THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9409290167
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 173 lines
IT WAS A day made for softball.
The sky was blue, the bleachers were packed, and the smell of hot dogs was in the air.
When the umpire shouted, ``Play ball!'' the Indian River River Cats ran onto the field.
The River Cats are a group of teenage girls from Chesapeake who like to play softball more than just about anything. They have spent the past several months running, catching, fielding, sliding and batting - sharpening their skills and tightening their game.
The Wizards of Stumpy Lake were the first team to test the River Cats' mettle.
Sarah Bell, the lead batter, slammed the ball to left field. But a nimble Wizard snagged it for the first out.
Elisabeth Smith stepped to home plate, took a couple of practice swings and waited for the pitch. The lanky batter took a smooth swing on the second throw to drive the ball up the middle. Thanks in part to a Wizard bobble, Smith claimed second base.
Tonya Wilson smacked the ball toward left field to send Smith home as Wilson loped to first base.
CeCe Thrasher was at the plate. After a single warm-up swing, she crouched over the plate.
Coach Dave Dozier clasped his arms and paced.
``Be ready,'' he cautioned Wilson. He sat with his team in the dugout for a moment and then moved back outside to pace some more.
Crack! There was the solid sound of leather and wood connecting.
The River Cats' fans cheered as Thrasher rounded second base before the Wizards could put the ball back into play. Dozier and assistant coaches Frank Cleveland and Danny Thrasher exchanged silent looks of satisfaction.
During the summer season, Cleveland, Dozier and Thrasher coached softball in the Indian River Community Recreation League. Cleveland coached the Untouchables, who won the city championship. Dozier coached the Aces to a 9-1 season and the Indian River League championship.
After the regular season, some of the players weren't ready to stop playing. They wanted to start a fall season.
Dozier, who has 13 years' experience coaching baseball and eight years coaching softball, and Cleveland, who has four years' experience, agreed to join forces to form a new team for fall play. They were soon joined by Thrasher, who has four years' experience as a coach.
Several talented girls from the Indian River Angels and Braves teams came along, too. They all merged their talents to form the River Cats.
They were encouraged and sponsored by the Indian River Greenbrier Girls' Softball Association. Because Chesapeake does not have a fall community softball league, the River Cats registered for the tournament season as a Virginia Beach team. The association paid the entry fees for the River Cats and three other Indian River teams.
``Next year, we hope the city will have the budget and the fields to have a number of fall teams,'' said Al Powers, president of the association.
``The rules are about the same as summer ball,'' said Cleveland. ``But teams are made up of girls who are more serious about competition and who want to learn more than just the basics of the game. Each girl had to make a dedicated commitment to long practices several nights a week and to Saturday games.''
``I don't want to see any overthrows, no arm extensions and keep your foot on the bag,'' drilled Dozier. ``And I don't want to see any of that sissy stuff either!''
The team's first practice was held during the final few days of summer vacation, when the girls might have been enjoying a day at the beach with friends. Instead, they stuffed their ponytails under ball caps, and gathered on the red dust field at Sparrow Road Intermediate School.
``If you don't want to be here, go home now,'' Dozier told them. ``We're going to practice long and hard and tough because we got the stuff to be good. Anyone who doesn't want to be here will hold up the team.''
The girls grumbled, but no one left the field.
Bell adjusted her lucky Atlanta Braves cap. Jenny Harrison pulled down the a brim of her special North Carolina Tar Heels hat. Smith adjusted her ``No Fear'' hat. Angie Couch twisted her green cap around backwards and slid on her catcher's mask. Shelley Dozier took her stance on the pitcher's mound. They were ready.
The coach batted ball after ball for a catching exercise. Some of the balls the girls caught in the air and some they scooped out of the dust.
``Remember, stay in front of the ball,'' the coach yelled.
Bell snagged one and zapped it to Tonya Wilson on second base. Wilson relayed it to Couch at home plate. It was one smooth move.
Break time. After the first few sips of cold water, they splashed some on their faces and necks. The girls flopped down in the shaded dugout, too tired even to chat, while Dozier and Cleveland reviewed the morning warm-up.
The girls' parents were there to support them. Lucy and Dave Bell and Kim and Doug Couch watched from the stands. Danny Harrison paced to keep an eye on his daughter, the shortstop. Sheri and Dennis Wilson stood by the fence, watching their daughters, Tonya and Tara, who had never before played on the same team.
``We've always had to juggle their practices and games,'' said Sheri.
The grandstand coaches noted who was having a good day and who needed more practice. They offered free advice to the girls and to the coaches.
All the girls on the River Cats have played softball for six or more years. Several of them played for their school team before moving on to summer ball. They go to Indian River or Oscar Smith high schools, Atlantic Shores Christian or Norfolk Collegiate School.
``Jenny, stay with it! '' Harrison yelled as his daughter fumbled the ball. ``Use both hands.''
``Don't swing at those high ones.'' Lucy Bell shouted to Sarah. ``And, John, get out of the dugout.'' Every practice Sarah's brother, John, 4, edged closer to the dugout until he was spotted and ordered out.
There was a cool breeze and a rainy mist for the next practice. Megan Grinels, Smith and the Wilsons arrived early.
The girls paired off to work on their throwing. Thud, thud, thud - the ball whizzed from mitt to mitt to mitt.
Dozier and Cleveland moved from girl to girl, offering helpful criticism.
``Sarah, where are you throwing? Jenny, use your glove. Joanna, charge up on the ball to catch it. Tonya, put some power behind that throw. Megan, you have to fire it to first.''
Then it was time to run bases.
``I want to hear you hit that bag,'' said Dozier.
Soon it was dark and the field was lit by fireflies, but the girls kept pounding the bag.
The parents pulled on jackets against the evening chill, huddled together in the stands and continued to offer advice.
``Stretch out those legs and dig in.''
``Keep your head down and don't look around.''
``Look at Tara. She has a knee injury, and she's leaving you in the dust.''
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays rolled by as they concentrated on line drives, learning to avoid pop flies and practicing tagging a runner caught between bases.
As the season grew closer, the girls began to discuss uniforms. It was a short discussion. They all agreed on baseball pants, jerseys and hats. Dozier got white pants and blue shirts lettered in navy from the Indian River Community Center. New hats were ordered.
On Sept. 10, the day of their first game, the River Cats streamed onto the field dressed in blue and white.
Dozier warmed up with pitches to Couch. Smith, Tonya Wilson and Grinels guarded the bases. Harrison filled the shortstop position. Bell, Thrasher, Tara Wilson, Joanna Cleveland, Jaime DeWitt and Dana Brown staked out the outfield.
The Cats beat the Wizards, 15-0, showing no mercy. The next weekend, the Cats whipped the Regulators, 26-3.
But in game three, the team had to settle for a 9-9 tie with the Lady Rangers as they ran out of playing time.
``Now this is what we are going to work on at Tuesday's practice,'' began Coach Dozier at the post-game pep talk.
Smith adjusted her hat. Brown stomped dirt off her cleats. Harrison folded her glove. One blew a bubble with her gum, and someone giggled.
``Now it's all a team effort,'' continued Dozier.
The girls rolled their eyes, then settled down to listen. There's eight more games in the season before the championship tournament, and they want to be ready. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Elisabeth Smith, left, and Sarah Bell, right, listen as Dave Dozier,
coach of the Indian River River Cats, gives instructions.
[This photo ran on page 1]
Photos by L. TODD SPENCER
CeCe Thrasher of the Indian River River Cats goes under the ball as
she slides into second base.
River Cat Tonya Wilson, right, runs down an opponent.
Megan Grinels, left, goes for a fly ball, but Shelley Dozier beats
her to it.
Dave Dozier, coach of the River Cats, gives instructions during
practice.
by CNB