Game 2 Summary

I love playing the Yellow Jackets. I love playing them so much that I would like to secede and form a league with them and other well-grounded teams. The coaches and parents are nice, and no matter who wins, everyone is satisfied.

We played the Yellow Jackets twice last year. The first game was close from start to finish, and the second game was wide-open until I put a newer pitcher in there. They came back, and when we played for keeps, they still got us.

This was a close, hard-fought game. Both teams made great plays in the field. We put pressure on them by trying to grab an extra base, and they threw us out a couple of times. Both teams got forces at second to end innings. The pitching was good, yet both teams made good contact. 

For my money, the best play of the game was the 6-5 put-out in the 4^th. Tre’Vaughn went low to get a grounder, but the ball took a wicked hop and flew over his head. His glove darted up to get the ball so cleanly, I wondered if some strange magnetic field had chosen to visit that spot on the diamond. As if that weren’t enough, he turned and fired a perfect throw to third. Jackson was in perfect position, caught the ball, and tagged the runner (no force was in effect) to get a big out. Big-league, baby.

The last 3-4 innings were nerve-racking, as Jackson and Nathan channeled Dave Bush by getting themselves into and out of big jams. David did his part by coming on to get one out in the bottom of the third.

Coach M brought much-needed order and structure to our pre-game prep. I’m known as the head coach, but I really can’t take credit for much, as we are blessed with so many good, Christian baseball dads who help out.

Other things I just loved:

• Henry hitting the ball well into the outfield
• Riley having fun at the plate, even after having two balls fly over his head.
• Jackson’s new delivery.
• Mike and Eli getting off the schneid with base hits.
• Steve keeping score again.
• Michael’s stellar catching performance.
• Having Kellen back on the field
• Hearing Coach Smith tell me he had bug spray
• Having a nice breeze that blew the bugs away

However, we can improve on:

• Hitting with two strikes. We’re hitters, not walk-drawers. Letting questionable pitches go by is taking control off our bats and giving it to the ump. He (justifiably) rung us up when we did that.
• Sliding properly. Coach M’s got this one.

Our next game is at Waukesha West against the Firebirds Red. These games were close last year, but we’ll see.