Fall Softball 2006

The fall Church League started last night. We are without two of our starters the first two weeks and did quite well without them defensively. We only allowed each team to score 5 runs and the second team we played is considered an upper level team. We still lost both games, but it wasn't a bad start to the season.

The first game we lost 5-4 against Fairview. We had never lost to Fairview until the last two times we played them in the summer league. They haven't really gotten better, but we just haven't hit against them like we should. My game last night was horrible against them. My pitching was off a bit and I walked in a run. I rarely do that and usually only have one walk per game if that. Last night I had two walks in that game and control problems throughout. At the plate, I walked the first time up, which is a double for guys in the church league. I actually struck out the second time up, which hasn't happened to me all summer. The third time up I popped out to shortstop, which rarely happens, too. It was not a good game for me at bat. The rest of the team was having the same problems and it showed that we were having a rusty time at the plate. It was a close game, but we just couldn't pull it out in the end.

The second game impressed me more than the first in that we didn't just get blown away by the team we played. They are a great group of young talented guys and a couple of really talented girls. They played in the upper division all summer and ended up in second place in that division. They have a really talented shortstop that can put the ball over the fence seemingly at will and did so only once last night. My control was a lot better pitching and the defense really stepped up and played as a unit. I was actually hitting the ball where I usually do, too. My first time up the shortstop got my grounder up the middle and turned a double play, though. After that, I put it up the middle, but stayed enough away from him that they were singles each time. I got stranded on base, though, the entire game. We have some really talented guys on the team, but they tend to hit line drives right to a good left fielder. If they can start putting the ball where they want to, it will get us a lot more runs. Thankfully, we are practicing every week for the fall season, so I'm excited about the potential for winning most of our games.

Our second church team, headed by one of our coaches (TR), pretty much faired the same. They lost both games and one was a washout. They played an upper level team that was up 12-0 after the first inning and TR's team didn't make a single error. We met up at DQ for a short while after the games were played and exchanged stories. It will be an interesting season and I'm anxious to get our other two starters in the lineup. Our normal leadoff hitter wasn't there and the guy who hits behind me in the lineup (third) wasn't there. This will certainly help our run production and help us have a winning season.

UPDATE: THE SCORE OF THE SECOND GAME WAS ACTUALLY 8-2. Still not a bad effort compared to what it could have been and still an impressive defense from my team.