Kapsch started this one out slow, but came on hard to prove to the Livermore Barber Shop that we own them, at least so far in the first year we have been playing each other. We are 3-0-1 against them.
In the top of the third LBS led 5-0. The game was teetering on the edge. One more scoreless inning, and a few more runs by LBS, and we could have real trouble. But the top of the lineup got unhinged the second time through, and consecutive singles by Bo, B (4-4), Cage (3-3, 4 RBIs), and Gregg followed a walk to lead off to JT, and we were in business. There was a little league triple or home run in there somewhere, and by the end of the inning we were tied at 5.
Then the key moment came in the top of the fourth. Dave dove to snare a line drive in the 3-4 hole, and fired quickly to B at second, and a first and second rally turned into a bases empty frame. No runs scored.
We followed that with perhaps the biggest rally of the year. We batted around plus five and plated 11 runs. The big hits were a Cage bases loaded triple, and Bert followed that with a bomb into the trees in left. We weren't done yet, and D started a new rally with a single and hits by DJ, JT, and Tom produced the final three runs.
Livermore didn't quit though and answered with nine runs. But our onslaught continued anew (we scored all 22 runs in three innings) and we answered back with another six. The highlight of this inning was one of the hardest balls D has hit all year. It was a line shot to the fence in RC and D actually made it to second base! We batted until time ran out - Tom actually had a walk-off walk to end the game. Final score 22-14.
Defensive highlights included a great catch at the fence by Cage on a twisting turning fly.
All the others involved Pauly. He backhanded a short hop to get an out in the second. He then took a hot shot off his body in the fourth - the ball skittered into foul ground, B hustled after it, and fired back to Pauly, who had the presence of mind to get back to the bag, and we had a runner out trying to take the extra base. Finally in the fifth, he made a Third base unassisted to home double play that stopped the bleeding. Who knows how many more Livermore would have scored?
Speaking of walk-off walks.
I didn't have a chance to note this because I have missed games and been out of town. But Tom made a note after one of our wins a couple weeks ago that I may have accomplished something no one else in the history of rec league softball has.
Let's face it - I have had one of the worst years ever this year. Who knows if I will regain my former weak-ass but consistent hitting - it may just be age catching up to me. Be that as it may, I came up with about thirty seconds left when we were up 20-11 against M.A.R.A. I was 0-3, a line out to first and two ground outs to the pitcher. He just knew I would take pitches to try to milk and possibly run out the clock. So he immediately pointed to first to walk me intentionally.
Now you could say that's respect. But if you look closely, what was he doing? He was walking me intentionally not because he was afraid I would get a hit, but that I would not swing. In other words he walked me to get me to not not swing.
It may have been a first. In all time. Thank you very much.
Milestones:
8/6:
Coop 1600 ab (#1)
Bert 10 gw (#9)
Bo 20 2b (#21)
JT 50 h (#40)
8/13:
Bert 250 rbi (#9)
8/27
Cage 130 bb (#3)
JT 10 bb (#27)
In the top of the third LBS led 5-0. The game was teetering on the edge. One more scoreless inning, and a few more runs by LBS, and we could have real trouble. But the top of the lineup got unhinged the second time through, and consecutive singles by Bo, B (4-4), Cage (3-3, 4 RBIs), and Gregg followed a walk to lead off to JT, and we were in business. There was a little league triple or home run in there somewhere, and by the end of the inning we were tied at 5.
Then the key moment came in the top of the fourth. Dave dove to snare a line drive in the 3-4 hole, and fired quickly to B at second, and a first and second rally turned into a bases empty frame. No runs scored.
We followed that with perhaps the biggest rally of the year. We batted around plus five and plated 11 runs. The big hits were a Cage bases loaded triple, and Bert followed that with a bomb into the trees in left. We weren't done yet, and D started a new rally with a single and hits by DJ, JT, and Tom produced the final three runs.
Livermore didn't quit though and answered with nine runs. But our onslaught continued anew (we scored all 22 runs in three innings) and we answered back with another six. The highlight of this inning was one of the hardest balls D has hit all year. It was a line shot to the fence in RC and D actually made it to second base! We batted until time ran out - Tom actually had a walk-off walk to end the game. Final score 22-14.
Defensive highlights included a great catch at the fence by Cage on a twisting turning fly.
All the others involved Pauly. He backhanded a short hop to get an out in the second. He then took a hot shot off his body in the fourth - the ball skittered into foul ground, B hustled after it, and fired back to Pauly, who had the presence of mind to get back to the bag, and we had a runner out trying to take the extra base. Finally in the fifth, he made a Third base unassisted to home double play that stopped the bleeding. Who knows how many more Livermore would have scored?
Speaking of walk-off walks.
I didn't have a chance to note this because I have missed games and been out of town. But Tom made a note after one of our wins a couple weeks ago that I may have accomplished something no one else in the history of rec league softball has.
Let's face it - I have had one of the worst years ever this year. Who knows if I will regain my former weak-ass but consistent hitting - it may just be age catching up to me. Be that as it may, I came up with about thirty seconds left when we were up 20-11 against M.A.R.A. I was 0-3, a line out to first and two ground outs to the pitcher. He just knew I would take pitches to try to milk and possibly run out the clock. So he immediately pointed to first to walk me intentionally.
Now you could say that's respect. But if you look closely, what was he doing? He was walking me intentionally not because he was afraid I would get a hit, but that I would not swing. In other words he walked me to get me to not not swing.
It may have been a first. In all time. Thank you very much.
Milestones:
8/6:
Coop 1600 ab (#1)
Bert 10 gw (#9)
Bo 20 2b (#21)
JT 50 h (#40)
8/13:
Bert 250 rbi (#9)
8/27
Cage 130 bb (#3)
JT 10 bb (#27)
No comments:
Post a Comment