I think my favorite part about having early games is that more people (including whole families) are able to come out for the games, but we certainly missed all of you that weren’t able to join us this week. We had a nice crowd which even included the Anderson family, as they stopped by in between soccer events that were also taking place at the complex. I hope that many of you will be able to join us next week, even with the later start time.
This game when much better than the last one, as no one came out of it with more injuries than when they started. Also, it was good to get back on the field after last weeks frustrating loss. It was, however, strange to be playing in the early game, yet playing under the lights. That’s what the time change will do to you, though.
With the exception of last week’s game, we have been playing good defense all season, and it was nice that we returned to form this week. There were several nice plays that were made this week and a couple that really stood out. Eric made an excellent running catch on a ball that was hit very hard down the line in left field to record a big out and stop a potential rally, and Charles ended the game by making an highlight reel worthy catch-n-tag play at first base as the throw was a bit up the line and pulled him off the bag. Da-da-da da-da-da!
We hit the ball well again this week and I hope we can continue throughout the rest of the season. I am not sure how many inside the park home runs Josh had in the game, but I seemed to keep coming up to the plate with bases empty. Although we didn’t put as many runs on the board as we did I our other big wins, there was plenty of running going on in this game as well.
Nathan did a great job on the “hill” again this week, limiting the opposition to a couple of runs in one inning, while shutting them out the remainder of the game.
This was a good game all around. We hit well, had good pitching, and played defense. As the manager, it was good to see that going into the final game of the season. At the risk of sounding prideful and arrogant, the outcome of this game was never really in doubt after our first at bat. We jumped out to a nice lead and then added a few more as the game went on, while limiting the other team to a couple of runs in one inning. It was also nice to be the home team for a change and to know that we would get the last at bat if we needed it.
Thanks for the great all around effort this week, guys. It was a lot of fun, and it was nice coming out on top after the tough game last week.
Final Score: WPC 16 vs. O.D.B. 2
We are back to within one game of a .500 record for the season, but we have a tough test coming up on Monday against a team we played pretty well against the first time around Please join us at Veteran’s Park as we take on Covenant Family on Field 5 at 9:15 PM
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Inconclusive Evidence
A few weeks ago I started a poll in an attempt to get a better feel for possible team names as we move toward next seasons new beginnings. I used a couple of options that I had heard in discussions, our current name, one of my own ideas, and the every popular Other. With the Other category, I was hoping to bring in some new ideas by requesting that those who vote for Other include a comment on the "The Quest" post declaring their preference. There were 5 votes cast for that category and only Austin A. provided his choice (Thank you very much for your vote, Austin).
Based on the voting, we could go with "The Elect" as our new name because it received the most votes, or we could continue with our current name "Westminster Presbyterian Church" because it was only 1 vote behind "The Elect" and therefore there is support for it as well.
Another interesting "candidate" for team name seems to be "Westminster Standards". Although it only received 1 vote in the poll, I heard at least 3 team members supporting it during warm-ups prior to our most recent game. That muddies the waters a little bit now doesn't it.
I hope that this post serves to continue the discussion on this minor topic, and I think it comes down to choosing between "The Elect", "Westminster Standards", and "Westminster Presbyterian Church". I think I have my pick made, but let's see what everyone else has to say.
Based on the voting, we could go with "The Elect" as our new name because it received the most votes, or we could continue with our current name "Westminster Presbyterian Church" because it was only 1 vote behind "The Elect" and therefore there is support for it as well.
Another interesting "candidate" for team name seems to be "Westminster Standards". Although it only received 1 vote in the poll, I heard at least 3 team members supporting it during warm-ups prior to our most recent game. That muddies the waters a little bit now doesn't it.
I hope that this post serves to continue the discussion on this minor topic, and I think it comes down to choosing between "The Elect", "Westminster Standards", and "Westminster Presbyterian Church". I think I have my pick made, but let's see what everyone else has to say.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Game 6: Ouch
We had a great turnout for this game, both in the dugout and in the stands. Even as the weather has tuned cooler, it is nice to see families in the stands cheering for those playing on the field. Thank you very much for coming out to the game.
With the rainouts of the past two weeks, we were going on three weeks without playing a game. So, it was definitely nice to get back on the field. I just didn’t anticipate spending so much time actually on the field as in lying on the ground.
We had a rough time defensively for this first time all season, and I think a lot of it can be chalked up to rust from having not played. We had a good rhythm going before the rainouts, and I hope that we can get back to that next week.
I thought that we hit the ball reasonably well, but we just had too many “at’em balls” where we hit it hard, but right to the defender. It was good to see solid contact being made after the long layoff, but slightly disappointing that we were able to find more spots.
The way this game started, I thought we were going to have a good shot at winning this game. We scored 5 in our first at bat to get an early lead, and only allowed 2 in the bottom of the inning. However we kind of stalled out a little in the next couple of at bats (suffering from those at ‘em balls), but we were still tied at 7 going into what ended up being the next to last inning. This is where the wheels came off and they put up 13 runs in their half inning to take a commanding lead. We scored 3 in our final at bat, but that just made it look a little more respectable. While we seemed to hit things hard, right at people, they were able to find the holes and take advantage of our miscues.
This game was painful on several levels, both literally and figuratively. First of all, while making a sliding attempt on a pop-up to shallow right field, Justin took a ball off the ring finger of his throwing hand. He took a little while to get back up and finished the inning in the field, then hit his next (last) time up before switching with Michael who was the EP at the time. The status of Justin’s finger is not currently known, but there is a chance that it may be put on IR (along with the rest of him). Although less severe, at least physically, I bruised my pride along with my hands and left knee (which also suffered a pretty nice scrape) as I was rounding first. I slipped, either on the bag or the rock hard ground making the turn, and hit pretty hard, but still made it to second. Kierstyn also mentioned that she saw someone else dabbing a bleeding wound, but I do not have an ID on this other suffering player.
We had a pretty good time this week, but couldn’t quite keep up with the scoring of the opposition.
Final Score: WPC 10 vs. Lumberjacks 20
Even as this week was so harsh, I am anxiously awaiting next week and another chance to get back on the field. Please join us at Veteran’s Park as we take on O.D.B on Field 3 at 6:15 PM (not 9:15, Brian).
With the rainouts of the past two weeks, we were going on three weeks without playing a game. So, it was definitely nice to get back on the field. I just didn’t anticipate spending so much time actually on the field as in lying on the ground.
We had a rough time defensively for this first time all season, and I think a lot of it can be chalked up to rust from having not played. We had a good rhythm going before the rainouts, and I hope that we can get back to that next week.
I thought that we hit the ball reasonably well, but we just had too many “at’em balls” where we hit it hard, but right to the defender. It was good to see solid contact being made after the long layoff, but slightly disappointing that we were able to find more spots.
The way this game started, I thought we were going to have a good shot at winning this game. We scored 5 in our first at bat to get an early lead, and only allowed 2 in the bottom of the inning. However we kind of stalled out a little in the next couple of at bats (suffering from those at ‘em balls), but we were still tied at 7 going into what ended up being the next to last inning. This is where the wheels came off and they put up 13 runs in their half inning to take a commanding lead. We scored 3 in our final at bat, but that just made it look a little more respectable. While we seemed to hit things hard, right at people, they were able to find the holes and take advantage of our miscues.
This game was painful on several levels, both literally and figuratively. First of all, while making a sliding attempt on a pop-up to shallow right field, Justin took a ball off the ring finger of his throwing hand. He took a little while to get back up and finished the inning in the field, then hit his next (last) time up before switching with Michael who was the EP at the time. The status of Justin’s finger is not currently known, but there is a chance that it may be put on IR (along with the rest of him). Although less severe, at least physically, I bruised my pride along with my hands and left knee (which also suffered a pretty nice scrape) as I was rounding first. I slipped, either on the bag or the rock hard ground making the turn, and hit pretty hard, but still made it to second. Kierstyn also mentioned that she saw someone else dabbing a bleeding wound, but I do not have an ID on this other suffering player.
We had a pretty good time this week, but couldn’t quite keep up with the scoring of the opposition.
Final Score: WPC 10 vs. Lumberjacks 20
Even as this week was so harsh, I am anxiously awaiting next week and another chance to get back on the field. Please join us at Veteran’s Park as we take on O.D.B on Field 3 at 6:15 PM (not 9:15, Brian).
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Game 6: Rescheduled - More Rain
The game previously scheduled for 10/22 has been rescheduled for 11/12.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Game 5: Late Night
First of all, I would like to say thank you to the many wives that put up with your husbands being out so late playing softball, and a special thanks to Hannah who was there to represent them all as our cheering section. Also, thank you to the guys that showed up to play despite the late hour (especially Charles who toughed it out even after being sick). There were also a few new guys who came out to help us out after we suffered attrition by stomach bug.
Another exciting night of softball occurred last night at Veteran’s Park. It was strange to see the lights on the other fields going out as we were in the middle of our game, and that only added to the late night feel of our game.
We had another good night in the field, with the exception of a couple of ball hit to the fence over the outfielders, but there isn’t much that can be done about that. Great effort was put forth (i.e. Matt climbing the backstop to attempt a great play on a pop-up behind home plate) and good results came from it once again.
The game went back and forth for the first three innings, with us holding a 4-2 lead after the first. Going into the bottom of the fourth inning, we held a modest 12-8 lead, but we were looking for some insurance runs as we knew the other team was capable of putting a few runs on the board quickly if the right guys got to the plate. I believe there was just over 10 minutes left in the game when we began batting, and there was 1 minute left on the clock when we scored out final run of the inning. The last run of our at bat was only the last run because it put up by 20, which forced the run-rule into effect. We scored 16 runs in the last inning, and finished the game with only 1 out. Eric was particularly outstanding at the plate, and would have most likely hit for the cycle had it not been for a certain slow, fat guy (me) running the bases in front of him. I believe he got on base every time, and pretty much crushed the ball each at bat. As tired as I was from all the running, it was certainly exciting to be part of the scoring barrage.
Final Score: WPC 28 vs. The E Leaguers 8
We have now played all of the teams in the league, but we still have three more games remaining. Basically, we will be repeating the first three games of the season in order, so it should be an exciting finish to the season. Please come out and join us for more fun and fellowship.
Another exciting night of softball occurred last night at Veteran’s Park. It was strange to see the lights on the other fields going out as we were in the middle of our game, and that only added to the late night feel of our game.
We had another good night in the field, with the exception of a couple of ball hit to the fence over the outfielders, but there isn’t much that can be done about that. Great effort was put forth (i.e. Matt climbing the backstop to attempt a great play on a pop-up behind home plate) and good results came from it once again.
The game went back and forth for the first three innings, with us holding a 4-2 lead after the first. Going into the bottom of the fourth inning, we held a modest 12-8 lead, but we were looking for some insurance runs as we knew the other team was capable of putting a few runs on the board quickly if the right guys got to the plate. I believe there was just over 10 minutes left in the game when we began batting, and there was 1 minute left on the clock when we scored out final run of the inning. The last run of our at bat was only the last run because it put up by 20, which forced the run-rule into effect. We scored 16 runs in the last inning, and finished the game with only 1 out. Eric was particularly outstanding at the plate, and would have most likely hit for the cycle had it not been for a certain slow, fat guy (me) running the bases in front of him. I believe he got on base every time, and pretty much crushed the ball each at bat. As tired as I was from all the running, it was certainly exciting to be part of the scoring barrage.
Final Score: WPC 28 vs. The E Leaguers 8
We have now played all of the teams in the league, but we still have three more games remaining. Basically, we will be repeating the first three games of the season in order, so it should be an exciting finish to the season. Please come out and join us for more fun and fellowship.
Game 4: Good T-Shirt
I know this is late, but I thought I would put it out there for those that hadn’t heard yet. Due to the delay in my writing this, there won’t be as much detail in the description
We had another great turnout in the stands again this week, and that is really exciting to see. I love it when families are all out there together. Thanks for making the effort, as I know it isn’t easy trying to manage the kiddos while we play a game on the field.
We have continued to play the best in the field that we have ever played as a team, and that has made a lot of difference in the results. It also makes it a lot more exciting when guys are flying around catching the ball and making good throws. I am sure that Nathan, who has been pitching most of the time, appreciates it as well.
Offensively, we were pretty consistent throughout the game, but we just never could quite get that big inning to push us over the top. The good news is that the other team didn’t either, and it was a good back and forth contest.
We went into the last inning, as visitors, down by 2 with time about to expire. We know we needed at least those 2, but more would be better. We managed to get a couple of guys on with no outs, but only got 1 run before we two quick outs, one of which was a hard line drive right that the shortstop. Had that hit not been right at him, it would have been the big hit we were looking for, but instead it was out number two. The next batter got on, and now we had the bases loaded with two outs in our last at bat. Charles came up to the plate, looking to continue the rally….Hard shot to short…shortstop make a quick move to his left…and he…comes up the ball and flips it to the second baseman for the final out. Charles did everything right. He hit it hard and on the ground, but pretty much right at the shortstop (again).
It was certainly and exciting game, and I wouldn’t mind playing many more like it because I feel we would come out on top more times than not. It would have only been a little nicer to have put another notch in the win column, but as it turns out, we ran out of time.
Final Score: WPC 8 vs. Britt Rice #1 9
I will be covering Game 5 shortly, as well, to get caught back up.
We had another great turnout in the stands again this week, and that is really exciting to see. I love it when families are all out there together. Thanks for making the effort, as I know it isn’t easy trying to manage the kiddos while we play a game on the field.
We have continued to play the best in the field that we have ever played as a team, and that has made a lot of difference in the results. It also makes it a lot more exciting when guys are flying around catching the ball and making good throws. I am sure that Nathan, who has been pitching most of the time, appreciates it as well.
Offensively, we were pretty consistent throughout the game, but we just never could quite get that big inning to push us over the top. The good news is that the other team didn’t either, and it was a good back and forth contest.
We went into the last inning, as visitors, down by 2 with time about to expire. We know we needed at least those 2, but more would be better. We managed to get a couple of guys on with no outs, but only got 1 run before we two quick outs, one of which was a hard line drive right that the shortstop. Had that hit not been right at him, it would have been the big hit we were looking for, but instead it was out number two. The next batter got on, and now we had the bases loaded with two outs in our last at bat. Charles came up to the plate, looking to continue the rally….Hard shot to short…shortstop make a quick move to his left…and he…comes up the ball and flips it to the second baseman for the final out. Charles did everything right. He hit it hard and on the ground, but pretty much right at the shortstop (again).
It was certainly and exciting game, and I wouldn’t mind playing many more like it because I feel we would come out on top more times than not. It would have only been a little nicer to have put another notch in the win column, but as it turns out, we ran out of time.
Final Score: WPC 8 vs. Britt Rice #1 9
I will be covering Game 5 shortly, as well, to get caught back up.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The Quest
As we reach the half-way point of our current season, I am going to revist an old topic in preparation for next year. Not that I think this season is done with, but to facilitate a better result than the last time we took this challenge upon ourselves.
The endeavor that I speak of is that of choosing a team name. After not being able to come to a clear concensus before, we decided to continue with "Westminster Presbyterian Church". Now, there is little wrong with that name, as it clearly shows who we represent (in an earthly sense), but it seems to be lacking in creativity. Plus, it is a lot to put on a shirt.
We have added several new guys since we ordered our current shirts, and a few of them (the shirts, not the guys) may also have been misplaced over the course of the past few seasons, so it would seem that the Spring season would be a good time to change things up. With new shirts, comes a new opportunity to decide on a new name to go on the shirts.
I have started a poll (as you can see on the right hand side of the blog) with a few choices for a name. If you have another idea, please vote other and then leave your idea in a comment on this post.
I know we have several creative guys on the team, and many of those have creative wives as well, so I am looking forward to the repsonses.
The poll will close at the starting time of our final regular season game.
The endeavor that I speak of is that of choosing a team name. After not being able to come to a clear concensus before, we decided to continue with "Westminster Presbyterian Church". Now, there is little wrong with that name, as it clearly shows who we represent (in an earthly sense), but it seems to be lacking in creativity. Plus, it is a lot to put on a shirt.
We have added several new guys since we ordered our current shirts, and a few of them (the shirts, not the guys) may also have been misplaced over the course of the past few seasons, so it would seem that the Spring season would be a good time to change things up. With new shirts, comes a new opportunity to decide on a new name to go on the shirts.
I have started a poll (as you can see on the right hand side of the blog) with a few choices for a name. If you have another idea, please vote other and then leave your idea in a comment on this post.
I know we have several creative guys on the team, and many of those have creative wives as well, so I am looking forward to the repsonses.
The poll will close at the starting time of our final regular season game.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Game 3: Up to Old Tricks
Thank you to those that came out to brave the September heat for an early game. We had a nice group of fans there cheering us on and that has been one of the best parts of this young season so far. We have had great attendance at the games, and I can only hope that it continues.
Once again, we played pretty well in the defensive part of the game. The outfield made several nice running catches, and the infield even turned a double play the conventional way. We had a few problems with some throws, but all were made with great effort, I hope that effort is sustained throughout the season.
As far as hitting is concerned, we had another pretty good game. We set the bar pretty high with our 22 runs in game one, then followed that with 4 hard earned runs last week. We were somewhere in between this week, with several hard hit balls right at defenders as well as the other team making some nice defensive plays to kill rallies. Josh crushed a ball over the left fielder for a 3-run inside the park home run, which has become the norm (not to put any pressure on Josh or anything). We were also more aggressive on the bases than we have been in the past which was a lot of fun and allowed us to get a few more runs across the plate.
Nathan and Matt both did well on the hill this week, but this was probably the best hitting team that we have played all season. They hit the ball well throughout the game, and particularly in the inning that they put 9 runs on the board. We had avoided the big inning up to this point in the season, but it came back to get us this week.
Without that inning, there might have been a different outcome to the game. We played well and put runs on the board throughout the game, but allowing the one big inning put us in a tough spot. Although we have done it before, it is never the goal to go into our last inning down by 9 as we did in this game, but we scored a few more runs and gave it a shot. Now that we have completed the first three games, we have a good idea of how our season will end, since we face the same three teams to complete the season (baring reschedules due to rainouts). Although we didn’t come out on time on the scoreboard, we had a good time and played hard. Either way, this was much more like the softball that I am used to seeing/playing. With a couple more hits, and the elimination of the big inning against us, we should be ready for these guys the next time we play them.
Final Score: WPC 8 vs. Lumberjacks 14
We have another early game next week, and I hope that many of you will come out to join us again. We will be playing the Britt Rice #1 (don’t know if it is the same team from last season or not) team at 6:15 on Field 2, so bring your sunglasses as the seats face the setting sun on that field.
Once again, we played pretty well in the defensive part of the game. The outfield made several nice running catches, and the infield even turned a double play the conventional way. We had a few problems with some throws, but all were made with great effort, I hope that effort is sustained throughout the season.
As far as hitting is concerned, we had another pretty good game. We set the bar pretty high with our 22 runs in game one, then followed that with 4 hard earned runs last week. We were somewhere in between this week, with several hard hit balls right at defenders as well as the other team making some nice defensive plays to kill rallies. Josh crushed a ball over the left fielder for a 3-run inside the park home run, which has become the norm (not to put any pressure on Josh or anything). We were also more aggressive on the bases than we have been in the past which was a lot of fun and allowed us to get a few more runs across the plate.
Nathan and Matt both did well on the hill this week, but this was probably the best hitting team that we have played all season. They hit the ball well throughout the game, and particularly in the inning that they put 9 runs on the board. We had avoided the big inning up to this point in the season, but it came back to get us this week.
Without that inning, there might have been a different outcome to the game. We played well and put runs on the board throughout the game, but allowing the one big inning put us in a tough spot. Although we have done it before, it is never the goal to go into our last inning down by 9 as we did in this game, but we scored a few more runs and gave it a shot. Now that we have completed the first three games, we have a good idea of how our season will end, since we face the same three teams to complete the season (baring reschedules due to rainouts). Although we didn’t come out on time on the scoreboard, we had a good time and played hard. Either way, this was much more like the softball that I am used to seeing/playing. With a couple more hits, and the elimination of the big inning against us, we should be ready for these guys the next time we play them.
Final Score: WPC 8 vs. Lumberjacks 14
We have another early game next week, and I hope that many of you will come out to join us again. We will be playing the Britt Rice #1 (don’t know if it is the same team from last season or not) team at 6:15 on Field 2, so bring your sunglasses as the seats face the setting sun on that field.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Game 2: I Thought We Were Playing Softball?
First of all, I would like to extend my thanks to those who came out to the game last night. Since it was a later game, there weren't as many families there, but it was still fun to hear the cheers coming from the stands. I hope that the trend continues as it has the first two weeks. We enjoy having people in the seats rooting us on.
The worst part, for me, about playing softball is having to wait a week between games. I know I was looking forward to this game and another chance to have a ton of fun with fellow brothers in Christ. And, that is just what happened.
We played another good game defensively, as we played an entire game pretty much error free. Michael, in what is probably his last game for a while, had a nice running catch coming over from right-center to catch a ball in deep right field at a very important moment in the game. Josh also hauled in a couple of well hit balls in key times. I think we are starting to get some confidence in the field as we have now had two really good games in the field.
On the offensive side of things, we didn't quite match our output of last week, but that would be rather difficult to do week-in and week-out, but we were pretty steady the whole night. We just missed a couple of key hits, and weren't quite able to push as many runs across the plate as we would have liked.
As was the case last week, Nathan did another tremendous job pitching. He came close to snagging a screamer back to the mound, but it was hit so hard it didn't stay in his glove, but we were still able to get an out on the play rather than having it go into center for a clean hit.
There were no big innings for either team is this game, and was unusual considering how pretty much all of our games have gone before. It made for a tightly fought contest and a lot of good fun. Each team scored a run here and there, as I think the most runs scored in an inning for either team was 3, which I wouldn't consider a lot of runs in an inning of softball. We went into our last at bat needing 2 runs to tie, but knowing a couple of extra would be nice since we were the visiting team again. We managed to get a couple of guys on, but not without getting two outs. So with two outs in the top of the inning and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jim Bob, who had hits in each of his previous at bats of the night was at the plate. We thought for sure we would get the 2 runs we needed to tie and keep things going. Not to put pressure on Jim Bob, but he had hit the ball well each time up, and we were confident that he would do the same again. However, he never got the chance as the opposing team intentionally walked him to load the bases. On the next pitch, the ball hit the corner of the plate and scooted past the catcher, allowing us to get a run home and leaving us down by only 1, but it was called strike two. On the next pitch, Nathan hit a solid grounder up the middle, but the shortstop, who had made several plays throughout the night, may another and got Nathan by a step at first to end the game.
The reason for the title of this post, for those of you that weren't there, comes from this, the final score of the game: WPC 4 vs Covenant Family 5
I think that is the lowest scoring softball game I have ever seen to been part of, but it certainly was fun being in a close game like that. I would have preferred that it had the same outcome as last weeks game, putting another win in the books, but I certainly would not want to give back the fun and fellowship that we had last night on the field in favor of a victory.
I hope to see you all out there next week as we get back to the early start times. We play at 6:15 on Field 1 at Veteran's Park against the Lumberjacks. Let's have some fun...again.
The worst part, for me, about playing softball is having to wait a week between games. I know I was looking forward to this game and another chance to have a ton of fun with fellow brothers in Christ. And, that is just what happened.
We played another good game defensively, as we played an entire game pretty much error free. Michael, in what is probably his last game for a while, had a nice running catch coming over from right-center to catch a ball in deep right field at a very important moment in the game. Josh also hauled in a couple of well hit balls in key times. I think we are starting to get some confidence in the field as we have now had two really good games in the field.
On the offensive side of things, we didn't quite match our output of last week, but that would be rather difficult to do week-in and week-out, but we were pretty steady the whole night. We just missed a couple of key hits, and weren't quite able to push as many runs across the plate as we would have liked.
As was the case last week, Nathan did another tremendous job pitching. He came close to snagging a screamer back to the mound, but it was hit so hard it didn't stay in his glove, but we were still able to get an out on the play rather than having it go into center for a clean hit.
There were no big innings for either team is this game, and was unusual considering how pretty much all of our games have gone before. It made for a tightly fought contest and a lot of good fun. Each team scored a run here and there, as I think the most runs scored in an inning for either team was 3, which I wouldn't consider a lot of runs in an inning of softball. We went into our last at bat needing 2 runs to tie, but knowing a couple of extra would be nice since we were the visiting team again. We managed to get a couple of guys on, but not without getting two outs. So with two outs in the top of the inning and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jim Bob, who had hits in each of his previous at bats of the night was at the plate. We thought for sure we would get the 2 runs we needed to tie and keep things going. Not to put pressure on Jim Bob, but he had hit the ball well each time up, and we were confident that he would do the same again. However, he never got the chance as the opposing team intentionally walked him to load the bases. On the next pitch, the ball hit the corner of the plate and scooted past the catcher, allowing us to get a run home and leaving us down by only 1, but it was called strike two. On the next pitch, Nathan hit a solid grounder up the middle, but the shortstop, who had made several plays throughout the night, may another and got Nathan by a step at first to end the game.
The reason for the title of this post, for those of you that weren't there, comes from this, the final score of the game: WPC 4 vs Covenant Family 5
I think that is the lowest scoring softball game I have ever seen to been part of, but it certainly was fun being in a close game like that. I would have preferred that it had the same outcome as last weeks game, putting another win in the books, but I certainly would not want to give back the fun and fellowship that we had last night on the field in favor of a victory.
I hope to see you all out there next week as we get back to the early start times. We play at 6:15 on Field 1 at Veteran's Park against the Lumberjacks. Let's have some fun...again.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Game 1: Good Start, Better Finish
What a game! Thank you to all of the people that showed up to cheer us on from the stands, as well as to the guys that came out to play on the field. I know, for me at least, it was a lot of fun having the earlier start time so the families could be there. I hope that trend continues throughout the season.
After a pretty long lay-off between seasons, we managed to put together one of the best games we have ever played as a team. We played very steady ball through the first several innings putting up six runs before our last at bat, but thanks to the only error of the night by a certain shortstop that will not be named, we found ourselves down by 1 going into what would be the last inning.
Being down by one going into the last inning isn’t the best position to be in, especially when you are the visiting team and know the other team will still have another shot. We went into it wanting to at least get the one run to tie and hoping to get enough to hold in for the win. Thanks to a lot of good hits and a miscue (I think only one) on the part of the other team, we almost batted around twice in putting 16 additional runs on the scoreboard before getting three outs. In the bottom of the inning, they got a runner on, but Kyle, playing his usual stellar third base, caught a liner and double up the runner at first to end the game.
Speaking of great plays, although he risked a collision that would not have gone his way, Brian made a spectacular diving catch on a liner up the middle which he, playing 2nd base, caught the ball on the shortstop side of the bag. Thankfully Andrew went up when Brian went down. Also to be noted is that Nathan made his first start on the “mound” this season and did an outstanding job, although he seems to like the pressure situations. The first two innings ended with the bases loaded, but he didn’t allow a run in either.
This was an excellent way to start off the season. We played well, we had a blast, and we ended up winning the game as well. Not a bad start at all.
Final Score: WPC 22 vs. O.D.B. 7
I hope that you will all come out to join us again next week as we hope to build on our good start
After a pretty long lay-off between seasons, we managed to put together one of the best games we have ever played as a team. We played very steady ball through the first several innings putting up six runs before our last at bat, but thanks to the only error of the night by a certain shortstop that will not be named, we found ourselves down by 1 going into what would be the last inning.
Being down by one going into the last inning isn’t the best position to be in, especially when you are the visiting team and know the other team will still have another shot. We went into it wanting to at least get the one run to tie and hoping to get enough to hold in for the win. Thanks to a lot of good hits and a miscue (I think only one) on the part of the other team, we almost batted around twice in putting 16 additional runs on the scoreboard before getting three outs. In the bottom of the inning, they got a runner on, but Kyle, playing his usual stellar third base, caught a liner and double up the runner at first to end the game.
Speaking of great plays, although he risked a collision that would not have gone his way, Brian made a spectacular diving catch on a liner up the middle which he, playing 2nd base, caught the ball on the shortstop side of the bag. Thankfully Andrew went up when Brian went down. Also to be noted is that Nathan made his first start on the “mound” this season and did an outstanding job, although he seems to like the pressure situations. The first two innings ended with the bases loaded, but he didn’t allow a run in either.
This was an excellent way to start off the season. We played well, we had a blast, and we ended up winning the game as well. Not a bad start at all.
Final Score: WPC 22 vs. O.D.B. 7
I hope that you will all come out to join us again next week as we hope to build on our good start
it’s alive, It’s Alive, IT’S ALIVE
The blog as well as the 2007 Fall Softball Season are starting back up. After pretty much being non-existent last season, I am hoping the blog can return as the source of information for the softball team.
Coming shortly will be the summary from the first game of the season.
Coming shortly will be the summary from the first game of the season.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Game 2: Expanded Addition
In a spectacular display of offensive power, the Westminster Elect were able to hold off a late inning surge from the Dirty Sox: WPC-17 D.S.-11.
WPC was spurred into their first win of the summer season with the help of new additions to the roster: Jim Bob and Justin. Jim Bob contributed key hits to the team's multiple-run innings, and Justin's (self proclaimed) 4.6/40 speed was evident in a nail-biting over the head catch.
Also noteworthy in the win was Josh Butcher's usual homerun, and Kyle "Diesel" Newcomer's defensive stops at the #5 position. Kyle wore the trickle of blood running down both knees as a badge of honor, refusing medical attention.
The game started off ominously for the presbyterian players when they failed to get a run in the top of the first, followed by two Dirty runs in the bottom half of the inning. The game-time jitters wore off in the second inning as WPC took the lead for good with a solid three runs. The following innings saw the lead jump to 17-4.
With time running out, and patience running thin the Dirty Sox put together a rally in the last inning. Although there were a few plays that could have been converted into outs, the majority of the scoring was due simply to the Sox bats belatedly showing up to the game. The effort was simply not enough to overcome the Elect's commanding lead, and WPC evened up their season with a win.
--This update courtesy of Charles Ackerman
WPC was spurred into their first win of the summer season with the help of new additions to the roster: Jim Bob and Justin. Jim Bob contributed key hits to the team's multiple-run innings, and Justin's (self proclaimed) 4.6/40 speed was evident in a nail-biting over the head catch.
Also noteworthy in the win was Josh Butcher's usual homerun, and Kyle "Diesel" Newcomer's defensive stops at the #5 position. Kyle wore the trickle of blood running down both knees as a badge of honor, refusing medical attention.
The game started off ominously for the presbyterian players when they failed to get a run in the top of the first, followed by two Dirty runs in the bottom half of the inning. The game-time jitters wore off in the second inning as WPC took the lead for good with a solid three runs. The following innings saw the lead jump to 17-4.
With time running out, and patience running thin the Dirty Sox put together a rally in the last inning. Although there were a few plays that could have been converted into outs, the majority of the scoring was due simply to the Sox bats belatedly showing up to the game. The effort was simply not enough to overcome the Elect's commanding lead, and WPC evened up their season with a win.
--This update courtesy of Charles Ackerman
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Game 2: Win for Benjamin
Don't know much about how this game went because I wasn't there. I was at the hospital with Kierstyn for Benjamin (who is doing well, now) from Monday morning until Wednesday at lunch. Michael manned the fort and lead the team in a nice performance. Maybe he can add the details as a comment.
I do know that we got the win as the final result of this game was WPC 17 vs. Dirty Sox 11.
Come out and see us play next Tuesday.
I do know that we got the win as the final result of this game was WPC 17 vs. Dirty Sox 11.
Come out and see us play next Tuesday.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Game 1: Off and Rolling
Well, our first game of the season has come and gone. It it almost time for another game, but I will try to get back to the trend of getting things on the blog more quickly. This has just been a crazy week (see http://krajcafamily.blogspot.com/ for details of Friday).
As for the game, I thought is was a pretty good start to the season, especially considering we hadn't played in almost two months.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap (it will be extra short because it was almost a week ago):
The pre-game routine did not go as planned this week for a couple of reasons. As I was about to leave the house to get to the field on time, I found out that I needed to go pick up Michael from house because Christi had the car (she was at Mom's Meals where she was putting together meals for her family as well as ours). Once we got there and got started warming up, we found out that we weren't going to be playing on the field we were sheduled to play on because they were having problems with the lights on that field. We had to gather up our belongings and relocate. Once the game prior to our ended we were able to get on the field to prepare for our game, but we didn't have a lot of time. So, I quickly scribbled down the lineup and turned it in.
Once the game started, it didn't take long for things to get going. The other team managed to score 4 runs in their first at bat, which, although not preferred, was a managable deficit. We were able to put together a rally for 2 runs of our own in the bottom if the first. In their next at bat, the opponent was able to grab a couple more runs to extend the lead to 6-2, but we capitalized on several keys hits to tie the game up at 6 in the bottom of the inning. If my memory serves me correctly, no runs were scored in the 3rd innng and we went into the 4th tied 6-6. In the top of the inning, the other team managed to put together thier biggest inning of the game and pulled ahead 11-6. After coming from behind once already, we felt good about our chances, but things didn't quite fall into place. We managed to score 2, which brought us within 3 of tying it up again, but we literally ran out of time in this one as time expired in the bottom of the 4th and we got out third out still down by those same three runs.
On the offensive side of things, it went pretty well. Although there have been several game in which we have scored much more than 8 runs, we had several good hits and the bats were lively, especially for having not played in so long. If we improve just a little in key situations, I think good things will happen on the offensive side. Thinks to note were Josh's first inside the park homerun of the season, as well as Nathan's had grounder down the line that was too hot for the thirdbaseman to handle.
As for defense, I think we knocked a lot of rust off during the course of this game. There were several good things to focus on in this game and only a couple of areas where we weren't quite as sharp. Overall, I can handle our performance for the first game of the season. High points on defense were, in particular, fantastic play from the new thirdbasement for WPC, Kyle. He made several stellar plays at the hot corner throughout the game. I would also like to mention the tremendous effort by Brandon at first base as he backed up just about everything, holding several runners to their rightful bases.
R-O-L-A-I-D-S, that's all I have to say about the pitching (just giving you a hard time, Matt). I think the struggles with the strike zone can be attributed to a couple of things. Two months of not playing and an official who had a particularly skewed view of the zone. Don't worry Matt, I'll keep putting you back on that horse, and I appreciate you sticking it out the whole game despite your frustrations.
Despite a good overall effort in this game, we were behind on the scoreboard when time expired, so the final result of this game was WPC 8 vs. Britt Rice #1 11.
It was great to get the season started again, and there was even more build-up after the games for this first week were rained out. We should have another exciting game this week, as well, as we look to improve on things from last week. I hope you will come out to join us this week for more fun and fellowship.
As for the game, I thought is was a pretty good start to the season, especially considering we hadn't played in almost two months.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap (it will be extra short because it was almost a week ago):
The pre-game routine did not go as planned this week for a couple of reasons. As I was about to leave the house to get to the field on time, I found out that I needed to go pick up Michael from house because Christi had the car (she was at Mom's Meals where she was putting together meals for her family as well as ours). Once we got there and got started warming up, we found out that we weren't going to be playing on the field we were sheduled to play on because they were having problems with the lights on that field. We had to gather up our belongings and relocate. Once the game prior to our ended we were able to get on the field to prepare for our game, but we didn't have a lot of time. So, I quickly scribbled down the lineup and turned it in.
Once the game started, it didn't take long for things to get going. The other team managed to score 4 runs in their first at bat, which, although not preferred, was a managable deficit. We were able to put together a rally for 2 runs of our own in the bottom if the first. In their next at bat, the opponent was able to grab a couple more runs to extend the lead to 6-2, but we capitalized on several keys hits to tie the game up at 6 in the bottom of the inning. If my memory serves me correctly, no runs were scored in the 3rd innng and we went into the 4th tied 6-6. In the top of the inning, the other team managed to put together thier biggest inning of the game and pulled ahead 11-6. After coming from behind once already, we felt good about our chances, but things didn't quite fall into place. We managed to score 2, which brought us within 3 of tying it up again, but we literally ran out of time in this one as time expired in the bottom of the 4th and we got out third out still down by those same three runs.
On the offensive side of things, it went pretty well. Although there have been several game in which we have scored much more than 8 runs, we had several good hits and the bats were lively, especially for having not played in so long. If we improve just a little in key situations, I think good things will happen on the offensive side. Thinks to note were Josh's first inside the park homerun of the season, as well as Nathan's had grounder down the line that was too hot for the thirdbaseman to handle.
As for defense, I think we knocked a lot of rust off during the course of this game. There were several good things to focus on in this game and only a couple of areas where we weren't quite as sharp. Overall, I can handle our performance for the first game of the season. High points on defense were, in particular, fantastic play from the new thirdbasement for WPC, Kyle. He made several stellar plays at the hot corner throughout the game. I would also like to mention the tremendous effort by Brandon at first base as he backed up just about everything, holding several runners to their rightful bases.
R-O-L-A-I-D-S, that's all I have to say about the pitching (just giving you a hard time, Matt). I think the struggles with the strike zone can be attributed to a couple of things. Two months of not playing and an official who had a particularly skewed view of the zone. Don't worry Matt, I'll keep putting you back on that horse, and I appreciate you sticking it out the whole game despite your frustrations.
Despite a good overall effort in this game, we were behind on the scoreboard when time expired, so the final result of this game was WPC 8 vs. Britt Rice #1 11.
It was great to get the season started again, and there was even more build-up after the games for this first week were rained out. We should have another exciting game this week, as well, as we look to improve on things from last week. I hope you will come out to join us this week for more fun and fellowship.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Play Ball!
After getting our season opening double-header rained out last week, we are looking to start the season out this week. We are going to have a few new guys on the team and a few guys missing from past seasons. Who knows what this season holds.
Now that the season is going, this will be the THE place to check for updates and info on the team. I hope that all of you will come out and support us this season as we have a great time of fun and fellowship.
Now that the season is going, this will be the THE place to check for updates and info on the team. I hope that all of you will come out and support us this season as we have a great time of fun and fellowship.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Game 8: The End
Given that it has been almost two weeks since this game took place, I will spare most of the details, only to say that this game didn't quite go as planned. We started off a little shaky allowing 5 in the 1st followed by 7 in the 2nd. Then, we held them scoreless for the next 4 innings. They scored 5 more in the 7th to put it out of reach. We got 1 during the game, and that would have been enough if we were only counting the 3rd through 6th innings, but they wouldn't let us do that.
We just never good get the bats going, as the final score was WPC 1vs. Fielder's Indifference 17
I hope that many of you will join us for the tournament on Thursday, as we look to finish the Spring softball season strong and have a lot of fun doing it, hopefully playing several games.
We just never good get the bats going, as the final score was WPC 1vs. Fielder's Indifference 17
I hope that many of you will join us for the tournament on Thursday, as we look to finish the Spring softball season strong and have a lot of fun doing it, hopefully playing several games.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Game 7: Coming Together
Howdy! What a night we had last night. Many of us were able to attend a wonderful Maundy Thursday worship service at the church last night. Then, we had a very exciting softball game to top off the evening.
We had a great group of fans, once again, and what turned out to be a very lively team on the field. I am already excited about the game next week, and I am hoping we can carry things over.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
Once again we were home team this week, and that turned out to be a good thing because a certain second baseman was late getting to the game. Since we weren’t batting first, I could keep the lineup as planned and just move a couple of guys around in the field. It was also nice, at least in my opinion, because it is easier to jump right in to playing in the field than it is to hurriedly get ready to bat.
The visiting team managed to get a couple of runs in the first inning, but we countered with 4 of our own to grab the lead after the first inning. We managed to keep at least a two run lead before we widened the gap a little later in the game.
Our bats were pretty good the whole game, with lots of line drives and sharp ground balls. We didn’t score as many runs as we have in a couple of other games, but everyone was in on the action this time around. We also had some fun on the base paths. Nathan stole second, Kyle went from first to third on a single to center field, and I managed to score from first (with a not so graceful slide into home) on a double by Chance. Josh continued his inside-the-park homer trend, also. Overall, it was one of our best nights on the offensive side of things.
We played pretty good D to go along with the O. Although we had a couple of bobbles, none of them resulted in runners advancing extra bases, and most innings ended without the other team scoring. They had two innings in which they score a couple of runs each, but that was it. We had a couple of nice plays on the evening as well. Although they came up just short, Trent and Matt put forth great effort on foul ball right at the dugout fence. Matt seemed to get his glove on everything that came up the middle. The first time it went in the other teams favor as the ball was deflected behind Chance. The next time, however, Andrew was able to handle the deflection, step on second, and throw to first to complete the double play. Charles made a nice stretch and catch on the end of that play, as well. It was a pretty uneventful night in the outfield. Josh had a couple of catches and I had a catch, and I had to try to chase down a ball hit to the fence. Other than that, we pretty much watch the infield handle things.
At the end of the game, with the other team trying to hurry for another at bat, we tried to hurry and get as many at bats as we could, but time ran out.
This was an exciting game, and we came out on top to boot, as the final score was WPC 12 vs. The Farm Team 4
It was good to bounce back after the tough loss last week, and it as nice to play well in both aspects of the game We are now 3-4 on the season and heading in the right direction before our last game of the regular season and the tournament. Our game next week is at back at Veteran’s Park, and it is a little earlier with game time at 7:15. I hope to see you all out there.
We had a great group of fans, once again, and what turned out to be a very lively team on the field. I am already excited about the game next week, and I am hoping we can carry things over.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
Once again we were home team this week, and that turned out to be a good thing because a certain second baseman was late getting to the game. Since we weren’t batting first, I could keep the lineup as planned and just move a couple of guys around in the field. It was also nice, at least in my opinion, because it is easier to jump right in to playing in the field than it is to hurriedly get ready to bat.
The visiting team managed to get a couple of runs in the first inning, but we countered with 4 of our own to grab the lead after the first inning. We managed to keep at least a two run lead before we widened the gap a little later in the game.
Our bats were pretty good the whole game, with lots of line drives and sharp ground balls. We didn’t score as many runs as we have in a couple of other games, but everyone was in on the action this time around. We also had some fun on the base paths. Nathan stole second, Kyle went from first to third on a single to center field, and I managed to score from first (with a not so graceful slide into home) on a double by Chance. Josh continued his inside-the-park homer trend, also. Overall, it was one of our best nights on the offensive side of things.
We played pretty good D to go along with the O. Although we had a couple of bobbles, none of them resulted in runners advancing extra bases, and most innings ended without the other team scoring. They had two innings in which they score a couple of runs each, but that was it. We had a couple of nice plays on the evening as well. Although they came up just short, Trent and Matt put forth great effort on foul ball right at the dugout fence. Matt seemed to get his glove on everything that came up the middle. The first time it went in the other teams favor as the ball was deflected behind Chance. The next time, however, Andrew was able to handle the deflection, step on second, and throw to first to complete the double play. Charles made a nice stretch and catch on the end of that play, as well. It was a pretty uneventful night in the outfield. Josh had a couple of catches and I had a catch, and I had to try to chase down a ball hit to the fence. Other than that, we pretty much watch the infield handle things.
At the end of the game, with the other team trying to hurry for another at bat, we tried to hurry and get as many at bats as we could, but time ran out.
This was an exciting game, and we came out on top to boot, as the final score was WPC 12 vs. The Farm Team 4
It was good to bounce back after the tough loss last week, and it as nice to play well in both aspects of the game We are now 3-4 on the season and heading in the right direction before our last game of the regular season and the tournament. Our game next week is at back at Veteran’s Park, and it is a little earlier with game time at 7:15. I hope to see you all out there.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
DA-DA-DA DA-DA-DA
Welcome to SportsCe...nevermind. This play encompasses much of our current season. Matt lying on the ground (actually, he had just dived for the ball) and Chance charging forward, ready to fire the ball to first, what great effort we put forth on the diamond. Wait...what's Eric doing in the outfield. :-) Oh, well 2 out of 3 ain't bad.This has been a fun season. Let's finish strong and have fun doing it.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Game 6: Treats and Eats
The evening started off just how I had envisioned it, with a good turnout of fans supporting us, and plenty of guys ready to play some softball. Thanks go out to all of you who came out for the game last night.
We also had a very nice turnout at DQ after the game, and that was a lot of fun as well. It was nice having all of the family’s together for some time to relax, visit, and enjoy some pretty good ice cream as well.
We had a fun time last night, and that is about all I can muster, as I am sorely lacking in the creative area at this time.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
Being the home team again this week, we started off in the field, and that didn’t go so well the first time around as the visiting team tallied 6 runs in their first at bat. We managed to score just one run in our first at bat, but at least that was a start.
In the field, we did much better for the better part of the rest of the game, but we were bitten by the error bug a couple times in another inning and that allowed them to open up the gap a little.
At the plate, we just could never quite get things going and keep them going. We looked like we were on our way to a comeback that would have at least made the game closer, but with the bases loaded and no outs, we were derailed by a, at minimum, questionable call. We had already put, I think, 2 runs on the board in the inning when Kyle came up to bat. He hit what would have normally been a nice looping liner over the 3rd baseman that got held up in the wind (probably blowing at 15-20 mph). With the 3rd baseman running three steps into the outfield grass, trying to make the play over his glove-side shoulder, the umpire calls “Infield Fly”. The 3rd baseman was unable to make the “routine” (as quoted by the umpire) play and dropped the ball. We were able to get 1 more run on the play, but we were left with runners on 2nd and 3rd ,1 out, and quite a bit of air let our of our sails (not to mention much confusion over the call) instead of bases loaded, no outs, and still rolling with a full head of steam.
Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the game (W vs. L) if the call had been made differently, probably not, but it would have been a whole lot of fun continuing that inning to at least try to make it closer.
To go along with a few mishaps in the field, we had quite a few pretty nice plays this week as well. Particularly in the outfield, as they were battling a nasty wind all game long. All of the outfielders had nice plays on balls that they had to compensate for the wind in order to make, particularly Kyle on a slicing fly ball to right field. Josh made an impression on the other team almost throwing out a runner at third. To quote the member of the opposing team who squeaked into 3rd just in time, “That was a good throw. That was a really good throw!” Did I mention that Josh was running away from the base into center field before picking up the ball and turning to fire a strike to the base? I just wanted to make sure that wasn’t missed.
In the end, we came up short as the final score was WPC 7 vs. I Dunno 16
We had some fun in this game (and a good time afterward making a stop at a “Texas Stop Sign”), but it was a tough loss as we had been looking to be back to .500 on the season before our final two regular season game. We are now 2-4 on the season and looking to right the ship in the next couple of weeks heading into the tournament. Our game next week is at (8:15), which could cause some conflict problems with the Maundy Thursday worship service scheduled for 6:30. I hope to see you all there if you can make it.
We also had a very nice turnout at DQ after the game, and that was a lot of fun as well. It was nice having all of the family’s together for some time to relax, visit, and enjoy some pretty good ice cream as well.
We had a fun time last night, and that is about all I can muster, as I am sorely lacking in the creative area at this time.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
Being the home team again this week, we started off in the field, and that didn’t go so well the first time around as the visiting team tallied 6 runs in their first at bat. We managed to score just one run in our first at bat, but at least that was a start.
In the field, we did much better for the better part of the rest of the game, but we were bitten by the error bug a couple times in another inning and that allowed them to open up the gap a little.
At the plate, we just could never quite get things going and keep them going. We looked like we were on our way to a comeback that would have at least made the game closer, but with the bases loaded and no outs, we were derailed by a, at minimum, questionable call. We had already put, I think, 2 runs on the board in the inning when Kyle came up to bat. He hit what would have normally been a nice looping liner over the 3rd baseman that got held up in the wind (probably blowing at 15-20 mph). With the 3rd baseman running three steps into the outfield grass, trying to make the play over his glove-side shoulder, the umpire calls “Infield Fly”. The 3rd baseman was unable to make the “routine” (as quoted by the umpire) play and dropped the ball. We were able to get 1 more run on the play, but we were left with runners on 2nd and 3rd ,1 out, and quite a bit of air let our of our sails (not to mention much confusion over the call) instead of bases loaded, no outs, and still rolling with a full head of steam.
Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the game (W vs. L) if the call had been made differently, probably not, but it would have been a whole lot of fun continuing that inning to at least try to make it closer.
To go along with a few mishaps in the field, we had quite a few pretty nice plays this week as well. Particularly in the outfield, as they were battling a nasty wind all game long. All of the outfielders had nice plays on balls that they had to compensate for the wind in order to make, particularly Kyle on a slicing fly ball to right field. Josh made an impression on the other team almost throwing out a runner at third. To quote the member of the opposing team who squeaked into 3rd just in time, “That was a good throw. That was a really good throw!” Did I mention that Josh was running away from the base into center field before picking up the ball and turning to fire a strike to the base? I just wanted to make sure that wasn’t missed.
In the end, we came up short as the final score was WPC 7 vs. I Dunno 16
We had some fun in this game (and a good time afterward making a stop at a “Texas Stop Sign”), but it was a tough loss as we had been looking to be back to .500 on the season before our final two regular season game. We are now 2-4 on the season and looking to right the ship in the next couple of weeks heading into the tournament. Our game next week is at (8:15), which could cause some conflict problems with the Maundy Thursday worship service scheduled for 6:30. I hope to see you all there if you can make it.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Game 5: Home Sweet Home
Thank you to all of those who were able to come out for the game last night. It was nice having an earlier game so that more family could be there, too. I know I enjoy and appreciate hearing the fans (wives, children, friends, etc.) cheering us on, and you guys do a great job.
We finally had a home game, and it was definitely much better knowing throughout the game that we would get the last at bat if we needed it. It also allowed us to get into the flow of the game with an inning in the field before we had to hit. I could get used to being the home team, and we get three more chances to take advantage of it in our next three game.
Once again, we only had 11 guys available to play last night, and it was most interesting because that group did not include our two regular pitchers. It also forced us to have a few guys play some different positions, which was…uummm…exciting.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
As I mentioned before, we were the home team for the first time all season, so we were able to play the field for an inning before our first at bat. I think that is going to be good for us as we finish out the regular season as the home team in each of our remaining games. Although the visiting team managed to put 3 runs on the board in their first at bat, we answered back with 3 of our own to tie it up, and that was just the beginning for us. After a good overall hitting performance, we went into the last inning with a nice lead. Of course, due to a few defensive mishaps (did I mention guys were playing out of position), and the fact that we don’t seem to like games that aren’t close, we decided to let them back within reach before getting the final out.
At the plate, we had a very good night. Well, all of us except for one. One of the few guys who has hit well all season, even when the rest of us haven’t, just couldn’t find the holes last night. Chin up, Charles, chin up. Kyle had a nice two RBI single in our first at bat to tie the score. Josh hit a nice line drive over the center fielder for his usual inside the park homer, which I believe came with the bases loaded if I remember correctly. It was nice to have a good night at the plate, and I hope the trend continues.
In the field, we had some good times and some not so good, but we got the outs when we needed to.
Good: Kyle, playing the 5 in this game, made a nice diving effort for a grounder down the line, but couldn’t quite grab it. It was a great effort, and I was very grateful that he came up unscathed and didn’t break anything (like his hand, just ask Chris Peterson).
Not So Good: Andrew and I had a fight of the bag at 2nd when trying to turn two, but in our effort to get to the base neither of us caught the ball.
Good: Kevin had a nice grab in right field on a nicely hit ball.
Not So Good: I had several easy grounders (2 were perfect double play balls) that just wouldn’t stay in my glove.
Good: Josh retired the side unassisted in one inning, making three nice grabs in the outfield.
Chance also did a fine job filling in at pitcher.
In the end, we got the W as the final score was WPC 20 vs. VM Disciples 14 (It had been 20-6 before the last inning.)
This game was a lot of fun, and a great start to the second half of our season. We are now 2-3 on the season and looking to pick up steam heading through the remainder of the regular season and into the tournament. We have another early game (6:15) next week, and I hope that allows many of you to come out and join us for the game. Hope to see you there.
We finally had a home game, and it was definitely much better knowing throughout the game that we would get the last at bat if we needed it. It also allowed us to get into the flow of the game with an inning in the field before we had to hit. I could get used to being the home team, and we get three more chances to take advantage of it in our next three game.
Once again, we only had 11 guys available to play last night, and it was most interesting because that group did not include our two regular pitchers. It also forced us to have a few guys play some different positions, which was…uummm…exciting.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
As I mentioned before, we were the home team for the first time all season, so we were able to play the field for an inning before our first at bat. I think that is going to be good for us as we finish out the regular season as the home team in each of our remaining games. Although the visiting team managed to put 3 runs on the board in their first at bat, we answered back with 3 of our own to tie it up, and that was just the beginning for us. After a good overall hitting performance, we went into the last inning with a nice lead. Of course, due to a few defensive mishaps (did I mention guys were playing out of position), and the fact that we don’t seem to like games that aren’t close, we decided to let them back within reach before getting the final out.
At the plate, we had a very good night. Well, all of us except for one. One of the few guys who has hit well all season, even when the rest of us haven’t, just couldn’t find the holes last night. Chin up, Charles, chin up. Kyle had a nice two RBI single in our first at bat to tie the score. Josh hit a nice line drive over the center fielder for his usual inside the park homer, which I believe came with the bases loaded if I remember correctly. It was nice to have a good night at the plate, and I hope the trend continues.
In the field, we had some good times and some not so good, but we got the outs when we needed to.
Good: Kyle, playing the 5 in this game, made a nice diving effort for a grounder down the line, but couldn’t quite grab it. It was a great effort, and I was very grateful that he came up unscathed and didn’t break anything (like his hand, just ask Chris Peterson).
Not So Good: Andrew and I had a fight of the bag at 2nd when trying to turn two, but in our effort to get to the base neither of us caught the ball.
Good: Kevin had a nice grab in right field on a nicely hit ball.
Not So Good: I had several easy grounders (2 were perfect double play balls) that just wouldn’t stay in my glove.
Good: Josh retired the side unassisted in one inning, making three nice grabs in the outfield.
Chance also did a fine job filling in at pitcher.
In the end, we got the W as the final score was WPC 20 vs. VM Disciples 14 (It had been 20-6 before the last inning.)
This game was a lot of fun, and a great start to the second half of our season. We are now 2-3 on the season and looking to pick up steam heading through the remainder of the regular season and into the tournament. We have another early game (6:15) next week, and I hope that allows many of you to come out and join us for the game. Hope to see you there.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Game 4: No "Joy" in Mudville
As usual, I would like to extend my thanks to those who came out for the game last night to the guys that came out to play, but especially to the fans that came out to support the team. It is great having you all there, and I am looking forward to the earlier games so that more of the families (including mine) can come out as well.
We played with our smallest group of guys so far this season, as we only had 11 that were able to play, thanks to various hindrances from travel to illness to dental work. And, for the fourth and final time of the regular season, we were once again the visiting team. It will be nice when we know we get to bat last no matter what, and hopefully it will help us when a couple games.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
I think I can speak for everyone on the team in saying that it will be nice to not be the visiting team for once when we play our next game. I think the inning in the field before batting for the first time will do us some good. We just seem to get off to slow starts, as was the case in this game. We managed to score a run in the first inning, but that was all we could muster after getting the first two guys on base. After our turn in the field, it was a manageable 1-3 game. Things kind of went downhill from there, as we just could never quite string the hits together. Guys got on base, but we just could not get enough of them in to score. Although, we had a pretty good game defensively (I did manage to overthrow Charles again at first as well as missing a bouncer that went off the heel of my glove), the other team didn’t have much trouble scoring runs. I think we could have hung with them if we had gotten a couple of key hits, as we had opportunities with guys on.
There were a few nice plays made this week, as our defense has continued to improve as the season has progressed. Josh made a couple of nice grabs in the outfield, and it seems that his throwing arm has begun to makes its presence felt (he forced a guy out at third after he picked up a little liner to the outfield). Playing third base, I get to hear the coach telling his guys to put the brakes on because Josh has the ball, which probably kept the other team from scoring several extra runs in this game. Again, I don’t think a single ball that we touched was dropped in the outfield, and the infield did a pretty good job as well.
In the end, we suffered our first lopsided defeat of the season as the final score was WPC 4 vs. Desporados 20
We are now 1-3 on the season, but look to turn things around in a couple of weeks (we are off next week due to Spring Break) as we have our first game as the home team. Whatever happens, it should be another fun time of recreation and fellowship, and I hope to see you all there.
We played with our smallest group of guys so far this season, as we only had 11 that were able to play, thanks to various hindrances from travel to illness to dental work. And, for the fourth and final time of the regular season, we were once again the visiting team. It will be nice when we know we get to bat last no matter what, and hopefully it will help us when a couple games.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
I think I can speak for everyone on the team in saying that it will be nice to not be the visiting team for once when we play our next game. I think the inning in the field before batting for the first time will do us some good. We just seem to get off to slow starts, as was the case in this game. We managed to score a run in the first inning, but that was all we could muster after getting the first two guys on base. After our turn in the field, it was a manageable 1-3 game. Things kind of went downhill from there, as we just could never quite string the hits together. Guys got on base, but we just could not get enough of them in to score. Although, we had a pretty good game defensively (I did manage to overthrow Charles again at first as well as missing a bouncer that went off the heel of my glove), the other team didn’t have much trouble scoring runs. I think we could have hung with them if we had gotten a couple of key hits, as we had opportunities with guys on.
There were a few nice plays made this week, as our defense has continued to improve as the season has progressed. Josh made a couple of nice grabs in the outfield, and it seems that his throwing arm has begun to makes its presence felt (he forced a guy out at third after he picked up a little liner to the outfield). Playing third base, I get to hear the coach telling his guys to put the brakes on because Josh has the ball, which probably kept the other team from scoring several extra runs in this game. Again, I don’t think a single ball that we touched was dropped in the outfield, and the infield did a pretty good job as well.
In the end, we suffered our first lopsided defeat of the season as the final score was WPC 4 vs. Desporados 20
We are now 1-3 on the season, but look to turn things around in a couple of weeks (we are off next week due to Spring Break) as we have our first game as the home team. Whatever happens, it should be another fun time of recreation and fellowship, and I hope to see you all there.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Game 3: Missed It by That Much
First of all, I would like to thank the diehard fans that showed up to cheer us on last night. Your attendance and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated, especially at 10:15 PM. Also, thank you to all of the guys that were able to make it out to play last night. I know the late games cause problems because most of us either have to work or have classes the next morning/day, so know that I am thankful for your participation. I also hope that those who weren’t able to come out because of illness, whether personal or family, are experiencing recovery from those illnesses. We hope that you can join us next week. As for the old guy (to be read as “responsible”), we look forward to having you back next week as well.
We had another fun game last night, despite the late hour at which this week’s game commenced. We didn’t look quite as rusty as last week, and that is a good sign for things to come.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
After we all got up from our naps that we needed in order to stay awake for the game…we managed to have some fun on the softball field. As was the case last week, and will be the case next week, we were the visiting team once again, so we got to bat first. Although we got several runners on base, we weren’t able to get any of them home, and it was a fairly quick half inning. Our first inning in the field would have gone much better if it hadn’t been for a couple of throwing errors from the hot corner (in softball maybe “lukewarm corner” is more accurate). Despite my best efforts, the other team was only able to put 4 on the board before the other guys on the team got the three outs we needed to end the inning. Our next at bat didn’t go much better than the first, and we were back in the field again. We probably would have held them to just a couple, but I thought I would be sneaky and I decided to play catch with Trent out in right field to see if the runner was paying attention. Turns out he was, so when I threw the ball over Andrew at second and into right field he ran, and scored. When the inning was over, we found ourselves down 0-8. Turns our we had a good inning in us after 10:00 PM after all, as we put up 6 runs in our turn at bat, and that was even with Trent getting sniped on his way to third, or was it the sand monster, I’m not sure. He did manage to make it to the base safely, despite his tumble. Although we held the other team to only one more run after the first two innings, we were unable to put together enough hits to get the runs we needed to catch them. We almost got ourselves one more chance, but time ran out on us with two outs in the bottom of the last inning, and the game was called.
There were several good plays made, particularly in the outfield (I don’t think a single ball was dropped), and the infield did a fine job, as well (with the exception of the plays noted above). There were a couple of times when I thought we were going to be able to pull it out, but we just ran out of time. It will certainly be nice when we are the home team in a couple of weeks. We will have that honor for the last four games, which is a nice way to finish the regular season.
When the time ran out, the other team got the W as the final score was WPC 6 vs. Still Defeated 9
There is something about 10:15 PM games that doesn’t work well for us. We have never, as a modern era (since it was started back up) WPC softball team, won a 10:15 game, and this week was the closest as far as the score is concerned. The good news is next week we play at 9:15, and we haven’t lost a 9:15 game since our first season back in the summer of ’05.
We are now 1-2 on the season. I will post the updated standings once they are available. We should have another fun game next week as we try to get back to .500. I hope to see you all out there.
We had another fun game last night, despite the late hour at which this week’s game commenced. We didn’t look quite as rusty as last week, and that is a good sign for things to come.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
After we all got up from our naps that we needed in order to stay awake for the game…we managed to have some fun on the softball field. As was the case last week, and will be the case next week, we were the visiting team once again, so we got to bat first. Although we got several runners on base, we weren’t able to get any of them home, and it was a fairly quick half inning. Our first inning in the field would have gone much better if it hadn’t been for a couple of throwing errors from the hot corner (in softball maybe “lukewarm corner” is more accurate). Despite my best efforts, the other team was only able to put 4 on the board before the other guys on the team got the three outs we needed to end the inning. Our next at bat didn’t go much better than the first, and we were back in the field again. We probably would have held them to just a couple, but I thought I would be sneaky and I decided to play catch with Trent out in right field to see if the runner was paying attention. Turns out he was, so when I threw the ball over Andrew at second and into right field he ran, and scored. When the inning was over, we found ourselves down 0-8. Turns our we had a good inning in us after 10:00 PM after all, as we put up 6 runs in our turn at bat, and that was even with Trent getting sniped on his way to third, or was it the sand monster, I’m not sure. He did manage to make it to the base safely, despite his tumble. Although we held the other team to only one more run after the first two innings, we were unable to put together enough hits to get the runs we needed to catch them. We almost got ourselves one more chance, but time ran out on us with two outs in the bottom of the last inning, and the game was called.
There were several good plays made, particularly in the outfield (I don’t think a single ball was dropped), and the infield did a fine job, as well (with the exception of the plays noted above). There were a couple of times when I thought we were going to be able to pull it out, but we just ran out of time. It will certainly be nice when we are the home team in a couple of weeks. We will have that honor for the last four games, which is a nice way to finish the regular season.
When the time ran out, the other team got the W as the final score was WPC 6 vs. Still Defeated 9
There is something about 10:15 PM games that doesn’t work well for us. We have never, as a modern era (since it was started back up) WPC softball team, won a 10:15 game, and this week was the closest as far as the score is concerned. The good news is next week we play at 9:15, and we haven’t lost a 9:15 game since our first season back in the summer of ’05.
We are now 1-2 on the season. I will post the updated standings once they are available. We should have another fun game next week as we try to get back to .500. I hope to see you all out there.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Games 1 & 2: If at First You Don't Succeed
First of all I would like to extend my thanks to all of the fans that came out in support of our first two games of the season. Please, pass on my gratitude to the wives, families and friends that were out there cheering us on. It is great to have that kind of involvement, and I would love to have it every week.
Also, I would like to say, great job guys. Although we were certainly a little rusty, we had a couple of good games and we had a lot of fun.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
Game 1:
It was pretty clear in this game that it had been a while since we had played, other than last weeks practice in 20+ degree weather. We still put forth a great effort, and had a lot of fun, but we came up short on the scoreboard when time expired. We had a great turnout with 13 guys there to play, and that was on a short night.
In the end, the other team got the W as the final score was WPC: 2 vs Los Aggies: 9.
Game 2:
We actually added another participant for this game, as one member of the team wasn't able to make it for the first game because of work, but made it out for this one. That gave us 14 guys, and I was glad that we had a double header because I didn't have to try to get everyone in during a single game. That is a great "problem" to have however, so I am looking forward to having good numbers the rest of the season.
The first game seemed to serve as our "clean out the cob webs/knock the rust off" game, as we score more runs in our first at bat that we did in the entire first game. Overall, our defense was much better as well. Although I am going to have to have a talk with the third basemen about this throws to first. The effort was there again in this game, but the results followed this time, unlike the first game. With the help of our great cheering section, we finished our double-header strong.
Unlike the first game, we got the W in this one with a final score of WPC: 19 vs Aqua Teen: 12
After this weeks results, we are currently in 5th place (or tied for 2nd, depending on how you look at it) with a record of 1-1. There are 4 teams with 1-0 records and 4 teams with 0-1 records.
I am looking forward to this weeks game, although it is a little later than ideal. Hope to see you all there, if you can make it.
Also, I would like to say, great job guys. Although we were certainly a little rusty, we had a couple of good games and we had a lot of fun.
For those who could not make it out, I would like to give a brief recap:
Game 1:
It was pretty clear in this game that it had been a while since we had played, other than last weeks practice in 20+ degree weather. We still put forth a great effort, and had a lot of fun, but we came up short on the scoreboard when time expired. We had a great turnout with 13 guys there to play, and that was on a short night.
In the end, the other team got the W as the final score was WPC: 2 vs Los Aggies: 9.
Game 2:
We actually added another participant for this game, as one member of the team wasn't able to make it for the first game because of work, but made it out for this one. That gave us 14 guys, and I was glad that we had a double header because I didn't have to try to get everyone in during a single game. That is a great "problem" to have however, so I am looking forward to having good numbers the rest of the season.
The first game seemed to serve as our "clean out the cob webs/knock the rust off" game, as we score more runs in our first at bat that we did in the entire first game. Overall, our defense was much better as well. Although I am going to have to have a talk with the third basemen about this throws to first. The effort was there again in this game, but the results followed this time, unlike the first game. With the help of our great cheering section, we finished our double-header strong.
Unlike the first game, we got the W in this one with a final score of WPC: 19 vs Aqua Teen: 12
After this weeks results, we are currently in 5th place (or tied for 2nd, depending on how you look at it) with a record of 1-1. There are 4 teams with 1-0 records and 4 teams with 0-1 records.
I am looking forward to this weeks game, although it is a little later than ideal. Hope to see you all there, if you can make it.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Comming Soon!!
This will be the future sight of updates and communication for the Westminster Presbyterian Church softball team, as well as other athletic endeavors that we participate in.
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