Sloppy Win

Will's Crown team beat the "Acworth Six" 3-2 last night. Acworth only had six players, so we provided the outfield. Top One: Leadoff batter reaches on an error, then scores on a two-out hit, just out of SS Will's reach. All five Acworth batters should've been put out. Bottom One: Batting leadoff, Will slugged the second pitch over the leftfielder's head for a double. Had he not hit it off the handle, it could've gone out. He continued to third as the throw in rolled away, then watched as Nathan and Tanner struck out. But Chris cracked a ground-rule RBI double, and Matthew singled Chris in. Michael grounded out pitcher to first. Top Two: Starting pitcher Chris walked the bases full. He struck out a batter before Will was brought in to face the big cleanup hitter. After throwing three straight balls, Will threw three strikes...two out. First-baseman Michael went to his right to field the next batter's chopper, and he flipped to Will covering first. Crown survives a bases-loaded no-out situation, without allowing a run. Bottom Two: With two out and a Crown runner on third, the pickoff throw only goes a short distance away as John dives back to the bag. John hears his manager across the field in the first-base dugout shout "Go!" - and is easily thrown out at home. No report on what the nearby third-base coach was saying. (in the next inning, the first three Crown batters reach base). Top Three: Typical Will pitching: Walk, strikeout (the leadoff hitter's only time not reaching base), and walk. Next hitter flies out to right, and RF Michael doubles off the novice runner from second to end the inning. Totals: 29 pitches: 16 balls, 12 strikes, no hits or runs...5 batters faced, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Bottom Three: Four pitch walk and a double puts two in scoring position. After a conference on the mound, Will doesn't see a strike. I was thinking he could poke an outside pitch to the right side to drive in a run, but ball four is high and tight. Bases loaded, no out. Nathan hits it to the pitcher's left, but the hurler tracks it down and gets the force at home. Then Tanner hits into a 1-2-3 double play. No runs score. Top Four, Tanner pitching, Will catching. A high fly ball should've been caught, but it drops between four infielders. A two-out double, the throw in is dropped by the shortstop (Will could've thrown out the runner at home). Throw goes home anyway, and the batter races for third. With plenty of time, Will throws him out by ten feet. Bottom Four: Matthew gets another single to right, takes second on an error, third on Michael's groundout, and scores on John's second single to center. John barely steals second, and takes third on a wild pitch. Charlie V walks, but gets picked off first. In the rundown John breaks for home and draws the throw, but can't survive the 1-3-2-5-1-6 rundown. Bottom Five: Up 3-2 as the sun sets, Crown gets a final at bat. Walk. Caught Stealing. Walk. Stolen Base! But on a wild pitch, Charlie W gets a late start to third. No action from the third-base coach, and poor Charlie is out by a mile. Walk. Pickoff throw rolls away...don't run! He does...and barely makes it! Will...hit the ball! Two balls, then he gets hit in the neck. Next batter. The pitcher turns and picks the runner off second. Four baserunners and three outs...without the ball being put in play. Crown reaches base 14 times in 23 plate appearances in five innings, and only scores three runs. I knew it was going to be a long season!