Nine FSG Women’s Softball Teams are First to Qualify for 2019 National Senior Games
While dodging the August thunderstorms that began early in the day, nine Florida Senior Games women’s softball teams hit the diamonds at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex to qualify for the 2019 National Senior Games.
The 50+ Kryptonite team (pictured at left), from Winter Springs, was the only team to go undefeated. Kryptonite scored 43 runs in three games for the gold medal and earned a trip to the 2019 National Senior Games, to be held June 14-25, in Albuquerque, N.M., won all three games, scoring 43 runs.
Opponents kept it close in the first two games for the Kryptonite team, winning the first game against Sunny Beaches 12-7 and the second, against The Players, 13-11. In the final game of the day, Kryptonite won with an 18-0 shutout in a rematch against Sunny Beaches.
The Players, from The Villages, managed to cross the plate for 49 runs in three games to earn the 55+ gold medal and a summer vacation in Albuquerque for the National Senior Games.
“We call this team, ‘the Toddlers,’ because they’re on the way up and they played outstanding,” said Midge Ferraro, coach of The Players (pictured at right) and three other Villages-based teams. “They’ve been playing together for about four years since they became Senior Games eligible. We play mostly at tournaments on the east coast and will play in the Huntsman Senior Games in October and then in the National Senior Games in 2019.”
Providing one of the biggest bats for The Players was, Chady Sherrod, who hit a grand slam in the gold medal game. “She crushed the ball,” said Ferraro. “The minute the bat struck the ball, you knew.”
Ferraro also pointed out four players who provided stellar defense that allowed five runs or less in two of the three games, while scoring 49. “Cindy Godfrey, Karen Koltnow, Tricia Gill and Suzie Robinson were the four with the most defensive impact in our games.”
Also winning gold medals and qualifying for the National Senior Games were three Golden Gals teams from The Villages. The 65+, 70+, and 75+ Golden Gals won gold while the Silver Diamonds team, also from The Villages won the 60+ age group.
Click here for complete results from the 2018 Florida Senior Games Softball Qualifier.
Click here for photos from the 2018 Florida Senior Games Softball Qualifier.
The 2018 Florida Senior Games Presented by Humana will be held December 1-9 in Clearwater and Pinellas County. Check www.floridaseniorgames.com for a listing of upcoming Florida Senior Games Series Qualifiers, beginning in September, and the opportunity to register for the 2018 Games, which will be posted soon.
About the Florida Sports Foundation
Florida’s Sports Industry creates over $57.4 billion in economic impact for the Sunshine State, provides over 580,000 jobs for its citizens, and attracts over 16 million out of state visitors each year. All of which deservingly make Florida the “Sports Capital of the World”. The Florida Sports Foundation, Inc. is a 501(C) 3 non-profit corporation, serving as the Sports Industry Development Division of Enterprise Florida, Inc. The mission of the Florida Sports Foundation is to:
- Assist Florida’s communities with securing, hosting and retaining Sporting events and sports related business that generate significant economic impact and Sports Tourism for the state of Florida through the Foundation’s grant programs, legislative initiatives and Industry Partner service, recognition and development.
- Provide the citizens of Florida with participation opportunities in the Sunshine State Games and Florida Senior Games events.
- Serve as Florida’s leading resource for Sport Tourism research and facts.
- Assist in the promotion of targeted leisure sports industries in Florida.
- Assist National and Florida State Governing Bodies to promote amateur sport development through the Sunshine State Games and hosting events in Florida.