Warriors First Win

Will’s Warriors’ Saturday morning rematch with the Shaw Park RiverCats started out quite similarly to last Saturday’s game. The Warriors jumping out to a big lead, then the game slowed down as Shaw Park continued to walk the bottom half of the Warrior order. This time I left the starting pitcher in for a third inning, then Clay McElwain closed out the 12 – 4 win by pitching a one run final inning.

Behind 2 – 1 going to the bottom of the second, the nine of the first ten Warriors reached base and scored. Will was the 10th batter of the inning, and he walked on a 3 – 1 pitch. With Corey on third, the pitcher threw over to first. Will got back safely, but the throw went past the first-baseman. When Will was rounding second, the throw back sailed past second into left field, allowing Will to circle the bases and score.

David Bartlett pitched well, giving up just one run in each of the three innings he pitched. One of the runs was unearned. In each inning he threw more strikes than balls, finishing with 22 balls and 38 strikes. He struck out one batter in each inning, and only walked one batter. David faced five batters each inning.

David hit a single to center in the first to drive home Corey, but was doubled off first base on a line drive to right field. He walked in his other two at bats.

Will played shortstop the first three innings, and caught two fly balls.

With a 10 – 3 lead and a new pitcher, this was where things fell apart last week. The inning didn’t start well when the first batter reached on an error, and the second batter walked on four pitches. The next batter popped one back foul. Will tore off his mask and raced to the backstop. With mask still in his bare hand, he made a nice catch of the pop right next to the fence. Then Curtis stabbed a line drive at shortstop, and little second-baseman John Fulton fielded a grounder and threw to first to end the threat.

In the fourth Will came up with two out and runners on second and third. He drove a 1 – 2 pitch high and deep to left-center, past the chasing outfielders. Both runners scored easily, and Will had a two-RBI stand up double. He stole third base when David drew a walk on a full count, but Clay’s hard grounder up the middle was backhanded by the second-baseman to force David, ending the inning.