Third Staight Tourney Loss

The 5:30 game against the Cumming Force started out well. Howie was the starting pitcher and Will the catcher. The leadoff batter double to right and took third on a nifty 3-1 putout. The next batter hit a grounder that Howie knocked down. The runner charged home, but Howie was able to deliver the ball home in time for Will to tag out the sliding runner. Then second-baseman Jared reached across his body to make a remarkable catch of a line drive, for the third out.

Jeremy led off the bottom of the first with a walk, stole second, took third on a groundout, and scored on an error. Sixteen more Wildcat batters would reach base, and eleven would be stranded.

Defensively Will’s second inning was even better. With one out the batter let himself be hit, and later took off on a stel of second. Will quickly threw down, but the ball sailed over to the right-field side of the bag. But the throw arrived so early that shortstop Audie continued across the bag and reached out, made the catch, and ran into the runner, while at the same time tagging him out.

After four more batters reached, a pitch popped out of Will’s mitt and bounced behind the right-handed batter. The runner on first took off for second. Will raced over and scooped up the ball, thinking only a perfect throw would get the runner. His throw to Michael was on the money, and the same magnanimous umpire called him out.

This ended the inning, but the Force had gone ahead 3 – 1. This turned out to be the final score, as neither team was able to plate a runner in the next 5-1/2 innings. The Force had eleven more batters reach, and they stranded a total of seven for the game.

Will reached base all three times. He singled to right in the first. Down 0 – 2 in the fourth he popped a slightly high pitch into short leftfield. The shortstop went back and called for it, but he was not able to make the catch, as the ball fell out of his reach. He walked in the sixth.

Will had one more defensive highlight up his sleeve. With runners on first and second and no out, the second straight batter bunted. Pitcher Chris ranged far to his right, near the foul line, picked the ball up and fired the batter out to Nick at first. Nick then noticed the lead runner had rounded third and was slowly trotting home. Nick ran at the runner with the ball still in his glove. The runner had thought the ball had gone past third! As the runner neared home, Nick tossed to Will at the plate. The runner retreated toward third, but Will made a smart play, charging at the runner at full speed, finally diving to tag out the runner…and knocking him down at the same time. This completed the double play.