Game Two Victory

The Saints had an easier time in Game Two, winning 8 – 2.

Tanner’s dad Jay drafted me to umpire the bases in this second game. In the first inning I realized I might have to call whether a batter swung, and sure enough, in the top of the third the West Cobb leadoff batter tried to hold up. Tanner was catching, and he pointed to me. I waited until umpire Jay asked for help. As soon as he pointed to me I signals safe, though it was close. That batter wound up walking and scoring, but West Cobb still trailed 4 – 2 at that point. A real umpire showed up to call the last two innings.

In the bottom of the first Will came up with two out and a runner on second. He lined the 3 – 1 pitch over the centerfielder’s head. The ball rolled to the left-centerfield fence. Will had eased up just a little as he approached third, but turned on the speed when the third-base coach waved him home, and Will had an inside-the-park Home Run and two RBIs.

West Cobb played the second game with only eight players, so the Saints supplied a rightfielder. For the last three innings, instead of giving the time to one of the 13 Saints, Coach Chris sent out his son Michael, an Bronco all-star travel-ball player. When Will came up to bat in the fourth with a runner on third, Chris hollered out to Michael, positioning him defensively. Will lined a 2 – 1 pitch to right for an RBI single, but Michael almost made a diving catch on the play.

On the first pitch Will took off on a steal of second base. John Fulton hit a grounder to the shortstop. When the shortstop threw to first, Will continued on to third base. Tanner grounded out to second, and Will scored. The next inning Michael’s brother Christian came up and hit a line drive past Michael for an inside-the-parker.

Will played shortstop and caught an inning each. He came in to pitch the fourth inning, and struck out all three batters. Facing the meat of the order in the fifth, Will struck out the first two batters. The cleanup hitter then lined the ball right back at Will’s head. Will instinctively raised his glove, just in time to catch the drive in the heel of his glove.

For the fall season Will has struck out 15 of the 25 batters he’s faced. He’s allowed only one hit.