Good times for local softball teams
By Carl Lukat
An initial exposure to softball at the statewide level was “hotter than hot” for Upper Loudoun and the Ashburn Pride during the Virginia Babe Ruth State 10U tournament, held July 5-7 at Woodgrove Park in Round Hill.
While Glen Allen took home the championship trophy after a 16-9 victory against New Kent in Saturday's title game, the local teams clearly made themselves heard and seen at the event.
Facing teams who had much more experience playing together, Ashburn (1-3) and Upper Loudoun (0-4) combined for one win during two days of pool play.
However, that didn't slow Upper Loudoun from belting out its upbeat cheers.
“Some of the girls lost their voice cheering so hard,” Upper Loudoun manager Dale Umphlett said. “They have this one, 'Our team is hotter than hot.' They just kept going.”
A couple of playful cheers heard Thursday included, “We don't make homemade buns, we just hit home runs,” and “We don't play with Barbie dolls, we just play softball.”
“They have so many,” Umphlett said of the cheers. “Every time I turn around and look at coach JJ [Merchant] or coach Herb ['Tuffy' Haines] or coach Wayne [Lorinchak], we just kind of smile and say where in the world did they learn that one.”
The Pride also showed plenty of enthusiasm throughout the tournament. The display of player nicknames -- “E-Dawg,” “Lizzard,” “Wild Thing,” “E-Girl” and “Mad Dog,” to name a few -- on the backs of their jerseys was definitely a home run.
“It isn't just last names anymore,” Pride manager Gary Williams said. “It kind of adds some fun to things.”
Ashburn – a team of All-Stars from the Ashburn Girls Softball League that has played together for less than a month – gained entry into the state tournament after winning the District IV tourney. The Pride earned a victory in its third of four games -- defeating Shenandoah 5-3 on Friday.
“They came out and saw teams that do some travel ball,” Williams said. “They were exposed to what the next level was and enjoyed it. It was a good experience for them, and they played hard and had fun with it.”
Upper Loudoun, the host team and a runner-up at the District IV tournament, participated in its first practice with all 14 players present just three days before the district tournament.
The hosts gave eventual champion Glen Allen quite a scare Thursday – dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker to them.
“The girls had a great time,” Umphlett said. “They played with dignity. We knew we were outclassed here once we saw the talent. The girls realized that the experience they had was something they can't take away. They know they have something to work for.”