Softball+05-17-2015

=New Uniforms, New Outfielder, New Result - Chalices Win 11-9=

Community Church came from behind to take a late lead and held on to defeat United Church, 11-9. Today the Flaming Chalices debuted their new team shirts with the colorful flaming softball + chalice logo. Also debuting was rookie outfielder, Rev. Thom Belote, who reportedly had not played softball in 25 years. You couldn't tell from how well he performed today. At the plate, he was 2-for-3 and drove in a team high 4 runs, including the go ahead runs that gave Community Church the lead in the 4th inning. In the outfield he handled without error several base hits, delivered the ball back to the infield quickly and accurately, and caught 2 fly balls, including the final out of the game. Can't do much better than that for a rookie appearance.

The key to the game victory was great hitting up and down the entire lineup, plus clutch defense in the 2nd half of the game. The top 4 hitters in the batting order (Nils,Mark B, Will, Pete) collected 10 hits. The 6 and 7 hitters (Vera, Thom) collected 4 hits. Team total was 16 hits today, in just 30 plate appearances. OF Mark Bruhn and 3B Pete Siragusa each were a perfect 3-for-3. OF Nils Brubaker, SS Will Bara, 2B Vera Smith, and Thom each had 2 hits. The best way to score in church softball is for several batters in a row to reach base safely. Long balls are few: Will had our only extra base hit, a double in the 2nd inning. A testament to our consistent production at the top of the order was the fact that each of the first 5 batters scored 2 runs today, providing 10 of our total of 11 runs.

We started off the game a bit shaky, giving up 5 runs in the top of the first inning. We recovered some of that in the bottom half, scoring 3 runs on base hits from Mark B, Pete, P Jeff Nelson, Vera and Thom. In the 2nd, we conceded 3 more runs, to trail by 8-3. We got back those 3 runs in the bottom half, with a dramatic 2-out rally of consecutive hits by Nils, Mark B, Will and Pete. Will's towering double to deep left missed being a home run by only a few feet, and drove in 2 of the runs. In the 3rd, United Church scored one more run to garner a 3-run lead, which they held through the bottom half of the inning. Top of the 4th, we held UC scoreless. Bottom of the 4th proved to be the game changer. 1B Mark Smith started a 1-out rally with a hard short-hop grounder that handcuffed the 2nd baseman. Nils followed with another infield hit. Mark B, Will and Pete each lined solid singles into center field, plating 3 runs, to tie the game. Jeff grounded into a fielder's choice, with Will being forced out at 3rd. Two outs, runners at 1st and 2nd. Vera bounced a medium speed grounder to 3rd base that skipped under the charging 3rd baseman's glove for another infield hit. Bases now loaded, 2 outs, and Rev. Thom at the plate. Thom irreverently slapped a line drive into right field to score Pete and Jeff with the go ahead runs.

With potentially 3 innings left to play, the question was, could the Chalices hold on to the lead? Miraculously, the defense held UC scoreless for 2 more innings, before time ran out and the game was called after 6 innings. During the last 3 innings, there were several crucial plays that kept UC off the board. In one bases loaded situation, the UC batter hit a grounder back to Jeff, who tossed the ball to C Carole Bruhn for the force-out at the plate. Twice, Will fielded grounders and got the lead runner in a force-out. On one ground ball in the hole, he fired a fastball strike to first base to nip the runner in time. With runners on 1st and 2nd in another situation, a line drive went out to left field, where Nils ran in and caught the ball while leaning in about waist height, tumbling to the ground to make the catch. The runner on 2nd went to 3rd, and there was some confusion as to whether he had legally tagged after the catch. Finally, the ball was thrown to 2nd base for an appeal play and the runner was called out; something of a delayed double play. These critical defensive plays helped seal the win.