I did a live blog from Stazio Fields in Boulder, Colo., for the final day of pool play games in the 18U Boulder Division of the Boulder Independence Day Tournament. I’ll have live blogs on Saturday and Sunday for the single-elimination bracket play. Here’s how it all went down on Friday.

ADDISON FAYE WILL BE A DUCK IN 10 YEARS

Who is the most exciting softball player at the Boulder Independence Day Tournament?

It could be 9-year-old Addison Faye of Castle Rock, Colo. This pint-sized dynamo already knows what she wants and she is doing everything possible to reach her goal. What is her goal you might be asking? Faye has been going by the motto “10 Years I’m A Duck” ever since she saw former Oregon great Cheridan Hawkins pitch.

“Well, when I started pitching, we looked at left-handed pitchers, because I’m a left-hander, and Cheridan Hawkins came up,” Faye said. “And then we just became a really good fan. Ever since last summer, we went down and I was her bat girl. I’m just really enjoying it and I really like softball and the game.”

Faye made friends with some of the Explosion players through Social Media and they asked her to be their bat girl at the Boulder IDT. Faye and her family live in Castle Rock, Colo., so the entire Faye family decided to make the trip to Boulder, so she could be with the Explosion. Bret Denio, the Explosion’s manager, said he takes Faye out to do pre-game coin flips and she’s at all the practics and games

“Then I got invited to be with these great girls and just started being their bat girl,” Faye said. “I love it all. It’s really fun. You know, sometimes you’re bad and sometimes you’re good, but you gotta learn from your badness.”

So who is Faye’s favorite Explosion player?

“Hmmm … I don’t think I could pick,” the future Duck said before grabbing some gear and heading to Field 2 at Stazio Fields where the Explosion had their next game. BTW, word on the street is Faye can spin it.

EXPLOSION’S BRITTANY FINNEY IS BACK

Oklahoma-signee Brittany Finney hadn’t been with her club team, the Explosion Gold (Calif.), in a month. She hadn’t picked up a ball and pitched during that time because she was in summer school at Oklahoma as part of her academic scholarship. She took her final exam on Tuesday morning, hopped in her car with her grandma, Susan Finney, and it was time for a road trip to Colorado for the Boulder Independence Day Tournament.

They spent all day on the road and arrived in Boulder at 12:30 a.m. Finney got in a few hours of sleep before it was time for the Explosion’s first pool play game on Wednesday afternoon. Finney got lit up for 11 runs in the first inning and the Explosion went on to lose to Originals Gold (MO).

“I don’t think it was my ability,” Finney said. “I think it was my nerves and my own mental processes that were going through my head. I was like, ‘Why did I let that happen? Why did I do this?’ Instead of just slowing the game down and just focusing on each pitch individually, relaxing and just trusting my body. It was just so mental. Afterward, after coming out here I was like, ‘Just let it go. What happens, happens.'”

Well, the 6-foot-1 Finney had her super powers back when she pitched six strong innings in the Explosion’s 12-2 romp over Carolina Elite (SC) in a pool play game on Friday evening. Finney was spinning it with velocity and she had control over pitches. It was just what the Explosion needed heading into single-elimination bracket play on Saturday and Sunday.

“Yes, I am (back) and I love it,” Finney said. “I did feel comfortable. You know, the first game was so many nerves, so much on me. I felt like I put so much on myself that game. Coming into this game I just thought, you know, I trust my team, I trust my coaches, I just need to let them help me through it. I gave it all to them and I just gave all of myself to them and knew that no matter what I did I was still their teammate and they still love me. That made everything so much easier.”

KENNEDY CLARK IS MONEY

I went over to Field 1 at Stazio Fields to check in on Bruce Richardson’s So Cal Athletics (Calif.) right as South Carolina-bound outfielder Kennedy Clark launched a three-run bomb to center field. She seems to always be doing that. Kennedy Clark is money. The So Cal A’s ended up pounding the Corona Angels-Howard (Calif.), 11-0.

Clark has got to be one of the hottest hitters on the club scene this summer. She was on fire at last month’s So Cal A’s Invitational in Santa Ana, Calif., and she has brought her stroke to the Boulder IDT.

“I’m seeing the ball really well right now,” Clark said. “I’m just being aggressive and that’s helpng me right now.”

The So Cal A’s are starting to have the look of a serious contender here at Boulder IDT and down the line at PGF.

“We’re doing really well as a team,” Clark said. “We’re putting hits together. The pitching has been strong, so I think we have a good chance in his tournament. It’s going to be a busy July, but I think we’re ready for Premier. We just gotta kep going up.”

CARRIE BOSWELL CAN BE DANGEROUS

If you are a deer or varmint, I’m giving you fair warning … RUN FOR COVER!!!

When Carrie Boswell, a talented 2017 pitcher, isn’t in the circle for the Louisiana Voodoo Gold, you can often find her hunting near her home in Alexandria, La.

“I’m from Louisiana … I hunt,” Boswell said. “I know it’s kind of redneck, but I love deer hunting, squirrel hunting, just everything, turkey. I’m awful with a bow. For shooting birds, it’s a shotgun. If it’s a deer, then it’s a rifle. It just depends what you are shooting.”

So is she any good at hunting?

“Yeah, I like it,” Boswell said. “You got to have good aim, I guess, but I don’t think I’ve ever missed before.”

Boswell was one of the top players on Voodoo’s 16U team, but Voodoo Gold coach Jeff Burns believed in her talents so much he called her up to pitch with the Voodoo’s 18U Gold team at the Boulder IDT. It’s perfect place for the uncommitted Boswell to get looks from the many college coaches in attendance.

“I’ve improved over the last year and they saw that,” said Boswell, who also said her best pitch is her curveball. “They saw how hard I was working and gave me an opportunity to come shine in front of the big coaches. I’ve felt pretty confident on the mound, more than I thought I’d be.”

Boswell also has a very sweet and caring side. As a member of the Fellowship of Christian Atheltes in her hometown, she does a lot of charity work. Her FCA group recently went to help out at a local orphanage. College coaches might also love to learn that she carries a 4.07 GPA.

“I love As,” she said. “I never made a B before. That’s a goal … never make a B.”

Boswell also has skills on the soccer field. She plays for her high school’s varsity team. Her soccer coach allows her to miss one practice per week, so she can go to her pitching coach.

“I love soccer,” Boswell said. “It helps me keep in shape.”

But of all her talents and skills, Boswell is most dangerous in the circle with a softball.

MALORY SCHATTLE AND TEXAS BLAZE ON FIRE

In the middle of an interview with FloSoftball, Texas Blaze Gold’s Malory Schattle gets an autograph request from a couple of little girls.

“Oh my gosh, you’re crazy,” a slightly embarrassed Schattle says. “Here you go.”

Schattle was born and raised in Salado, Tex., a town of about 3,000 just outside of Austin, Tex.

“It’s a very small town,” Schattle said. “I’m a small-town girl. I’d say there are 3,000 people. My high school probably has about 400 people.”

Schattle better get used to the attention. The Texas-committed shortstop and her Blaze teammates have been on fire at the Boulder IDT, going 8-0-1 in pool play and practice games. The real stuff gets started with single-elmination barcket games on Saturday and Sunday.

Taylor Ellsworth, a 2017 catcher, and Bekah Alcozer (out with ankle sprain), a 2015 outfielder, from the Blaze will be future Longhorns with Schattle at Texas, which is located in Austin.

“I’m ready,” Schattle said. “I like the city. My parents were divorced, so my dad lives in Austin, actually, so I go there all the time and I love spending time there. It just feels like home. I’m ready.”

But Schattle and the Blaze have their eyes on a big run this summer. First, here in Boulder, then at the USA Softball JO Cup. Schattle and her teammates are even more determined after an 0-2 finish at last year’s PGF Nationals.

“When (Blaze manager) JB (Slimp) told us about it, we were all really excited to do that (USA JO Cup),” Schattle said. “We’re coming out there and we want to play just as good as we’re playing right now. We’re looking to take the championship.”

BTW: When the Texas Blaze Gold players aren’t on the field at Boulder, you can probably find them playing hacky sack in the practice areas. We’re talking serious hacky sack.

“We have a good bond together,” Schattle said. “We’re all crazy. We always play hacky sack and we’re all into it. We’re all very focused on winning. It’s crazy that we’re all like that, but we all mix really well. It’s fun. We were back there playing hacky sack for 30 minutes before the game.”

BOULDER IDT

18U BOULDER DIVISION

AT STAZIO FIELDS

FRIDAY, JULY 3, RESULTS

POOL A

CA Corona Angels-Tyson 10, NJ Intensity-KOD 1

MO St. Louis Chaos 8, IL New Lenox Lightning 2

CA OC Batbusters-Stith/Haning 3, KS Wichita Mustangs 2

AL Birmingham Thunderbolts 8, AZ Desert Thunder 0

POOL B

CA So Cal A’s-Joey 10, TX Storm Gold 0

CA Bownet 6, NJ Inferno 2

NC Cardinals 6, VA Legends 5

CA AASA 2, NM Sundancers 1

TX Storm Gold 9, NJ Inferno 4

CA Bownet 4, CA So Cal A’s-Joey 3

CA AASA 5, NC Cardinals 0

VA Legends 9, NM Sundancers 0

POOL C

CO Stars Gold 3, OR NW Bullets 2

CA So Cal Breakers 2, TX Magic 1

GA Atlanta Vipers 6, CA So Cal Filly’s 4

LA Voodoo 6, CA So Cal Diamonds 2

OR NW Bullets 6, TX Magic 5

CO Stars Gold 3, CA So Cal Breakers 1

LA Voodoo 4, CA So Cal Filly’s 3

GA Atlanta Vipers Gold 3, CA So Cal Diamonds 2

POOL D

CA So Cal A’s-Richardson 11, CA Corona Angels-Howard 0

CA Explosion Gold 12, SC Carolina Elite 2

POOL E

IL Beverly Bandits 7, FL Tampa Mustangs 2

CA OC Batbusters-White 3, NE Nebraska Gold 0

IL Beverly Bandits 5, CA USA Athletics 2

CA OC Babusters-White 5, AZ Firecrackers 2

WA Ladyhawks 3, FL Tampa Mustangs 1

NE Nebraska Gold 9, MO Esprit Gold 8

WA Ladyhawks 4, AZ Firecrackers 2

MO Esprit Gold 6, CA USA Athletics 5

POOL F

CA Firecrackers-Snyder 5, CA Strike Zone 4

WA Absolute Blast 6, TX Houston Power-Jeff 3

CA Fresno Force 5, FL Team Florida 0

VA Rihmond Diamonds 6, AZ Hotshots 5

POOL G

CA Sorcerer 4, AZ Lil aints 1

NJ Pride 14, MN Irish 1

NC Lady Lightning 9, TX Houston Power-John 4

IL Sparks 6, CA The Next Level 4

POOL H

CA So Cal Choppers 6, GA Southern Force 3

TX Blaze Gold 12, CA Cruisers 2

GA Southern Force 8, VA Vienna Stars 5

CA Cruisers 7, MO Demarini Aces 1

CA So Cal Choppers 9, OK Tulsa Elite 3

TX Blaze Gold 7, CA Grapettes 0

OK Tulsa Elite 5, MO Demarini Aces 1

VA Vienna Stars 4, CA Grapettes 4

POOL J

CO Stars-Sakamoto 11, CA Irvine Sting 1

GA Impact 7, FL Gators Gold 3

AZ Killer Bees 11, CA Irvine Sting 3

FL Gators Gold 5, CA Pure Fastpitch 1

CO Stars-Sakamoto 2, NY Team Long Island Gold 2

GA Impact 13, OK Tulsa Shootout 4

NY Team Long Island 6, CA Pure Fastpitch 0

AZ Killer Bees 11, OK Tulsa Shootout 6

POOL K

CA San Jose Sting 9, PA Chaos Gold 2

MI Finesse 3, GA East Cobb Bullets 0

CA Batbusters-Fox 9, CA Explosion-CM 0

KS Peppers 6, IN Magic Gold 5

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