Baseball or Track?

Saturday I was proud that the Warriors hung close against a tough Hobgood team, even though we didn’t play our best game.

Josiah pitched two innings and threw a lot of strikes. In the first inning, against the top of the order he only allowed two earned runs. Jake and Will threw out runners at first, and Nick made a nice catch in left field. Corey led off the bottom of the first with an exciting triple. With no out Coach Ellis wisely held Corey at third on Will’s fly ball to center, and Corey scored easily on Clay’s hit. Andrew’s single and Jake’s walk loaded the bases.

As Nick stepped to the plate, first-base coach White remembered he was holding a stopwatch. Jake was taking his lead off first, and George said, “Let’s see how fast you are. I’ll start the watch on the crack of the bat.” I’m sure Jake smiled. Nick launched the first pitch to the left-centerfield fence for a bases-loaded triple, his best hit of the year. Jake took off around the bases, and had to slow down when he caught Andrew just before both crossed the plate. Coach White stopped his watch and couldn’t believe the result…9.72 seconds!

David’s grounder knocked in Nick, then Josiah walked. John Fulton hit it hard, but right at the second-baseman to end the inning. We had retaken the lead 5 – 4. Clay relieved Josiah in the second. With Corey catching, a runner was tagged out trying to score. Curtis caught a fly ball in centerfield, and John Fulton threw out a batter at first, to Christian.

Thomas led off the second with a walk, but was retired on Christian’s grounder. Christian took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third when Curtis hit to the right side of the infield, and scored on Michael’s RBI grounder. Corey walked, but Will couldn’t drive them in.

In the third Clay pitched out of a bases-loaded jam with only one run scoring, and made a great play. A runner on third charged home when the ball got away, but catcher Andrew chased the ball down and flipped low to the plate. Clay caught the throw inches from the ground. Knowing the runner was approaching, Clay moved his glove up and toward third, and the tag found the runner’s feet for the out. Then shortstop David threw to 1B Josiah for another out, and third-baseman Michael ended the inning by tagging out a runner headed to third.

Leading off the bottom of the inning Clay was hit, and Andrew singled. Both advanced on a wild pitch. When Nick struck out a wild throw allowed both runners to score, and Nick raced around to third again…another exciting play. Down two strikes, Josiah’s two-out grounder was run down by the first-baseman.

Nick’s pitching was the bright spot in the fourth. After his first pitch hit the leadoff batter, Nick struck out the next three batters. Catcher Corey threw to first-baseman Clay to end the inning. Corey made a smart play: instead of rushing the throw or throwing too hard, he took his time and threw softly. Instead of the throw being too high or skipping at Clay’s feet, the throw bounced perfectly into Clay’s glove for the out.

The third-baseman couldn’t handle John Fulton’s leadoff grounder, and Thomas walked for a second time. But Christian’s line drive was caught by the right-fielder, and Curtis’ groundout ended the game. As we gathered at home plate after the game for the closing prayer, one of the Hobgood coaches walked up next to me. I asked if he would like to lead the prayer, and he did. A nice Mt. Paran moment.