Will's May 5th Afternoon Game

Saturday afternoon Will’s Titans held on to in 11 – 9, thanks in large part to Will’s catching. He blocked numerous balls in the dirt, and threw out three base-stealers…two at far-away second base. Will reached base three times, stole a base, and scored two runs.

Throwing out base-stealers requires teamwork: the pitcher must do a good job keeping the runner from getting a big jump (and deliver an accurate pitch), the catcher has to make a strong, quick, accurate throw (after catching the pitch), and the infielder must catch the ball and apply the tag.

In the second inning West Forsyth’s best baserunner Justin stole second. Will made a strong throw, but it was just on the third-base side of the bag. Then the runner stole third. Will’s throw beat the runner, but the third-baseman didn’t make the catch. The next inning Justin stole second. Will’s throw had him, but the shortstop dropped the ball. But when the runner tried to steal third, Will’s throw beat him by three steps, and the third-baseman easily tagged him out. Then in the sixth Will threw Justin out trying to steal second.

Will also threw out another base-stealer at second base, in the second inning. Remarkably, of the twenty West Forsyth batters that reached base, there were only two other stolen bases in the game.

Offensively Will was one of two Titans to reach base three times. Batting cleanup, he was stranded in the first. In the third Will’s grounder rolled under the shortstop’s glove into short leftfield. The second-baseman ran out to retrieve the ball, and when the shortstop failed to cover second, Will hustled all the way, sliding safely in to second headfirst. He took third on a wild pitch, and scored when the pitcher’s pickoff attempt rolled away from the third-baseman.

In the fifth Will walked and stole second. Bryce then hit a slow roller to short, and Will took off on the swing, ran in front of the ball, and was safe at second. He then scored on a single.