoming fall season.
Monday, July 17
ASA NATIONALS, HERE WE COME!
For the first time ever, a "team" from the Coastal Empire will be attending one of the ASA National Championship tournaments in fast pitch softball. These Angels won a berth to the 14u ASA Nationals last year, but were unable to accept the bid due to family scheduling conflicts. The same would not be said again for this year.
These Angels with their sites set on attending this years event will accept the berth extended to them and proudly travel to Altamonte Springs, FL for the ASA 16u B East National tournament July 26-30, 2006. This will mark the first time a team from this area has played in any of the ASA Nationals for fast pitch softball.
The goal for next year is the ASA 16u A Nationals.
Tuesday, June 27
ANGELS STORM "ROCKY TOP" AND WIN JOE CALDWELL CLASSIC
What happens when you get over 60 teams from 6 states? You get a pretty darn good tournament. What happens when the Angels go to a pretty darn good tournament? They play even better. And that is exactly what happened when the Angels traveled to Pigeon Forge, TN June 22 for their first time ever in the very prestigious Tennessee USSSA Joe Caldwell Classic. In the 16u, there were 15 teams from 6 states. And in the end, it was the Angels taking home the 1st place trophy.
In the first seed game on Friday night, the Angels defeated the West Virginia Lightning 3-1. On Saturday, in the 2nd seed game, the Angels defeated the Blount Co.(TN) Flames 8-0. On the mound, Shelby got the win and Little Angel Rachel Lavernz came in and got the save. Shelby and Katie were both 2 for 3 at the plate. Austin had a big hit and got 2 RBI's early to put the game out of reach. Going 2-0 in the pool play earned the Angels the #1 seed in their pool and a date with the Tennessee Top Dawgs.
In round 1 of the tournament the Top Dawgs proved to be no match for Sally as she pitched another shutout and the Angels won 4-0. Sally had 7 K's and 0 BB's, while only allowing 3 runners to reach base via a hit. At the plate, Kaylee broke open a 1-0 game with a 3 RBI's home run scoring Kayla and Alison in front of her. With the win the Angels advanced to take on an opponent they knew, the Georgia Impact.
Much like the game back in March, this one was going to be another tightly contested game with the Angels squeaking out the 1-0 win. Alison got the win on the mound for the Angels with the shutout, only allowing 2 hits while striking out 9 and walking 1. The Angels got their only run in the 3rd when after 2 outs, Kat hit a rocket off of the bottom of the fence for a stand up double and then Megan followed that with a RBI double of her own down the left field line scoring Kat from 2nd. The play was not as simple as it may have sounded. The play at the plate was interesting as the catcher tried to block the baseline to catch the ball and was holding Kat down while she tried to take the throw. The throw got by and Kat was finally able to get up, tag home and secure the win for the Angels.
For the finals on Sunday it came down to another familiar foe, the Little Trouble from Georgia. In the semi-final the Angels let it be known that this game would not go like the first 2 times we had played as they cruised to a 4-1 win behind some stellar pitching from Sally and Alison. As expected the Little Trouble came back through the losers bracket. Then in the championship game the Lil Trouble got some revenge with a 6-1 win to force the "If" game. However, in the final game the Angel offense and defense got back on track and came away with a 5-0 shutout win and the first ever championship at their first ever tournament in the State of Tennessee. In the win, Sally was awesome, only giving up 1 hit and completely shuting down the Trouble offense. For the offense, the big blow came off the bat of Shelby in the 3rd with Kaylee and Megan on, she sent a rocket to the fence for an inside the park home run and 3 RBI's. For insurance, KT followed that with a double and Austin got her in with the back to back double.
Wednesday, June 7
SALLY FAIRCLOTH WINS 100th GAME AS AN ANGEL!
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| Sally shows that winning style! |
If you are an Angel, you know that Sally Faircloth is the bomb! She is one of the top pitchers in Southeast Georgia and has always been an Angel. On March 25, 2006 in the Championship game of the NSA Irish Jig, Sally recorded her 100th win as an Angel. In the 7-5 win over the Lady Outlaws, Sally recorded 6 strikeouts and only gave up 4 hits.
While in her career, which includes 3 GRPA State Tournament appearances and 2 State Championships, two seasons as the lead pitcher for Ebenezer Middle School, and 1 year on the South Effingham high school varsity and JV team, she has over 150 wins. This mark only includes those wins while pitching for the Angels.
CONGRATULATIONS SALLY!
Monday, May 1
Angels take 3rd place in the Gold Division of "Queen of Diamonds"
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| Shelby was just too fast! |
Monday, March 20
Angels push a few people off in the King of the Mountain
Every March, the Angels have looked forward to playing in the annual Camfast "King of the Mountain" tournament for two reason. 1, they like to see how they match up against the teams from North Georgia and 2, they like seeing the faces of people when they wonder who we are on Sunday. For the 3rd year in a row, the Angels have made it deep into the tournament on Sunday when many thought they would be long gone. But this group from Effingham County, GA likes to prove people wrong. After going 2-0 in pool play by beating Lethal 5-0 and Powerstoke 6-0, the Angels got a 1st round bye in the tournament. The first round bye did not work out to our advantage as we had to face a very good Georgia Mustang team that put the Angels into the losers bracket. Facing a possible quick trip home the Angels got back on track with a 2-0 win over the Macon Trouble. With the win, the Angels were poised to make a Sunday morning return and a chance to come back through the loser bracket.
First up on Sunday morning was a rematch with the Georgia Powerstoke team. Getting 6 runs in the first led to a 10-3 win and the Angels moving on. Next up was the Domintars from Evans and again the Angels moved on with a 9-3 win. Just when it seemed that the Angels were poised to make another run at the championship game, the Little Trouble put an end to the day for the Angels with a 3-0 win.
The Angels finished 5th in the tournament, but made some noise along the way.
Wednesday, March 29
Angels show the field how to do the Irish Jig
In their first ever NSA event, the Angels returned to one of their favorite places to play and came away as the champions of the 2006 NSA Irish Jig. Over the years, the Angels have played well at Mill Creek Park in Statesboro, GA. This year in their first official tournament there as 16 and unders, the Angels went 4-0 and took home first place.
The Angels wasted no time getting things going in the first game as they scored 6 runs in the 1st inning and cruised to a 12-0 win over the Lady Racers. Getting off fast seemed to be the tale of the day as they scored 6 runs in the 1st inning of their 2nd game against the Georgia Legends in route to a 9-7 win. In game #3, the Angels came out swinging again and scored 4 runs in the 1st in route to a 6-4 win over the Heatwave. In the Championship game, it took the bats a little while longer to get going, but when they did, the Angels carved out a 7-5 win over the Lady Outlaws.
Sunday, April 9
Angels Win First Ever Carolina Beach Bash
On a weekend when many tournaments got rained out across the State of Georgia, the Angels took off to Bluffton, SC and won the 1st Ever Carolina Beach Bash. After going 3-0 in pool play and being awarded the #1 seed, the Angels were leading the Manning Wolverines 6-0 when the rain finally made it to the low country of SC. Unable to finish the tournament the Angels were awarded first placed based on their performance throughout the day. On the mound, both Cloth and Duff were 2-0, while Sarah recorded 2 saves. The pitchers only allowed 2 hits and 1 earned run in 4 games, WOW!
The Angels will take Easter weekend off to be with their families.
14U USFA STATE CHAMPIONS!
In the 6 years of existence for the Angels, they have played and won a lot of tournaments, however, the one title (so to speak) that has eluded them as a travel team is the title of State Champion.# Well we can say that no more! This past weekend the Angels playing in their final tournament as a 14U team won the USFA Fall State Tournament, in Dublin, GA. The Angels were the only team to go undefeated through the brackets of all of the age groups played this weekend, a perfect 5-0! A tough 14 team field, with some teams stacked trying to win the title and/or just beat the Angels, all gathered at the Southern Pines Complex in Dublin, GA. But none of them stacked up to the Angels in this final tournament for them in 2005.
GAME 1
The tournament started on Saturday with the Angels taking the opener from the Velocit-e 9-2. Cloth started, gave up no runs, got the win and Torie came in and got the save on the mound. Both pitchers looked good after several weeks off from any live competition pitching. At the plate, Shelby and Katie went a combined 5 for 5 and scored 5 runs. Torie also had a nice game at the plate as the EH going 2 for 3.
GAME 2
Old friends meet again! Game 2 saw the Angels having to take on one of their toughest opponents all year, the Georgia Heat - Orange. These two teams have played tough games all year and this one was no different. In the bottom of the 1st Megan walked and got to 3rd on Kaylee's single. Then Shelby knocked her in for the only run of the game as the Angels won 1-0. Is is either the 4th or 5th time this year that a Georgia Heat/Angel game has been decided by 1 run. Sally was stellar on the mound, going the whole way, not allowing a run, striking out 9.
GAME 3
Not sure who planned this, but Sunday morning had the Angels vs. the Angels. Our Angels were set to take on the newly formed Beaufort Angels (a combination of the Beaufort Bombers and the Carolina Angels). However, the Angels from the Southside of the Savannah river opened the flood gates in the top of the first and never looked backed in a 10-1 win. Our Angels sent 12 batters to the plate and scored 7 runs to erase any doubt in the outcome of the game. On the mound Shelby and Torie pitched wonderfully only allowing the 1 run and only 1 hit. At the plate, Katie, Austin and Meghan went a combined 6 for 7 and scored 5 of the 10 runs between them.
GAME 4 - Semi Final
In the game to decide who would move on to the championship game, the Angels had to square off against the other half of the Georgia Heat organization, the Georgia Heat - Black. Again the Angels took the lead early and never looked back in an 8-3 victory. At the plate, after Shelby singled, Katie sent a very loud message to the Heat when she hit a 225 yard 2 run home run shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the first to put the Angels up 2-0. Again the #3 & 4 slots, Shelby and Katie went a combined 4 for 5 and scored 4 of the 8 runs. On the mound, Sally baffled the Heat striking out 7 of the 18 she batters she faced.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
With a lot of teams already home taking showers and getting ready for school the next day, the Georgia Heat Black defeated the Orange for the right to come back and play the Angels for the Championship. But again, the Angels proved to be too much and took a 7-1 victory to win their first ever State Championship title. Cloth and Shelby combined on the mound to keep the Heat off balance, Cloth got the win and Shelby came in for the save and struck out the side in the bottom half of the final inning. At the plate, Kaylee was a perfect 2 for 2 and scored 2 runs before hurting her knee in the 3rd.
2005 USFA STATE CHAMPIONS - South Effingham Angels
2nd Place - Georgia Heat - Black
3rd Place - Georgia Heat - Orange
4th Place - Beaufort Angels
5th Place - Southern Pride/Milldegville Wildcats
Also in the tournament - Savannah Indians, Velocit-e, Georgia Rockers, Jazz, South Georgia Chaos, Diamond Girls, Thunder Katz and the Georgia Heat - Elite.
Congratulations to all these tough teams, what a great tournament and GOOD LUCK in the rest of 2005!
# The Angel team were the group that represented Effingham County in the 2003 and 2004 GRPA State Championships. But they played under the ECRD name and not as just Angels.
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| 2005 STATE CHAMPS! |
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For the first time in the history of girls fastpitch softball in Southeast Georgia a team from this area qualified for the ASA Nationals. Never has a team from this part of the state received a bid. The 14U South Effingham Angels did just that last Saturday in Spartanburg, SC when they finished 2nd in the ASA South Atlantic Regionals. Unfortunately with the upcoming school season as a major conflict, the team had to decline the invitation. But the fact that one was earned should not be lost. The ASA Nationals is the most prestigious tournament in the country. Unlike the ISA, USSSA, USFA and dozens of other associations, tickets to this big dance must be earned and not just handed out. All of the best teams in the country will be there.
Congratulations to all the girls for showing they belong with the best teams in the country.
Angels 3-Peat as Firecracker Champions!
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| Meghan and Kaylee accept the 1st Place Trophy, AGAIN! |
With a 3 pool game to a single elimination format for this year's event, it was important for the Angels to come out ready to play. And that they did on the hottest day of the year. The first game they defeated the 17 U Carolina Angels 8-5. Sally got the win on the mound with help from Torie who pitched 2 good innings in the middle. At the plate, Meghan and newcomer Kayla both went 1 for 2 to help propel the offense.
In the 2nd game, the Angels faced the 17U Southeast Crusaders. Again the Angels came out on top, this time by a 6-5 score. On the mound Torie started and pitched well, and Sally finished the game and got the win as the Angels scored 2 in the top of the 7th to break a 4-4 tie. At the plate Katie and Sally led the way, both going 2 for 3.
In the 3rd pool game the Angels finally faced a familiar foe from a year ago, the now 17U Coastal Heat. These two teams had not met since last year when both teams were in the 14U division. This time the Angels came out on top 5-4 with an extra inning win. On the mound Torie pitched great until she finally tired in the 6th and then Sarah came on and finished the game and got the win. The big story at the plate was Torie's 8th inning bunt/hit that scored Sally easily from 2nd with the winning run. After going 3-0 in pool play the Angels earned the #1 seed in the single elimination tournament.
After an hour rain delay, the Angels finally faced off against the Southeast Crusaders for the Championship. If there was any doubt who the best team was on the day, the Angels let it be known by taking a 10-0 lead after 3 innings and cruising to a 12-4 6-inning win for the championship. Again, Torie took to the mound and pitched great and got the win, Sally was able to come on and close out the game. In the championship game, Kaylee thrilled the hometown crowd with an easy inside the park homerun with a cannon shot in the right centerfield gap that broke open the game early.
For their efforts, Austin, Meghan and Katie were named to the All-Tournament team and Torie was named the tournaments MVP. On this very hot day, Torie pitched 14 innings and only gave up a couple of earned runs while driving in the winning run in one of the pool games and helping herself out several other times.
Congratulations to all the Angels for a great tournament. Now it is on to Panama City and the USFA World Series.
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| WE ARE FAMILY! |
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The Angels took to the road to Jacksonville this Memorial Day weekend and came away with a hard fought come from behind championship against some VERY good teams. With last inning come from behind tournament wins over the Total Impact and Jacksonville Fusion, the Angels were very happy to carry home this years first place trophy.
The Angels will be playing next in their own back yard in the ISA tournament in Rincon.
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| Hey this place even has a rest room! |
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When the Angels left for Columbus, they knew a tough tournament lied ahead, and tough it was. Loaded with several of the best A teams from Atlanta, the Angels would have to be at their best. But while the pitching and defense were good enough, the offense could not produce runs and therefore the Angels finished 6th out of the 10 teams after losing two 1 run heartbreakers.
The Angels opened the tournament pool play with an outstanding game against the Atlanta Blitz. A class A team they had not faced since the 2003 Flag City. This time the two teams would battle scoreless for 5 innings. Finally with time expired and the Blitz batting in the bottom half of the inning, a wonderfully executed suicide squeeze produced a 1-0 win for the Blitz.
The Angels followed that game with a 5-0 shutout of the Columbus Silver Bullets. The highlight of the game was not even the game itself, but playing the game in the beautiful Olympic stadium in Columbus, GA, site of the 1996 Olympic games and a USA Gold Medal effort.
The single elimination tournament began on Sunday with a game against a very fine Georgia Heat team. The Angels had defeated the Georgia Heat the previous 4 times they had played, but this time, it was the visitors that got the best of a 2-1 score.
The Angels will be off the weekend of May 21 for local high school graduation cerimonies, but will be back in action the weekend of May 28-29 in Jacksonville, Florida for the River City Memorial Day tournament.
Sunday, April 10
Angels Find a Golden Egg at the USFA Easter Basket Torn.
For the 2nd week in a row, the Angels found themself in a tough tournament full of good teams. This past weekend it was Dublin, GA for the USFA Easter Basket. However, once again the Angels found a way to make it the championship game and take home the first place trophy.
The day started out not in the Angels favor as their opponent for their first game, the Savannah Redbirds, dropped out, leaving the Angels with a forfeit win and nobody to play until 3 PM. In that game the Angels faced a good Georgia Heat - Orange team. After the Georgia Heat took a 1-0 early lead, the Angels came back to go ahead 5-1 in the next inning and go on to a 6-2 victory. Cloth got the win on the mound and Torie picked up her 9th save of the year as a closer. J-Lo led the offence going 2 for 2 with a single and a double and she scored a run.
In the next game, the Angels faced another Georgia Heat team this time the one from Effingham. This game proved to be as interesting as the first game of the day as the Angels squandered several scoring opportunities, while Cloth kept things under control on the mound. With the score 0-0 and out of game time, the game went to the shootout. Finally in the first extra inning, the Angels broke open the game with 4 runs in the top of the inning and holding the Georgia Heat to 1 in the bottom half. Cloth got the win, striking out 11 batters in the game while scattering 3 hits. Meghan and Kat both had good games at the plate going 2 for 3. The win propelled the Angels to the championship game for the 3rd time in 4 tournaments this year.
Then in the biggest game of the day, the championship, the Angels faced a very good Heatwave team. The Heatwave struck for 2 runs right off the bat in the top of the 1st. But the Angels answered with 3 in the bottom half and from then on Torie took control on the mound and did not allow any more runs. Shelby came in and got the save in the final inning. At the plate, KT went 2 for 2 and scored 2 runs. The final was 7-2.
The Angels will be off next weekend.
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The Angels started their 5th season together in fine fashion by sweeping through the USFA Fastpitch Frenzy tournament in Dublin, GA March 5. The Angels set the tone early and never let up. Great defense and timely offense helped the team win its first tournament of the 2005 season. Defense was the key to the day as the Angels went 4-0 through the tournament and only allowed 3 runs in those 4 games. The Angels started the tournament with a 7-0 win over the South Georgia Blaze. Next up a tough 2-1 win over the Thunder Katz. Then the Angels defeated the Diamond Girls 4-1 to advance to the Championship. In the Championship, the Angels defeated the Thunder Katz again, but this time by a more comfortable score of 8-1.
The Angel will be off next weekend as the travel to Columbia, SC to watch the Lady Gamecocks softball team play the LSU Tigers in college softball.
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ANGELS WIN USFA WINTER TIME SPECIAL!
Playing in their first tournament of the fall, the Angels wasted no time setting the tone of things to come by winning the 11 team event held at Southern Pines in Dublin, GA. Sponsored by the USFA of Georgia, the event had 11 good teams from all of Georgia.
The Angels opened up with a 3-2 win over the Georgia Heat(orange). Cloth was the winning pitcher and Austin led the way at the plate going 2 for 2 scoring a run and knocking in the winning run.
In the next game, the Angels faced the Lady Racers of Savannah. Here the Angels got off to a fast start, scoring 3 runs in the top of the first and never looking back. Shelby was the winning pitcher and Torie got the save. Kat was a leader at the plate going 2 for 2 and scoring 1 run. Kaylee also had a nice game scoring 2 runs. Shelby had 2 RBI's to lead in that catagory. Final score was Angels 9- Racers 2.
Next up was the Heatwave from Swainsboro. A great defensive game saw the Angels end up on top 2-1. Torie started the game and held down the Heatwave batters for the 1st 2 innings, then Cloth came in in relief and got the win when the Angels scored the go ahead run in the top of the 4th. Shelby had a good game at the plate going 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI. Kat sacrificed in the winning run with a beautiful bunt bringing Sarah in home from 3rd in the 4th.
Next up was the Dominators from Augusta. Another great game saw the Angels win 3-1. Cloth pitched 4 great innings stiking out 6 and only walking 1 to get the win. The hero at the plate was KT Bug, whose 2 RBI double in the 3rd broke open a 1-1 tie.
The tournament director ended the tournament at midnight with the Angels as the only undefeated team and too many games left in the losers bracket to complete the tournament in one night. With travel and cold, it was a good decision on his part.
Saturday, November 13
ANGELS TAKE 2nd IN USFA FALL STATE
The Angels returned to Dublin, GA for a second week in a row, this time to participate in the USFA Fall State tournament. As the ole saying goes "when you are hot you are hot and when you are not you are not" would apply to this tournament. The Angel bats were hot for two games, and two games they were not, simple as that.
After a warm-up game win against the Blitz, 4-0, the Angels started the tournament with a good win over the ME Sting 8-0. Cloth got the win with a fine 0 run 4 strikeout performance. At the plate Kaylee, Shelby and KT Bug all had good games, all going 2 for 2 and each scored 2 runs. KT Bug led in the RBI department with 3.
As the afternoon got colder, so did the Angel bats. In the next game against the Southern Pride, the Angels could not produce a run in a 9-0 defeat. Shelby pitched a good game, but too many errors, some physical, some mental, cost the Angels the chance to keep this one close.
Showing some pride of their own, the Angels came back through the losers bracket and again defeated the ME Sting, this time 10-1 to advance to the championship game. Torie pitched well in the game allowing only the one run to cross the plate. On offense, Megan had a great game scoring 3 runs, with 2 hits and an RBI.
The championship game was a good one in which the Angels just did not take advantage of the opportunities to score against the Southern Pride and they left the bases loaded in the last inning of a 4-2 defeat. Cloth pitched well in defeat. Getting out of several jams and keeping the Pride batters off balance until the Angel offense could get going. On offense, the Angels threatened in their half of the last inning, but a line shot off of Shelby's bat with the bases loaded ended the game and a great last gasp effort by the Angels.
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They say that the best teams save their best for the end. If this is true, then the Angels really saved their best for last. Playing in the CAM Fast World tournament for the first time this past weekend, the Angels qualified for the GOLD or A class. In the 3 year history of the Angels, they have never ventured into this highly competitive level of play. So after going 2-1 in pool play, the Angels decided to accept the invitation to play in the GOLD and see how they stack up against the other 19 teams in the tournament. Needless to say, just as this team has done time and time again, when the sun came up on championship Sunday and their were only 4 teams left, the Angels were one of them. Gone were several very good teams who had much more experience in A class ball and still going were the girls from Southeast Georgia.
After opening the tournament on Saturday by going 2-1 in pool play and with wins over the Atlanta Blaze and the Winston Rebels, a very close and suspect last inning loss the the Georgia Classics in the pouring rain, put the team as either the #2 seed from their pool in the GOLD division of the #1 seed from their pool in the SILVER or B division. Deciding to go for it the team choose the GOLD and never looked back.
A first round win over the East Cobb Cobras put them up against the eventual GOLD champion, the Georgia Silver Bullets. Getting knocked in to the losers bracket might have been the end for a lot of weaker teams, but not the Angels. They rebounded with a dramatic come from behind 5-1 win over a much older Tallahassee Merchants team from Florida. This is the same team that knocked the Angels out of the Wild Adventures tournament, so sending them back to Tallahassee was a nice way of paying them back. That game ended at 12:45 AM and forced the Angels to return Sunday morning if they wanted to have a chance to win it all.
When they returned Sunday, they found the East Cobb Cobras waiting for them.. The Cobras had eliminated the Macon Trouble on their way back. However, if the Cobras had any hope of winning the tournament the Angels cancelled those plans with some outstanding defensive play and very timely hitting. However, in the next game, the run for the championship ended as the Angels lost to the Browns Mill Lady Jackets.
USSSA of Georgia Honors Angels
USSSA of Georgia awarded the Angels with the 2nd place trophy in the 12 and under B division for the 2003 season. USSSA awards points to teams that play in their tournaments and are registered with their association. Out of the 60 teams in Georgia the Angels came in 2nd in the points standings.
Also recognized by USSSA were four Angel players. Pitcher Sally Faircloth, infield/outfielder Kaylee Lanier, catcher/shortstop Joni Lynn and infielder Katie Rietkovich all landed on the 12 and under "All-Georgia" team for their outstanding play during the 2003 season.
The team and players were recognized at the USSSA banquet on January 31 at the Crowne Plaza in Macon, GA.
Wednesday, February 25
"ANGELS" 5k Run for Stacey Raises over $4,000
The South Effingham Angels organization held a 5k run/walk to benefit the family of Stacey Bryant. Stacey's younger sister LB has been a member of the Angel family for 3 years and this past December Stacey was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. She is presently undergoing treatment at the Anderson/Memorial Cancer Treatment Center in Savannah. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Angel organization are with Stacey each and every day!
This event was held at the South Effingham High School track in Guyton, GA. Proceeds were donated to the Bryant family to help offset the costs of treatment for Stacey. Anyone wishing to help, please make checks payable to the "Angels run for Stacey".
We appreciate all those who took a moment away from your softball schedule to come help, we all appreciated it.
A special thanks to the Effingham Georgia Heat, The Lady Outlaws, The Diamond Girls and the Extreme Heat for donating time and/or money to help us help one of our own.
Stacey We Will Miss You!
We regret to inform everyone that Stacey Bryant passed away this morning, Friday February 18, 2005. Her battle with liver cancer has inspired us all. The cancer may have finally won, but in our minds it is Stacey who was the winner for not allowing it to deprive her of her zeal for life during these last 14 months. She was our hero until the end. The Angels of mercy have taken her now.
All of our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bryant Family during this time of grieving over the loss of Stacey. LB, Barbara and Mathew we pray for you. We pray for Uncle Kenny and Aunt Brenda, please be strong. And to Joni, Danielle, Kim and Tony we wish you peace with the loss of your niece and close cousin.
THE ENTIRE ANGEL FAMILY MOURN'S THE TERRIBLE LOSS OF STACEY BRYANT! Our only comfort is knowing she is resting in peace. We ask God to please take care of her now that she is in his hands.
As soon as find out the arrangements, we will let everyone know.
Angels Represent!
Congratulations to all the Angels who tried out for their respective school teams. Every Angel who tried out, both from the 14U and 12U , made their teams. From the 14U Angels, first it was Shelby, Torie and Kayla making it at ECHS. Shelby as a freshman has already been named to the varsity. Then Austin, Katherine, Katie, Megan, Sally and Sarah all made the cut at SEHS. Meghan C., Statesboro, and Kaylee, Bulloch Academy, both secured spots on their school teams.
Good luck to all the girls and their respective teams. Mr. Bobby and I are very, very PROUD!
April Anarky proves to be Good Tournament for the Angels
This years first trip to Florida proved to be extremely rewarding for the Angels as they win the 6 team April Anarky sponsored by the River City Softball Organization. Facing a group of teams that had all given the Angels stiff competition in the past, winning the tournament was going to be tough. All of the games featured great pitching and timely hitting.
In the first game, the Angels played and defeated the Jacksonville Raiders 10-3. The final score is really no indication of how the game went. The Angels only led 1-0 through the first 2 innings. However in the top of the 3rd, the Angels scored 3 times to open their lead to 4-0. However, in the bottom of the 3rd, the Raiders put 3 on the board themselves, to make it a 4-3 game. Then in the 4th, the Angels decided to put it away by scoring 6 more runs. Sally, got the win and Torie the save on the mound. Shelby led the hitting by going 2 for 3, scoring 2 runs and adding 2 RBI. The highlight of the hitting was the 225 foot over the fence home run shot by Katie in the 3rd.
Next up in the winners bracket was the Southern Pride from Valdosta, GA. A good team that had defeated the Angels both times they played in 2004. This time a "never say die" attitude and some very timly hitting propelled the team in to the championship game. Down 2-0 the Angels had been held scoreless through the first 3 innings. Facing an expired clock, the Angels found a way to score 3 in the bottom of the 4th to take the win, 4-3. In the 4th, Katie led off with a double, then while J-Lo was batting, she stole 3rd. Joni's hit went to the 3rd baseman, who came home with the throw to nail Katie trying to score. However, when the Southern Pride catcher was called for obstruction for blocking the plate before the throw arrived, Katie's run counted and the lead was now 2-1. Austin's ground out moved Joni to 2nd. After Meghan popped out, the final hope was Cloth. Sally's hit back to the pitcher was overthrown at first putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out. Then the most timely hit of the tournament came as Kat drilled the first pitch into the outfield gap scoring both runners.
In the championship game the Angels had to face that same Southern Pride team. This time and ever tighter game was won by the Angels 2-1. In the game, Cloth pitched well, striking out 8, walking none, and only allowing 2 hits. The only run was unearned.
The Angels will be playing again this weekend in Dublin in the USFA Easter Basket.
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| Angels and Southern Pride Strike the Pose |
Tuesday, May 16
Angels make a run for the Border
This past weekend the Angels took a ride up to Augusta, GA for the WFC Battle of the Borders. With 9 teams it looked to be a pretty tough tournament. The Angels started the day with wins over the Harlem Rebels (7-2) and the WTW Lightning (7-3). In both games the Angels got two runs in the top of the 1st as KT led off with a single and in both games, 2 batters later, Shelby hit home runs to bring in KT. But the midday game proved to be a mystery, after getting the start time mixed up, the Angels looked like a team that had had too much too eat. The 6-5 loss to the Georgia Pride put the Angels in the losers bracket. Not to be let down, the Angels came back three times to defeat the Lexington Extreme 9-7. However in the next game against the Dominators, the Angels kicked themselves to the curb by committing 5 errors in the first inning giving the Dominators 6 unearned runs. Giving the Dominators a 6-0 lead was more than we could overcome and the Angels bowed out 9-4 to take home 4th place.
The Angels will take the weekend of May 20 off to prepare for the back to back NSA and USFA state tournaments in June.
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| Torie, Kayla and Shelby get in some sliding practice between games. |
Friday, March 30
King of the Mountain - 4th Place - Gold Division
Our 2nd trip to the Atlanta area was a little better than the 1st one. This time we went to Jackson, GA for the annual King of the Mountain. After a 1-0-1 finish in the pool play, the Angels went on a run of good play and finished 4th in the Gold division of the tourament.
Angels Take 2 from Bombers
Instead of traveling for a tournament the Angels took to the road to Beaufort for a double header against the Beaufort Bombers on Saturday April 30. With beautiful weather at hand, the Angels looked like they had taken no time off at all. Scoring 17 runs in the 1st game and holding the Bombers scoreless. Cloth and Duff combined for a 1 hitter. In the 2nd game, the Bombers came alive, scoring early. However in the end, the Angels again came out on top 8-3. Torie started the game and got the win, Sarah came in and closed the game and recorded the save. The Angels return to tournament action on Saturday May 7 in the Let's Rumble in Dublin, GA.
Angels can take the heat at the USFA "Crankin Up The Heat"
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Check back later for more details.
Angels Enjoy Sunday at the USC/LSU game
Most of the Angels took to the road on Sunday, not to play, but to watch. We took a field trip to Columbia, SC to see the USC Lady Gamecocks take on the #4 ranked LSU Lady Tigers. For the record, USC won 2-0.