U-12 Kraze the only Rapid City ASA team to win the state tourney in 2011
Out of all the softball teams that have passed through Rapid City over the years, only one U-12 team has cemented their spot at the top of the hierarchy.
The Kraze didn’t make it easy on themselves, but earlier in the month this group of girls became just the third Rapid City ASA team in the last ten years to win a state tournament in the ‘A’ division.
They had to navigate through the double-elimination tournament the hard way after losing to Drake Orthodontics 2-1 on the first day?
After making it to the championship round following their win against the Sioux Falls Diamonds, it was again Drake Orthodontics staring at them from the other dugout. Drake was undefeated at that point in the tournament, so the Kraze had to beat them twice.
In the first inning of the first game, the Kraze gave up four runs in the first inning. From then on however, they chipped away at the large lead to overtake Drake in the middle innings and outlast them for a 9-4 win in the heat and humidity in Sioux Falls.
“It was hell back there,” coach Todd Maiden said of the hundred-degree heat and humidity. “I was impressed with the resiliency of the girls. To have U-12 girls play that many games in that heat is quite a feat in itself.”
After the first game Maiden said the girls were excited and they played with it in the second. The Kraze jumped all over a demoralized Drake Orthodontics team and won 7-1 to clinch the state title.
Maiden believes that their resilience was born out of the rigorous schedule they’ve played this summer. Following the tournament the Kraze now have a 59-6 record.
One of those losses came to the Cyclones out of Denver, and two more were at the hands of a U-14 Blaze team in an effort to get prepared for the state tournament.
“Our whole season was really geared to the state tournament so we were playing at a really high level,” Maiden said. “We gave them a week off afterwards, and now the challenge is to get them back up.”
That’s because the Kraze embark Monday for the ASA Western Nationals in Fort Collins, Colo., which starts Tuesday. Maiden pointed out Haley Molstad and Syd Dorman for having stellar state tournaments, but it was really the versatility of the entire roster that led them to a state title. This will also be important against the best teams in the West.
“The key to our success is our three pitchers. They have to throw strikes and let them defend because our defense is outstanding,” Maiden said. “We don’t have any weak spots in our order. We teach them to be very aggressive on the base paths. We can play small ball or long ball. So it’s a pretty unique team that we have.”
I am kind of sad that the Kraze was not covered past this point in their season. I realize that Harney Little League is kicking butt, but this Kraze team also did a little butt kicking of their own. This nationals that they went to is the equivalent of the Semi-finals in Regionals that the boys are at and they made it quite a ways. There is a hirarchy in National tournaments in ASA and the only Nationals outstanding this one would be the ASA/USA nationals which you must qualify for by winning a national qualifier tournement. There are 4 ASA Girls A Nationals, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western, with the Western being the toughest one and the one where our girls went. This national tournament is also one of those that you just don’t get invited to, you must earn the birth with a championship.
The Kraze placed 13th overall, tying with 3 other teams (So Cal Jynx, USA Athletics, and Nemesis Elite) all of whom are southern California, powerhouse, dynasty travel-ball organizations.
Hopefully you can follow up with them and make sure their great story is heard as well.