We got back to division play again this week, where the three best teams play. This week was our rematch with the Master Batters, a team we beat in the first week.
Going into the final stretch, we had a game lead on the Whalers (5-2) and a two-game lead on the Master Batters (4-3). We knew it would be a tough game, which turned out to be an understatement.
In the top of the first, we got the maximum 5 runs, but the Batters answered with five of their own. Neither team scored in the second, and the Batters added one in the third to take a 6-5 lead. In the fourth, we scored 3 runs, but the Batters answered again to take a 9-8 lead. We took our first lead into a new inning after the fifth when we scored 4 runs, and the Batters only got 2. Neither team scored in the sixth to give us a 12-11 advantage heading into the 7th.
We got shut out again in the 7th and the Master Batters needed just two runs to win it with the top of their order coming up. The first batter hit a squibber to me. I fielded it, but had no chance to throw him out, so I ate it. The next batter did the same thing to our first baseman, Doug, so the Batters had runners at first and second with nobody out. The next two Batters popped up to give us two on with two outs and only needing an out to get out of the game. The next batter hit a grounder to second. Our second baseman, Mitch, fielded it and threw it in the dirt allowing one run to score and the winning run to move to third. There was a five-minute delay where the Batters were arguing the man on third should be allowed to advance home on the overthrow, but we won the argument. On the next play the batter hit a line drive heading over my head. I leaped, and the ball tipped off the top of my glove. Base hit. Batters win, 13-12.
Our division race for first got a lot more complicated, too. The Whalers creamed the Yellow Fever (didn't catch the final, but I'm guessing in the range of 20-5), tying us atop the division. Also, the Batters are now a game out. Thankfully, we have the Yellow Fever next week, and we have the tie breaker over the Batters due to head-to-head run differential, so we can clinch at least second place with a win over the Fever.
In the other division, things are more complicated, too, since they have a three-way tie for first place. The Bus Drivers continued their resurgence by beating the Pitch Slappers 8-6. Also, the Multiple Scoregasms beat Hanamana 9-8 in similar fashion to how we were beat (a line drive hit just out of the fielder's reach to score the winning run).
So the division standings look this way:
For our game, other than the last play where I couldn't quite leap high enough, I had far and away the best game on our team and was named the game MVP. I was 3 for 3 with a two-RBI double, an RBI triple where I also scored on an overthrow to home plate, and a single. On the field, I finished with two assists and two put outs in four fielding chances (the squibber and game-winning hits don't count towards fielding chances, even if I got my glove on the ball) and had a 5U-4 double play.
This game I was moved down in the line up to 8th, but maybe I'll move up. Actually, I now have become the second most productive batter on the team in extra base hits (9), and third in batting average (.583) and RBI (11).
The line up:
1 - Tyler - SS
2 - Josh - CF
3 - Shawn - RF
4 - Frank - LF
5 - Mitch - 2B
6 - Mary Kay - LROV
7 - Mike - 2B/RROV
8 - Lee - 3B
9 - Doug - 1B
10 - Lia - C
11 - Chris - 1B
12 - Daniel - RROV
13 - Ariella - C
Top 1st inning:
Tyler - Single
Josh - FC, 3U, Tyler to 2B
Shawn - RBI double
Frank - RBI single
Mitch - Single
Mary Kay - RBI single
Mike - FO, 7
Lee - 2-RBI double (5-run rule)
2nd inning:
Doug - Single
Lia - LO, 5. DP 5-3 (Doug was caught off 1B)
Chris - GO, 6-3
3rd inning:
Daniel - Inf. single
Ariella - FC, 5-3, Daniel to 2B
Tyler - Single, Daniel to 3B
Josh - Pop out, 4
Shawn - FO, RRov (great running catch near RF line)
4th inning:
Frank - Single
Mitch - Line out, 5
Mary Kay - Inf. Single, Frank to 2B
Mike - RBI single
Lee - missed ball trying to place it down wide open RF gap, Mary Kay out for leaving base early; RBI triple, scored on error
Doug - Double
Lia - Ground out, 5-3
5th inning:
Chris - Inf. single
Daniel - Single, Chris to 2B
Ariella - FC, 5U (Mary Kay to pinch run)
Tyler - RBI double, Mary Kay to 3B
Josh - 2-RBI double, scored on error
Shawn - PO, 4
Frank - Single
Mitch - GO, 6U
6th inning:
Mary Kay - LO, 7
Mike - LO (forgot where)
Lee - Single
Doug - Out on runner interference. The ball hit me when I was trying to get to 2B
7th inning:
Lia - Ground out, 5-3
Chris - Single
Daniel - FC, 5-4
Ariella - GO, 4-3
