Hi again everyone…it’s been a crazy couple of weeks for us over here in Japan!
The regular season is officially over. It's been close and dramatic all season, and the last two weekends were no exception. Two weekends ago we played Shionogi and Hitachi Software, and won our first game against Shionogi. We've gone back and forth with Software in the standings all season, and had won our previous two games against them – one being in the Japan Cup, so it didn't count in the standings. Unfortunately they got the best of us in our most recent game, winning 2-1.
We could have clinched a spot in the playoffs with a win, but instead we would have to wait another weekend. We played Toyota and Taiyo Yuden, arguably our toughest weekend of the year, to close the seaon. Toyota was fighting to clinch first place in the overall league standings, and we had a really rough game against them. Shokki ended up losing its game, and Toyota was able to clinch the top spot in the league with the win against us. Going into Sunday we were in a close race for fourth place with Software and Denso. We had secured the tiebreaker against both teams, but in the event of a three-way tie, we would not have the advantage.
It was a very confusing situation, but either way, we really needed to win over Taiyo Yuden. We scored one run in the third inning to take the lead. Yuden's cleanup hitter Tanagawa has had an amazing season in Japan, and unfortunately she continued her campaign to be the league's home run champion by belting a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth.
Luckily we regained the lead soon after when Erina Inoue hit a solo shot of her own to left-center. We faced the heart of their order in the bottom of the seventh, and our second baseman Fujimoto turned a double play to end the game. We celebrated our victory, soon realizing that the Software and Denso games were still not completed and that we needed one team to lose so that a three-way tie did not knock us out of playoffs. Denso had an early lead over Renesas, and we had no information on the Software game, so the hour following our game was a little intense. Everyone stayed outside the bus, mingling with friends and family and awaiting the final word. Eventually it came, and the girls went crazy. I just started cheering, not understanding the exact message, but I could tell it was good news!
We have a weekend off before the playoffs, so we'll spend that time practicing and scrimmaging before heading to Kyoto next Wednesday to prepare for our game. We play third-place finisher Shokki Saturday, while Toyota will play Renesas. The winner of our game will have to play the loser of the other game to advance to the championship game later on Sunday. Toyota and Renesas will have the advantage of having to win just one game to make the championship, since they finished higher in the standings. It’s been an exciting season, and I'm really looking forward to competing in the playoffs.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Hi guys! Just finished up a big weekend with my Japanese team.It was our only three-game weekend, and we definitely kept the momentum from the Japan Cup going. We started off with Iyo Bank on Friday, and Yamane earned the win as we scored in multiple innings for a final score of 11-0. Up next we faced Sagawa on Saturday, and I started and threw five innings for the win in that game. Our offense came out strong again, so Yamane finished off the final innings and we won, 6-0. Sunday was our biggest game, facing first-place Shokki on the final day. As I've mentioned before, foreign pitchers have a limit on innings, so as we are nearing the final stretch our coach has to create a strategy for when to use those innings. I think I had 33 innings left going into the weekend, so after Sagawa that left me with 28.
Yamane started against Shokki, and we faced American Katie Burkhart. We scored two runs in the second inning after Itoh led off the inning with a hit and we were able to load the bases. Our shortstop Kageyama was given the hit and run sign, and she delivered to score Itoh. Our captain Misato followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to score the second run. Unfortunately Shokki answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the second inning. The score would remain 3-2 until the top of the top of the seventh .
Our team never seems to quit, and Monday was no exception. Erina Inoue hit a line drive up the middle, which Burkhart deflected, and Erina got stuck deciding whether to try for second base. Fortunately she was safe at second after a rundown. Then she was bunted over to third by Kageyama, and Misato scored her with a hit and run to shortstop. I came in to start the bottom of the seventh and walked their leadoff hitter Karino before settling down a little and getting out of that inning.
In extra innings we used the international tiebreaker, which means that each team puts the person who made its last out on second base. Our right-fielder Nagayoshi was placed on second, and Natalie bunted her over to third. Ono smashed a line drive to the third baseman, who wasn't able to handle it, allowing Nagayoshi to score and Ono to reach first safely. In Shokki's half of the inning we were able to keep them from bunting, and the first batter flew out to shallow left. The second hitter struck out, and a fly ball to deep short stop was the last out to finish the game and secure the win. It was definitely a very exciting game and a big win to move us a game ahead for fourth place. After the weekend the League standings look like this
15-3 Renesas
15-3 Shokki
15-3 Toyota
13-5 LeoPalace
12-6 Software
12-6 Denso
7-11 Yuden
6-12 Sagawa
5-13 Toda
4-14 Shionogi
2-16 Honda
2-16 Iyo Bank
We have a short week ahead - back to practice today (Wednesday) and leaving again Thursday for our next trip. We face Shionogi and Hitachi Software this weekend as we head into our final four regular-season games. Software is only one game behind us, so it's yet another must-win game for us as it seems every game is at this point!
Off to practice..
Thanks!
Angela
Monday, October 5, 2009
A Fun Week with the Family
Hello everyone.
I had a great week last week, spending a lot of overdue time with my family. We played in the Japan Cup starting last Friday, September 24. It is a very prestigious tournament that includes 32 professional, club and college teams. All of the professional Division I teams that we play during the regular season were there, along with several teams from Divisions II and III. The tournament is played in "knockout" format, which is another way to say single elimination. Our first game was Friday at 9 a.m. gainst a Division II team. We won 22-1. The run rule was in effect for this tournament, so we split the game among three pitchers. I threw the fifth and final inning of the shortened game. My family arrived that evening, so I was able to meet them after dinner and help them get settled into our hotel.
On Saturday we faced Denso, a pretty tough draw, at 9 a.m. in our second game. Their scrappy leadoff hitter started the game with a full-count home run, but we were able to settle down after that. We scored four runs and held them just two more hits through the rest of the game to win, 4-1. We had a break before facing Hitachi Software at 1 p.m. in our third game. We played well against them last spring, but have not faced them yet during the second half. This was the first time since college that I've pitched two consecutive games in the same day, so I was a little nervous, but I think I actually pitched better with more work! Our offense kept going, scoring in multiple innings and getting a key home run late in the game to add some insurance. The final score was 5-0, and that moved us into the semifinals on Sunday. Things did not get any easier for us as we faced Renesas Takasaki, the current first-place team in our league. We played them well, and kept the game close, but ended up falling, 2-1, to finish the tournament tied for third place with Shokki. Toyota and Renesas faced each other in the title game, playing eight innings in what was a pitcher's duel between Ueno and Abbott. Renesas won the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off grand slam in the eighth inning to take the title, 5-1.
We had several days off last week, so I was able to show my family around Tokyo and the other places that I enjoy visiting. We started the week by going to shine and shopping streets in Asakusa. They were able to get a bunch of souvenirs and see a popular tourist attraction. We also spent time in Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku and at the Tokyo Tower. It was a pretty full week, and I think they enjoyed it. They left Friday, and it was back to work for me on Saturday. Unfortunately, rain cancelled our practice games, so we just had a gym day. We were able to get in a couple scrimmages Saturday, and resumed regular practice today. We have another big weekend coming up, as we play three games from Saturday through Monday. We start with Iyo Bank, followed by Sagawa and Shokki. We have seven total games remaining, so we'll know a lot about where we stand after this weekend. It was nice having a bit of a break, but we'll definitely have a very intense week of practices this week as we prepare for such a big weekend.
Wish us luck. I'll check in again next week.
Angela
I had a great week last week, spending a lot of overdue time with my family. We played in the Japan Cup starting last Friday, September 24. It is a very prestigious tournament that includes 32 professional, club and college teams. All of the professional Division I teams that we play during the regular season were there, along with several teams from Divisions II and III. The tournament is played in "knockout" format, which is another way to say single elimination. Our first game was Friday at 9 a.m. gainst a Division II team. We won 22-1. The run rule was in effect for this tournament, so we split the game among three pitchers. I threw the fifth and final inning of the shortened game. My family arrived that evening, so I was able to meet them after dinner and help them get settled into our hotel.
On Saturday we faced Denso, a pretty tough draw, at 9 a.m. in our second game. Their scrappy leadoff hitter started the game with a full-count home run, but we were able to settle down after that. We scored four runs and held them just two more hits through the rest of the game to win, 4-1. We had a break before facing Hitachi Software at 1 p.m. in our third game. We played well against them last spring, but have not faced them yet during the second half. This was the first time since college that I've pitched two consecutive games in the same day, so I was a little nervous, but I think I actually pitched better with more work! Our offense kept going, scoring in multiple innings and getting a key home run late in the game to add some insurance. The final score was 5-0, and that moved us into the semifinals on Sunday. Things did not get any easier for us as we faced Renesas Takasaki, the current first-place team in our league. We played them well, and kept the game close, but ended up falling, 2-1, to finish the tournament tied for third place with Shokki. Toyota and Renesas faced each other in the title game, playing eight innings in what was a pitcher's duel between Ueno and Abbott. Renesas won the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off grand slam in the eighth inning to take the title, 5-1.
We had several days off last week, so I was able to show my family around Tokyo and the other places that I enjoy visiting. We started the week by going to shine and shopping streets in Asakusa. They were able to get a bunch of souvenirs and see a popular tourist attraction. We also spent time in Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku and at the Tokyo Tower. It was a pretty full week, and I think they enjoyed it. They left Friday, and it was back to work for me on Saturday. Unfortunately, rain cancelled our practice games, so we just had a gym day. We were able to get in a couple scrimmages Saturday, and resumed regular practice today. We have another big weekend coming up, as we play three games from Saturday through Monday. We start with Iyo Bank, followed by Sagawa and Shokki. We have seven total games remaining, so we'll know a lot about where we stand after this weekend. It was nice having a bit of a break, but we'll definitely have a very intense week of practices this week as we prepare for such a big weekend.
Wish us luck. I'll check in again next week.
Angela
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Exciting Weekend Pushes us into Fourth Place
Hello everyone...I'm a couple days behind getting this posted, but read on and you'll see why!
Our weekend ended up being a little longer than we had planned, but it was worth it. We started our trip on Thursday morning, and since Okayama is at least a 10-hour drive, Natalie, Miyako, Yamane (our pitchers and catcher), and I were allowed to take the bullet train or "shinkansen." That made the trip much easier, as the train ride was only 3-1/2 hours. After arriving in Okayama, we had lunch at a small cafe that serves udon noodles. Udon is a thick noodle, and mine was served in a broth with tofu. It sounds pretty different from anything in the States, but its delicious! We then went straight to practice at a local field with the rest of the team before heading to our hotel. LeoPalace has a hotel location in Okayama, so we were able to take advantage of great accommodations there.
We had our official pre-game practice on Friday at the game field, which still allowed us a little bit of free time afterwards. Natalie and I squeezed in a quick trip to Okayama Castle between practice and dinner. The castle was beautiful, and is known for its unusual black roof.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate on Saturday, and our game against Toda had to be postponed. The Sunday game was played as scheduled, so we started with Denso on Sunday afternoon. They were one game ahead of us in the standings, so it was a must-win if we watned to stay in the race for playoffs. Our offense has been amazing all year, and Sunday was no different. We had five different players with RBIs and took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning. Denso is a great hitting team as well, so they wouldn't make things easy for us. A couple of solid hits, followed by a well-placed bunt and an infield single started their rally and led to three runs. Fortunately, we were able to escape the threat, and came away with the 6-3 win. I pitched all seven innings to earn the victory.
Monday proved to be another exciting game for right up until the end. Toda scored one run in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead into the seventh. Our shortstop, Kageyama, started off the top of the inning with a single, and with one out, our left fielder, Ono, singled as well. Then our captain and leadoff batter Misato kept things going with a walk to load the bases for one of our veterans, Fujimoto. She was a gold medalist in Beijing, and proved why she's one of the best in the world by hitting her first home run of the season, a grand slam. Yamane finished the game and earned the win, 4-2. It was definitely an exciting weekend, and now after 15 games we've moved into a tie for 4th place:
League Standings as of Sept. 15
Renesas 13-2
Shokki 13-2
Toyota 12-3
Leopalace 10-5
Denso 10-5
Software 9-6
Yuden 6-9
Sagawa 5-10
Toda 5-10
Shionogi 3-12
Honda 2-13
Iyo Bank 2-13
We won't play another League game until October 10, but we still have the Japan Cup September 25-27. My family will be arriving in Japan that weekend, so I'm getting very excited to see them! My dad was able to visit this past spring, but it will be a first for both my mom and sister.
Talk to you soon!
Our weekend ended up being a little longer than we had planned, but it was worth it. We started our trip on Thursday morning, and since Okayama is at least a 10-hour drive, Natalie, Miyako, Yamane (our pitchers and catcher), and I were allowed to take the bullet train or "shinkansen." That made the trip much easier, as the train ride was only 3-1/2 hours. After arriving in Okayama, we had lunch at a small cafe that serves udon noodles. Udon is a thick noodle, and mine was served in a broth with tofu. It sounds pretty different from anything in the States, but its delicious! We then went straight to practice at a local field with the rest of the team before heading to our hotel. LeoPalace has a hotel location in Okayama, so we were able to take advantage of great accommodations there.
We had our official pre-game practice on Friday at the game field, which still allowed us a little bit of free time afterwards. Natalie and I squeezed in a quick trip to Okayama Castle between practice and dinner. The castle was beautiful, and is known for its unusual black roof.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate on Saturday, and our game against Toda had to be postponed. The Sunday game was played as scheduled, so we started with Denso on Sunday afternoon. They were one game ahead of us in the standings, so it was a must-win if we watned to stay in the race for playoffs. Our offense has been amazing all year, and Sunday was no different. We had five different players with RBIs and took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning. Denso is a great hitting team as well, so they wouldn't make things easy for us. A couple of solid hits, followed by a well-placed bunt and an infield single started their rally and led to three runs. Fortunately, we were able to escape the threat, and came away with the 6-3 win. I pitched all seven innings to earn the victory.
Monday proved to be another exciting game for right up until the end. Toda scored one run in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead into the seventh. Our shortstop, Kageyama, started off the top of the inning with a single, and with one out, our left fielder, Ono, singled as well. Then our captain and leadoff batter Misato kept things going with a walk to load the bases for one of our veterans, Fujimoto. She was a gold medalist in Beijing, and proved why she's one of the best in the world by hitting her first home run of the season, a grand slam. Yamane finished the game and earned the win, 4-2. It was definitely an exciting weekend, and now after 15 games we've moved into a tie for 4th place:
League Standings as of Sept. 15
Renesas 13-2
Shokki 13-2
Toyota 12-3
Leopalace 10-5
Denso 10-5
Software 9-6
Yuden 6-9
Sagawa 5-10
Toda 5-10
Shionogi 3-12
Honda 2-13
Iyo Bank 2-13
We won't play another League game until October 10, but we still have the Japan Cup September 25-27. My family will be arriving in Japan that weekend, so I'm getting very excited to see them! My dad was able to visit this past spring, but it will be a first for both my mom and sister.
Talk to you soon!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Stretch Run Begins in Japan
Hello everyone. I hope that you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. My Japanese team, Leopalace 21, got back to work with a pair of important games Saturday and Sunday.
We started off the second half of our season with a win over Honda, 8-1. I started the game and threw five innings before Yamane came in to close it out after a great performance by our offense. Sunday we faced one of the teams tied for first in the league, Renesas Takasaki. Ueno pitches for them, so we knew it would be a hard-fought contest, but unfortunately we came up a bit short.
We were able to get off to a fast start in Sunday's contest thanks to a walk and a bunt, followed by a timely hit by our right fielder Nagayoshi, that allowed us to take an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, the lead didn't last long, and Renesas came back to score two runs in the bottom of the first.
Yamane started, but I came in to relieve her during that inning. Since we are nearing the end of our season, the innings are adding up for the foreign pitchers, and we have to be careful to manage them wisely. We are limited to 99 innings for the entire year, so we try to save any extra innings that we can when there is a chance. I left the game in the sixth inning since Yamane could reenter.
Renesas tacked on two more runs in the sixth, but we answered with another of our own in the top of the seventh. With another baserunner on and two outs, our center fielder Misato hit a long fly ball to the warning track. It was so close, but unfortunately didn't quite have the distance, and we fell, 4-2.
After 13 total games, the standings in the league are as follows:
Renesas 11-2
Shokki 11-2
Toyota 11-2
Denso 9-4
LeoPalace21 8-5
Hitachi Software 8-5
Taiyo Yuden 5-8
Toda HP 5-8
Sagawa 4-9
Shionogi 3-10
Iyo Bank 2-11
Honda 1-12
We play Toda and Denso this coming weekend, so the Denso game will be especially important for us as we try to work our way into the top four. I'm also excited for this weekend, because Natalie, Yamane, Miyako (our interpreter) and I will be traveling to the games via the bullet train, or 'shinkansen.' We are playing in Okayama, which is about a 10 hour drive, but will be less than five hours on the shinkansen.
I'll report back to let you know how the games go and tell you about the train ride. Enjoy your week!
We started off the second half of our season with a win over Honda, 8-1. I started the game and threw five innings before Yamane came in to close it out after a great performance by our offense. Sunday we faced one of the teams tied for first in the league, Renesas Takasaki. Ueno pitches for them, so we knew it would be a hard-fought contest, but unfortunately we came up a bit short.
We were able to get off to a fast start in Sunday's contest thanks to a walk and a bunt, followed by a timely hit by our right fielder Nagayoshi, that allowed us to take an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, the lead didn't last long, and Renesas came back to score two runs in the bottom of the first.
Yamane started, but I came in to relieve her during that inning. Since we are nearing the end of our season, the innings are adding up for the foreign pitchers, and we have to be careful to manage them wisely. We are limited to 99 innings for the entire year, so we try to save any extra innings that we can when there is a chance. I left the game in the sixth inning since Yamane could reenter.
Renesas tacked on two more runs in the sixth, but we answered with another of our own in the top of the seventh. With another baserunner on and two outs, our center fielder Misato hit a long fly ball to the warning track. It was so close, but unfortunately didn't quite have the distance, and we fell, 4-2.
After 13 total games, the standings in the league are as follows:
Renesas 11-2
Shokki 11-2
Toyota 11-2
Denso 9-4
LeoPalace21 8-5
Hitachi Software 8-5
Taiyo Yuden 5-8
Toda HP 5-8
Sagawa 4-9
Shionogi 3-10
Iyo Bank 2-11
Honda 1-12
We play Toda and Denso this coming weekend, so the Denso game will be especially important for us as we try to work our way into the top four. I'm also excited for this weekend, because Natalie, Yamane, Miyako (our interpreter) and I will be traveling to the games via the bullet train, or 'shinkansen.' We are playing in Okayama, which is about a 10 hour drive, but will be less than five hours on the shinkansen.
I'll report back to let you know how the games go and tell you about the train ride. Enjoy your week!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
A Long, Fun Summer...Now Back to Japan!
Hello again. Thought it was about time that I updated you guys on what's going on.
It's been awhile, but I'm finally getting around to updating on what's been going on since early August. I had a great time in Venezuela with the USA Pan Am Qualifier team, and we took home the gold medal after a long tournament. I was excited to head back to Akron to meet up with the Racers as we geared up for the NPF playoffs. Unfortunately, things didn't go our way and we lost two tough games to the Rockford Thunder. The Thunder was on a roll, though, and they ended up winning the NPF title.
It was hard to say goodbye to the Racers, since I had a great time with both old and new friends. I was able to spend the summer with Kelsey Hoffman, who was my catcher for four years at Virginia Tech. After the playoffs, we both headed down to Palm Beach, FL, to prepare for her wedding to fellow VT alum Nic Schmitt. It was a beautiful wedding, and I was flattered to be her Maid of Honor. It was a great mini-vacation as well, and went by way too fast! I was scheduled to leave for Japan the next day (last Sunday), but Typhoon Krovanh cancelled most flights to Tokyo, so I spent the day in Chicago instead. It ended up working out well, and I was able to do a little last minute shopping and enjoy some Chicago pizza before flights resumed on Monday.
The weather had mostly cleared by the time I arrived on Tuesday, with just a little residual rain remaining. I joined the team on Wednesday for practice, and we left for our first game on Thursday! It was a whirlwind week, but we finally got settled in on Friday and ready to start playing again in the morning. We had a great pre-game practice and were also able to participate in community service in the area, traveling to the Niikawa School in the Toyama prefecture, which works with kids with mental disabilities. Our team put on a demonstration of various positions, performed "knock" (rounds of defense with the infield and outfield) and played catch with the kids.
It was a little difficult for Natalie and I to interact because of the language barrier, but we still had a great time shaking hands and taking photos with some of the students. We start off with Honda today (Saturday) at 10:30 and play Renesas Takasaki at 1:00 on Sunday. With only 11 games left, every one will be very important as we are fighting with several other teams to work our way into the top four.
Check back soon, and I'll try to have updated standings and results as the second half officially gets underway.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Big Day Today!
Just a quick update from Venezuela...it's getting exciting for us!
Won both our games yesterday, and Venezuela got crushed by Canada, so we play Venezuela this morning, and if we win we play Canada for the championship. Wish us luck!
I'll let you know how it goes...enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Angela
Won both our games yesterday, and Venezuela got crushed by Canada, so we play Venezuela this morning, and if we win we play Canada for the championship. Wish us luck!
I'll let you know how it goes...enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Angela
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Undefeated in Venezuela ... So Far
Hey everyone.
So far we are 5-0 in Venezuela! I pitched in our second game against Brazil, after Monica Abbott threw 3 innings as the starter. We won 7-0 in 5 innings. On day 3, we faced Ecuador, and Nikki Nemitz split time in the circle with Brandice Balschmiter as we won 21-0 in 3 innings.
Yesterday was our first doubleheader; we first faced Panama in the tournament's opening game of the day at 9 AM. I started and threw the allotted three innings as we won 22-0 in a game shortened by the run rule. Megan Langenfield and Kaitlin Cochran hit back to back home runs, and Ashley Holcombe also hit her first home run of the tournament. In game two we faced the Netherlands Antilles, with Monica Abbott and Nikki Nemitz splitting pitching time. Langenfield added another pair of home runs during that game, and Andrea Duran blasted a long home run over the wall in left field.
We've been enjoying our time in Venezuela, and have been lucky to have great staff supporting us for the tournament. We have a few translators with us at all times, and our guard Miguel has been great. They take care of anything we might need help with and make the transitions from the hotel to the field and back run smoothly. I know we can be a lot of work, but they have been great!!
We found a great deli near our hotel and were able to have a nice meal after our game yesterday, complete with gelato for dessert! I'm sure we will be making several trips back there before the week is over. We went to TGIFriday's for an American-style dinner last night and had another fun outing with the team. It's been interesting trying to keep the time difference, which is only 30 minutes from Eastern Time, straight. Since its so close, I keep forgetting whether I've set my clock to right time time or not!
Today is our second doubleheader, so were trying to get a little rest last night before another big day. We play El Salvador first at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Dominican at 3. We round out the week vs. Belize at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and Cuba at 4:30 PM on Thursday. Medal rounds will start on Friday and run through Sunday.
Wish us luck. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!
So far we are 5-0 in Venezuela! I pitched in our second game against Brazil, after Monica Abbott threw 3 innings as the starter. We won 7-0 in 5 innings. On day 3, we faced Ecuador, and Nikki Nemitz split time in the circle with Brandice Balschmiter as we won 21-0 in 3 innings.
Yesterday was our first doubleheader; we first faced Panama in the tournament's opening game of the day at 9 AM. I started and threw the allotted three innings as we won 22-0 in a game shortened by the run rule. Megan Langenfield and Kaitlin Cochran hit back to back home runs, and Ashley Holcombe also hit her first home run of the tournament. In game two we faced the Netherlands Antilles, with Monica Abbott and Nikki Nemitz splitting pitching time. Langenfield added another pair of home runs during that game, and Andrea Duran blasted a long home run over the wall in left field.
We've been enjoying our time in Venezuela, and have been lucky to have great staff supporting us for the tournament. We have a few translators with us at all times, and our guard Miguel has been great. They take care of anything we might need help with and make the transitions from the hotel to the field and back run smoothly. I know we can be a lot of work, but they have been great!!
We found a great deli near our hotel and were able to have a nice meal after our game yesterday, complete with gelato for dessert! I'm sure we will be making several trips back there before the week is over. We went to TGIFriday's for an American-style dinner last night and had another fun outing with the team. It's been interesting trying to keep the time difference, which is only 30 minutes from Eastern Time, straight. Since its so close, I keep forgetting whether I've set my clock to right time time or not!
Today is our second doubleheader, so were trying to get a little rest last night before another big day. We play El Salvador first at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Dominican at 3. We round out the week vs. Belize at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and Cuba at 4:30 PM on Thursday. Medal rounds will start on Friday and run through Sunday.
Wish us luck. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Pan Am Qualifier Gets Underway
Hello everyone. Sorry it's been a while since I've written. It's been a pretty busy summer. After the last blog I have been on the run with the Racers and then out to California for National Team Camp. Now I am in Venezuela, representing the United States in the Pan-Am Qualifier. It's always a great honor to represent your country, and I am excited to be here!
We arrived in Venezuela late Wednesday night, after a couple delays at the airport. Everyone met at the Miami airport to fly together to Caracas, but several flights were delayed or cancelled. Luckily they pushed the Caracas flight back as well, so everyone made it on time except for Katie Schroeder from UCLA. We were missing some luggage as well, but by Thursday afternoon both Katie and most of the luggage had made it to Maracay. We had practice at a local field during the afternoon, and were just wrapping things up when a thunderstorm rolled in. Other than that, we have had nice weather, albeit a little hot!
Our first game was Friday afternoon, at 1:00 against Columbia. Nikki Nemitz started in the circle and threw two perfect innings before being relieved by Brandice Balschmiter, who threw three perfect innings as well. We won, and the game was cut short due to the run rule.
Megan Langenfield was 3-3 with a three-run home run that contributed to our final margin of 11-0. The opening ceremonies were Friday night. It's fun to be able to see all of the teams that you are competing against in one place for such an exciting event.
Luckily, we have internet in our hotel lobby, so I think I'll be able to update frequently.
Talk to you soon!
Angela
We arrived in Venezuela late Wednesday night, after a couple delays at the airport. Everyone met at the Miami airport to fly together to Caracas, but several flights were delayed or cancelled. Luckily they pushed the Caracas flight back as well, so everyone made it on time except for Katie Schroeder from UCLA. We were missing some luggage as well, but by Thursday afternoon both Katie and most of the luggage had made it to Maracay. We had practice at a local field during the afternoon, and were just wrapping things up when a thunderstorm rolled in. Other than that, we have had nice weather, albeit a little hot!
Our first game was Friday afternoon, at 1:00 against Columbia. Nikki Nemitz started in the circle and threw two perfect innings before being relieved by Brandice Balschmiter, who threw three perfect innings as well. We won, and the game was cut short due to the run rule.
Megan Langenfield was 3-3 with a three-run home run that contributed to our final margin of 11-0. The opening ceremonies were Friday night. It's fun to be able to see all of the teams that you are competing against in one place for such an exciting event.
Luckily, we have internet in our hotel lobby, so I think I'll be able to update frequently.
Talk to you soon!
Angela
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Photos with Lauren Lappin
In between shots and just wanted to post this photo of me with Lauren...you can get this stuff soon at www.3N2Sports.com!
Photo Shoot for 3N2 with Lauren Lappin
Well, it's 11:45 and we are more than two hours into my photoshoot for 3N2 (www.3N2Sports.com). Last night Scott, who handles my marketing for API Sports, and I went to dinner with Marty Graham and Sean Murphy of 3N2 in Orlando at a great steakhouse. It was a nice dinner after a long and tiring couple of weeks. 3N2 really is dedicated to women's fastpitch and has a lot of great products coming out, including the shoes that I am endorsing. They have designed some amazing customized shoes for me for my Japanese team as well as the Racers. I have received a lot of compliments about the shoes, and want to thank Sean and Marty for all their hard work.
So far I've been photographed in two different Racer uniforms in many different poses and also my Leopalace 21 uniform. After that Lauren and I were photographed in some 3N2 softball uniforms that will be released next year. We are on a little break right now, but I wanted to check in. It's been really hectic with a lot of travel, but I was finally able to get back home for a couple of days before coming to Florida for this shoot. I fly back to Virginia tonight and then it's back to Akron.
More to come later!
Bye for now.
Angela
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Watch Angela Pitch Here!
Watch the Akron Racers game today vs. the Rockford Thunder right here:
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w=reflector%3A52192&vid=npf&pid=gen_video&cid=mlb&v=2
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w=reflector%3A52192&vid=npf&pid=gen_video&cid=mlb&v=2
First Appearance for Akron Today!
I will make my 2009 NPF debut today for the Akron Racers at 2:05 against the Rockford Thunder. Cat Osterman threw a no-hitter against us in the second game of a double header yesterday. We are now 4-5 on the year. I'm hoping to help us get back to .500 today. You can follow the game at: http://www.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_wsoftbl.html?event=788967&school=arcs&sport=wsoftbl&camefrom=&startschool=&
I'll report back later!
I'll report back later!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
California Here I Come!
We finished the first half of the season in Japan on a great note, earning a 3-1 win against Hitachi Software to end up with a 7-4 record. That leaves us in fifth place, but only two games out of first in the bunched-up standings.
In the bottom of the first, our leadoff batter Misato Kawano launched a solo home run to give us the early 1-0 lead. We scored another run a few innings later on a RBI double by Natalie Titcume. Hitachi Software came close to scoring on a hit-and-run with a runner on third, but luckily Natalie called a pitchout on that play. The batter still managed to make contact, and the swinging bunt caused a confusing play at the plate. Technically, the runner from third escaped the tag, but she did so by running halfway to the pitcher's circle. The initial call was safe, but of course we appealed, because she ran out of the baseline to avoid the tag, and the call was overruled. We added another run in the bottom of the sixth on Erina Inoue's solo home run, and escaped a close call in the seventh. Hitachi Software used an error and a single to score a run, but a strikeout ended the threat and we held on, 3-1.
It was a great team win, with timely hitting and good defense. I'm thrilled to end the first half with an important victory. It will be an interesting second half, as 11 more games could change things dramatically.
Well, it's finally time to return home! I leave for California tomorrow, so its time to shift my focus toward the National Team Tryouts. I think the experience in Japan has been priceless and definitely prepared me for tough competition. I won't have much time to rest before tryouts begin, but I feel ready. I'm looking forward to getting back to the States and seeing all of the players at the tryouts. Then it's off to Akron for the NPF season. Somewhere in between all of that I need to get back to Blacksburg for a couple of days and fly to Florida for a photo shoot with my new partner, 3N2 (www.3N2Sports.com).
Ok. Gotta go pack. Talk soon!
In the bottom of the first, our leadoff batter Misato Kawano launched a solo home run to give us the early 1-0 lead. We scored another run a few innings later on a RBI double by Natalie Titcume. Hitachi Software came close to scoring on a hit-and-run with a runner on third, but luckily Natalie called a pitchout on that play. The batter still managed to make contact, and the swinging bunt caused a confusing play at the plate. Technically, the runner from third escaped the tag, but she did so by running halfway to the pitcher's circle. The initial call was safe, but of course we appealed, because she ran out of the baseline to avoid the tag, and the call was overruled. We added another run in the bottom of the sixth on Erina Inoue's solo home run, and escaped a close call in the seventh. Hitachi Software used an error and a single to score a run, but a strikeout ended the threat and we held on, 3-1.
It was a great team win, with timely hitting and good defense. I'm thrilled to end the first half with an important victory. It will be an interesting second half, as 11 more games could change things dramatically.
Well, it's finally time to return home! I leave for California tomorrow, so its time to shift my focus toward the National Team Tryouts. I think the experience in Japan has been priceless and definitely prepared me for tough competition. I won't have much time to rest before tryouts begin, but I feel ready. I'm looking forward to getting back to the States and seeing all of the players at the tryouts. Then it's off to Akron for the NPF season. Somewhere in between all of that I need to get back to Blacksburg for a couple of days and fly to Florida for a photo shoot with my new partner, 3N2 (www.3N2Sports.com).
Ok. Gotta go pack. Talk soon!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Last Weekend in Japan off to Great Start
Hi again. My last weekend in Japan started out with a victory, and another one tomorrow would be really big for us as we close out the first half of the season.
The weather looked terrible this morning, but after a two-hour delay we
were able to begin our game. I don't think I've ever seen a field in
such bad shape be made playable like ours was today. We showed up
to find several inches of standing water covering the field, but a crew aided by
volunteers used shovels and sponges until we had a pretty decent
playing surface. Never in a million years would I have expected that we would get that game in when I saw the field covered in water.
We had another great offensive performance, and I only pitched the first two innings. My line for two innings of work was one strikeout and one single with no runs allowed. We were ahead 4-0 after 2-1/2 innings, and Yamane came in to releive me. We where ahead 11-0 after six, and Matsumura finished the game for us.
We are 6-4 for the season and finish up the first half tomorrow against Hitachi Software, which entered today's game vs. Toda Hospital with a 6-3 record. So a win tomorrow against them would push us up in the standings and be a great way to end our first half. The rain should be over now, so we're hoping to be back on schedule for a 10:30 a.m. start tomorrow. I'll report back after the game. Enjoy your Saturday!
The weather looked terrible this morning, but after a two-hour delay we
were able to begin our game. I don't think I've ever seen a field in
such bad shape be made playable like ours was today. We showed up
to find several inches of standing water covering the field, but a crew aided by
volunteers used shovels and sponges until we had a pretty decent
playing surface. Never in a million years would I have expected that we would get that game in when I saw the field covered in water.
We had another great offensive performance, and I only pitched the first two innings. My line for two innings of work was one strikeout and one single with no runs allowed. We were ahead 4-0 after 2-1/2 innings, and Yamane came in to releive me. We where ahead 11-0 after six, and Matsumura finished the game for us.
We are 6-4 for the season and finish up the first half tomorrow against Hitachi Software, which entered today's game vs. Toda Hospital with a 6-3 record. So a win tomorrow against them would push us up in the standings and be a great way to end our first half. The rain should be over now, so we're hoping to be back on schedule for a 10:30 a.m. start tomorrow. I'll report back after the game. Enjoy your Saturday!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Happy to Have 3N2 as a Partner!
Something else that I wanted to mention was that I recently signed a multi-year agreement to exclusively endorse 3N2 cleats. I'm really excited to be working with a great, up-and-coming company like 3N2 that has really made a commitment to growing and supporting women's fastpitch. I just received my first pair of customized cleats from them, and I wanted to thank Marty and Sean from 3N2 for sending them to me and making this all happen. I'm really looking forward to building a great partnership. Check out all of their great products at www.3N2Sports.com.
I'm pretty picky about my shoes, but I have been wearing 3N2 for a couple of years now and love how comfortable they are, the support they provide and their durability. As part of the agreement I will trial, test and promote 3N2’s new fastpitch cleat, the ACCELERATE w/ PROTO pitching toe. I also will represent 3N2 at clinics, for public appearances and be featured in a lot of 3N2's promotional materials.
I really encourage you to check out their website and give their shoes a try. I'll be wearing them all summer long and when I go back to Japan, so be sure to look for them whenever you see me play!
I'm pretty picky about my shoes, but I have been wearing 3N2 for a couple of years now and love how comfortable they are, the support they provide and their durability. As part of the agreement I will trial, test and promote 3N2’s new fastpitch cleat, the ACCELERATE w/ PROTO pitching toe. I also will represent 3N2 at clinics, for public appearances and be featured in a lot of 3N2's promotional materials.
I really encourage you to check out their website and give their shoes a try. I'll be wearing them all summer long and when I go back to Japan, so be sure to look for them whenever you see me play!
Almost Time to Come Home!
Hey everyone. Just four days until I head back to the States! Here's what's been going on since my last post:
My dad arrived May 25, the Monday after we played Toyota Shokki. The timing just didn't work out for him to be here for a game, but he was able to attend all of our practices. I think he really enjoyed seeing how practice is handled in Japan, and he was able to watch me pitch and check out my mechanics every day. It was really nice having him here, not just for a visit, but also because I could have him really analyze my pitching.
I was pretty tired after long our practices, so we usually stayed around the Shinjuku area during our down time. We had a little rough weather toward the end of the week, so a few our days were spent in the gym. We were able to go into Harajuku and Shibuya one day. I'm very lucky that all of these places are short subway rides away from my apartment. We also tried a lot of different restaurants and had some really great meals at a traditional Japanese restaurants - sushi, Indian, Thai and a couple of others.
Dad was scheduled to leave that Friday, the 29th, but as that day approached I was really wishing for him to be able to see one of our practice games. We had one scheduled for Sunday, and I was able to talk him into extending his stay for a couple of days. I pitched most of our first practice game, and then Natalie, Miyako, and I took him to the airport. Overall, it was a great visit, and I only had eight days remaining in Japan after he left.
We've practiced hard this week and are ready to finish the season's first half on a high note. This weekend we play Iyo Bank and Hitachi Software, two teams that have shown great offensive production thus far. Two wins would go a long way toward keeping us among the top four teams in the standings - or at least keeping us close. We head to the game field in Saitama tomorrow for our pregame practice. It's only an hour and a half away, so we'll be able to stay in Tokyo this weekend too.
Only four days left in Japan, so I'm hoping to make the most of them! When I return to the States next week I will head to California for National Team tryouts and then to Akron to reunite with my Racer teammates. I'm looking forward to seeing them and then hopefully returning to Blacksburg for a couple of days of relaxation and to pick up some different clothes...
Talk to you soon!
My dad arrived May 25, the Monday after we played Toyota Shokki. The timing just didn't work out for him to be here for a game, but he was able to attend all of our practices. I think he really enjoyed seeing how practice is handled in Japan, and he was able to watch me pitch and check out my mechanics every day. It was really nice having him here, not just for a visit, but also because I could have him really analyze my pitching.
I was pretty tired after long our practices, so we usually stayed around the Shinjuku area during our down time. We had a little rough weather toward the end of the week, so a few our days were spent in the gym. We were able to go into Harajuku and Shibuya one day. I'm very lucky that all of these places are short subway rides away from my apartment. We also tried a lot of different restaurants and had some really great meals at a traditional Japanese restaurants - sushi, Indian, Thai and a couple of others.
Dad was scheduled to leave that Friday, the 29th, but as that day approached I was really wishing for him to be able to see one of our practice games. We had one scheduled for Sunday, and I was able to talk him into extending his stay for a couple of days. I pitched most of our first practice game, and then Natalie, Miyako, and I took him to the airport. Overall, it was a great visit, and I only had eight days remaining in Japan after he left.
We've practiced hard this week and are ready to finish the season's first half on a high note. This weekend we play Iyo Bank and Hitachi Software, two teams that have shown great offensive production thus far. Two wins would go a long way toward keeping us among the top four teams in the standings - or at least keeping us close. We head to the game field in Saitama tomorrow for our pregame practice. It's only an hour and a half away, so we'll be able to stay in Tokyo this weekend too.
Only four days left in Japan, so I'm hoping to make the most of them! When I return to the States next week I will head to California for National Team tryouts and then to Akron to reunite with my Racer teammates. I'm looking forward to seeing them and then hopefully returning to Blacksburg for a couple of days of relaxation and to pick up some different clothes...
Talk to you soon!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Rough Weekend for Us, But ...
Hey guys. Hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend!
It was a rough weekend for us. We lost a heartbreaker Saturday to Toyota Automobile, 5-4 in 9 innings. I pitched the last eight innings after coming in to relieve the starter and gave up four runs - I think three of them were earned.
We lost Sunday as well, 4-1 to Toyota Shokki. It was another tough game, and things just didn't go our way. I didn't get to pitch on Sunday. That leaves us at 5-4 now with two weeks until our next game.
Despite the losses, I'm excited to see my dad, who is visiting this week. I'm looking forward to spending some time with him, showing him around and working on my pitching mechanics a little bit. I'm also excited to be coming home in a few weeks and for National Team tryouts to begin. It's a huge honor to be considered good enough to take the field and compete with the best players in the U.S.
With two weeks to regroup, I'm hoping that we can end the first half of our season on a good note. Either way it has been a great experience here in Japan. I'm looking forward to a busy summer of softball back home and then returning for the second half of the Japanese schedule at the end of August.
It was a rough weekend for us. We lost a heartbreaker Saturday to Toyota Automobile, 5-4 in 9 innings. I pitched the last eight innings after coming in to relieve the starter and gave up four runs - I think three of them were earned.
We lost Sunday as well, 4-1 to Toyota Shokki. It was another tough game, and things just didn't go our way. I didn't get to pitch on Sunday. That leaves us at 5-4 now with two weeks until our next game.
Despite the losses, I'm excited to see my dad, who is visiting this week. I'm looking forward to spending some time with him, showing him around and working on my pitching mechanics a little bit. I'm also excited to be coming home in a few weeks and for National Team tryouts to begin. It's a huge honor to be considered good enough to take the field and compete with the best players in the U.S.
With two weeks to regroup, I'm hoping that we can end the first half of our season on a good note. Either way it has been a great experience here in Japan. I'm looking forward to a busy summer of softball back home and then returning for the second half of the Japanese schedule at the end of August.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Disappointing End to the Weekend
Hey everyone. We lost Sunday to Takasaki, so our record is now 5-2. I didn't pitch in the game. Because I had pitched the first seven innings the day before I was scheduled to be used in relief, but the situation never came about for me to go in. The final score was 6-1.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Exciting Victory
After a disappointing, hard-fought loss to Denso, 7-6, last weekend that saw us to fall to 4-1 on the year (but still remain in second place), we came back yesterday to record a crazy 8-2 victory against Sagawa. The game was 2-2 heading into extra innings and then we broke it open with six runs in the eighth. Yamane came in to pitch the last inning. Today we play R. Takasaki in Sagawa.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Offensive Explosion
Hello again. Happy Mother's Day weekend to everyone back home! The weekend started out great for us in Kakegawa, Shizuokoa. After falling behind early we rallied for a 12-1 victory against Shinogi to improve our record to 4-0.
Yamane was our starting pitcher, and pitched the first two innings before I came in for the third with us trailing, 1-0. I gave up a single with one out in the 3rd, but we were able to get a pop up on a bunt and a ground ball to get out of the inning. We came back in the bottom of the inning to score runs four and take the lead. Erina Inoue had a great game, hitting a triple with bases loaded to drive in three of the runs.
In the fourth we held them to a pop-up and two ground ball outs before putting the game away with another great inning offensively. Erina once again came up with bases loade and knocked in three runs with a double to the gap. Tanaka, our third baseman, hit a solo home run, and one of our younger players, Kouda, had her first league hit with a double to left field.
Matsumura relieved me to start the fifth inning and pitched two scoreless innings. Yamane reentered the game in the seventh to close it for us. I guess I was in the right place at the right time, entering the game right before our offense took control, so I was able to earn the win. Overall, I think it was a great offensive game for us, and we feel really good heading into tomorrow. Denso, another undefeated team, was leading Toda Hospital 9-0 when we left the park, so tomorrow should be a good match-up and test for us against them. My friend Megan Gibson, who I did the Nokiona Diamonds in the Rough photo/video shoot with, plays for Denso, so we might pitch against each other. It would be strange to face her all the way over here in Japan, but fun nonetheless!
We'll be heading back to Tokyo after tomorrow's game, so I'll try to check back in sometime tomorrow. If I can't get anything posted tomorrow I'd like to wish all the mom's out there a wonderful mother's day.
Talk to you soon,
Angela
Yamane was our starting pitcher, and pitched the first two innings before I came in for the third with us trailing, 1-0. I gave up a single with one out in the 3rd, but we were able to get a pop up on a bunt and a ground ball to get out of the inning. We came back in the bottom of the inning to score runs four and take the lead. Erina Inoue had a great game, hitting a triple with bases loaded to drive in three of the runs.
In the fourth we held them to a pop-up and two ground ball outs before putting the game away with another great inning offensively. Erina once again came up with bases loade and knocked in three runs with a double to the gap. Tanaka, our third baseman, hit a solo home run, and one of our younger players, Kouda, had her first league hit with a double to left field.
Matsumura relieved me to start the fifth inning and pitched two scoreless innings. Yamane reentered the game in the seventh to close it for us. I guess I was in the right place at the right time, entering the game right before our offense took control, so I was able to earn the win. Overall, I think it was a great offensive game for us, and we feel really good heading into tomorrow. Denso, another undefeated team, was leading Toda Hospital 9-0 when we left the park, so tomorrow should be a good match-up and test for us against them. My friend Megan Gibson, who I did the Nokiona Diamonds in the Rough photo/video shoot with, plays for Denso, so we might pitch against each other. It would be strange to face her all the way over here in Japan, but fun nonetheless!
We'll be heading back to Tokyo after tomorrow's game, so I'll try to check back in sometime tomorrow. If I can't get anything posted tomorrow I'd like to wish all the mom's out there a wonderful mother's day.
Talk to you soon,
Angela
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Gearing Up for a Big Weekend
Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't been able to update the blog for a couple of weeks. We had a week off between games, so I took advantage of that opportunity to do a little bit of traveling and sightseeing. But before I get into that let me tell you how the softball side of things is going.
We are doing very well. We won both of our most recent games to improve to 3-0. After waiting a day to play because of rain and then being delayed another hour because of wet field conditions, we were able to get in our game against Taiyo Yuden and won, 2-0. It was really windy that day, but I was able to pitch all seven innings, allowing five singles and a double. I don't really think about the stats when I'm playing, and they are not translated for me unless I ask, so usually I'm not positive about the exact number of hits or strikeouts.
The next day we faced Honda and won, 6-1, to improve to 3-0. In that game I pitched five innings, allowing two hits and one run with a walk.
Since those games, our schedule has been a little different. We were able to take a couple days off after playing Honda, since we had another two-week break between games. I was able to take a short trip to Hakone, which is located in the mountains and close to Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, it was a little hazy around Mt. Fuji, so we only caught a few glimpses. The next day we took a trip to Kamakura, which is located on the Pacific Ocean just south of Tokyo. We stopped by the beach to see the Pacific from Japan and enjoyed shopping on the streets. Kamakura is well-known for its large bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which was built in 1252. It was 13.4 meters tall (about 44 feet), so it was quite a sight.
This past weekend we had exhibition games against Toda Hospital and Honda, two teams we have already played, in order to prepare for our upcoming games. Yesterday was the last day of Golden Week, so things will start to get back to normal. Golden Week is when there are several holidays grouped together, so everyone has a brief vacation and there can be a lot of additional traffic because of the travelers and tourists. We've been able to practice and train during the mornings since the other girls on the team do not have to work.
We leave today for our next two games and will practice there for the next two days. Denso, one of our opponents, is also 3-0 after its first three games, so this will be an important weekend for us. We play Shionogi first on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., followed by Denso Sunday at 1 PM. Our schedule continues to get tougher the next few weeks, as we will have two games per weekend for three weeks. It will be nice to get into more of a routine, and start to see the league shape up as more games are played.
Hopefully I will have internet access this weekend and be able to update you on how we are doing. If not I'll be sure to let you know when I get back to Tokyo.
Take care and have a great weekend. Talk to you soon!
Angela
We are doing very well. We won both of our most recent games to improve to 3-0. After waiting a day to play because of rain and then being delayed another hour because of wet field conditions, we were able to get in our game against Taiyo Yuden and won, 2-0. It was really windy that day, but I was able to pitch all seven innings, allowing five singles and a double. I don't really think about the stats when I'm playing, and they are not translated for me unless I ask, so usually I'm not positive about the exact number of hits or strikeouts.
The next day we faced Honda and won, 6-1, to improve to 3-0. In that game I pitched five innings, allowing two hits and one run with a walk.
Since those games, our schedule has been a little different. We were able to take a couple days off after playing Honda, since we had another two-week break between games. I was able to take a short trip to Hakone, which is located in the mountains and close to Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, it was a little hazy around Mt. Fuji, so we only caught a few glimpses. The next day we took a trip to Kamakura, which is located on the Pacific Ocean just south of Tokyo. We stopped by the beach to see the Pacific from Japan and enjoyed shopping on the streets. Kamakura is well-known for its large bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which was built in 1252. It was 13.4 meters tall (about 44 feet), so it was quite a sight.
This past weekend we had exhibition games against Toda Hospital and Honda, two teams we have already played, in order to prepare for our upcoming games. Yesterday was the last day of Golden Week, so things will start to get back to normal. Golden Week is when there are several holidays grouped together, so everyone has a brief vacation and there can be a lot of additional traffic because of the travelers and tourists. We've been able to practice and train during the mornings since the other girls on the team do not have to work.
We leave today for our next two games and will practice there for the next two days. Denso, one of our opponents, is also 3-0 after its first three games, so this will be an important weekend for us. We play Shionogi first on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., followed by Denso Sunday at 1 PM. Our schedule continues to get tougher the next few weeks, as we will have two games per weekend for three weeks. It will be nice to get into more of a routine, and start to see the league shape up as more games are played.
Hopefully I will have internet access this weekend and be able to update you on how we are doing. If not I'll be sure to let you know when I get back to Tokyo.
Take care and have a great weekend. Talk to you soon!
Angela
Friday, April 24, 2009
Rain, Rain Stay Away!
Hello everyone. We are gearing up for our games this weekend. It's been a busy week, trying to fit in some personal time and sightseeing with our practice schedule, which is demanding.
I just got back from the stadium for set-up and practice. We normally use two fields other than our stadium for practice, so we had to be there really early today to set-up the stadium for the teams' official practices today. Four teams play at three sites every weekend, so this is our only weekend to host this year.
We are playing at Edogawa Baseball Stadium, so we set up fences and benches for the conversion to a softball field. Unfortunately the forecast is for rain tomorrow, so that may change our schedule. We are supposed to play one game at 1:00 on both Saturday and Sunday, but we may have to play Monday if we get rained out tomorrow. It seems like it's been a long time since our first game (almost two weeks), so I'm anxious to play & hoping it doesn't rain.
We haven't had much time for anything other than practice during the past two weeks, but we have had a little time off. I was able to go to a local pro baseball game with our interpreter Miyako, catcher Natalie, her friend Kylie and my boyfriend Sean. We were at Meiji Jingu Stadium to see the Yomiuri Giants play the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. It was a lot of fun, and interesting to see another sport played in Japan. Even though the Swallows were the home team, the Giants are located just across town, so both had many fans in attendance. Final Score: Swallows 6, Giants 2.
I also found time to make a trip to Asakusa, which is located on the other side of Tokyo from us. It is well known for a large temple called Senso-ji. There were many shops selling pottery, pictures, boxed sweets and snacks, fabrics and other souvenirs. I'm hoping to do some more sightseeing next week, since we may have a couple days off, depending on the weather this weekend. We have one more 2 week break between games, but after that we will have games every weekend.
Ok, well, it's time to run to dinner. I have to say that the food has been amazing since I've been here. Everything has been really good, and thankfully the portions are small. We practice to much that I really don't think it makes a difference anyway. I stay pretty active!
Thanks for reading. Will let you know how the weekend goes. Hope the rain stays away!
Angela
I just got back from the stadium for set-up and practice. We normally use two fields other than our stadium for practice, so we had to be there really early today to set-up the stadium for the teams' official practices today. Four teams play at three sites every weekend, so this is our only weekend to host this year.
We are playing at Edogawa Baseball Stadium, so we set up fences and benches for the conversion to a softball field. Unfortunately the forecast is for rain tomorrow, so that may change our schedule. We are supposed to play one game at 1:00 on both Saturday and Sunday, but we may have to play Monday if we get rained out tomorrow. It seems like it's been a long time since our first game (almost two weeks), so I'm anxious to play & hoping it doesn't rain.
We haven't had much time for anything other than practice during the past two weeks, but we have had a little time off. I was able to go to a local pro baseball game with our interpreter Miyako, catcher Natalie, her friend Kylie and my boyfriend Sean. We were at Meiji Jingu Stadium to see the Yomiuri Giants play the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. It was a lot of fun, and interesting to see another sport played in Japan. Even though the Swallows were the home team, the Giants are located just across town, so both had many fans in attendance. Final Score: Swallows 6, Giants 2.
I also found time to make a trip to Asakusa, which is located on the other side of Tokyo from us. It is well known for a large temple called Senso-ji. There were many shops selling pottery, pictures, boxed sweets and snacks, fabrics and other souvenirs. I'm hoping to do some more sightseeing next week, since we may have a couple days off, depending on the weather this weekend. We have one more 2 week break between games, but after that we will have games every weekend.
Ok, well, it's time to run to dinner. I have to say that the food has been amazing since I've been here. Everything has been really good, and thankfully the portions are small. We practice to much that I really don't think it makes a difference anyway. I stay pretty active!
Thanks for reading. Will let you know how the weekend goes. Hope the rain stays away!
Angela
Friday, April 17, 2009
Translated Stats and Weekend Schedule
It's been a busy week, so I'm just getting the translated stats from last week's game posted here. Sorry about that. These are official:
Innings: 4
Batters: 17
At-bats: 15
Hits: 3
Runs: 1
Earned runs: 1
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 6
HR: 1
Pitches: 68
ERA: 1.75
Not a bad start, but I could live without the home run! Getting ready for a big weekend of softball. We play on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time (that's midnight Eastern time for those of you in Blacksburg) in Tokyo against Team Honda and then at 1 p.m. local time Sunday vs. Taiyo Yuden. Honda lost to Taiyo Yuden last week.
Innings: 4
Batters: 17
At-bats: 15
Hits: 3
Runs: 1
Earned runs: 1
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 6
HR: 1
Pitches: 68
ERA: 1.75
Not a bad start, but I could live without the home run! Getting ready for a big weekend of softball. We play on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time (that's midnight Eastern time for those of you in Blacksburg) in Tokyo against Team Honda and then at 1 p.m. local time Sunday vs. Taiyo Yuden. Honda lost to Taiyo Yuden last week.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
LeoPalace21 14, Toda HP 1
Hi again...
I don't have all of the official stats translated from today's game yet, and since we have the day off tomorrow it might be Tuesday before I get them to you all, but here's a recap from what I can remember. It was all very exciting!
The atmosphere of these games is unlike anything I've experienced before. Each team has an official "cheerleader," who leads the cheering section and is accompanied by a band. They have certain rituals that they go through before the game, and will cheer for you specifically when you do something good. Most of them are male, and they yell very loud and have a large drum to accompany them.
The game started out a little rough...I think I was a little TOO excited. The first pitch was a strike, but on the second pitch I let a change-up go a little too quickly and it was immediately sent over the fence. After that, I settled in with three K's in a row. We answered with four runs in the bottom of the first. I pitched four total innings, allowing three hits (the other two were singles) and recorded somewhere between seven and nine strikeouts.
We had an awesome day offensively, with home runs by Natalie Titcume and Kageyama. Our new players hit very well, which was important and should build our confidence as a team. I think we finished with 14 runs on 15 hits.
Yamane pitched the fifth and sixth innings, and one out into the seventh. Matsumura got the last two outs in the seventh to end the game.
I'll get the official game re-cap to you soon, talk to you then..
Angela
I don't have all of the official stats translated from today's game yet, and since we have the day off tomorrow it might be Tuesday before I get them to you all, but here's a recap from what I can remember. It was all very exciting!
The atmosphere of these games is unlike anything I've experienced before. Each team has an official "cheerleader," who leads the cheering section and is accompanied by a band. They have certain rituals that they go through before the game, and will cheer for you specifically when you do something good. Most of them are male, and they yell very loud and have a large drum to accompany them.
The game started out a little rough...I think I was a little TOO excited. The first pitch was a strike, but on the second pitch I let a change-up go a little too quickly and it was immediately sent over the fence. After that, I settled in with three K's in a row. We answered with four runs in the bottom of the first. I pitched four total innings, allowing three hits (the other two were singles) and recorded somewhere between seven and nine strikeouts.
We had an awesome day offensively, with home runs by Natalie Titcume and Kageyama. Our new players hit very well, which was important and should build our confidence as a team. I think we finished with 14 runs on 15 hits.
Yamane pitched the fifth and sixth innings, and one out into the seventh. Matsumura got the last two outs in the seventh to end the game.
I'll get the official game re-cap to you soon, talk to you then..
Angela
Happy Easter! First game a success...
Hey everyone. Although it's almost tomorrow here in Tokyo, I'd like to wish everyone in the States a very happy and relaxing Easter. We had our first regular-season game earlier today, and I'd have to say it was a huge success. Final score: LeoPalace21 14, Toda HP 1. More to come soon! In the meantime, check out the Cherry Blossom photos from the Imperial Palace on my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2355214&id=6212426.
Just was messing around on the web and found our team site...check this out. It's all of my teammates' photos and biographical information. Good thing I know everything about myself...can anyone translate for me!!!! http://www.leopalace21.co.jp/softball/member.html
Talk to you soon!
Just was messing around on the web and found our team site...check this out. It's all of my teammates' photos and biographical information. Good thing I know everything about myself...can anyone translate for me!!!! http://www.leopalace21.co.jp/softball/member.html
Talk to you soon!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Greetings from Japan
Hello from Japan. It’s been a pretty hectic five weeks since I arrived here in Tokyo. I’ve been wanting to keep in touch with everyone in the States and keep you all updated as to how I am doing, but it has just been so crazy. This past weekend was no different, but I’m pretty settled in now and wanted to take a bit of time to post my first blog.
It was a long weekend of softball in Toyota City, which is about four hours away from where I am staying in Tokyo. Toyota City, as the name implies, really is Toyota’s city. It’s where all of the Toyota facilities are located. They also have an athletic compound there. Toyota sponsors several sports teams in Japan; they have softball, baseball and some others. The company that sponsors my team, LeoPalace 21, is a real estate company that only sponsors a softball team.
We were in Toyota City to play in the Toyota Cup, which included maybe 15 teams – some from our division and some others from Division 2. It was a weekend of playing and practice that had us on the field as many as 10 or 11 hours on some days. We were there Thursday through Sunday and played two games each day, except Sunday, when we only played once. On a typical day we would practice in the morning from 9 until 11 and then have lunch before warming up for our first game of the day. Then we would play at 12:30 and 2:30 or 3:00. On one of the days we didn’t play so well and our coach made us practice for a while after the second game.
I pitched a complete game, and we won, the first day. Many of the coaches held their foreign pitchers back, so I guess that mine decided to do the same, because I only pitched two innings the second day, one the next and three the last day. I really did a lot more practicing than game pitching. When I’m not pitching and the team is practicing, since I don’t hit, there’s not much for me to do. Once I’ve taken some ground balls and pitched I might try to take a walk or keep busy doing something so my coach doesn’t get upset with me.
I ran into Monica Abbott and Natasha Whatley several times and was able to talk to them. They play for Toyota and were practicing and playing at the same complex as us most of the time. One of my teammates, Natalie Titcume, is a catcher from Australia, so we take every opportunity we can to be able to speak in English to the other foreign players. I also saw Katie Burkhart briefly as well as Kristen Butler and Megan Gibson, who I know pretty well. Kristen is a teammate of mine on the Akron Racers of the NPF, and I did a photo shoot for Nokona with Megan last year. It was great to see all of them and catch up – even if only for a short time.
I was really tired Sunday night, but Monday was a bit more relaxing as we were able to play tourist for a day and go the area surrounding the Tokyo Imperial Palace where the world-famous cherry blossoms are in bloom. Thousands of people from all over Japan flock to the parks to take in the sights and enjoy the festivals that offer food, souvenirs and other interesting stuff.
Our season gets underway next weekend when we play Toda H.P. at the Seibu Dome in Saitama on Sunday. I’m starting to get comfortable here. I’m able to sleep until 6 a.m. most days now after waking up at 4 or 4:30 many mornings. I tried to catch up on my sleep a little bit today and managed to “sleep in” until almost 7:30. I guess my body is just used to getting up early now, but that’s not such a bad thing.
Thanks for reading this. Check back here often. I’ll do my best to keep you updated about my progress and adventures here in Japan!
It was a long weekend of softball in Toyota City, which is about four hours away from where I am staying in Tokyo. Toyota City, as the name implies, really is Toyota’s city. It’s where all of the Toyota facilities are located. They also have an athletic compound there. Toyota sponsors several sports teams in Japan; they have softball, baseball and some others. The company that sponsors my team, LeoPalace 21, is a real estate company that only sponsors a softball team.
We were in Toyota City to play in the Toyota Cup, which included maybe 15 teams – some from our division and some others from Division 2. It was a weekend of playing and practice that had us on the field as many as 10 or 11 hours on some days. We were there Thursday through Sunday and played two games each day, except Sunday, when we only played once. On a typical day we would practice in the morning from 9 until 11 and then have lunch before warming up for our first game of the day. Then we would play at 12:30 and 2:30 or 3:00. On one of the days we didn’t play so well and our coach made us practice for a while after the second game.
I pitched a complete game, and we won, the first day. Many of the coaches held their foreign pitchers back, so I guess that mine decided to do the same, because I only pitched two innings the second day, one the next and three the last day. I really did a lot more practicing than game pitching. When I’m not pitching and the team is practicing, since I don’t hit, there’s not much for me to do. Once I’ve taken some ground balls and pitched I might try to take a walk or keep busy doing something so my coach doesn’t get upset with me.
I ran into Monica Abbott and Natasha Whatley several times and was able to talk to them. They play for Toyota and were practicing and playing at the same complex as us most of the time. One of my teammates, Natalie Titcume, is a catcher from Australia, so we take every opportunity we can to be able to speak in English to the other foreign players. I also saw Katie Burkhart briefly as well as Kristen Butler and Megan Gibson, who I know pretty well. Kristen is a teammate of mine on the Akron Racers of the NPF, and I did a photo shoot for Nokona with Megan last year. It was great to see all of them and catch up – even if only for a short time.
I was really tired Sunday night, but Monday was a bit more relaxing as we were able to play tourist for a day and go the area surrounding the Tokyo Imperial Palace where the world-famous cherry blossoms are in bloom. Thousands of people from all over Japan flock to the parks to take in the sights and enjoy the festivals that offer food, souvenirs and other interesting stuff.
Our season gets underway next weekend when we play Toda H.P. at the Seibu Dome in Saitama on Sunday. I’m starting to get comfortable here. I’m able to sleep until 6 a.m. most days now after waking up at 4 or 4:30 many mornings. I tried to catch up on my sleep a little bit today and managed to “sleep in” until almost 7:30. I guess my body is just used to getting up early now, but that’s not such a bad thing.
Thanks for reading this. Check back here often. I’ll do my best to keep you updated about my progress and adventures here in Japan!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
