Baseball Season Wrap Up

My boys' season came to a close yesterday. Our team was 12-6 in the regular season, earning us the two seed in a four team double elimination playoff tournament.

Our best pitcher was out of the playoffs-he went to summer camp. Our second best pitcher was in Maine for game one of the playoffs with his family. We dropped game one 6-2.

Game two saw the return of our #2 pitcher who went six innings (a complete game in Little League) earning a win in a 7-4 victory.

Game three was the heart breaker. With our # 2 guy done for the week (6 inning per week max by rule) we went to the Hotdogman's kid. He gave up three runs on a three run homer in the top of the first. The boys got 4 runs in the bottom of the first! No runs allowed in the top of two. Four more for our boys in the bottom! No runs allowed in the top of three. Two more in the bottom of the inning.

10-3 Red Sox.

Top of four the kid strikes out the first two batters he faces then loads the bases on two walks and a single. When I go to the mound to visit, his arm is hurting so I have to take him out. I have only a few pitchers left at this point. The kid I bring in walks two runs in then induces a ground ball to the third base side of the mound. Rather than flip it to third for the out, he turns and throws the ball 10 feet over the first baseman's head leaving the batter on third and clearing the bases! He walks one more in then strikes out a kid to end the inning.

10-9 Red Sox.

We get one back in the bottom of the fourth. The pitcher promptly walks the bases loaded, then walks in a run. The next kid walks in two more and I replace him. After giving up a grand slam, this kid bears down (while openly weeping on the mound) and gets three outs without giving up any more runs.

16-11 Bad Guys!

We don't score in the bottom of five, they don't score in the top of six. Still 16-11.

Bottom of six we get a pop-up to the mound, a couple of doubles, a walk, a strike out, a bunt single and another double. When the dust clears, three runs are in, there's a man on second and third with the tying run at second and the winning run (my kid) at the plate.

Here's the pitch and a DEEP DRIVE TO LEFT. The left fielder made a nifty catch. Sox lose 16-14. Tears, downtrodden faces, the works.

Bottom line: we ran out of pitching and threw the game away.

It was a bittersweet ending to my son's Little league career.

We are off to the beach tomorrow!