Softball 2007: Game Six

I didn't write a preview for this, partly because I've written two previews and we lost both of those...but this was still a huge game. Coming in we were 2-3 and tonight's opponent is 3-2. From what I can gather, in our 8 team division, 3 teams are fighting for first, 2 teams are fighting for last, and that leaves us, tonight's opponent, and the other team that we haven't played yet.

It would seem likely that we will finish anywhere from 4th to 6th in our division. Every team makes the playoffs at the end of the year, but getting a good draw is key. Winning tonight would be huge because we would own the tiebreaker and pass this team in the standings.

Unfortunately, I was told that I was only going to be able to pitch the second half of the game. Then the girl that was supposed to start was late, so I started pitching the first half of the game. My active innings are in black below:


Batting Stats for Game Six:
1st AB: 1B, rbi
2nd AB: walk (2B), rbi, run

Average: 1.000
Slugging: 1.000
2 rbi

Pitching Stats for Game Six:
4 IP
5 runs
0 K
0 BB

ERA: 8.75 and the win

Batting Stats on the Season:
13/23: 10 singles, 3 doubles, 8 runs scored, 4 walks, 4 rbi, 1 strike out.
Average: .565
Slugging: .696
OBP: .630

Pitching Stats on the Season:
47 innings pitched
58 runs
9 K
2 BB

ERA: 8.64
Record: 5-3

This was a really fun game, although I was deathly afraid that the relief pitcher was going to blow it. We played on a field that had wide fencing that extended past first base, which saved at least 2 errant throws, saving us a couple bases given up.

The four runs I gave up in the top of the 3rd were due to a couple fielding errors. It happens. And in the top of the 5th, our defense bailed out the relief pitcher--with an inning-ending double play on a caught line drive by the third baseman and catching the runner going back to second. If that slips through, that's a couple runs and there's only one out. Big time defense. I think in the top of the 6th, the same third baseman covered home and tagged the runner out on a would be home run. His bench was telling him to go home and I think he slowed up a little bit.

My second at bat was a key part of our 9-inning rally. (Walks to guys with a girl on deck means the guy takes second and the girl takes first.) Situation was runners on first and second with one out, and a girl behind me that we recruited that I don't think had ever played before. We needed the minimum 4 girls so there she is. After fouling a pitch off, I had a 1-1 count, and then waited for 3-1. The next pitch looked like a strike but I took it anyways, and the ump said it missed the plate. So now I take second, the "automatic out" that was on deck is now on first, the bases are loaded, I drove in a run, and there's only one out. I would score from second on the next play, on an infield ground ball. There was a play at the plate, and I avoided the tag standing up.

I was pitching some nasty stuff, hitting all kinds of corners of the plate. Getting a 0-2 count on a solid hitter, than making her chase an away ball. I caught a ball that might have been in foul territory. I was feeling good out there...

And then in the top of the 5th, the first thing the relief pitcher does is walk a guy with a girl behind him, the equivalent of two walks. She later walked at least one more batter. (We also had our second baseman--who has been playing all season--not realize that she had to tag a runner when there wasn't a force out. She later ran on a pop-up with one out, an easy double play.

Also, I feel like my batting and slugging averages deserve to benefit from my walks, especially tonight when I got to take second. Oh well.

In the game: we outscored them 12-5
On the bench: they outscored us 7-4

Team Record: 3-3