5/24/21 St Mary's

I was unable to make the game but here are two accounts on what a game it was!

Dave first: 

Went like this... we froze for about 6 innings and yelled at the wind until we realized it was a tie game in the 7th. At that point we started yelling at each other. Visiting team added two runs in top of the ninth only to crap them out in the bottom of the 9th on some sloppy d and a couple of bloops. And then... just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse... Chris P stole home and walked it off but honestly I think everyone was happy to retreat to warmth. 

Now a fine tune from Lattig:

It was the best of times, it was the windiest of times. But what is new at St Mary’s? Is this why the St Mary’s college team is called the Gaels? (spelling aside…) 

Bluster aside, it was a gorgeous day for a ballgame, and we had 17 hearty souls show up ready to take their chances at tracking balls (or frisbees as the case might have become…) as they acted like a hot dog wrapper at Candlestick. 

Sonny and Nick (home and visitors respectively) were probably the heartiest of souls, as they decided it was a good day to toe the rubber on a day where defense was certainly to be suspect. And suspect it was. Pop flies that looked headed toward an infielder landed closer to the mound. And, ultimately, it was dropped fly balls that decided the game. 

But before we got to that, both pitchers did an amazing job of pitching around the wind and trouble - stranding plenty of runners and only allowing the spare run here and there. Scoring was so sporadic, in fact, that we could never really nail down the score. Ultimately deciding we were heading into the 8th inning with the homers up 4-3. Or maybe it was 5-4? Either way, they were up one. 

With HR now on the mound, Dave promptly banged a hit. Followed quickly by Urano, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Thinking he was clever, Lattig laid down a sneak attack bunt. It’s surprise only being equaled by its mediocrity. Nevertheless, Dave was moved to third with one out. And after a strikeout of Dan, Elon took a mighty swing that trickled about 10 feet down the third base line. Mike N sprung from behind the plate as Dave sprinted for home, passing him just in time. And by the time Mike spun to throw to first, it was too late. Tied game. 

Elon was also now holding it down on the mound, and we moved to the 9th tied. Which is when the wind really struck. First, a lazy fly ball to Sonny in center that might have caught some of his glove - but definitely caught chin and chest on its way to finding the ground. Then, with two outs, a looping line drive into left looked to keep the game tied - until it too found the chest of an outfielder. This time the borrowed Nick (who certainly didn’t mean to do it…) 

So, on to the bottom of the 9th with a two run game and Urano taking the mound. The biggest problem with that? He couldn’t also play SS… So after a couple of hits and seeing eye ground balls, we found Chris (who had a five hit day) on third as the winning run. Sensing John McGs fatigue from 9 innings behind the plate, he broke for home on the throw back to the mound, scoring easily to give homers the walk off win. 

A few other highlights I remember: 

• Mike Lynch (as he emailed) was drilled in the leg and picked off first. Quite an eventful day. 

• While playing RF I was telling our CF that I was playing shallow because the wind would knock anything down. And within 3 seconds Mike N had barreled one up and sent it over my head. 

• Nick, trying to be kind, tried to return a frisbee to a father/son who were playing out in CF. The wind had other ideas and returned the frisbee toward Oakland… it was a truly remarkable site to behold… 

• Great to see Tony back out swinging free and easy with his thumb recovering

• Elon is off to summer camp for the year, but left on a high note with solid hitting (even if the wind didn’t want him rewarded) and pitching. See you in the fall Elon

• The band was in fine form and continues to thrill at our exploits as much as we appreciate theirs

• That said, would be great to get a field with an actual mound one of these days!