Tampa Mustangs Girls Fastpitch Softball Organization

In November of 2001, the ISF Junior Girl's World Cup was held at Plant City, Fla., the Tamp Mustangs participated along with 27 other teams from around the country. Call it a stampede. Call it whatever you want, but when the dust settled after the International Softball Federation's inaugural Junior Girls' World Cup, only the Tampa Mustangs Red were left standing. The Mustangs had demolished the international field of 35 other teams and, with Chinese Taipei the last to fall - a 4-0 victim of powerful pitching and timely hitting - it was over. The team that had proved its domination of USA teenage softball with six national championships staked their claim to be the world's best 16-year-old team.

Nobody seemed to object after watching them run roughshod over the field by winning all ten of their games.

"They have been here,'' said Coach Ray Seymour. "They know how to play in a big game.''

Yes they do, and now they can someday tell their grandchildren of the role of a true champion they played in Florida way back in 2001. So can the other 700 players who came to Plant City to bring some brighter sunshine to a land in dire need of friendly competition. Beth DiPietro's clutch pitching kept Chinese Taipei off the scoreboard at the huge ISF Stadium at its World Headquarters in Plant City. Although Taipei threatened on several occasions, DiPietro kept them at bay. The Mustangs' defense that had thrown out four runners at the plate in two games was in control.

The big inning for the Mustangs came in the fifth when they scored three runs on two hits, including a long home run to left by Kaycie Maines.

The Mustangs had ousted Orlando No Fear, 2-1, in the finals of the domestic division while Chinese Taipei, led by sterling pitcher Hui Ming Chueh and power hitting Hsiu Min Lin, raced past Canadian Northern Ice, 10-0 in the international division finals. All of their runs were scored in the fourth inning when Chinese Taipei sent 16 batters to the plate. Chueh was the winning pitcher and Hsiu Min Lin led the hitting with two hits. The pitchers dominated the World Cup as three perfect games were reported and eight other no-hitters logged. As his Tampa Mustangs basked in the glory of winning a world championship, Coach Seymour said, "We didn't know what to expect from the national teams. We're just the team from the neighborhood.'' Not anymore.

For more information on the ISF Junior World Cup click on the link below:
www.internationalsoftball.com

For information on the upcoming tournament at ISF Headquarters click on the link below:
http://www.internationalsoftball.com/2003jr_world_cup.html

For an in depth coverage of softball around the country check out:
http://www.spysoftball.com

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It seemed that every day someone would announce "The Russians are coming,'' but due to some problems at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, they didn't arrive until after the tournament had ended, and it was then that the ISF's event coordinator Laurie Gouthro and some of the area coaches and teams gave the team a most memorable visit.
The Russian Carrousel played eight games against Sarasota's "Quicksilver," Orlando's "No Fear,'' the Twilight Twisters, and the newly-crowned world champion Tampa Mustangs even joined the party. The Russians won a couple of games and went home happy.
ISF Director of Development Cindy Bristow conducted a special clinic for them and so did the University of South Florida's coach, Ken Eriksen. It was an outstanding display of sportsmanship by both youth and adults in the afterglow of the Junior World Cup and that brought praise from Ivan Samchuk, Secretary General of the Russian Softball Federation.
ISF President Don Porter said, "We were just trying to make something good out of a bad situation.''