After 2 Days of Rain, Freedom beats Chamberlain

The game started back in April, and was finally completed with dark clouds still threatening much of Tampa Bay.

Freedom High School, playing in their first girls softball postseason, made a 4-2 lead stand up after two days of rain delays against the defending state champion Chamberlain Cheifs in the Class 7A region semifinals. The game started on Tuesday and bad weather postposted the game until Wednesday night. Similar bad weather caused another stoppage on Wednesday night. The game finally came to end on Thursday, May 2. “We are definitely super excited,” Patriots coach Autum Hernandez told Tampabay.com. “Chamberlain’s a great team, they have a great tradition, they played us great all three days. We were just excited to be able to pull that off.” Freedom will play the Sarasota Lady Sailors on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Sarasota. 

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Rain Delays Chamberlain vs. Freedom Softball Semi-Finals, Again

For the second day in a row, the game has been called due to the bad weather.

In round two of the high school softball postseason, the Chamberlain Chiefs were scheduled to face the Freedom Patriots on Wednesday afternoon at Chamberlain High School. The game was postponed due to bad weather on Tuesday night, April 30. After the skies opened up again, it's likely some fans were left wondering if this game will have to be played out two innings at a time for the entire week. That's right, the game was postponed again. When the call to stop play came on May 1, Freedom was leading 3-2 in the top of the 4th inning. The game will resume Thursday, May 2, but a time has not been set. Heavy rain is expected around Tampa Bay all week. Once the game is rescheduled, and hopfully finished, the winning team will face Sarasota High…

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Lightning and Rain Force Delay of Chamberlain Softball Game

The Chamberlain High School Chiefs were facing the Freedom High School Patriots when weather turned ugly on Tuesday night.

In round two of the high school softball postseason, The Chamberlain Chiefs were scheduled to face the Freedom Patriots on Tuesday night at Chamberlain High School. About 15 minutes into the game, a half hour lightning delay became an hour-long rain delay. By then, thunderous skies and heavy rain began to blanket the area, causing students, school officials and parents to run to their vehicles to keep dry. The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 1, at 4 p.m. Two innings were played before the delay. By then, the score was 2-0, with the Patriots in the lead. Freedom's record is 19-3, and Chamberlain's is 21-7. This was the fourth time the teams have met this season. Chamberlain won two of the first three games.   Heavy rain is …

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Tampa Catholic Hires Softball Coach

Mark Braddy steps into the head coaching position for the Lady Crusaders softball team, Bright House Sports Network reports.

Tampa Catholic has a new softball coach. Mark Braddy, a 1985 TC graduate, will replace Vernon Tatum, Bright House Sports Network reports. Tatum resigned in March and had been replaced by interim coach Cindy Deters. Braddy played on the school's 1985 state runner-up baseball team, which also included former Major Leaguers Tino Martinez and Lance McCullers, Sr., BHSN reports. The Lady Crusaders softball team went 13-3 last year, losing to Berkeley Prep in district playoffs.

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Player of the Week

Chamberlain High and Tampa Catholic Ball Players Make Most of Season's End

A Chamberlain High School softball player plays her final game while a Tampa Catholic High School baseball player is making the most of his first season.

Female Athlete of the Week: Kaitlynn Diaz Kaitlynn Diaz played her final game as the Chamberlain High School Lady Chiefs second baseman on Tuesday as her team lost to Venice by a score of 4-3 in the first round of regional play.  For the season, Diaz averaged .327 at the plate with 10 RBI and 10 runs scored. The combination of her experience and her skill made her a key contributor to the Lady Chiefs undefeated (12-0) record against district opponents. For the season, the team was 20-8 and went undefeated at home. “It's a really bad way to end the season. The chemistry just wasn’t there,” Diaz said of her team's effort against Venice. “This was our worst day and we lost by one, imagine us on our best day.” Male Athlete of the Week: Joseph …

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Chamberlain Softball Upset in Regionals

Another softball season ends in upset after the Lady Chiefs fall 4-3 in the regional quarterfinals.

Before every home Chamberlain High School softball game a member of the Lady Chiefs carries a vinyl sign out to left field, unravels it, and hangs it on the outfield fence. The sign plays as both a tribute to their past and a reminder of expectations. “2003 5A State Champions” Once again a talented Chamberlain softball team fell short of those lofty expectations. In their first game of the regional tournament, mistakes compounded and the Lady Chiefs lost a closely fought game to Venice, 4-3. “You can't win like that,” said Coach Bob Diez, finishing his 16th season at the helm for Chamberlain. “If your heart is in it and this is the most important thing, you don't play like that.” “They just weren't ready to play.” Down 4-1 in the bottom of…

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Chamberlain High's Late Shot Wins District Softball

Player Ellen Scott ended a pitchers duel in dramatic fashion with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 7th to win the Lady Chiefs the 5A District 9 championship.

As Chamberlain High School junior Ellen Scott rounded the bag at third, she could see her jubilant teammates crowded around home base, waiting for her to touch the plate for them to celebrate together the Lady Chiefs 2011 5A District 9 championship. “I was just trying to sprint as fast as I could to get to them.” In the bottom of the seventh, with the district championship hanging in the balance, the Lady Chiefs were locked up with Sickles High in a pitcher’s duel, tied at one-a-piece. Scott ended the game in walk-off fashion, hitting a line drive to deep center-field, clearing the fence, and hitting the 2003 State Champions sign that hangs just below the scoreboard. “At 3-1, I was ahead in the count. So I just looked for a certain pitch, …

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Andy Warrener

4:18 pm on Saturday, April 23, 2011

Regional quarterfinal is Tuesday 4/26 against Venice at 7pm.   more ›

Middleton Softball Perseveres

The Lady Tigers have struggled, but their support is steadfast, and on the diamond they push on.

Everywhere you look, the struggles of the Middleton High School softball team are apparent. From the scorebooks that show 18 of their 19 games have been called early due to the mercy-rule, to the 4A District 9 standings that the Tigers have finished at the bottom of in consecutive seasons. Their lone notch in the win column this year came in a forfeit. Last season they were winless. But sitting in the stands behind the wire fence backstop, if you only close your eyes for a moment, that all disappears. You can hear the Tigers dugout chanting on their teammates on the field. “Tell me what you need, Tiger Pride! Tiger Pride!” The raucous crowd of friends and family members letting out shrieks and gasps every time a bat, with a sharp DING!, …

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Hillsborough High Softball Victorious Over Middleton

The Lady Terriers rolled over Middleton's softball team on Wednesday night.

Hillsborough High School's softball team (5-13) geared up for districts with an 18-1 victory over Middleton High on Wednesday night. Coming into the game, the Lady Terriers had lost four of their last five games. On senior night they would get back to winning ways by racking up their second largest run total of the season. "I feel pretty good about where we are," Hillsborough coach Kristina Ravenel said. "The last few games we've played really well and begun to gel together. The girls are starting to click at the right time, so I feel good about districts." Freshman Tiana Spain got the start for the Lady Terriers and had one of her best starts of the season following up a recent victory at King with another solid outing. It is her third …

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