Star Softball Player Lost For Season

SEBRING, March 12, 2009 – Sebring star softball player Sami Lower has been lost for the season with a torn ACL and meniscus, Sebring Cinema and Sports has learned.

Lower, 17, sustained the injury in practice on Monday, according to sources, had an MRI done Wednesday, and learned the results today.

The injury apparently will not affect her scholarship with Eastern Tennessee State University, but it does deprive the Lady Blue Streaks of their most consistent and dangerous hitter and top notch fielder.

The Lady Streaks head into a grueling three-game stretch against Braden River on the coast Friday night, DeSoto at home on Monday, and the 2007 state softball champion Lake Wales Lady Highlanders next Thursday.

The loss of Lower forces varsity Head Coach Joe Sinness to alter his lineup and batting order. One likely scenario is that Kayla Clemons will take over shortstop, with either veteran Karrie Dudek or newbie Camille White inserted into the starting lineup.

The setback with Sami Lower is the second season-ending injury for a starting softball player. Amanda Grimaldo tore her ACL while playing for the Lady Streaks varsity soccer team earlier this year. Lower had taken over for Grimaldo at shortstop while sister Dino Lower took over for Sami at second base.

And pitcher Kaitlyn Ostrander has been unavailable except for limited baserunning because of a shoulder/arm injury.

Nikki Helms is slated to be on the mound for Sebring Friday night at Braden River.

Sebring’s Championship Hunt Ends

URGENT, Lake Wales, April 22, 2008 – The 2008 4A championship run of the Sebring Lady Blue Streaks has come to an end.

The Lady Streaks fell to defending state champion Lake Wales Tuesday night, 9-4.

Fielding errors plagued the Lady Streaks as they did in their district championship game. They committed seven, and against as strong a team as Lake Wales, the errors proved fatal.

But in Head Coach Lee Tolar’s final game, the Lady Streaks refused to go down without a fight. Unofficially – as has become their custom – they outhit Lake Wales 10 to 8. First basewoman Hannah Shoop blasted a towering two-run homer over the center field wall in the first inning to give the Streaks a 2-0 lead.

They had fallen behind 6 to 3 when they loaded the bases in the 6th inning after a brilliant move by Tolar. Tolar subbed senior Rowan Taylor for Melissa Luke at bat. He felt Taylor was better suited to what Lake Wales ace Hannah Rogers was throwing. Not only that, but Rogers had not seen Taylor. Sure enough, Rogers pitched her four balls, which Taylor wisely allowed to sail by her.

The rally occurred with two outs, however, and ended when catcher Wendy Negrin came up next and grounded out.

Second basewoman Sami Lower had blasted a home run, also over the center field wall, before the rally had begun to pull Sebring within three. She added a double and was 2 for 4 for the night.

Priscilla Adams had another stellar game, too, both in the field and with 3 for 4 hitting. Clearly, Sebring was able to hit the Lake Wales starter, and even Highlander supporters said after the game that it was unusual for her to be hit like that.

Despite the fielding errors, Sebring produced a rare triple play in the 5th inning with runners on first and second. Jessica Lopez hit a short popup up the first base line that Hannah Shoop just scooped up. Shoop whipped the ball to Sami Lower, covering first. Lower then threw to Amanda Grimaldo at second to finish nabbing both baserunners.

The Lady Blue Streaks Travelin’ Band

Popular demand has, uh, demanded a second Lady Blue Streaks video, a few fun highlights of the funner and terrificfying things they done while travelin’ and, yeah, while at home. Because of the time limit and thematic elements, not every player appears in this composition. We only had a limited amount of material with which to work, something we were just able to get around on the first video. Our apologies. We hope to have more material – and higher video quality – next year.

Sebring Cinema and Sports says, “Go, Lady Streaks and beat Lake Wales!!!”

This blog entry and the composition are COPYRIGHTED 2008 by Sebring Cinema and Sports, as all the stuff on this weblog is. Other materials considered by themselves are copyrighted or protected by their respective owners. Thank you.

Archrivals in Arcadia: Game Time Is 5:30

In a FIRST INNING FROLIC, the video above, Lady Blue Streaks second basewoman Sami Lower drives in Wendy Negrin and Nikki Helms with a double. Sami would steal third and score before the inning was done, which helped give Sebring a 4-0 lead over Hardee Tuesday night. Sebring won the contest, 11-8, to continue its championship defense in the 2008 District 10 playoffs.

SEBRING, April 17, 2008 – It is the day of the Archrivals in Arcadia. The Sebring Lady Blue Streaks square off against the Lady Red Devils of Avon Park at 5:30 p.m. The winner goes to the district championship game; the loser goes home to contemplate what might have been.

The Red Devils swept Sebring in the regular season, and a three-game sweep in the county’s fiercest rivalry is rare – if it has ever happened at all. That’s the whole point. Nothing means anything between these two teams. The attitude is: “You mighta beat me up yesterday; but I’m goin’ to beat you up today!”

Lady Streaks softball Head Coach Lee Tolar and Assistant Coach Larry Johnson are in agreeance on that. And the history seems to be that one of the teams will come unhinged and the other will romp.

“It always happens that way,” Johnson reiterated.

Still, the Lady Streaks will need every advantage they can get. Every player – EVERY – must perform well and contribute. The hitting must be consistent; the fielding, free of error. Ace Nikki Helms will have to do more than just fastball the Lady Devils, who know her well and know what they must do to hit off her. And in a game where there are plenty of good players, the standouts must stand out in team play and do what the coaches tell them to do – Helms, second basewoman Sami Lower, tough catcher Wendy Negrin, and shortstop Amanda Grimaldo.

Between them, coaches Tolar and Johnson have forgotten more softball than most people in Highlands County know right now. If the Lady Streaks execute their game plan, they will win.

Avon Park will be without one of its standouts, Heather Barnes, because of injury. That is unfortunate. It is a joy to see her play. Her competition makes Sebring better. But don’t feel too sorry for the Lady Red Devils. They still have plenty of players to win. Julie Lamb and Missy Landers have punished the Lady Streaks with their hitting, and cagey pitcher Ashton Shirey has helped to limit the effectiveness of Sebring’s batting.

The Lady Red Devils defeated Sebring twice by a combined score of 25-9.

It is clear, however, that when the Lady Streaks are on fire, they are nearly unbeatable. Their pregame warmup and cheers before the Hardee game showed they WANTED it. They played fired up. It was only when they owned a huge lead that they relaxed and got sloppy, allowing Hardee to make a run at them. They cannot afford such relaxation against Avon Park, and we suspect the Lady Streaks will not let that happen.

It’s crunch time. Archrivals. Arcadia. Defense of district championship.

Let the Lightning flash!

Sebring Leads Moore Haven, 9-1

UPDATE, April 7, 2008 – The Sebring Lady Blue Streaks were leading the Moore Haven Lady Terriers, 9-1,  after six complete innings Monday night.

Pitcher Nikki Helms propelled the Lady Streaks with four RBIs off an in-the-park home run and two singles. Wendy Negrin added two singles, and Amanda Grimaldo caught a scorching line drive in the 5th to highlight her defense.

Lady Streaks Take Two from LaBelle

SEBRING, March 21, 2008 – The Lady Blue Streaks continued their winning ways Monday afternoon when they swept a varsity doubleheader from the LaBelle Cowgirls.

Sebring took the first game, 7-5, and clinched the nightcap, 3-2.

Priscilla Adams pounded a triple that scored three runs to lead the victory in the opener. Pitcher Nikki Helms threw five strikeouts and went the seven-inning distance.

Amanda Grimaldo, held out of the first game, doubled in the second, and Melissa Luke pitched a solid six innings with four strikeouts to win the closer.

Sebring participated in what was supposed to have been a tournament. When the other team cancelled, Sebring played LaBelle twice.

Next up for the Lady Streaks are a JV and a varsity game at Moore Haven April 7. The following night the Lady Streaks host their final games of the season, JV and varsity contests against Frostproof. Earlier in the season the varsity won at Frostproof while the JV team dropped its game. Seniors Rowan Taylor and Somer Smith will be honored at the home finale.

Sebring wraps up its season at Mulberry April 11. On April 14, the district playoffs begin.

Since losing seven games in the middle of the season, Sebring has come back with four consecutive wins.

Lady Blue Streaks Smash Palmetto

SEBRING, March 29, 2008 UPDATE – The Sebring Lady Blue Streaks secured a third place District 10 finish when they defeated Palmetto Friday night, 11- 1, in only five innings in fast pitch softball.

Unofficially, that means they will likely face either Palmetto or Hardee when district playoffs begin April 14 in Arcadia. It has been unclear whether Booker would send a team or whether a game with them would count, if they did not.

In other district games, Braden River defeated Avon Park Friday night.
For the Lady Blue Streaks, the win over Palmetto was their second in a row and confirmed their resurgence as a team with which to be reckoned. Sebring ended a seven-game slide when they defeated DeSoto, 3-1, Thursday night. The win not only earned the varsity players and coaches a restored sense of success, but a free coffee drink at Brewster’s Coffee House.

In Friday’s game, pitchers Nikki Helms and Melissa Luke combined to limit Palmetto to one run, and Helms smashed a three-run homer to propel the victory. The Lady Streaks also overcame the absence of catcher Wendy Negrin, who injured her ankle against DeSoto, and utility player Rowan Taylor, who has been nursing a knee injury.

Amanda Grimaldo played catcher, Sammi Lower took over at shortstop, and Heather McIntyre worked second base to fill out the starting lineup.

The JV Lady Streaks were every bit as impressive, even though several players were coming off colds and coughs and did not feel 100 percent.

Kaitlyn “The Kat” Ostrander hurled six strikeouts and limited Palmetto to two hits as her team mercy-ruled the opposition in five innings, 16-0.

Second basewoman Michelle Bash dominated defensively. She caught a line drive and scooped up two difficult grounders to make throwouts. Plus, she got hit by a pitch twice. Two other Lady Streaks also got hit by pitches.

Offensively, first basewoman Shana Bassett went 3 for 4 to lead the onslaught. The team stole 15 bases.

Sebring’s next and last home game is April 8 against Frostproof.