Game day

We lost a tough one today. A back-and-forth affair. 12-10 was the final …

We didn’t make the plays when we needed to, and we left a ton of runners on base … And I felt today like my legs were full of lead …

The team we were facing barely hit a ball out of the infield … The only piece of action I got in left field was a base hit my way. I fielded it cleanly and gunned the ball toward home plate to try catching a runner who was rounding third. But the pitcher smartly cut it off and threw to second base where our infielders caught another runner in a run-down …

I got my first turn at-bat leading off the third inning and grounded out to short.

In the fifth, with a runner on first, I took the first pitch I saw for a strike, which was unfortunate because that was the best pitch I saw in the at-bat, perhaps even the day. I got the count to 3-1, then took a pitch I thought was off the inside part of the plate, but the umpire called it a strike. The next pitch, though, was away and I got the walk … I moved over to second thanks to a sacrifice by the next batter and then scored on a base hit …

In the seventh, with a runner on third, I worked the count full again. But my so-so day at the plate was starting to get to me, we were trailing, and I knew I had to do something here … I got a decent pitch and made contact, but I didn’t hit it square. All I knew was the ball bounced somewhere in front of me, I had two outs with a 3-2 count --- I just put my head down and started running to first base … The next thing I knew I had beaten the throw for an infield hit, and a moment later the ball was sailing past me and the first baseman. So I made the turn toward second and scooted toward third base before the defense recovered. But I was left stranded there … I learned later the ball I hit was a slow roller down the third base line.

Finally in the ninth, with our team trailing by three, I was due up fifth in the inning. Luckily our team put together a bit of a run, and I got another turn with two outs and runners on second and third. Again, I knew I had to do something … I took the first pitch for a high ball. Then I connected on the second pitch and blooped a ball beyond second base for a hit, and I took second base when the shortstop misplayed it. I had my second RBI of the game …

But that’s where it ended. The next batter struck out and we were done for another day.

Our record is 5-7 now. Next game Wednesday night under the lights.