Agony of Defeat

After four straight late-inning come-from-behind victories, the magic finally ran out on Crown’s run to the Home School World Series championship, as they lost 10-9 in the semi-finals to the Raleigh Warriors.

Down 2-0 and 3-1, the Knights came back to take the lead. After Raleigh scored seven runs in the dreadful fourth inning, Crown responded with five runs, and it looked like another comeback was in the making.

After the Warriors starting pitcher was replaced in the top of the sixth, the first six Crown batters reached base. Bases-loaded walks by Patrick and Franklin made it a one run game. With no out, the bases were still loaded, and Raleigh brought in their third pitcher of the inning. Down just one run, Crown had Ray, Sam, and Will lined up to hit. The three had already reached base seven times in the game. Will had twice reached on errors, singled and scored, and was hit by a pitch in a key situation.

Earlier in the game Crown failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities…
…Will was caught stealing just before Braeden doubled.
…He and Franklin couldn’t convert two tough first-inning grounders into outs. Both runners scored.
…Will just missed tagging out a runner at third on a triple.
…on Sam’s second inning pop fly, Ray took off around the bases, failing to realize there were was only one out. Raleigh converted the easy double play. In the next inning both Will and Nathan singled.

The fourth inning was the worst…
…Shortstop Casey dove and just missed making a great catch on a fourth inning line drive.
…tiring in the Florida heat, Adam walked the number seven and eight hitters in the order, loading the bases with no out.
…Sam couldn’t track down the number nine batter’s wind-blown pop fly that landed just inside the right field foul line. The runner scored from third.
…the leadoff batter lined an RBI single up the middle…just out of the reach of pitcher Adam and second-baseman Franklin.
…a wild pitch plated the third run of the inning.
…Franklin made a great play on a slow grounder, but Braeden dropped the throw at first base. Still no outs and four runs had scored.
…Casey came in to relieve Adam on the mound. He walked the first batter he faced, once more loading the bases. Then came the play that almost broke Crown’s back…
…the next batter hit a sharp grounder back to Casey on the mound. Should’ve been a quick, disheartening 1-2-3 double play. Instead it was Casey who was disoriented. He looked to first, then second, before finally making the correct play: he threw home to force the runner. By then it was too late to throw the batter out at first. But Patrick tried anyway.

Normally the catcher will step into fair territory and throw to the first baseman, avoiding the hustling batter. That’s what Braeden was expecting. Instead the force at home took Patrick back into the left-hand hitter’s batters box. Patrick turned and fired to the right of the batter, on the foul side of first. With Braeden’s view of the throw blocked by the batter, the throw sailed past first, far down the right field foul territory. By the time Sam recovered the ball and threw it in, two runs had scored and the batter stood on third base. Casey retired the next two hitters, but the damage was done: Raleigh led 10-4.

Had any one of the above plays gone Crown’s way, they most probably could have come back and won. To Will’s credit, he once more played a great game. In addition to reaching base all four times, he made a nice catch of a popup in foul territory.

Casey also played well. Playing shortstop in Perry’s absence, his great plays kept Crown in games all week. Casey has led the team in hitting all season, and played well wherever the team needed him: third, left, short, or pitcher. On the trip down I learned that on his spring break mission trip to Europe, Casey had personally led 15 people to the Lord. Great kid…and perhaps the best hitter on the team.

I had also noticed what a fine player Raleigh’s catcher was. He hadn’t allowed a single passed ball or wild pitch the entire game…or stolen base. Also named Will, is also batted without gloves. In the first inning he shortened his swing and lined a RBI single to center. Later he drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Someone said he may sign to play at Covenant College.

This brings us back to that fateful sixth inning. The third pitcher turned out to be a buzz saw, striking out Ray on three well-placed strikes. Sam had been on deck, but instead Charlie came up to bat. I didn’t realize it, but the strategy was soon obvious. Charlie squared to bunt, and Casey raced down the line from third…the suicide squeeze was on.

Charlie had successfully pulled off a great squeeze bunt a few weeks ago. He had missed on a squeeze bunt earlier in that same game. Tragically, the Raleigh pitch came in low, and Charlie missed on the bunt attempt. Barreling down the line, Casey was a dead duck. He took the direct approach, and ran right through Raliegh’s catcher Will. It was a shocking, violent collision. The Raleigh crowd erupted, but the umpire immediately called Casey out…and threw him out of the game.

Catcher Will leaned up and glared at the Crown bench. Hurt, he was led off the field. Casey tried to apologize, but the umpire said to wait until things calmed down. Two pitches later Charlie struck out, ending the inning. Will Murphy stood in the on deck circle, having been robbed of a chance to win the game.

At first I thought the game was over. The Warriors rejoiced as they flew off the field. As is my custom, I recorded the ending time of the game in my scorebook: 4:47.

But mercifully the umpire decreed “ten more minutes.” Will raced to the mound and started directing traffic. A shortstop was needed, so Nate fielded the position. As soon as Patrick donned his catcher’s gear, Will told the umpire he was ready. The inning started, but it was all in vain: the umpire called the game…at 4:53.