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HISTORY
Several members of the team began playing fast pitch softball together in the Rice Creek Boys Fast Pitch League in Rice Creek, MI in th 1980's. In 1999 the Kelly's and Blue's men's fast pitch teams combined and were known as Kelly's. This was the beginning of the team that is now known as the Lightning. At that time the team had a mix of older and younger players mostly from the Marshall and Union City areas. They played in several local tournaments, the Coldwater League and the Class D State Tournament.
Eventually the Kelly's team added some younger players and had several older players move on to different teams. In 2003 they started winning games and tournaments and became known as the Lightning. The Lightning won their first State Championship in 2003 and also went to their first National Tournament in College Station, TX where they finished 7th out of 71 teams in Class "C".
In 2004 the Lightning started to play in some upper class tournaments and added the Eaton Rapids League to their schedule. Since then the Lightning have won four more State Championships as well as the Class A National Championship in 2009. The Lightning have also won several invitational tournaments in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana while playing around 80 games a year as a team. They have won the Coldwater League every year since 2004 and the Eaton Rapids League each year from 2004-2007. Since the 2006 season the Lightning have also competed in several open class or ISC level tournaments.
The Lightning team is currently made up of players from Marshall and the surrounding area. The team operates on a small budget with some help from local sponsors. Several fundraisers are held each year to generate money to cover league fees, tournament entry fees and uniforms. (Any additional help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact a member of the team for details.)
There is currently a new edition of the Kelly's (Neitzert's Greenhouse) team with with several young players. This team competes in the Coldwater League and in several tournaments each year. They won the Class C State Championship in 2008.
The Lightning have also been known as the Marshall Lightning, HBC Lightning, Rice Creek Lightning, Sportsman's Park, Welhoff Concrete and Kelly's.
SEASON SUMMARIES
2010
Season Record: 48-16 (Individual Game Results)
Coldwater League Champions
2009
Season Record: 59-21 (Individual Game Results)
Coldwater League Champions
2008
Season Record: 63-24 (Individual Game Results)
Coldwater League Champions
2007
Season Record: 47-30 (Individual Game Results)
Coldwater & Eaton Rapids League Champions
2006
Season Record: 58-14 (Individual Game Results)
Coldwater & Eaton Rapids League Champions
2005
Season Record: 58-12 (Individual Game Results)
Coldwater Early Bird Tournament Champions (Coldwater, MI) Record: 6-1
Coldwater & Eaton Rapids League Champions
2004
Season Record: 64-15 (Individual Game Results)
9th Place @ NAFA "AA" World Series (Hutchinson, KS) Record: 3-2
Rice Creek Fall Classic Tournament Champions
Coldwater & Eaton Rapids League Champions
2003
Season Record: 65-16
2002
Last Place @ ASA "C" State Tournament (Ludington, MI)
Eaton Rapids Tournament Champions
2001
3rd Place @ ASA "D" State Tournament (Petoskey, MI)
2000
Competed in ASA "D" State Tournament (Midland, MI)
1999
ASA 18 & UNDER NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (Austin, MN)- as Tanner Farms of Albion, MI
Competed in ASA "D" State Tournament (Mount Pleasant, MI)
FORMER PLAYERS
Chad Ferguson, Ryan Tundevold, Jon Kloosterman, Joe Page, Jim Page, Bill Page, Dean Neitzert, Darryl "Missile" Redfield, Jeff Mullins, Gabby Rivard, and Gary Franson.
PICTURES FROM 2007 ISC WORLD TOURNAMENT IN KITCHENER, ON
