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.
Friday, March 30, 2007
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.
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