NEW LONDON -- In reference to an old song, the New London-Spicer softball team won't be wearing tan shoes, but they will all be wearing pink shoelaces on Monday when they host Melrose in a West Central North Conference game.
NLS head coach Kevin Friedrich wanted to do something to help with the fight against cancer and is trying to raise money through his softball team. The game's theme will be: Hit Cancer Outta the Park. Swing for a Cure.
"We'll wear pink t-shirts for warm-ups and the girls will all have pink shoelaces," said Friedrich. "We'd like to raise $2,000 if we can. I know it's not going to cure cancer, but I just want our team to do what we can to help."
Friedrich referred to Dick Vitale's phrase 'Every day, every dollar, we're getting closer' that the college basketball analyst uttered while on his book tour.
Friedrich, an elementary teacher, purchased pink shoelaces for all the Melrose players, too, and mailed them to the school so they can wear them for the game. Melrose coach Jeff Birch also confirmed his team will wear pink t-shirts.
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Donations will be taken at the game. Wrist bands and other items will be sold at the game to raise money. Players are also asking for donations.
"We're trying to educate people on the importance of getting tested," said Friedrich. "We're talking about all kinds of cancer. We're having the school nurse come in and talk to our teams. We just want to make everyone aware of the different kinds of cancer and what to look for."
Donations can be sent in care of Kevin Friedrich to: New London-Spicer High School, 101 Fourth Avenue Southwest, New London, 56203.
Dollerschell records 100th hit
Shawn Dollerschell of BOLD recorded the 100th hit of his career April 26 in a West Central South Conference game against Minnewaska Area.
Dollerschell's 100th hit came on a line drive up the middle that drove in a run in the second inning.
Dollerschell, a senior catcher, is batting .515 this season (17-for-33) with four doubles two home runs, 20 runs scored and 16 RBI.
He currently has 106 career hits and a career batting average of .455 with 12 home runs and 86 RBI.
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Dollerschell, an All-Area football lineman, is only the sixth recorded prep player in the Tribune area to post 100-or-more career hits in a career. Brady Toops of New London-Spicer is the career leader with 135.
MACCRAY's Hanson is RBI machine
Caleb Hanson, a senior first baseman/pitcher for MACCRAY, had a streak of nine straight games driving in two-or-more runs snapped Saturday when Morris held him to only one RBI in the championship game of the Morris Invitational.
Hanson, a two-time All-Area quarterback, is batting .432 this season with five doubles, four home runs and 30 RBI in 14 games. He has driven in at least one run in all 14 games this season, including six in one game and four in another.
"He's really come through with some clutch hits for us," said MACCRAY coach Ted Perry. "We've got four guys at the top of the lineup that can really run well and they've been getting on base. And Caleb has been driving them in."
MACCRAY, the defending Class A state champion, is currently 12-2.
Waska golfers keep rolling along
The Minnewaska Area girls golf team is like a steamroller again this season, compressing everything in its path en route to a fifth straight Class A state title.
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The Lakers, coached by Peggy Falk, have won every West Central South Conference golf meet by at least 32 strokes this season and have now won 27 consecutive conference meets. They won one conference meet this season by 53 strokes.
The last time Minnewaska did not finish first in a conference meet was when they were in the West Central North and finished second to Albany by three strokes on May 15, 2006, in Melrose.
The Lakers, who have only two seniors on the team, have shot a season-low 146 (the school record of 144 was shot in 2008 at Montevideo) at a conference meet in Atwater on April 20 and a 321 for 18 holes at the Prior Lake Invitational on April 27.
They won the Class A title last season by 67 strokes with Emily Roering, who now plays for Division I Colorado State, emerging as the state individual champion.
The top four players on the Lakers' team have finished among the top 10 individuals in every conference meet this spring. While only four scores count toward the team score, the Lakers could count their fifth score in some meets and still win.
The team has been able to keep its string of state titles alive each year as the ages of the players are spread out. This year, Sarah Roering and Allie Ostrander are the lone seniors and Sam Falk is the only junior. Then there is sophomore Brianna Janu, freshmen Alexis Guggisberg and Jamie Smith, eighth-grader Ellen Stensrud and seventh-grader Jenna Janu.
