Eastside Bombers take third
By Kyle LoJacono
After professional teams win a championship, the star player will step to a microphone and proudly announce they are going to Disney World. For the ‘Cats and Dogs that is where they claimed their crown.
The team won the state Special Olympics softball championship at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. It is the squad’s first softball title. The team is made up of players ages 22 or younger. All are students at either Zephyrhills High or Moore-Mickens Education Center.
“It was quite a celebration afterwards,” said ‘Cats and Dogs coach Belinda Brown, who leads the team with co-coach Judy Brunner. “Judy and I were very proud of this team. They all wore their medals to school after winning. They are walking a little taller that’s for sure.”
The squad did win a state soccer championship in May. Brunner has said that showed the team’s athletic ability, but softball is a much different game.
“To me softball is the most difficult team sport for these athletes to learn,” Brunner said previously. “They have to catch a small ball, throw to the right base and hit, which is hard for anyone to do.”
The ‘Cats and Dogs have mastered those fine-motor skills and won both games in the tournament after winning all their contests leading up to the event. They defeated a team from Miami 15-5 to get to the title game and had to beat that same opponent 12-10 to win the championship.
“The second game was very exciting,” Brown said. “We came out a little flat and we were losing until the fifth inning, but then we started hitting and had some great defensive plays that were the difference. They were very nervous and excited, so I was trying to keep them focused and calm.”
Pasco had another team represented at the event, the Eastside Bombers who are also coached by Brown and Brunner. The team has players older than 22 and also come from east and central Pasco.
The Bombers took home the bronze medal for their efforts in the state tournament.
