Victory marks end of Tumblesons’ coaching tenure
By Kyle LoJacono
Doubleheaders are common in softball, but the Lutz Leaguerettes Ponytail all stars had to win all five games of a quintupleheader on May 22 to take the Hillsborough County championship.

“The girls really worked hard to win all five games,” said coach Mike Tumbleson. “It was very hot that day and they came through it.”
The team was made up of all-star players from Lutz Leaguerettes teams in this spring season. The squad lost its first game in the event on May 20 against Brandon, forcing it to win the five straight contests on Sunday, May 22 to claim the title.
The Lutz all stars’ championship Sunday began at 11 a.m. They were being crowned county winners around 8 p.m. They had to defeat Brandon in games four and five to win the title, taking the decisive contest 18-17 to finish with a 5-1 record in the event.
The challenge was daunting for the squad, but pitcher Kacie Tumbleson, Mike’s daughter, said the all stars saw it as an opportunity.
“We all stayed positive the whole time,” said Kacie, who recently graduated from Steinbrenner High. “We just said losing the first game meant we could play more games together on Sunday. If we’d won the first, it would have only taken three games on Sunday to win the tournament.”
The Lutz all stars were up 18-14 in the final inning of the fifth game. Brandon loaded the bases and its cleanup hitter smacked a ball to left field to drive in three runs and she attempted to score on an inside-the-park grand slam.
Lutz catcher Danielle Kozlowski tagged out the would-be tying run and relief pitcher Taylor Dec got the next Brandon batter to pop up for the final out. Dec, who also plays outfield, caught the ball that ended the game.
“It was so crazy and I was so nervous in the last inning,” said Dec, who will be a senior at Gaither High in the fall. “I saw the popup and I knew it was my ball. … It wasn’t too high so I didn’t have a lot of time to over think it.”
Dec has been playing in the league the last eight years, while Kacie started 12 years ago. It was the first time either had been a part of an all star team that won a county championship. Dec will have a chance to do it again in 2012, but it is Kacie’s final year in the program.
“It was great for me to go out with a bang,” Kacie said. “It’s the last year for my parents coaching too, so we all went out on top.”
Mike and his wife Kathi, an assistant for the Lutz all stars, have been coaching with the Lutz Leaguerettes the last 21 years, starting with their oldest daughter Jessica. They also coached their other two daughters, Shanna and Amber, and Mike coached their son Jay in the Lutz Little League.
“It was great to coach together for so many years,” Kathi said. “We were very similar as coaches. We’re both very laid back and know it’s about having fun for the girls. It’s good to go out with us winning our first county tournament like this.”
Mike said it was a joy to coach in the league.
“The Lutz Leaguerettes, and the Little League, are amazing athletic programs for area kids,” Mike said. “There isn’t an athletic program like this anywhere else.”
The Ponytail division is for girls ages 14-18. Besides Lutz and Brandon, other Leaguerettes programs come from North Tampa, Temple Terrace and Town ‘N Country. The Leaguerettes has divisions for girls as young as 6.
Lutz Leaguerettes and Little League home games are played at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex on W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. For more information on the softball program, visit www.lutzleaguerettes.com.
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