Crowing Out Loud

Don D gave me the honor of leading off in the first game of the Winter Season for the Crows. We were playing the Wolfpack, my former team that has bulked up to chase the Hornets. I promptly hit a line shot down the right field line, I knew it was a double for sure, even for me. Then the right fielder was kind of lollygagging after the ball and so I took off for third. I stopped and looked around, and then I saw it - they were still barely getting to the ball. I could hit my first home run in years! But I remembered whose body I was in, and after all it was a runner on third with no outs and Anthony coming up and Tony Camilo had the ball by then, so I stayed.

And then I knew I was dreaming.

Instead I have to write about how we came up short against the Knights on the first round of the playoffs and got an extra week or two off and avoided the 100 degree heat (the playoff final was postponed this week due to heat).

The score ended up at 13-10 - we really made it close. But this was after a furious rally in two of the last three innings - if only we hadn't waited until the seventh inning to get serious about hitting the ball.

Down 13-1 in the seventh, Clay singled and Dave doubled and Howard singled in our second run. Don D followed with our biggest hit of the game, a line shot that found a gap for a two run triple. Ultimately we rallied for four in the seventh and four in the ninth while shutting the Knights down, but it wasn't enough.

There were just a couple of defensive highlights - SS Howard and R Randy and 1B Heffe turned a slick double play in the first to prevent a five run inning. And 2B LT made a great backhanded stop to get a force out at second in the third. He has been making a habit of this lately.

Howard and Barry and Brian led the way with three hit games, and Dave had a double and a triple. Everyone had at least one hit, it just wasn't enough.

And one final note. Howard made an out (!)  in his last at bat. It was a line shot at the third baseman. You may not think this was significant, but it ended a streak of thirteen straight hits (with a walk thrown in). He will start a new streak when the new season starts, no doubt.

Well, new beginnings October 23rd (or 30th). It is going to be in interesting season. Three teams have added new players to try to chase the Hornets, including the Crows, so we should be in the mix!