Sunday may have been the most beautiful in a series of beautiful Sundays that we have had lately. And I am not just saying that because Bob came with a truck load of steaks to sell. The beauty was added by the fact that we had 20 guys show up, which is a new record for the West Sunset field, I remember a few years ago that we couldn't get 10. Of course, now that I have said that, I am sure we will be screwed next time.
Greg was still healing from the hammy, but he dropped off the gear, which was kind of him, and we had some new guys that I think Sean had brought, they were young, and we were a little afraid ( we being the elder folk) that the young punks might show us up, or at least show off their non-disabled skills. But they were fine, they blended in and made some mistakes, and we were all friends....
Satch started on the mound for the homesquad, doing what was needed. The mound was in such good shape that it was troubling to pitch off of, as the drop was not the customary three feet that usually happens on our mounds. Our team had some early inning jitters to get out of the way and we dropped a few here and there, and the next thing you know it was 3-1 in the 2nd inning. But no mind, it was a nice day. Unfortunately, Dustin was feeling it as well, and he blew through us like wind through swiss cheese, dropping curves and slurves and cliders and drop balls, when he wasn't throwing the hard stuff...and this all without Jameson (as far as we knew). Our team couldn't seem to get anything going, Satch struck out looking, and we hit a lot of pop flys to Mitch, which is never the way to get a rally going.
After 5, I unfortunately had to leave the mound and the game to get to a BBQ, and so I bid the team a fond farewell and headed out. I got the late inning info from Jon Spack and Lattig, who each accounted for the end. AS for me, a great day, I hope we don't get spoiled on this weather, but then again, what better way to be spoiled.
Highlights the first 6:
* Joe who almost got one out of the yard, I was praying that it would, even if I had to give it up, never seen one go out.
* Dustin triple, single, and pitching performance
* The change up I threw Mitch
* Our umpire, Gregg, making it two in a row!
* The double play to end the first inning threat
Lattig:
Sean picked up for your side and had a solid first two innings, keeping the visiting squad down with his array of speeders and curves. The same held true for the visitors though, as Lattig took the hill and through looper after looper to keep the home squad off balance, and off the scoreboard.
The visitors tacked on a fifth run with some clean hits in the 8th, making it 5-1 heading into the bottom half, and that’s when the fireworks erupted. Bullets off the bats of Catcher John and Sean sparked a three run rally that brought the home nine to within one. Those tallies were quickly answered, however, by the visitors, who rallied behind some timely hitting and keystone coppery from the defense to push the cushion back to 4.
Vivek took to the bump in the bottom half of the frame to close it out, but the home 9 would not go quietly. Four consecutive hits had the game at 8-6 with runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out, but the new hurler wouldn’t break, getting the final three outs before Oliver could find his way home from 2nd, and sealing a thrilling 8-7 victory.
Highlights (from the 6th on):
* Vivek’s first career save.
* Sean peppering the wall in right field.
* A thrilling 9th inning that once again threatened to push us into extra frames.
Jon Spack Notes:
1) Sean was crushing line drives and deep fly balls to right, one of
which would have cleared the fences if he used a metal bat. He may
have even had an inside the park home run if those inside out sweat
pant pockets didn't slow him down,
2) Mike had some gorgeous line drives and sprayed the entire field with hits. His nickname as a pitcher needs to be Captain Hook. That deuce takes 3 minutes to get to the plate and goes from the eyes to the feet. Had a lot of batters off balance.
3) Our team came back in the last inning on some great back to back
hits - but Vivek closed the game out as I was stranded on 2nd base as the tying run.
4) Aaron's wildly fun-to-catch performance, I would describe it as "If you can't take the heat, the kitchen may still come after you." Aaron threw the kitchen sink at every batter he faced. I didn't know it was possible to throw knucklers in curve ball counts or change ups in knuckler counts...but he did it all day.
Thanks for keeping us in the game.
Thanks everybody for making it out, next week at Camp Swampy, someone pay attention, I will be faded in Lake Tahoe
S. Paige
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