Will's Tuesday Game

Will played with the Shaw Park Cougars Tuesday night, and had a good game. They played out in west Cobb, the first time he has played at Oregon Park…a nice wooded park near Barrett Parkway and Highway 120, two congested roads. I took Burnt Hickory Road, a scenic shortcut through the Kennesaw Mountain National Park.

Will played errorless ball at shortstop and centerfield, throwing out several runners at first, and almost turning a double play. The right-handed pitcher had fielded a grounder on the first base side of the mound. I figured he would get the sure out at first, but he made a nice play throwing to Will to get the lead runner at second. Will came across the bag and quickly fired to first. The runner would’ve been clearly out had the first-baseman stretched just a little. As it was, the seasoned base umpire hesitated with his call, and for the second time in the game looked to the plate umpire for help. This solicited shouts from our side of the field (ok, including me), so the base umpire called the batter safe at first, seemingly to spite our shouts.

On one play Will fielded a grounder at short. The runner on first had been stealing second on the pitch, so with no play at second, Will threw the batter out at first. The runner rounded second and hustled to third, so the first-baseman threw across the infield to third. The throw was wild, bouncing past the third-baseman. After Will had thrown the ball, he had immediately turned around and hustled over to back up the throw…a real heads up play.

In center Will caught at least three fly balls, including one he had to run along way for. He also ran down two balls hit to the fence in the outfield gap. The first was in right-center, and he fired the ball in to second on the fly, almost getting the batter out at second. The shortstop couldn’t handle Will’s hard throw. Later Will threw a hard one-hopper from the fence in left-center to third.

Batting cleanup, Will reached base twice. He led off the fourth with the walk and quickly stole second, sliding in headfirst (because they allow it, he said). For the second time in the game, with no out the coach gave a runner on second the steal sign, both times resulting in a caught stealing. But Will had gotten a great jump and slid in head first, his hands wrapped around the bag and his head on top of the bag. It appeared obvious the tag was applied on top of the bag, after Will had first touched the base safely. Some even said the ball had been bobbled. The base umpire called him out, positioned at a bad angle, behind the mound, his view obstructed.
In the sixth Will was hit with the pitch. He scored from first on the next boy’s double to the left field corner.

Today Will plays in Roswell, and up in Jasper on Friday and Saturday. Travel ball, here we come!