Softball Update 3-8-09
Opponent: Blue
Score: 11-9 (W, 5-3)
Personal Stats: 2-3, SF, 3 RBI
Season Stats: 16-30, 2 2B, 3B, 1 BB, 10 Runs, 13 RBIs
Recap: I affectionately nicknamed this one the battle for third place. We came in at 4-3 with two games left, while the Blue team was 4-4 with one game left. If they won, they'd be 5-4 and the best we could do would be 5-4, but we'd be 0-2 against them and lose the tie-breaker. Since the top two teams would be difficult to catch, this game became the defacto third place game. This is important since there are 5 teams in the league, and the 4th and 5th place teams are going to have to play a one game set to determine who makes the final 4 in the playoffs. I wanted to avoid this, since, even though the last place team entered the day winless, it would mean one less chance to blow a game.
Well, unless you skipped the stat bar up top (maybe I should move it to the bottom?), you know that we won a close one. The whole team was there (except for our injured man, who's probably out for the season), and I know that two people are missing next week so it'd be the last full team before playoffs. We were the visitors and got off to a hot start, double, triple, sac fly (me), single, fly out, single, home run, walk, single, strikeout. Five runs, with our first over the fence home run of the year, surprising us all. I told the guy who hit it that I couldn't give him a month off (he missed last week) between games everytime. Apparently he wasn't concerned as he hit a home run (solo) in his next at bat as well. They responded with a three run home run in the bottom of the first, so it was 5-3 through one inning.
We tacked two runs on in the top of the second, but they came back with 4 in the bottom to even it 7-7. Our solo HR was the only run in the top of the third, and the other team got two singles to start off the bottom. Our defense stiffened, and a pop to third, strikeout, and pop to short later we were out of the inning with a one run lead. The top of the fourth started with a single but two quick outs. That brought up the top of the order, and a double, double, single (me) later we had added three more runs to extend our lead to 11-7 (oddly enough the score of the game when we played this team last time, though reversed). We held them scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, leaving the bases loaded on three singles, with their clean up hitter flying out to center for the third out (didn't say this wasn't stressful).
With as much as offense had dominated the first four innings, the defenses took over for the last three. We didn't score any more runs, getting only two more hits. We had to hold them, and managed to hold them to 1 run in the fifth, none in the sixth, and 1 more in the bottom of the seventh to clinch it. It was an extremely exciting and well played game, and a whole lot of fun as usual.
An interesting thing happened after the game when I was umpiring the second one, the previously winless last place team got their first win, a 12-11 triumph over the first place team (who you may recall we handed their first loss last week). This set the standings into a little bit of mess because the top two teams play next week, and if the second place team wins, they will be tied with a record of 6-3-1 and a head to head record of 1-1-1. Not only that, but if we win next week, then we'll have a record of 6-3 but cannot over take them because we had an additional rain out. Kind of a bummer, but what you going to do? We can claim second place if the current second place team loses next week and we win.
Speaking of next week, remember when I said I already knew that two people would be missing? Well, one of them is my pitcher. So if you want to see me come get shelled (then again, my only inning so far this year, against the same team, I threw five pitches for three outs), then come to the church field at 3:15 this Sunday. :)
Summary:I talked to my team a bit before the game and let them know how much I appreciated their heart and effort, and then we got to demonstrate it in this game. We have one game left, before the playoffs, against the last place team (who we are 2-0 against). We are 1-1 against all the other teams, so the playoffs really will be a coin flip of who is hottest that day. I have confidence that we will do well regardless.
Oh! This win guaranteed that I'll have my first winning regular season as a coach! Third time's a charm, right? :)
Score: 11-9 (W, 5-3)
Personal Stats: 2-3, SF, 3 RBI
Season Stats: 16-30, 2 2B, 3B, 1 BB, 10 Runs, 13 RBIs
Recap: I affectionately nicknamed this one the battle for third place. We came in at 4-3 with two games left, while the Blue team was 4-4 with one game left. If they won, they'd be 5-4 and the best we could do would be 5-4, but we'd be 0-2 against them and lose the tie-breaker. Since the top two teams would be difficult to catch, this game became the defacto third place game. This is important since there are 5 teams in the league, and the 4th and 5th place teams are going to have to play a one game set to determine who makes the final 4 in the playoffs. I wanted to avoid this, since, even though the last place team entered the day winless, it would mean one less chance to blow a game.
Well, unless you skipped the stat bar up top (maybe I should move it to the bottom?), you know that we won a close one. The whole team was there (except for our injured man, who's probably out for the season), and I know that two people are missing next week so it'd be the last full team before playoffs. We were the visitors and got off to a hot start, double, triple, sac fly (me), single, fly out, single, home run, walk, single, strikeout. Five runs, with our first over the fence home run of the year, surprising us all. I told the guy who hit it that I couldn't give him a month off (he missed last week) between games everytime. Apparently he wasn't concerned as he hit a home run (solo) in his next at bat as well. They responded with a three run home run in the bottom of the first, so it was 5-3 through one inning.
We tacked two runs on in the top of the second, but they came back with 4 in the bottom to even it 7-7. Our solo HR was the only run in the top of the third, and the other team got two singles to start off the bottom. Our defense stiffened, and a pop to third, strikeout, and pop to short later we were out of the inning with a one run lead. The top of the fourth started with a single but two quick outs. That brought up the top of the order, and a double, double, single (me) later we had added three more runs to extend our lead to 11-7 (oddly enough the score of the game when we played this team last time, though reversed). We held them scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, leaving the bases loaded on three singles, with their clean up hitter flying out to center for the third out (didn't say this wasn't stressful).
With as much as offense had dominated the first four innings, the defenses took over for the last three. We didn't score any more runs, getting only two more hits. We had to hold them, and managed to hold them to 1 run in the fifth, none in the sixth, and 1 more in the bottom of the seventh to clinch it. It was an extremely exciting and well played game, and a whole lot of fun as usual.
An interesting thing happened after the game when I was umpiring the second one, the previously winless last place team got their first win, a 12-11 triumph over the first place team (who you may recall we handed their first loss last week). This set the standings into a little bit of mess because the top two teams play next week, and if the second place team wins, they will be tied with a record of 6-3-1 and a head to head record of 1-1-1. Not only that, but if we win next week, then we'll have a record of 6-3 but cannot over take them because we had an additional rain out. Kind of a bummer, but what you going to do? We can claim second place if the current second place team loses next week and we win.
Speaking of next week, remember when I said I already knew that two people would be missing? Well, one of them is my pitcher. So if you want to see me come get shelled (then again, my only inning so far this year, against the same team, I threw five pitches for three outs), then come to the church field at 3:15 this Sunday. :)
Summary:I talked to my team a bit before the game and let them know how much I appreciated their heart and effort, and then we got to demonstrate it in this game. We have one game left, before the playoffs, against the last place team (who we are 2-0 against). We are 1-1 against all the other teams, so the playoffs really will be a coin flip of who is hottest that day. I have confidence that we will do well regardless.
Oh! This win guaranteed that I'll have my first winning regular season as a coach! Third time's a charm, right? :)