Beatdown

So we played softball last night. Well, at least, we showed up to play softball. You can see by the score over to the left, it wasn't much of a competition.

There is no way that team should have been a Division III team. Or, alternately, if they are a Division III team, we should be a Division VI team. They were smashing balls to the deepest part of the park on a regular basis. Their one allowed over-the-fence home run was a grand slam, and later in the game they hit an inside the part grand slam. But usually it was double, double, double.

And apparently they were big on scoring as much as possible. I can't complain about that as much as I did with church league teams, but still, there comes a point where it's just rubbing it in and it's very unsportsmanlike.

Though their greed did let me pull off a nice play. A guy smashed another one to the outfield, and the runner on first came all the way home. The throw actually came in to me catching for once, but it was up the line and I couldn't get to it. "Great," I thought, "this guy's going to come all the way around as well."

But we got, literally, a lucky bounce as the ball hit off the fence post behind home plate and bounced straight back to me. As I'm getting the ball, I'm hearing people yell, "Third". I grab the ball and turn. Their coach was between me and the bag, so I can't actually see our third baseman, but I heave it anyway, figuring I've probably overthrown him, but not really seeing that it makes much difference.

However, our third baseman reaches up, grabs the ball, and tags out the guy that was five feet from third. Of course, that guy got lots of grief from his team, because making an out against us was apparently a terrible crime against the team.

Their pitcher also liked to "quick pitch", i.e. throw the ball without a windup and as soon as he could. He really wasn't that good at it, as balls sailed high and low, but enough looked good for us to swing at and usually hit at someone.

I went up planning to take pitches, so even though the first pitch was good enough that my front foot came up to start the swing, I took it. Turned out to be a strike, so I knew I didn't have the luxury of waiting now. The next pitch was about the same as the first, though, and I smacked a hard ground ball between second and short, moving Bobby to second.

Jon was up next and he stung one. It was one of the hardest hit balls all night. Unfortunately, it was right at the third baseman. Bobby and I both scrambled back to our bases.

The next batter hit a grounder similar to mine. As I'm going to second, I can see that the outfielder has misplayed the ball, so I turn for third. I pick up Jason, the third base coach, as I get close to the bag and he puts his arms up. This is good, of course, because we know how my physical fitness is, and I can't imagine going from first to home.

However, as I'm slowing down, the fielder must have made another error, because Jason then starts waving me home. Which means I have to shift gears and get my speed (such as it is) back up. This is not good.

I hit third and start coming down the line. I see the catcher in front of the plate waiting for a throw, very much like this game. However, the throw never comes and I stumble across the plate with our second run.

So I'm now 3-5 (.600) with 3 runs, a sac fly, an RBI and an assist on the season. Most people do think I'm OK in small doses!