The Next Step – 7/29 vs. The Performance Enhancers

Post game! L-R: Nicole, Kristina, Cameron, Matt, Emily H, Bryce, Steven, Emily K, Triffid, Gustav, Mark (missing: Lauren, who had family duty, & yours truly, who was taking the photo!)

A hot summer evening with an almost full (& almost blue) moon rising in a sky gradually shifting from daylight to twilight—great setting for a softball game, & for a softball playoff game at that.

In fact, the game lived up to the great setting. Typically slow-pitch softball is a lot like some amateur jam sessions: much more fun & engaging to be a participant than a spectator. But I think the Underhanded Compliments & the Performance Enhancers put on a pretty fair show on Wednesday, at least in the eyes of the various friends, spouses, moms & grandpas who congregated to watch the game. We knew going in it wasn’t going to be an easy game, & the Performance Enhancers certainly lived up to that expectation.

Following a scoreless top of the first for the Enhancers, we were able to get on the board in the bottom of the inning. With two out, Matt & Bryce hit back-to-back doubles, & that staked us to a 1-0 lead.

Another great day for Matt: 2 for 3 including a double, & a great catch to end the game!

The top of the second began with Nicole making a nice back pedaling catch into short right center to record an out. A runner reached first, but one batter later Nicole recorded an unassisted force at second for out number two. The next batter singled however, & that was followed by an rbi double to tie the game. The following batter hit a drive to right center that was sinking fast, looking like the Performance Enhancers were going to go up by two, but Bryce made a great sliding catch to record the out & end the rally.

Emily H had a big 2-run single during our second inning rally!

The bottom of the second was big for us. With one out (& two strikes on her) Nicole hit a line drive single, & yours truly followed with an opposite field liner for a base hit. Triffid then singled to load the bases for Steven who responded in a big way with a 2-run double. Emily H. followed with a clutch 2-run single, then Cameron & Kristina each singled to load the bases for Gustav, who came through with a 2-run double. We’d scored 6 & now led 7-1—not a comfortable lead in slow-pitch, but a bit of breathing room at least.

Steven had a huge game: 3 for 3, including 2 doubles, plus 4 rbis!

Both teams were retired without scoring in the third, & the Performance Enhancers also went quietly in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half yours truly led off with another opposite field single. Triffid doubled, & then Steven singled to score Mark, who was running for me.

The top of the fifth started in fairly spectacular fashion. The outfielders were playing deep with one of their stronger hitters at the plate—& he appeared to cross up the defense by hitting a fly ball that would land uncaught in medium right-center. Nicole, however, back-pedaled into the outfield & leaped to make a great catch, recording the first out! A good thing, too, because this was the inning when the Performance Enhancers would make their run, & every out was critical. The next batter doubled & went to third on a grounder to Nicole who got the batter at first. Two outs, no problem, right? Unfortunately, the next batter singled the runner home, & the following batter hit a deep home run to cut the lead to 8-4. The very next batter hit the ball right on the nose, but Emily K was able to snag the liner, & we were out of the inning with a 4-run lead.

Bryce went 3 for 3: 2 doubles, a single & 2 rbis!

We were able to answer at least partially in our half of the fifth. With one out, Lauren lined a single, & Matt followed with a single of his own. Bryce then smashed a liner up the middle—somehow the shortstop was able to get a glove on it, & what likely would have been an extra base hit fell for a single—but Lauren was able to score. The Performance Enhancers played solid defense all game long; their shortstop & pitcher in particular seemed to catch everything headed in their direction.

Lauren at the plate! Big hit & run scored in the fifth inning

The Performance Enhancers came through with a 2-out rally in the top of the sixth. After the first two batters had been retired, they hit a single & then a run-scoring double. Emily K ended the rally, making a fine play on a slowly hit ground ball, tagging out the runner, who’d made an ill-advised dash toward third. Even with Emily K’s great arm, it’s questionable if she could have thrown out the batter, so it was a heads up play on her part.

Emily K made a couple of critical plays at third base!

Our first two batters in the bottom of the sixth made outs, so yours truly found himself at the plate with two outs & no one on. The pitcher had gotten wise to my trick of hitting to right field, so he motioned the right fielder in where she would have a chance to snag a short line drive. This gave me the notion that it might not be such a bad idea to try to hit something up the middle, & I was able to line one hard enough that the pitcher could only deflect it, & fortunately I managed to beat out the throw from short. Triffid then followed with a single, & Steven again came through in the clutch with an rbi double to increase the lead to 10-5—again, far from safe in slow-pitch, but a big step in the right direction.

Kristina came through with a single in our 6-run second inning!

In fact, we were able to retire the Performance Enhancers 3-up, 3-down in the top of the seventh—a grounder to Mark that he took unassisted to the bag; a grounder to Triffid; & then their final hitter blasted one to deep left, headed for the trees. Matt made a great running catch to record the final out, & we all could exhale!

Let's not forget Nicole (here with Kristina) - Player of the Game, great game at second base plus a crucial base hit to start the second inning rally!

We still have one more leg on the road to the summer league championship—a re-match of last summer’s title game with the Therminators, Monday August 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Can’t wait!

   
Next Week: The Championship Game!