Softball Update, 10-18-09
Opponent: White
Score: 14-4 (W, 4-1, 3-1 in Division)
Personal Stats: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs
Season Stats: 14-20, 4 2Bs, HR, BB, 8 Runs, 12 RBIs
Recap: No theme this week, just going out there and playing hard again. This was our last game in the division, so, if we won this one, we were guaranteed the number one seed and a first round bye in the playoffs.
Quick explanation of the division system this year. Since we expanded from five teams to six this year, but wanted to fit the entirety of the league into a ten week stretch that ends right before Thanksgiving, we had a problem. Playing every other team once left us three games short of a full season, assuming two weeks for playoffs - which we do. Playing every other team twice took 10 weeks and left no room for playoffs - a no go. So the coaches devised a plan. The league would be set up in two three team divisions. Each division would play the other two teams in their division twice, and then each other team once. This gave us seven weeks of games and a somewhat balanced schedule. We would then have each corresponding seed - 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, and 3 vs 3 - play each other across divisions for the eighth week, since that would have no effect on the divisional standings for the playoffs. Playoffs would then begin with the number two seed from one division facing the number 3 seed from the other division. The winner of those games would get to play the number one seeds from each division, and the winner of those two games would play for the championship. Okay, maybe that wasn't so quick.
Anyway, we were the first team to play all three of our division games, this being the last one, and since the entire division played rock-paper-scissors the first round (Red beat White, White beat Grey, Grey beat Red) and then we proceeded to win our second meeting with Red, a victory against White would give us a 3-1 record in division with no other team being able to get better than a 2-2 record.
Don't let the score fool you, this was an extremely tight game. Due to a quirk in the schedule (which I did not design), we played the White team as the visitors again. This may not seem important, but regular readers may recall that the White team beat us on a walk off home run last time. I really did not want them to have the opportunity again, so I wanted to jump out to a quick lead (we've scored in the first inning of every game we've played so far). Scott opened up with a single to right but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. I followed with a hit to pretty much the same spot, but had the advantage(?) of not being as fast, so when I hit first they were throwing it to the cut off. I turned it on and went to second, knowing that I had the extra bit of time in the transition which Scott didn't, as they threw straight in to second for him, and beat the throw easily (well, I thought it was easily, apparently Jess was yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" during my little escapade). A grounder in front of the plate moved me to third, and a single drove me in. Another single followed and finally the third out to give us a 1-0 lead after one inning, though I don't believe I would have scored if I hadn't taken second on the play. The streak lives!
Okay, if there was a theme to this week, it would be "Defense." Holy cow, there were some great plays turned in, and the tone was set in the first inning. An artfully grabbed fly out to left to ensure compliance with the "cone rule" started the inning, followed by a single. That was immediately erased with a come backer to the pitcher which was immediately converted to a beautiful 1-6-3 (pitcher, shortstop, first base for those rusty with their score keeping) double play. As quickly as the inning started, it was over.
A double, single, pop out, single, single tacked another two runs for us in the top of the inning before I lined out to second (on a great play by my friend Dennis who made a snow cone of my ball that was tailing down and away from him) and another line drive to the pitcher ended it. A grounder to third started the bottom of the second, followed by a line drive to me in right center which hung up just long enough for me to slide under it and catch it (I was seriously running over just to cut it off but was amazed to watch it just stay in the air as I was getting closer). A two out rally was sparked by a single and a walk, but a ground out to third killed the threat. After two innings, we were up 3-0.
A double and a single in the third tacked on the fourth run for us, and a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning left us at 4-0 through three innings. I wanted more runs, but was extremely proud of our defense. Three singles opened up the top of the fourth for us to load the bases with our 2-3-4 hitters coming up, but I grounded to short about a foot and a half to the right of where I wanted the ball (they threw the lead runner out at home), an infield fly, and a fly out to left ended our threat.
At this point one of our players, for an extremely valid reason, had to go, bringing us down to nine players (a wedding and an injury had limited us to ten to start) and an automatic out at the bottom of the lineup, since we were down to one woman left. I informed the other other coach and the umpires about this and we were ready to go into the bottom of the fourth. I ran with the David, Scott, and me outfield again, relying on speed, range, and good gloves to cover the most ground. Unfortunately they started the inning at the top of the order and they were able to drop a couple balls in between second and me (though we held them to singles on these hits by quickly getting them back into the cutoff and not throwing wildly, a key aspect), so a single, walk, walk, fielder's choice (to short, runner out at second), single, pop out to first, single, walk, walk brought up the bases loaded and a tie game with two outs. In a case of being lucky over good, the batter dribbled a ball down the third base line in foul ground (still on the dirt) which started rolling back fair, but the runner(!) scooped it up to throw it back to the pitcher. I still have to look this one up, but since the runner was in fair territory when they touched the ball, he was ruled out and the inning was ended. In all they sent ten batters to the plate and scored four runs to make it a 4-4 tie.
Now despite the fact that this was a tight, low scoring game, it was certainly dragging time wise. It didn't help that we took up A LOT of time in the top of the fifth. Six straight singles brought me up with one out (the automatic one we took at the bottom of the order) and the bases loaded. Outside pitch, line drive to right, two runs in and I end up on second. A walk to load the bases again, a fly out to center, two doubles, and two singles before a line out to shortstop ended the carnage. There was an unfortunate play where an outfielder missed the ball and it hit their teammate backing them up in the knee that forced us to stop play for five to ten minutes while we got him taken care of. It looks like it was just a contusion, but it hit the soft tissue under the knee, so if you could spare a prayer for his health (Dave), I'm sure he'd appreciate it. In all 10 runs scored, and we had used up our time limit, so the white team would only have one more at bat to try and even us up. A 1-2-3 inning wrapped things up with a bow, and time was called (we were the first game and started late, so we still had two more games to get in).
Summary: A hard fought game that was only really broken open in the last inning with some timely hitting, all of our inter-division games have been hard fought to the end. We still have three more weeks before playoffs, but we will be playing outside of our division from here on out. Actually, the top seed in the other division has already been wrapped up as well, and we'll be playing them in the late game (3:30) next week in a battle of the two 4-1 teams.
Score: 14-4 (W, 4-1, 3-1 in Division)
Personal Stats: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs
Season Stats: 14-20, 4 2Bs, HR, BB, 8 Runs, 12 RBIs
Recap: No theme this week, just going out there and playing hard again. This was our last game in the division, so, if we won this one, we were guaranteed the number one seed and a first round bye in the playoffs.
Quick explanation of the division system this year. Since we expanded from five teams to six this year, but wanted to fit the entirety of the league into a ten week stretch that ends right before Thanksgiving, we had a problem. Playing every other team once left us three games short of a full season, assuming two weeks for playoffs - which we do. Playing every other team twice took 10 weeks and left no room for playoffs - a no go. So the coaches devised a plan. The league would be set up in two three team divisions. Each division would play the other two teams in their division twice, and then each other team once. This gave us seven weeks of games and a somewhat balanced schedule. We would then have each corresponding seed - 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, and 3 vs 3 - play each other across divisions for the eighth week, since that would have no effect on the divisional standings for the playoffs. Playoffs would then begin with the number two seed from one division facing the number 3 seed from the other division. The winner of those games would get to play the number one seeds from each division, and the winner of those two games would play for the championship. Okay, maybe that wasn't so quick.
Anyway, we were the first team to play all three of our division games, this being the last one, and since the entire division played rock-paper-scissors the first round (Red beat White, White beat Grey, Grey beat Red) and then we proceeded to win our second meeting with Red, a victory against White would give us a 3-1 record in division with no other team being able to get better than a 2-2 record.
Don't let the score fool you, this was an extremely tight game. Due to a quirk in the schedule (which I did not design), we played the White team as the visitors again. This may not seem important, but regular readers may recall that the White team beat us on a walk off home run last time. I really did not want them to have the opportunity again, so I wanted to jump out to a quick lead (we've scored in the first inning of every game we've played so far). Scott opened up with a single to right but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. I followed with a hit to pretty much the same spot, but had the advantage(?) of not being as fast, so when I hit first they were throwing it to the cut off. I turned it on and went to second, knowing that I had the extra bit of time in the transition which Scott didn't, as they threw straight in to second for him, and beat the throw easily (well, I thought it was easily, apparently Jess was yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" during my little escapade). A grounder in front of the plate moved me to third, and a single drove me in. Another single followed and finally the third out to give us a 1-0 lead after one inning, though I don't believe I would have scored if I hadn't taken second on the play. The streak lives!
Okay, if there was a theme to this week, it would be "Defense." Holy cow, there were some great plays turned in, and the tone was set in the first inning. An artfully grabbed fly out to left to ensure compliance with the "cone rule" started the inning, followed by a single. That was immediately erased with a come backer to the pitcher which was immediately converted to a beautiful 1-6-3 (pitcher, shortstop, first base for those rusty with their score keeping) double play. As quickly as the inning started, it was over.
A double, single, pop out, single, single tacked another two runs for us in the top of the inning before I lined out to second (on a great play by my friend Dennis who made a snow cone of my ball that was tailing down and away from him) and another line drive to the pitcher ended it. A grounder to third started the bottom of the second, followed by a line drive to me in right center which hung up just long enough for me to slide under it and catch it (I was seriously running over just to cut it off but was amazed to watch it just stay in the air as I was getting closer). A two out rally was sparked by a single and a walk, but a ground out to third killed the threat. After two innings, we were up 3-0.
A double and a single in the third tacked on the fourth run for us, and a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning left us at 4-0 through three innings. I wanted more runs, but was extremely proud of our defense. Three singles opened up the top of the fourth for us to load the bases with our 2-3-4 hitters coming up, but I grounded to short about a foot and a half to the right of where I wanted the ball (they threw the lead runner out at home), an infield fly, and a fly out to left ended our threat.
At this point one of our players, for an extremely valid reason, had to go, bringing us down to nine players (a wedding and an injury had limited us to ten to start) and an automatic out at the bottom of the lineup, since we were down to one woman left. I informed the other other coach and the umpires about this and we were ready to go into the bottom of the fourth. I ran with the David, Scott, and me outfield again, relying on speed, range, and good gloves to cover the most ground. Unfortunately they started the inning at the top of the order and they were able to drop a couple balls in between second and me (though we held them to singles on these hits by quickly getting them back into the cutoff and not throwing wildly, a key aspect), so a single, walk, walk, fielder's choice (to short, runner out at second), single, pop out to first, single, walk, walk brought up the bases loaded and a tie game with two outs. In a case of being lucky over good, the batter dribbled a ball down the third base line in foul ground (still on the dirt) which started rolling back fair, but the runner(!) scooped it up to throw it back to the pitcher. I still have to look this one up, but since the runner was in fair territory when they touched the ball, he was ruled out and the inning was ended. In all they sent ten batters to the plate and scored four runs to make it a 4-4 tie.
Now despite the fact that this was a tight, low scoring game, it was certainly dragging time wise. It didn't help that we took up A LOT of time in the top of the fifth. Six straight singles brought me up with one out (the automatic one we took at the bottom of the order) and the bases loaded. Outside pitch, line drive to right, two runs in and I end up on second. A walk to load the bases again, a fly out to center, two doubles, and two singles before a line out to shortstop ended the carnage. There was an unfortunate play where an outfielder missed the ball and it hit their teammate backing them up in the knee that forced us to stop play for five to ten minutes while we got him taken care of. It looks like it was just a contusion, but it hit the soft tissue under the knee, so if you could spare a prayer for his health (Dave), I'm sure he'd appreciate it. In all 10 runs scored, and we had used up our time limit, so the white team would only have one more at bat to try and even us up. A 1-2-3 inning wrapped things up with a bow, and time was called (we were the first game and started late, so we still had two more games to get in).
Summary: A hard fought game that was only really broken open in the last inning with some timely hitting, all of our inter-division games have been hard fought to the end. We still have three more weeks before playoffs, but we will be playing outside of our division from here on out. Actually, the top seed in the other division has already been wrapped up as well, and we'll be playing them in the late game (3:30) next week in a battle of the two 4-1 teams.