By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A historic win for the Silver Lake softball team could not have been more anti-climactic. Or inconclusive. Or weird.
The afternoon started with the announcement that a doubleheader at Hayden would be played on the Eagles’ home field due to field conditions at Hayden.
Throwing off the Eagles’ pregame routine didn’t affect their bats, however. They reeled off six runs before the visiting “home team” could come to bat.
With the Eagles leading 12-1 after four innings, and storm clouds rapidly blotting the sky, the umpires huddled with coaches and school administrators.
Lightning in the area presaged tornado warnings across northeast Kansas. The umpires determined to rule the game complete with just four innings in the books. The scorekeeper was told to mark zeros in the fifth frame to make the game official.
“They control what they can control,” Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton said about his players. “They show up and play ball. They were ready to do that. They handled (the changes) well and they came out hot in the first inning.”
Benefitting from the offensive surge was Silver Lake starting pitcher Kendra Cook, who yielded just one hit over three shutout innings.
“I think our team is really good at adjusting to those circumstances,” Cook said. “We were supposed to play (at Hayden), so moving here gave them the home advantage. But we adjusted. We like to get started with the bats anyway, so it worked out.”
While the crowd retreated to their cars before the rain came, Hamilton was drenched, nonetheless. Players treated him to a “Salvy Splash,” dumping the water cooler on him to celebrate what they believed to be the program’s 700th win.
But just as strange as all the other circumstances was the celebration. No one could confirm for certain that the win was in fact the program’s 700th. Hamilton went searching the record books but was unable to establish if the milestone was in fact eclipsed.
He got wet in celebration, regardless.
“That’s what’s unique about this place,” Hamilton said. “We’re so focused on the process that sometimes the success comes and we’re a little surprised by it because we’re working at getting better every day on the little things.
“But this would be a good milestone. It’s good for the community and good for the program. Well earned by a lot of girls over time.”
“I am very grateful to be part of this program,” Cook said. “It’s been very good from the very beginning and to be part of it with the great coaches and great community is one of a kind.”
The Eagles improved to 17-2. Hamilton said the Eagles may be playing a bit more loose this season, having secured a state basketball title over the winter.
“They’re just competitors. They just play,” Hamilton said. “I think this year a lot of them are just enjoying the fun of the game.
“I think (winning state in basketball) eased them a little bit. I think they know how hard they’ve worked and how good they are. I think our community knows. But there’s a difference between knowing it and proving it. Now that they have done that, I think they are ready to just go out and play hard and try at it again.”
SILVER LAKE 12, HAYDEN 1
Silver Lake (17-2) 630 30 — 12 12 1
Hayden (2-10) 000 10 — 1 2 2
Cook, Wende (4) and Swygert. Jeffers, Valdivia and Ke. Carswell. W — Wende. L — Jeffers. 2B — Hayden: Peterson.
