Warminster Softball Dominates Weekend Tournament

The rain, wind and fog did nothing to stop each of Warminster's under-12 intertownship softball teams from grabbing the top three spots in the Division 212 Midseason Tournament last weekend at the Klinger Middle School fields in Upper Southampton.

The tournament featured 22 teams from around the county, including Northampton, Upper Makefield and Newtown. Though not technically the more competitive travel teams, the smaller pool of athletes and fewer teams within the townships force games to be scheduled around Bucks County.

"The main difference is that the travel teams have tryouts and cuts," said Pat Dougherty, head coach of the first-place blue team. "We take anybody who wants to play, so we could have a mix of girls in all skill levels, even brand new players."

The various experience present on each team makes the 1-2-3 finish for Warminster all the more impressive, said Dougherty. The coaches need to put together a competitive team that uses each player's strengths and ensure that the newer athletes get involved and learn the game.

"What's amazing is that each girl had a clutch hit or play," said Dougherty. "Everybody contributed. Some of them got their very first hit during the championship game."

That final game had two Warminster teams going head-to-head, a situation that lent a more relaxed atmosphere for the players, coaches and families.

"We all knew each other," said Dougherty. "The parents were razzing each other, giving some good-natured ribbing across the fence. The success of all three teams speaks volumes about the quality of Warminster softball."

The three-day tournament was a wet and soggy affair. Games on Saturday afternoon were called early due to the storms, and thunder and muddy fields delayed games on Sunday. A thick fog bank forced the early ending of the championship game, but not before a winner could be declared. It was quite the initiation for newer players and parents looking to join the travel softball teams.

"The softball tournament life is a whole other animal," said Dougherty. "This is just the beginning of that softball journey. It's weekend after weekend where you are at the fields all day, watching and playing a lot of softball. It's a lot of work."