Youthful Dalton softball team sets stage for more to come
Dalton coach Rob Fiesler watches Lily Teague at bat. Fiesler said he couldn’t ask for any more than what his players gave during their state tournament loss.
Softball is a game where all the little things matter.
The Dalton Bulldogs found out the hard way in falling 1-0 to eventual state champion Tri-Village in the Division VI state semifinal contest at Firestone Stadium in Akron on Friday, June 6.
While the heartache may linger, the team can take solace that their 10 top players consisted of seven sophomores and two freshmen.
Reaching such heights bodes well for a program that has everything in place to be a major factor for years to come.
“We left everything on the field, 100%,” Dalton head coach Rob Fiesler said. “I’m sure you’d get the same answer from everyone you’d ask at this stage of the game, but I am so proud of this group and the year we had. This group is super-resilient. They never give up, they are mentally tough and their approach to the game is any coach’s dream.”
Fiesler said despite the loss against the undefeated Div. VI champions, knowing what will come back next year after this unprecedented effort by a group of underclassmen will only serve as a catalyst for the program.
“The moment wasn’t too big for any of them,” Fiesler said. “We work very hard at the mental part of the game — blocking out the noise, understanding it’s one pitch at a time, staying focused and playing in the now. I have preached that all season long, and they are reaping the rewards of that and their hard work now.”
While every game has a multitude of moments that make up the difference between winning and losing, this contest’s outcome hinged on a couple of key moments.
The first was the very first inning.
Tri-Village senior burner Emma Cantrell worked a walk and then stole second. She stole third on the throwback to the mound and then proceeded to lure a throw down to third. She took advantage, racing home to score the game’s lone run.
“It bit us,” Fiesler said. “We knew (Cantrell) was really aggressive on the basepaths. We just didn’t execute, but other than that, we played well. We didn’t hurt ourselves, and we hit the ball well, but we hit everything right at them.”
The other key moment came in the decisive bottom of the fifth. With one out Addy Baer worked a walk. Vayda Wilmoth dropped down what appeared to be a perfect bunt, racing down to first to beat a throw that got past first and would have put runners on the corner with one out. Instead, the home plate umpire called Wilmoth out for interference, squelching the potential rally.
“That was a major key moment in the game,” Fiesler said. “The umpire said she did not reestablish the running lane. It was absolutely the wrong call. It was unfortunate, but then again, there are a lot of moments in every game, and we probably shouldn’t have even been in that situation.”
Like Tri-Village, Dalton only had three hits. Fiesler gave credit to star pitcher Mei Simmons, who struck out nine in tossing an absolute gem.
“Mei was amazing,” Fiesler said. “She’s a great athlete who is only getting better on the mound. It’s going to be dynamite watching her over the next couple of years.”
When the Bulldogs left the field, the tears weren’t only for the players. Plenty of parents and fans also felt the pain, but alongside them were a host of young girls — girls who are waiting in the wings to someday be a member of the Bulldogs’ softball program.
“This group has set such an incredible example for these younger kids watching them play the game the right way,” Fiesler said. “It’s really exciting to see the interest of this group of young girls getting excited about playing in this program someday. There has been an incredible following from our entire community all season long, and that’s something special.”
Fiesler said the community played a major role in supporting the team and has been instrumental in the development of the program.
“We have the trifecta when it comes to building a program,” Fiesler said. “We have great parents, great community, and great kids who really care and want to be great. These kids work hard. We have great families, and I can’t say enough about this community. We are so fortunate.”
Lone senior Morgan Nussbaum, who started in left field, said seeing this team come together after dropping the first three games of the season was inspiring.
“This was special,” Nussbaum said. “At one point I was like, ‘How did we get here?’ But it’s something we will always remember.”
Following the game, Fiesler said he told the kids no more tears because they had competed against a state champion to the bitter end, and they should be proud of themselves.
“They didn’t do one single thing that disappointed me, and that’s been the case all season,” Fiesler said.
Chances are good he will say that for some time to come with this impressive group of youngsters.