Manatee Squeeze Run Rule Fast Pitch U -- Jo Anne P sez "No longer me' -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

9-1 WIN KEEPS SQUEEZE IN SECOND PLACE

There are a couple of things we've learned about this Manatee Squeeze in the FGCL Softball season. 

First, when they're "on" and hitting the ball, a multitude of runs are going to cross the plate. Secondly, when pitcher Jenna Greene (Presbyterian College) takes the circle, opposing teams are going to share in the slug-fest. Greene is now 5-0 in the circle for Manatee, leads the league in strikeouts delivered with 46 and has a very impressive 1.12 ERA. 

Greene held Fast Pitch U to just two hots and delivered 11 strikeouts in Manatee's run-rule five-inning win yesterday. This one was over, honestly, after the first inning -- as the Squeeze plated six runs. Stepping up huge for the Squeeze at the plate were Jordyn Kadiub (USF) who drove in four runs and hit a home run and Stormy Kotzelnick (Washington) who went 1-2 at the plate and also homered....batting lead-off in the lineup, she started the game with a four-baser to center.

The Squeeze sent ten batters to the plate in the six-run first inning.


Cardinal softball right fielder Jordyn Wolfe started, was hit by a pitch in one of her three at bat appearances and scored a run. Paige Schindler entered the game in the fourth inning and played left field. She did not get a plate appearance. 

The Squeeze (8-3) have a firm hold on second place in the league and are 2-1/2 games behind the Myakka City River Mocs (11-1) who defeated the Bradenton Slice last night 7-1. 

Tonight's action puts Manatee against the SUA Pioneers, who are 4-9 in league play. A 7:30 p.m. start for this one. 


DUKE WBB COACH JOANNE P. MCCAULEY RESIGNATION

Long-time Duke WBB head coach Joanne P. McCauley announced yesterday that she was leaving the Blue Devils as their skipper.

The reason she gave was because of a salary dispute on a potential extended contract deal. 

"I am choosing to step away as head coach at Duke," McCallie said. "As a coach in the final year of my contact, uncertainty is natural and it takes away from confidence and fun. I am pretty sure there is a level of uncertainty among the Duke family."

The resignation isn't that surprising.

McCauley hasn't done much for the Blue Devils since  the days of Rebecca Greenwell and Lexie Brown. I don't blame the Duke athletic director at all for not feeling confident about jumping into that uncertain water again. She never quite matched the success of former Duke Gail Goestenkors and there were internal "rumors"abut her, also. 

This is a prime job, though, in women's college basketball and Blue Devil Athletics shouldn't have any trouble finding a quality replacement. 

I have no "inside scoop" on this but I'll toss three names out there that might be a good fit.

1) Michelle Clark-Heard (Cincinnati).  Clark-Heard has done well wherever she's coached. 154-57 at WKU in six years. 32-15 at UC in two years. She also knows the ACC quite well, from her years as Jeff Walz's assistant. 


2) Lindsay Gottlieb (Cleveland Cavaliers).  She was a powerhouse coach at California before deciding to take a year to explore the NBA.

Is she thinking it's time to get back in the college dance with a team in a Power 5 conference? She sent a lot of Bears to the WNBA in her Cal days and could that could be a recruiting plus for Duke. 


3) Gail Goestenkors. You remember Gail, right? She was the architect for success at Durham before she left for Texas in 2007 and McCauley replaced her. She didn't get it done in five years with the Longhorns, but...at 57... says she's "re-charged, revitalized and ready to go" if a coaching job she had interest in should develop. Duke fans would probably welcome her back. She's been out a coaching, though since 2012...

Maybe Fred Flintstone could take the vacant Duke job and
install a new cheer..."Yabba Dabba Duke!" 

Or...do the Blue Devils emulate UNC and go after a young and upcoming coach who has done well at a lesser power?  Maybe they hand the reigns to former all-world great Alana Beard, now retired from the WNBA...who played for both Gail and McCauley at Duke? 

I'm not trying to "start" something here, just having a little open speculation on who will be the next coach to sit on the bench inside Cameron? 

Let's just hope some sub-human doesn't fall out of his/her tree and start pushing the worn-out, idiotic "Jeff Walz to..." boulder uphill again. I wonder if a certain moronic "journalist" from rural Mississippi is still around, making up lies and running around with a Confederate flag serving as a diaper? 


We shall see....


FINALLY...

Have a safe, enjoyable and responsible fourth of July!

paulie
xxxxx