Belvidere Blasters 14U bow out of state softball tournament

MACHESNEY PARK – The first-year Belvidere Blasters 14 and under softball team picked up some more valuable experience over the weekend when they competed in the USSSA state tournament at the Harlem Community Center complex in Machesney Park.

Teams from all over northern Illinois braved triple-digit temperatures to play over a three-day period, with the Blasters taking on squads from Huntley and Oswego.

This is travel ball, a step up from recreational softball that most of these girls were used to through the Belvidere Youth Baseball program. But BYB has broadened its horizon to include travel softball, now with four teams including the 14U group.

“It’s much faster; the pitching is better,” head coach Bob Herrejon said. “They’re learning a lot and they’ve been doing better recently.”

The 14U team has been together for the least amount of time and the girls, all but Gabby Herrejon attending Belvidere High School, still getting to know one another.

Coaches still encourage them to have fun, through the errors, through the strikeouts, through the hesitations on defense. And the 14s did that over the weekend, remaining upbeat and encouraging each other when mistakes were made.

They battled the Huntley Red Raiders on even terms through three scoreless innings Friday afternoon, in the first game of the double-elimination portion of the tournament. Then the Raiders struck for their first of two six-run innings on the way to a 13-0 victory.

Belvidere was held to five base hits yet had a number of opportunities to get on the scoreboard.

Taeya Houzenga got their first hit, an infield single and she was in scoring position. The next two batters hit the ball sharply but at someone and the Raiders made the defensive plays to snuff the threat.

The Blasters had two hits in the second inning, singles by Herrejon, who goes to Belvidere North High School, and LeAnn Alexandria. They, too, were stranded as Huntley once again played flawless defense.

Lauren Kaczmarek singled to lead off the fourth, reached second base and was left aboard.

In the fifth the Lightning once again used their defense to end a potential Belvidere rally. Kaitlynn Trimble singled and Carlee Hargis was hit by a pitch with one out.  But the Raiders turned a line drive off the bat of Houzenga into a double play to end the inning.

Outlaws are aggressive

The Outlaws from Oswego were aggressive at the plate and on the base paths as they turned just seven base hits into a 15-3 win over Belvidere to eliminate the Blasters from contention.

Belvidere was down 8-0 when it scored twice in the second inning and threatened to do more damage. While they put the ball in play, as coaches want to see, its opponent once again was up to the challenge of turning hard-hit balls into outs.

All the runs scored after two were out. Herrejon singled with one gone and Kaczmarek kept the inning alive by walking. Kylee Loveridge singled in Herrejon, then Alexandria delivered an RBI single to score Kacamarek.

Hargis hit a grounder to the right side that appeared on the way into the outfield. But Owsego’s first baseman ranged to her right, gathered in the ball and tossed underhanded to the second baseman, who alertly covered the base, for the third out.

The Blasters third and final run came in the third inning. Brooke Tallard singled and eventually scored on a base hit by Herrejon, who went 2-for-2 in the game.