Softball+05-31-2015

=Chalices Bats Silenced against Good Shepherd=

The Flaming Chalices managed only 6 hits over 7 innings, mustering only 1 run, as they fell to a good hitting, good fielding Good Shepherd team, 10-1. Our only run came in the 1st inning with 2 outs, from the bat of SS Will Bara, who launched a ballistic missile to deep center field. The ball rolled nearly to the fence. Will raced around the bases and was able to score before the ball could be relayed to general vicinity of home plate. That was about it for our offensive production. In the 2nd inning, we had a lead-off single from 3B Pete Siragusa, who was then immediately erased by a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of P Jeff Nelson. The next 9 hitters in a row were retired, until Pete got his 2nd hit in the 5th inning with 2 outs. We managed to get 2 runners on base in the 7th with 2 out, but the final batter, OF Matt Nelson, hit a line drive to RCF that was caught to end the game.

Defensively, although we gave up 10 runs, we only committed 2 errors by my scorebook. Good Shepherd hit the ball hard throughout the game, and scored runs in all but the last inning. Our good defensive play kept them from having any blow-out innings. Matt made a sensational 2-out catch on a screaming line drive headed to the gap in left center, spearing the ball with arm fully extended and tumbling to ground after the catch. I caught a long fly ball on the run in medium deep CF (nearly colliding with OF Thom Belote) with 2 out and 2 runners in scoring position. Thom made a difficult catch on a sinking line drive, backhanding it on the run a foot off the ground. Will was solid at shortstop, responsible for 8 putouts (out of 18 total) on various grounders, popups and line drives. Jean demonstrated her patented stretch at first base to nip a fast runner on a close play.