Today's Sports

Rebecca Oldham continued her dominating ways Tuesday, pitching the Mulberry Grove Junior High School softball team to a 3-0 home victory over St. Elmo.

Oldham struck out 17 and allowed just one hit, out-dueling St. Elmo starter Samantha Austin, who allowed just one hit of her own, while striking out 10.

Bases on balls proved to be the difference in the game, as Oldham issued just one walk, compared to seven by Austin.

Sam Goodin had Mulberry Grove's only hit, while Megan Maxey had St. Elmo's safety.

The Vandalia football team's M.O. has been a lot like the weather during the first full week of two-a-day preseason practices - much cooler than it was a year ago today.

"They're real loose," said Vandals coach John Stout of this year's group. "The seniors we had last year were an emotional group. These guys are more business-like. They're not a rah-rah group."

But that doesn't mean that the Vandals are taking the success of back-to-back playoff appearances for granted.

It's the first of a long line of questions that come to mind.

Why?

Why would someone train three hours a day, five days a week, for months - if not years - for something that is going to last nine minutes, tops?

Why would someone subject themselves to such a strenuous routine in return for zero pay and potential pain and humiliation in front of more than 1,000 people, many of which are close friends and family?

It was, quite literally, an all-American effort by the Vandalia Guaranteed Air Freight fastpitch softball team last week at the ASA Men's Major National Tournament.

Ironically, the Freight was the only team at the "national" tournament with a roster featuring all United States players.

"All of the other teams had at least one foreign player, and most had many," Freight manager Rich Well said.