Champions

Bailey played in the Dash N Splash tournament this weekend in Grantsville. The tournament consisted of all-star and accelerated teams from around the valley. The tournament was double elimination so once you lost twice, you were out. Saturday started at 6:30 am and the tournament lasted 21 hours which means we finished around 3am. The first couple of games were great. Everyone on the team did their part and we won the first three games. The fourth game was against the Tooele Lightning and Bay was still pitching but the girls were running down a bit and we lost. My mom and I had been watching since 7 am but were having such a great time because Bay was pitching so well. Josh and Logan showed up around 6 pm and just in time to see her fifth game. Before the game during warm ups, Bay jammed her finger while grabbing a ground ball. She came over and told me her finger was hurting but she went back on the field. I grabbed some Advil and ran it over to her. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, my finger is killing me. I told her if she couldn't pitch that was fine. She wanted to keep going and pitched another game. She pitched amazing and everyone did their part. We won that game and continued to win two more after that. The championship game was between us and the Lightning and started around midnight. At this point, Bay had pitched 7 games and most of them, the other team didn't score any runs. Bailey is physically exhausted as well as the entire team and the parents. In order for us to win this tournament, we have to win the Lightning twice because they were undefeated. Bailey was pitching again and did another amazing job. Most of us were in awe of Bailey and couldn't believe that she was still pitching so well. Bailey also had amazing hits during the day and made a few more in the championship game. We were able to get six runs and the other team couldn't get any hits off Bay. We won the game which put the second championship game around 2 am. We were past tired and the weather went from hot to freezing. Bailey stayed in her zone but started grunting with every pitch. She was physically exhausted but mentally she was focused and determined. I've never seen her like that. Our catcher hit a home run and gave us a 1-0 lead. Bay had a hit but it went right to the first basemen and got out. She had two other nice hits and while running from 2nd to 3rd, she tripped halfway. She jumped up and dove head first for third base. She was safe, we couldn't believe our eyes. The second time she was on second base, she ran to third but the third base man got her out by almost knocking her helmet off. This ended our turn in the sixth inning so all the other team had to do was score two runs. Bailey was angry about getting punched by the third base man so she grabbed her mitt and ran out to the mound. She called the umpire over and told him that she didn't need to warm up that she was ready to go. The first batter hit a ball to our second base man and she caught it to make our first out. Bay struck out the second batter with three pitches. The next batter was up and everyone was standing and screaming. Josh was pacing and I thought I was having a heart attack. The batter swings on the first pitch and gets her first strike. second pitch is the same. Third and fourth pitch are balls but the fifth pitch was a strike. The batter is out which makes the third out, we win! Bailey starts jumping up and down and all the girls start screaming. I have video below of the last three pitches of the game. The umpire walked over to Bay and handed her the game ball and said she deserved it. The girls all received a shirt and a medal and the coach is given a first place trophy. The coaches give Bay the trophy which blew us away. They said she pitched amazing and deserved to take the trophy home. The coaches did an amazing job as well as the girls but Josh and I are so proud of our Bailey. She finally went to sleep about 5 am and woke up so sore. Her entire right side of her body was sore and her finger is pretty swollen.

This picture was taken at 3:04 am.

These girls all played amazing and deserved to win this tournament.

My mom said she wanted to get a picture of the proud parents. This was so amazing, none of us will ever forget this day.

SEE TWO VIDEOS BELOW OF BAY PITCHING IN BOTH CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES: