Pocono Report (Couple Days Late)

I'm sure you've all been hanging on the line waiting.

Anyway, drove up Friday night...about 5 families were there, kids were berserk as we seemed to have the whole hotel to ourselves. Had a meal at the local Red Robin, a few brewskies poolside (indoors) after and then some much needed sleep.

Saturday we had morning off with first game scheduled at 2:15. Slogged up to the field around 12:30 to see the first game and the teams we would play. OK.

Game starts as scheduled and we quickly pounce on a 10-2 lead...which we gave back and how. Our opponents first couple of pitchers were overmatched by my hitters, so around inning 3 they put in a kid I will call Haystax. Big, threw hard most of the time, with a great change when he wanted/needed it. I swear he had grey hair by the way. He pretty much stopped the bleeding for them, and my outfield did the rest for me. Ended in a loss, and now we are 0-1.

Game 2 was at 4:30, playing the host team. We are up 6-2 or so, the outfield (to be fair, 3 of my starters were nursing injuries on the bench) was not exactly scaring anybody with rinky-dink throws on balls hit out there and we went to bottom 6 with score tied. Our 3 and 4 hitters came through with back-to-back doubles. Win. 1-1.

So 1-1 is not 2-0 and we have to play the early game to qualify for semis. Sunday is single elimination - you play until you win. We play the #6 seed and go down 1-0 in the first. Bottom of the first, two outs and my 3 and 4 come through again. Single then a HR over the CF fence for a 2-1 lead. The other team gave us fits every inning with virtually a man in scoring position every time and we held. We get an insurance run in bottom 5 - #3 batter with the hit, moves over on grounder to 2B and then scores on a double for a 3-1 lead. They score a run in top 6 but we get three big outs when we needed them for the win.

On to the Semis - Noon start.

To say we didn't play well would be an understatement; we played a big team (seeded #1) who could hit, and I have never seen that many lefty batters in any line-up ever. We get mercied pretty bad. But we had a great time and I hope we learned some stuff.

Back to season.