May 16 - Dirt Dogs at Mustangs

What a beautiful day for baseball! It rained pretty hard last night and was cloudy early this morning but it had cleared off to blue skies by the time I arrived at Pioneer HS at 9:15. Both fields are impeccably groomed, as usual, along with foul lines and batters boxes and freshly mowed grass. It doesn't get any better than this.

This is our first game against the Dirt Dogs this year. They were very good last year so I know it's going to be a tough game.

After getting through the first with no damage we give up 4 runs in the second on some good hits and a couple of errors. They are dropping in a lot of hits in front of the outfielders. Duse is playing a very shallow center but even so there just isn't enough hang time on them for him to be able to catch them.

We hold them at 4 for the next few innings and finally get on the board in perhaps the 4th with 1 run. I came up with the bases loaded and one out and popped up the first pitch to short. Very frustrating. Despite reminding myself to be patient I wasn't.

In the 5th (?) we get a bunch of runs on a few hits, some walks, a hit batter and an error or two. The Dirt Dogs are pretty much melting down. I drove in 2 with a very well hit double over the left fielder's head. Perhaps the best hit I've had in several years. After 5 inings we lead 6-4.

They get one back in the top of the 6th to make it 6-5 and then get 2 more in the 7th to make it 7-6. Their final run is driven in by Tim Conway who, with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, lays a perfect punt down the 3rd baseline and beats it out.

In the bottom of the 7th I come up with a runner on 3rd and two outs and walk then steal second a couple of pitches later. The pitcher throws a ball in the dirt and it gets by the catcher so the runner on 3rd scores and I move to 3rd. Nails is up now and I think the count gets to one and one. The pitcher shakes off the catcher and I'm pretty sure he's going to throw a curve. As soon as he throws it I can see it's going to be in the dirty so I start towards the plate. The catcher does a pretty good job of blocking it but it is off to the 1st base side of the circle around home and with my good jump I'm able to score. 8-7 Mustangs after 7.

The problem now is that Omar has already left leaving us with only 9 players and Big O needs to leave in about 15 minutes. We get throught he top of the 8th but don't get past either Omar's or Big O's spot in the order. Big O has to go leaving us with 8 players and 2 automatic outs for the bottom of the 9th.

We borrow a right fielder for the top of the 9th. I get up on the first batter 1-2 then hit him. Runner on first and nobody out. Time to Termie up! I strike out the next 3 to end the game. A very nice come from behind win for the Mustangs. We're now 2-2.

Tomorrow is a vintage games in Longmeadow then Monday night it's the Mustangs against the Barons. I'd better go home and ice my arm.