All That Glitters Is Not Gold

The Key Takeaway of our demolishing Danville to vault over them into third place: I, Jeff Kravin, am just one off the team lead in triples for the season. More on that later*.

Can we please bottle the defense, offense and all aound game we had Wednesday, and bring it out in the remaining games?

We scored five runs in each of the first three innings, then four, and then 3-3-3. We almost let Gold back in the game with a nine run inning in the fourth to close to 15-13, but held them to three runs the rest of the way as we added on. Final score 28-16. 

We did slow down in the late innings, but I will take scoring at least three in every inning any game. Everyone got at least two hits, everyone scored at least one run, and nearly everyone drove in a run.

We hit a season high .717 as a team. Dave had one of those games: 4-4, two doubles, two homers, six RBIs. He had a sore butt, and almost begged off playing, but he showed what a gamer he is. Dan, leading off, set the table all game, going 5-5. Tom G was also 4-4, and played great defense and other than the nine run fourth held Gold pretty much in check. Mark and Tom W had the other two home runs, as we doubled our season high in a game with four. *I could have joined them, as I understand they had given up on my hit in the RC gap, but my left leg was cramping big time as I dragged it to third base. Don got me home anyway. Brian, Lamont, Mark, Don and I all contributed three hits.

The play of the game was when Kelvin Nelson hit a hot shot up the middle,  Gonzales stabbed it, and Nelson was so surprised he didn't bother to run to first, and Tom threw to Mark at second who relayed to first. Nelson did not even bother to run. I am not sure when it was; my memory is not great, but I like to think it was in the ninth and it ended the game.

Other notable plays, the first baseman ranged far (for him) toward the first base dugout to snatch a foul ball fly on one knee in the first. Dan knocked down a ball at 2B and got a force out at second. Likewise, in the second inning, he deflected one to Mark at rover who fired to first for the second out. Brian made a great catch in LF as well to shut them out in the inning. In the fifth, Tom at 3B and Bob at SS made nice plays to keep the Gold scoreless.

There were other plays that were not noted as we played great defense the whole game.

Oh, and I love irony. Joe noticed that someone had advanced the inning to the seventh on the scoreboard when we were about to go out to the field in the top of the sixth. We decided to wait and see if the other team noticed; we were up 19-13 at the time. They didn't but ironically, no one changed the 8 to a 9 when we started what everyone thought was the ninth. When they went down quietly, someone on their side said hey that was only the eighth, but a teammate incorrectly corrected him and said it was the ninth. At that point they were done anyway. We would have had the heart of the order up in the true eighth, and undoubtedly would have tacked on five more to add to their pain.

Even though we have had a rough time against the top two teams, this win just about clinches third place with three games left. We have the next two against Team Black, who have not won a game, and one more against the Hornets. We are done with Danville Gold (and the Wolfpack) and have taken two of three against them, so we hold any necessary tiebreaker. Their remaining games are all against the Hornets and Wolfpack. Although technically tied, any combination of our wins and their losses equaling three will clinch third place.

It will be pick your poison in the first round of the playoffs. When we are firing on all cylinders, I would venture to say we can compete with the top teams. I hope everyone can make the remaining games and stay healthy.