Okinawa softball rivals now also have a true rivalry
Published: April 2, 2012
For nine years, black and gold ruled the roost, while green and white played second fiddle. Where girls softball, slowpitch or fastpitch, were concerned, the Okinawa Activities Council regular-season and district championship series were Kadena’s province, with Kubasaki destined to dress out as the island’s strangest-looking bridesmaids.
Until last month.
The Dragons opened the season with two straight wins over the Panthers – phenomenal, considering Kadena’s long dominance; the Panthers had never lost two straight to Kubasaki, and had never dropped three straight dating back to last year’s Far East tournament final.
Well, consider those the slaps in the face with the wet squirrel that Panthers softball nation needed. First-year coach Kelli Wilson and her charges showed last Thursday that they still have a ton of fight left in them.
Try 10 runs in the sixth inning, rallying the Panthers to a 13-5 victory. Kubasaki now trails the season series by one game against the Panthers.
But more than that … the two rivals have forged a true diamond rivalry.
“That’s what you want,” Wilson said just prior to Monday’s practice, three days before the teams tee it up again in their last matchup before the Easter break.
So, coach, was Thursday’s victory a “We’re back and badder than ever” moment or a “it’s just one game; we still have a lot to work on” moment?
“We still had a lot of errors,” Wilson said, clearly siding with the latter. “Kubasaki is a great team. It will be a great season.”
One of the side benefits of the rivalry, Wilson said, is the two Okinawa Activities Council rivals will only become stronger with every contest in which they engage.
“To bring back the trophy to the island is an honor,” Wilson said of regaining the Far East tournament trophy from Seoul American, which beat Kadena 14-10 in extra innings for the gold medal on May 26. “I think Kadena and Kubasaki will push each other to bring home the trophy.”
