Colt League Leadoff Hitter

Will’s Colt League team lost last night to a team comprised mostly of the Kell High School varsity baseball team. The game was played in the fog at the old field in downtown Acworth. At times the fog was so thick you could barely see the outfielders.

Will batted in the leadoff spot, and started the game by walking on a full count. He checked his swing on a pitch in the dirt as the ball bounced a couple of steps away from the catcher. Will immediately took off for first base and barely beat the throw, but the umpire had called it ball four anyway. While on first another pitch bounced back to the backstop, though not that far away. Will hustled to second and barely beat the catcher’s strong throw (in the second inning the catcher threw out a Mt. Paran runner attempting the same thing). Willy walked to load the bases, but the next two batters failed to push any runs across. Will had one chance to score on a passed ball, but didn’t want to risk it.

Kell scored three in the bottom of the first. Playing second-base the entire game, Will charged a two-out grounder and made a strong, quick throw to first to end the inning.

In the second inning Will came up with one out and a runner on third. On a 3 – 1 pitch he pulled a hard grounder in the hole between the shortstop and third-baseman, driving in the runner to bring his team within a run. While on first base Will chatted with the first-baseman, who said he was a senior in high school. The next two hitters struck out to end the inning.

The big pitcher led off the bottom of the second and smashed a sinking line drive just to Will’s side the bag. It looked to be a sure hit, but Will raced to his right and tried to scoop the ball, getting a piece of it. He quickly chased the ball down in the outfield grass and made a long underhanded flip to first, coming close to getting the batter.

Will had no other balls hit to him, though later he almost was able to throw a batter out at third, on a relay from a ball hit into the rightfield corner. He also had some other good plays as the secondary backup to third, on balls hit deep to the outfield.