I was fortunate enough to be asked to go play softball and basketball on August 25th with a good group of guys against some pretty stiff competition. This isn't unusual, as I get asked to play a weekend tournament quite a bit during the summer, but this was unique due to the setting for the games and the opponents. I played those games at Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, MN against 50 or 60 different inmates.
Steve Healy, most of Rez Life softballers know him as Wooddale's pitcher, asked me to join his Sports Ministry cast and travel around to some area prisons and spend a day with the inmates by playing softball, basketball, volleyball and even horseshoes. I didn't initially jump at the opportunity as it would be another full Saturday on the road away from my family, but God arranged this one quite nicely. Appleton is just 15 minutes or so from Jennifer's parents' home in Dawson so we made a weekend of it. She would spend Saturday splashing in the pool with Luke and our five nieces and nephews who live nearby, eating grilled foods and freshly cut fruits while I would go through metal detectors and eat with a plastic spork. Good times for everyone.
I arrived at the prison at 7:45 AM on Saturday and the rest of team arrived shortly thereafter. There were 16 total - the maximum allowed to visit I was told. We shuffled through the first couple of electric, razor-wire-topped fences and soon found ourselves in the admittance room, so to speak. We had to sign in, give our driver's license in exchange for guest badges - which are quite valuable inside the prison walls. When we were playing our games, we had to give a correctional officer our guest badges which were then locked in a lock-box and carried around by an officer until our games were over at which point we scrambled to make sure we had our badge before venturing out into the halls again.
Once inside the prison we were escorted to the gymnasium, a non-air conditioned cement floor with room for two volleyball courts and one full-sized basketball court. The bathroom consisted of two urinals against a wall and toilet in the center of another wall. No private rooms here so get comfortable quickly.
As we entered the gymnasium a handful of inmates immediately came over to greet us, shaking our hands, thanking us for coming. I'd say that four or five inmates remembered the names of a handful of my teammates from previous visits. The volleyball players were then allowed to review their pants and put shorts on for their game. We were not allowed to wear shorts anywhere in the prison except while we played basketball or volleyball in that gym.
The softball and I headed out to the 'field' for a couple of morning games with the prison champion team. One thing that stuck out in my mind immediately was the unbelievably large number of hugely built inmates. It looked like a professional football team's training camp outside. A group of guys doing pullups like gravity was working for them, another group ripping off sets of 50 pushups and a whole herd of folks running around and around and around. Now, I'm put together well-enough to handle myself but all of the sudden I was very aware that I was 5' 8" inches tall and 170 pounds.
The field had a dirt infield which a lot of prisons don't have I was told, so that was nice. It was very soft and sandy which usually is good for the first few innings, keeps the balls from spiking up in the infield. However, it generally doesn't last very long and big pot-holes can form which is where grounders become potential emergency room visits. Left field was an added attraction as a 75-foot long and 10-foot wide sloped drainage ditch cut all the way to deep center. The left-fielder had a choice to make: play in front of said ditch and risk trying to run backwards, downhill then uphill, to make a catch going back or play in the back of the ditch and risk running forward, downhill then uphill, and trying to keep your eyes on the ball coming in front of you. Talk about your home-field advantage. Thankfully, I played shortstop.
The right-field fence was the prison, about 425 feet from plate down the line and out to probably 550 feet in right-center. The left-field wall was another razor-wire topped electric chain-link fence and at about dead left-field, if you got over the fence, you were home free. The left-field foul poul was a prison guard tower that hovered about 35 feet off the ground and was manned by a correctionial facility officer with a shotgun. Just below that guard tower was a rotating surveillance camera that was encased in plastic to protect it from the weather. The fence down the line was roughly 320 - 325 feet and it went out deeper and deeper until it kind of hid behind the prison in right-center. There was four feet of grass in front of the fence and then a three-foot wide walking/running path that served as our warning track. Inmates are not allowed to step on the four-foot wide patch of grass between the track and the fence. If a ball goes there, it is a groundrule double and a guard will retrieve it. You don't want to try and get the ball if it's pinned against the high voltage fence.
The inmates were very excited to play and they could all swing the bat. I did find out quickly what 'prison rules' are as we were somehow shorted two runs in the fifth and sixth innings. After pleading our case - carefully - with the two inmate umpires, we agreed that we maybe didn't score those runs after all. Our team had a very good lineup and I batted fifth and played short. We were able to use nice balls and one kind of decent bat so it was a decent-scoring game. We held on to win in extra innings, 16-15, even with the scoring controversy. The highlight of the game for me and the inmates it seemed was my third at bat. Because of the dimensions of the field, no one hits a homerun over the fence. If you want a homerun, you have to hit it to right-center or right to avoid the automatic ground-rule double track and the electric fence. We had one gentleman on our team that blasted one to deep right that ended up scoring him a homerun. In my third at bat, I decided to let my hands go a bit because I kind of just hit nice easy shots to the right side my first two times up. This time I had the perfect pull pitch, I extended and put a good move on the ball. As soon as I hit it, I knew it was either foul, on or near the warning track (gives that phrase a whole new meaning in a prison, huh?), or off the electric fence. All of those scenarios meant I didn't have to run because my fate would be decided by where the ball landed. The ball kept carrying and I was thinking that it had a chance to hit chain-link. The guard in the tower - in direct line of the ball - started to watch it and his head followed it until it dropped just below his tower with a bang, literally. It smashed the rotating security camera and exploded the plastic casing that surrounded it while giving the actual camera a pretty violent shake. Needless to say I stood there stunned, wondering if I was going to be released that afternoon or if I had just bought myself an added bonus stay. In the two seconds of silence that followed, I quickly checked my possible exit locations and realized that these places are designed for quick exits. After the two seconds were up, the inmates let out an uproariously loud cheer and basically attacked me and patted me over and over on the back and annointed me their all-time favorite player. As I trotted around the bases I couldn't help but crack a smile as I don't recall getting a standing ovation from the opposition while everyone on my own team is a bit white-faced in anticipation of the guards' reaction.
Because of the extra inning in game one, we were only able to get in four innings of game two before this group of inmates had to return to its cell block, called a POD at this institution. We won that second one by six runs and I batted left-handed my last two times up and was heckled because I didn't hit the prison and break a window, even though a window shot would've been roughly 430 feet long and 20 feet up. Price of glory, I suppose. :)
After the inmates were escorted inside, we followed and were able to get our spikes off and our shoes back on. We had 30 minutes to kill in the gym by ourselves before heading to the library where 43 inmates were allowed to come have lunch with us. Usually the inmates grab a lunch tray and then head back to their respective POD for lunch. Eating in the library was a treat.
Steve instructed us to mingle amongst the inmates at lunch and just chat them up. I walked in to the lunch room and saw 43 eyes look up and couldn't quite remember why we had to mingle. Thankfully, the third baseman and shortstop from the prison softball team were in one corner and waved me over to their open spot. I was very thankful for that gesture. At my table were five inmates and two visiting players like myself. Lunch was a special one that day we were informed as grape-colored (notice I didn't say grape-flavored) kool-aid was served with a rubber, breaded cirlce of chicken, a square of mixed vegetables, orange jello, two pieces of plain bread, pepper-ladened spaghetti and an ice cream scoop of butter, which goes on everything I learned. I couldn't get much of the lunch down and suddenly appreciated my wife's cooking on a whole new level. The inmates were kind to me and told me they knew the food was brutal and didn't expect me to eat it. The conversation was good, all of the inmates got around to admitting guilt for their crimes and eagerly talking about what they were going to do upon release. One man had been in and out of prison since 1980 and unfortunately was very clearly disturbed and demon-controlled. Another man had cut a deal to get four years off his sentence that included 6 months of house arrest, 18 months of work-release and 6 months of boot camp. He was very excited to lose those four years.
My favorite new acquaintance was their shortstop. He sat on my left and as we talked I had to stop myself from shaking my head over and over. He was a very good ballplayer and was 27, the same age as me. He'd been in county jail for three years, then St. Cloud for one and was coming up on three and a half years at Appleton. That means he'd been in jail since he was 19. he told me he played high school ball and after graduation, he played town-team ball for a summer until he got drunk, and did something stupid with a couple buddies. He was convicted of attempted murder, felony possession of a firearm, and armed robbery. 19 years old. He could've been me or anyone of a 100 guys I played ball with in high school and college. I kept thinking that if we were in a different place right now, I might be hanging with one of my softball buddies and just shooting the breeze. After some time of chatting, he asked me the hard question, "Does God forgive all sins?" I said that He does as long as the sinner repents fully and truly from the heart and doesn't love their sin. A sinner who sins and says I'm sorry but still knows in the back of their mind that they are going to do that sin again, is not repentful and will not be forgiven. He asked, "What about child molestors?" I said that God's arm is not too short to reach anyone and if child molestors and rapists really repent and get on their knees before God then He will forgive them and wash them clean as snow. But, I told him that I don't know about someone else's repentfulness or salvation. I only know that I've been forgiven and that because Jesus died for my sins, He's given us the pathway to forgiveness and salvation, if I repent and give my life to Him now.
We weren't allowed to do more than 15 or 20 minutes of formal preaching or anything because of certain rules, but Steve stood up and talked briefly for a few minutes before opening it up to the inmates for testimonies. I think four inmates stood to speak and they all had the same baseline to their story, "I was 'insert tragedy or crime here' and then I came to prison and I lost my family. I had nothing. That's when I gave it all to Jesus." Four people in a row stood and talked about how doing things their own way got them almost killed, in prison and without a family, but doing things God's way, or even better letting God do it for them has given them a new outlook and a second chance on their earth-bound life. I was thinking that these people can be such powerful witnesses to all the inmates. It made me think of a conversation I had with Jennifer before I went to the prison. I said that I can't imagine that God wanted any of these people to end up in prison. It just couldn't be what He had in mind for their purpose on earth. Jennifer said that God can use anyone anywhere, and that if their are Christians in the prison, God will use them. She was right again and it just serves as another reminder as to how great and powerful God is and how small and simple we are.
In the afternoon, six of us played basketball against some inmates. We had to play four games - 15 minute running halves - against four different teams. I got plenty of exercise. We played well and had fun, winning all four games by margins of 35, 3, 8 and 2. In the final game I hit the eventual game-winning three-pointer near the end of the game. In the second game, we played against a guy who was roughly 6' 1", lightning-quick with a decent jumper. He could get in the lane at ease and really light it up. He must have had 40 or 50 points. I found out later that he was 24, although his face looked 40, and he had been in and out of institutions since he was 14. I was thinking while we were playing how sports effectively allowed me to go to college for free for four years. This guy had more natural talent than I could dream about and he had been in prison for the better part of 10 years. Where was I 10 years ago for him? Where was anyone? He could be playing anywhere he wanted and could have a college degree to boot.
There wasn't a whole lot of conversation during the basketball games because we were dog-tired halfway through the second game. Before the third game, our correctional officer pulled us aside and told us we'd be playing against a group of guys that aren't allowed to be around other inmates. They have solitary cells and are in specific treatment programs all day long. I thought it was an interesting choice to let us be the first people they could interact with. They were all drug addicts who had been going through withdrawal since being arrested. They had claw marks and band-aids all over their necks, faces and arms. It was almost surreal.
Once the final game was done, we cooled off for a few minutes and headed back down the hall, stopping to say good-bye to everyone and getting about 1,000 'thank-yous' and 'it means a lot to us you being heres'. As we got our licenses back and headed out through the final two fences to get to our cars, I turned back and looked at what Satan probably thinks is his victory lane. I don't think so. I saw some things in there that encouraged me and reminded me again just how sovereign God is. Even though what we did was tiny on the big scale of things, I can tell that these inmates certainly were open to listening.
One of my favorite quotes from Leonard Ravenhill is, "God is not looking for a new definition of Christianity, He is looking for a new demonstration." That's all we can do right? Be a light that shines, be the salt of the earth. Make the other people wonder and want a piece of what we've been given. God was demonstrated in that prison which leaves me with hope.
If you can, please keep Steve Healy's sports ministry in your prayers as they do face a lot of garbage inside those prison walls. It's quite a calling he is leading. I'll be participating some more and passing on more updates.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
John Wesley
"Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergyman or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon the earth.”-John Wesley
"My ground is the Bible. Yea, I am a Bible-bigot. I follow it in all things, both great and small." John Wesley
"God frequently conceals the part which his children have in the conversion of other souls. Yet one may boldly say, that person who long groans before him for the conversion of another, whenever that soul is converted to God, is one of the chief causes of it.”-John Wesley
"To continual watchfulness and prayer ought to be added continual employment. For grace flies a vacuum as well as nature; and the devil fills whatever God does not fill.”-John Wesley
"When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn."-John Wesley
"Anything that cools my love for Christ is the world.”-John Wesley
"My ground is the Bible. Yea, I am a Bible-bigot. I follow it in all things, both great and small." John Wesley
"God frequently conceals the part which his children have in the conversion of other souls. Yet one may boldly say, that person who long groans before him for the conversion of another, whenever that soul is converted to God, is one of the chief causes of it.”-John Wesley
"To continual watchfulness and prayer ought to be added continual employment. For grace flies a vacuum as well as nature; and the devil fills whatever God does not fill.”-John Wesley
"When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn."-John Wesley
"Anything that cools my love for Christ is the world.”-John Wesley
Monday, August 6, 2007
6th Place Finish at Bloomington Tournament
The Resurrection Life Warriors improved on last year's finish at the Bloomington Assembly of God tournament with a sixth place finish. This year's team won its first two contests to play in the AA bracket with a chance at winning the whole tournament. However, a tough loss in game three pushed the Warriors into the tougher part of the bracket and a trouncing against Heartland ended the day for the team.
As the rain came down harder, the bats got a little slower and the legs a little heavier. The team put together a great effort and kept going until the day was over.
Game one was a 13-4 victory which was a lot closer than it sounds. Rez opened against St. Cloud's 1st Assembly of God and was leading just 4-3 heading into the final frame. However, in the top of the seventh, the bats got going. Jordan Schumack singled and moved to second on an error from the shortstop on substitute Neal's grounder. Jon Engbrecht then singled to load the bases. Jeff Johnson smacked a two-RBI single to make it 6-3 Warriors. Matt Shuster ripped his first hit of the day to load the bases for the top of the order. Jason Merritt grounded into a fielder's choice which erased Matt, but plated Jon. AJ then lifted what would have been a sacrifice fly to right field, but the fielder dropped the ball allowing Jeff to score, Jason to advance and AJ to reach. Austin Colby then lined a shot down the right-field line which easily plated Jason and AJ as Austin sprinted around third for his fourth inside-the-park homerun of the year and a 11-3 Rez Life lead.
With a nice lead, the bats kept it going as Chris Burr sent the next pitch to deep left-center for a solo shot. After a Lee Valle pop-out, Eric Johnson took a high pitch and sent it into the parking lot in left field to cap the scoring at 13 and secure the game.
1st Assembly pushed one across in the bottom half but the defense held and the Warriors advanced to round two.
Austin Colby earned Player of the Game honors with his 3-4 day at the plate including three runs scored, four RBI and a homerun.
Game two was against River Valley. River Valley had some good hitters and displayed quite a bit of pop at the top of its order. However, its bottom half struggled mightily and the Warrior bats were hot from the get-go and Rez Life coasted to an easy 25-11 victory.
The 25 runs were the most the team has scored all year. The team banged out 27 hits including 8 for extra bases. In the first three innings the team scored 5, 6, and 7 runs respectively taking an 18-4 lead. The teams traded runs the rest of the way and the game ended after six innings due to time constraints.
Both Austin and Chris had a team-high seven RBI in the game with Chris snagging Player of the Game honors going 4-4 with two runs, seven RBI and two triples. Austin and AJ each had four hits and AJ and Jason scored five runs from the top two spots in the order. Lee, Eric, and Neal all added three hits apiece as the entire lineup had at least one hit. Jeff Johnson ripped a solo homer.
Game three saw the rain begin to come down harder and colder. The team still played good defense, but the offense hit a snag early in the game and a last-inning rally fell just short with a bit of bad luck and the Warriors fell to Abundant Life 21-17. With a victory, the team would've been guaranteed a top 4 finish.
Abundant Life used all four of its homeruns and came out swinging. Rez Life trailed every inning and never could quite make up the early deficit. Trailing 21-10 heading into the bottom of the seventh with a strong rain falling, the team got things going. The team strung together nine straight runners reaching base and plated seven runs in the process. With no outs and the top of the order up, things looked promising. However, after Jason reached, AJ lined into a double-play and Austin roped one to third base for the final out.
Austin earned his second Player of the Game for the tournament with another seven RBI performance. He finished 3-5 with a triple and a three-run homer. Jason and AJ both had four hits and scored five runs between them. Neal again had three hits. Jeff launched his second homer of the tournament with a three-run shot. Matt and Jordan both had triples in the game.
The Warriors still had a chance to advance but ran into a buzz-saw called Heartland in game four. Heartland had a bye in the first round so they had a bit fresher legs. The Warriors were pretty much out of gas and as Heartland ripped off first and second innings of seven and eight runs respectively, the game was all but over. The final score was 29-7 with just Neal and Jon collecting multiple hits, with two each. Everyone else in the lineup had one and Jeff captured Player of the Game honors with a three-run homer, his third in three games.
In the four games, the team smoked 23 extra base hits with 9 doubles, 7 triples and 7 homeruns. Jeff hit three of the homers, Austin added two and Chris and Eric had one each.
Austin, AJ, and Chris all earned All-Tournament Team honors as each hit .600 or better on the day. AJ led the team by going 11-16 from the plate for a .688 average. He also reached base nearly every time finishing with an .824 on base percentage and scoring 10 runs in the process. Chris hit an even .600 but slugged a double, two triples and a homer to drive in 10 runs and score 5. Austin earned Tournament MVP for Rez Life with his .647 showing that including a slugging percentage of 1.353, two doubles, two triples, and two homeruns. He mashed a tournament-high 18 RBI and scored 9 runs in the four games.
That officially closes the book on the season and the team looks to re-tool for next year. Look for periodic updates throughout the offseason.
Great Tournament and Season Warriors!!
As the rain came down harder, the bats got a little slower and the legs a little heavier. The team put together a great effort and kept going until the day was over.
Game one was a 13-4 victory which was a lot closer than it sounds. Rez opened against St. Cloud's 1st Assembly of God and was leading just 4-3 heading into the final frame. However, in the top of the seventh, the bats got going. Jordan Schumack singled and moved to second on an error from the shortstop on substitute Neal's grounder. Jon Engbrecht then singled to load the bases. Jeff Johnson smacked a two-RBI single to make it 6-3 Warriors. Matt Shuster ripped his first hit of the day to load the bases for the top of the order. Jason Merritt grounded into a fielder's choice which erased Matt, but plated Jon. AJ then lifted what would have been a sacrifice fly to right field, but the fielder dropped the ball allowing Jeff to score, Jason to advance and AJ to reach. Austin Colby then lined a shot down the right-field line which easily plated Jason and AJ as Austin sprinted around third for his fourth inside-the-park homerun of the year and a 11-3 Rez Life lead.
With a nice lead, the bats kept it going as Chris Burr sent the next pitch to deep left-center for a solo shot. After a Lee Valle pop-out, Eric Johnson took a high pitch and sent it into the parking lot in left field to cap the scoring at 13 and secure the game.
1st Assembly pushed one across in the bottom half but the defense held and the Warriors advanced to round two.
Austin Colby earned Player of the Game honors with his 3-4 day at the plate including three runs scored, four RBI and a homerun.
Game two was against River Valley. River Valley had some good hitters and displayed quite a bit of pop at the top of its order. However, its bottom half struggled mightily and the Warrior bats were hot from the get-go and Rez Life coasted to an easy 25-11 victory.
The 25 runs were the most the team has scored all year. The team banged out 27 hits including 8 for extra bases. In the first three innings the team scored 5, 6, and 7 runs respectively taking an 18-4 lead. The teams traded runs the rest of the way and the game ended after six innings due to time constraints.
Both Austin and Chris had a team-high seven RBI in the game with Chris snagging Player of the Game honors going 4-4 with two runs, seven RBI and two triples. Austin and AJ each had four hits and AJ and Jason scored five runs from the top two spots in the order. Lee, Eric, and Neal all added three hits apiece as the entire lineup had at least one hit. Jeff Johnson ripped a solo homer.
Game three saw the rain begin to come down harder and colder. The team still played good defense, but the offense hit a snag early in the game and a last-inning rally fell just short with a bit of bad luck and the Warriors fell to Abundant Life 21-17. With a victory, the team would've been guaranteed a top 4 finish.
Abundant Life used all four of its homeruns and came out swinging. Rez Life trailed every inning and never could quite make up the early deficit. Trailing 21-10 heading into the bottom of the seventh with a strong rain falling, the team got things going. The team strung together nine straight runners reaching base and plated seven runs in the process. With no outs and the top of the order up, things looked promising. However, after Jason reached, AJ lined into a double-play and Austin roped one to third base for the final out.
Austin earned his second Player of the Game for the tournament with another seven RBI performance. He finished 3-5 with a triple and a three-run homer. Jason and AJ both had four hits and scored five runs between them. Neal again had three hits. Jeff launched his second homer of the tournament with a three-run shot. Matt and Jordan both had triples in the game.
The Warriors still had a chance to advance but ran into a buzz-saw called Heartland in game four. Heartland had a bye in the first round so they had a bit fresher legs. The Warriors were pretty much out of gas and as Heartland ripped off first and second innings of seven and eight runs respectively, the game was all but over. The final score was 29-7 with just Neal and Jon collecting multiple hits, with two each. Everyone else in the lineup had one and Jeff captured Player of the Game honors with a three-run homer, his third in three games.
In the four games, the team smoked 23 extra base hits with 9 doubles, 7 triples and 7 homeruns. Jeff hit three of the homers, Austin added two and Chris and Eric had one each.
Austin, AJ, and Chris all earned All-Tournament Team honors as each hit .600 or better on the day. AJ led the team by going 11-16 from the plate for a .688 average. He also reached base nearly every time finishing with an .824 on base percentage and scoring 10 runs in the process. Chris hit an even .600 but slugged a double, two triples and a homer to drive in 10 runs and score 5. Austin earned Tournament MVP for Rez Life with his .647 showing that including a slugging percentage of 1.353, two doubles, two triples, and two homeruns. He mashed a tournament-high 18 RBI and scored 9 runs in the four games.
That officially closes the book on the season and the team looks to re-tool for next year. Look for periodic updates throughout the offseason.
Great Tournament and Season Warriors!!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Man Verse The Second
In this summer of popular sequels,
The Rez Life softball team did its best at a repeat.
As the final 12-6 record indicates,
This team was indeed tough to beat.
Two five-game winning streaks
Sandwiched around one small, little skid
Made for a fun and eventful summer
As the Warriors played like kids.
We had lots of laughs and smiles
And we welcomed a couple new faces.
And of course we cheered and screamed
As our teammates rounded those bases.
Newcomer number one is our good friend Matt,
He heard, “Swing hard! Keep your weight back!”
Along with “Alright now Mr. Handsome!”
And did a fine job as part one of our very own Matt-Attack.
Part two of that combo is our dear pal Mr. Shuster,
Every year a joy to have on the team.
Both as a player and as our favorite bench coach,
This year he started sizzling, lining the ball as his bat screamed.
Next we have Jonathan E.
Again, our do-everything guy.
He plays infield, outfield and hits
All while designing planes, fit to spy.
Brendan Finn was a full-time slugger
As we coaxed him out to play.
He didn’t say much but he didn’t need to,
As his bat and glove certainly showed his way.
Jordan took the bump again
And did his best to fire those strikes.
He had an up and down year pitching,
But so did his pants as they sagged to his spikes.
Our final new player was Dr. Jamy.
He showed his talent and hit some bombs,
All while teaching us about subluxations
And why we shouldn’t be eating hot dogs.
Age is but a number.
That rings especially true for this guy.
Lee had a resurgent, youthful year,
He bombed three triples and around those bases he did fly!
Chris Burr is good.
There are no two ways about it.
He can play the field, hit and throw,
Even if his birthday candles now take a long time to get lit.
Jeff Johnson was back for another year,
He had a position change and switched to one-bag.
Although his stick wasn’t quite as loud as it has been,
His presence was felt and a few balls did he tag.
Nick is still slick as we told you last year,
And this season he continued down his smooth path.
He made a few dives, and stretched a few doubles,
But never broke a sweat and always waved to his fans.
Little brother AJ scurried through the year,
He’s still not tall but does swing a mighty bat.
His play in the middle was great, and he was solid at the plate,
He dove and snagged, and ran from home to first in 2.2 flat.
Eric stayed healthy but his power was not so,
His marriage may have kept him from finding his power stroke.
Or it could have been the random “drug testing,”
You’ve seen his rookie card, this may not be a joke.
Of course there is Austin, or me
I obviously love softball and all things with it.
I spent my days reviewing stats and video tape
And wrote the Man Verse and admit I actually enjoy it.
Well, there you have the team
Each one unique and important.
Next year will be just as fun
And I really can’t wait for it.
God Bless and Thanks for the Great Summer!!
The Rez Life softball team did its best at a repeat.
As the final 12-6 record indicates,
This team was indeed tough to beat.
Two five-game winning streaks
Sandwiched around one small, little skid
Made for a fun and eventful summer
As the Warriors played like kids.
We had lots of laughs and smiles
And we welcomed a couple new faces.
And of course we cheered and screamed
As our teammates rounded those bases.
Newcomer number one is our good friend Matt,
He heard, “Swing hard! Keep your weight back!”
Along with “Alright now Mr. Handsome!”
And did a fine job as part one of our very own Matt-Attack.
Part two of that combo is our dear pal Mr. Shuster,
Every year a joy to have on the team.
Both as a player and as our favorite bench coach,
This year he started sizzling, lining the ball as his bat screamed.
Next we have Jonathan E.
Again, our do-everything guy.
He plays infield, outfield and hits
All while designing planes, fit to spy.
Brendan Finn was a full-time slugger
As we coaxed him out to play.
He didn’t say much but he didn’t need to,
As his bat and glove certainly showed his way.
Jordan took the bump again
And did his best to fire those strikes.
He had an up and down year pitching,
But so did his pants as they sagged to his spikes.
Our final new player was Dr. Jamy.
He showed his talent and hit some bombs,
All while teaching us about subluxations
And why we shouldn’t be eating hot dogs.
Age is but a number.
That rings especially true for this guy.
Lee had a resurgent, youthful year,
He bombed three triples and around those bases he did fly!
Chris Burr is good.
There are no two ways about it.
He can play the field, hit and throw,
Even if his birthday candles now take a long time to get lit.
Jeff Johnson was back for another year,
He had a position change and switched to one-bag.
Although his stick wasn’t quite as loud as it has been,
His presence was felt and a few balls did he tag.
Nick is still slick as we told you last year,
And this season he continued down his smooth path.
He made a few dives, and stretched a few doubles,
But never broke a sweat and always waved to his fans.
Little brother AJ scurried through the year,
He’s still not tall but does swing a mighty bat.
His play in the middle was great, and he was solid at the plate,
He dove and snagged, and ran from home to first in 2.2 flat.
Eric stayed healthy but his power was not so,
His marriage may have kept him from finding his power stroke.
Or it could have been the random “drug testing,”
You’ve seen his rookie card, this may not be a joke.
Of course there is Austin, or me
I obviously love softball and all things with it.
I spent my days reviewing stats and video tape
And wrote the Man Verse and admit I actually enjoy it.
Well, there you have the team
Each one unique and important.
Next year will be just as fun
And I really can’t wait for it.
God Bless and Thanks for the Great Summer!!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Awards and Honors
League Honors:
1st Team All-League OF: Chris Burr
1st Team All-League Utility: Brendan Finn
1st Team All-League IF: Austin Colby
2nd Team All-League OF: Nick Larson
2nd Team All-League IF: AJ Larson
2nd Team All-League Utility: Eric Johnson
Gold Glove: Chris Burr
Gold Glove: AJ Larson
Gold Glove: Brendan Finn
Team Honors:
MVP: Chris Burr - Chris had a great year of consistency and production. He anchored the lineup from the three and four holes all season and hit .631 (third on team) with 33 runs (2nd) and 32 RBI (tied for 1st). He smacked out 6 doubles, 1 triple and 7 homeruns. While his average slowing dipped below .700 in the final weeks of the year, his production numbers went way up as he jacked 6 of his 7 homeruns in the final 9 contests. He also handled 44 chances between the outfield and first base without an error.
Utility Man: Jon Engbrecht - For the second year in a row, Jon played nearly every position on the field. The best part is that he did it with class and ability. He was very good in the infield at both second and third by the end of the season and was reliable in the outfield to boot. You could always count on Jon to play hard and smile no matter where he’s at.
Solid as a Rock: Austin Colby and Lee Valle – These two players were very consistent throughout the entire season. They handled the majority of the duties on the left-side of the infield and did it well. Offensively, they were on base a ton for the hitters behind them and could be counted on for consistent contact.
Justin Morneau: Eric Johnson and Nick Larson – As predicted, Eric had a monster surge at the end of the season. He started it just a bit late to put up great overall numbers, but in his last 5 games he hit .762 with 10 runs, 10 RBI, 3 doubles and 2 homeruns. Nick hit .640 with a .670 oba and a 1.000 slg in his final 8 games. That included 3 doubles and 3 triples.
Most Pleasant Surprise: Jamy Antoine – Jamy showed he has a lot of talent on the field and with another year of consistent play he could be a force. In his first year with the team and his first year of playing in a long time, he swatted 3 triples and 3 homeruns while leading the team with 8 walks.
Best Substitute: Jason Merritt – No offense to Jason, but he kind of wins by default. Where in 2006 the team struggled to get 10 guys to a game, this year Jason was needed for just three games. He played flawless in the outfield and infield in those games and also went 4-6 and captured one Player of the Game award.
Streaky Pete: Matt Hanson and Matt Shuster – The Matt-Attack just couldn’t get enough of each other all year. Shuster started the year on fire getting 13 hits in his first 20 at bats for a .650 average. However, he then cooled off quickly ending the season in a 4-23 slump. Hanson’s streaks were much smaller in time but just as quirky. He started his first-ever softball campaign without a hit in seven at bats. Then he ripped out four hits in the next five at bats. He followed that with nine more hitless at bats. He came back with three straight hits again and finished it off with five straight at bats without finding a hole. Once these two boys figure out what they’re doing during the hot times, watch out.
Most Quotable: Matt Hanson – Matt is very self-aware and knows what his limitations are on a softball field. However, his quick wit and off-the-cuff remarks can still catch you off guard if you’re not used to it. Matt, what do you do for a living? “I drive trains.” After watching Austin hit 6 or 7 straight homers in batting practice Matt states, “So, you can hit those pretty much when you want to right?” Austin replies, “Most of the time, yes.” Matt ponders it and replies, “How do I do that?” Austin is speechless. When batting second for the first time Matt drives one to the warning track for his then-longest hit. Team slaps him on the back and says nice rip, just missed one. Matt calmly whispers to Austin, “I thought I’d give it a ride since I was batting near the top.” Looking forward to more quips from this guy in the future.
Captain Clutch: Nick Larson and Eric Johnson – Nick displayed the uncanny ability to get on base nearly all the time from the 5th inning and on. That was huge for the team as Nick hit .833 with 5 RBI in those late inning situations. Eric had a team high 18 hits with runners in scoring position and a .667 average (60 points above his season average). He also mashed in late-inning situations, hitting .813 with two homeruns and 11 RBI.
Make It Count: Jeff Johnson, Jamy Antoine, and Jordan Schumack – These three boys may not have had the highest batting averages but when they hit the ball they produced runs. Each one averaged more than one RBI per base hit, the only players on the team to do so. Jeff led the team with 1.44 RBI per hit as he drove in 23 on the year. Jamy had 25 RBI on his 21 hits, including 3 three-run homers, which amounts to 1.19 RBI/hit. And Jordan knocked in 20 runs on his 19 hits for a 1.05 RBI/hit.
Start ‘Em Up: Jon Engbrecht and Lee Valle – These two boys knew how to start rallies as they reached base consistently and a lot. Jon had an on base percentage more than 30% higher than his batting average and was on base every game except one. Lee had an on base percentage 20% higher than his batting average and was on base twice or more in every game except two. Nice work getting things going.
Best Battery Combo: Jordan Schumack and Matt Shuster – While the team tried several different combinations at pitcher and catcher this year, the most favorite one is still Jordan tossing to Shuster. Watching Jordan’s fist pumps or head shakes depending on which way the pitch goes is still priceless. Matt managed 9 putouts as a catcher this year which is a lot and he always is bouncing around back there and having a good time. These two play well together.
Most Overdue Homerun: Eric Johnson and Jon Engbrecht – How does Jon not hit more homers? He’s big and strong and has the capabilities to assemble a bat that would most likely have more pop than all of $300+ bats combined. Well, he went all of 2006 without one and knocked one out of the park in his second to last game this year. We’ll be looking for a couple more next year. Eric is a whole different story. In 2003, Eric hit 12 homers, good for second on the team. The following year he was even better with 14 homers also good for second. In 2005 the team shifted to a non-homer park and Eric still managed 4 homeruns which led the team. Last year, in limited playing time because of injury, Eric mashed out 7 homers which was second on the squad. What does he do in 2007? He waits 44 at bats before hitting his first homer. There were some whispers around the clubhouse as to what caused this power outage, but it could very well have something to do with the newly enforced 10-game suspension rules for performance-enhancing drugs. I’m not making any accusations, I’m just pointing out the “coincidence.”
Most Helpful Fan: Kelli Johnson – Kelli was very willing to help videotape this year. This was a new experiment for the team and she captured around 10 games on film which was fun for Austin as he was able to put a few highlight clips on the blog. Next year, we’ll try to improve our format and get multiple angles. Thanks a lot to Kelli!!
1st Team All-League OF: Chris Burr
1st Team All-League Utility: Brendan Finn
1st Team All-League IF: Austin Colby
2nd Team All-League OF: Nick Larson
2nd Team All-League IF: AJ Larson
2nd Team All-League Utility: Eric Johnson
Gold Glove: Chris Burr
Gold Glove: AJ Larson
Gold Glove: Brendan Finn
Team Honors:
MVP: Chris Burr - Chris had a great year of consistency and production. He anchored the lineup from the three and four holes all season and hit .631 (third on team) with 33 runs (2nd) and 32 RBI (tied for 1st). He smacked out 6 doubles, 1 triple and 7 homeruns. While his average slowing dipped below .700 in the final weeks of the year, his production numbers went way up as he jacked 6 of his 7 homeruns in the final 9 contests. He also handled 44 chances between the outfield and first base without an error.
Utility Man: Jon Engbrecht - For the second year in a row, Jon played nearly every position on the field. The best part is that he did it with class and ability. He was very good in the infield at both second and third by the end of the season and was reliable in the outfield to boot. You could always count on Jon to play hard and smile no matter where he’s at.
Solid as a Rock: Austin Colby and Lee Valle – These two players were very consistent throughout the entire season. They handled the majority of the duties on the left-side of the infield and did it well. Offensively, they were on base a ton for the hitters behind them and could be counted on for consistent contact.
Justin Morneau: Eric Johnson and Nick Larson – As predicted, Eric had a monster surge at the end of the season. He started it just a bit late to put up great overall numbers, but in his last 5 games he hit .762 with 10 runs, 10 RBI, 3 doubles and 2 homeruns. Nick hit .640 with a .670 oba and a 1.000 slg in his final 8 games. That included 3 doubles and 3 triples.
Most Pleasant Surprise: Jamy Antoine – Jamy showed he has a lot of talent on the field and with another year of consistent play he could be a force. In his first year with the team and his first year of playing in a long time, he swatted 3 triples and 3 homeruns while leading the team with 8 walks.
Best Substitute: Jason Merritt – No offense to Jason, but he kind of wins by default. Where in 2006 the team struggled to get 10 guys to a game, this year Jason was needed for just three games. He played flawless in the outfield and infield in those games and also went 4-6 and captured one Player of the Game award.
Streaky Pete: Matt Hanson and Matt Shuster – The Matt-Attack just couldn’t get enough of each other all year. Shuster started the year on fire getting 13 hits in his first 20 at bats for a .650 average. However, he then cooled off quickly ending the season in a 4-23 slump. Hanson’s streaks were much smaller in time but just as quirky. He started his first-ever softball campaign without a hit in seven at bats. Then he ripped out four hits in the next five at bats. He followed that with nine more hitless at bats. He came back with three straight hits again and finished it off with five straight at bats without finding a hole. Once these two boys figure out what they’re doing during the hot times, watch out.
Most Quotable: Matt Hanson – Matt is very self-aware and knows what his limitations are on a softball field. However, his quick wit and off-the-cuff remarks can still catch you off guard if you’re not used to it. Matt, what do you do for a living? “I drive trains.” After watching Austin hit 6 or 7 straight homers in batting practice Matt states, “So, you can hit those pretty much when you want to right?” Austin replies, “Most of the time, yes.” Matt ponders it and replies, “How do I do that?” Austin is speechless. When batting second for the first time Matt drives one to the warning track for his then-longest hit. Team slaps him on the back and says nice rip, just missed one. Matt calmly whispers to Austin, “I thought I’d give it a ride since I was batting near the top.” Looking forward to more quips from this guy in the future.
Captain Clutch: Nick Larson and Eric Johnson – Nick displayed the uncanny ability to get on base nearly all the time from the 5th inning and on. That was huge for the team as Nick hit .833 with 5 RBI in those late inning situations. Eric had a team high 18 hits with runners in scoring position and a .667 average (60 points above his season average). He also mashed in late-inning situations, hitting .813 with two homeruns and 11 RBI.
Make It Count: Jeff Johnson, Jamy Antoine, and Jordan Schumack – These three boys may not have had the highest batting averages but when they hit the ball they produced runs. Each one averaged more than one RBI per base hit, the only players on the team to do so. Jeff led the team with 1.44 RBI per hit as he drove in 23 on the year. Jamy had 25 RBI on his 21 hits, including 3 three-run homers, which amounts to 1.19 RBI/hit. And Jordan knocked in 20 runs on his 19 hits for a 1.05 RBI/hit.
Start ‘Em Up: Jon Engbrecht and Lee Valle – These two boys knew how to start rallies as they reached base consistently and a lot. Jon had an on base percentage more than 30% higher than his batting average and was on base every game except one. Lee had an on base percentage 20% higher than his batting average and was on base twice or more in every game except two. Nice work getting things going.
Best Battery Combo: Jordan Schumack and Matt Shuster – While the team tried several different combinations at pitcher and catcher this year, the most favorite one is still Jordan tossing to Shuster. Watching Jordan’s fist pumps or head shakes depending on which way the pitch goes is still priceless. Matt managed 9 putouts as a catcher this year which is a lot and he always is bouncing around back there and having a good time. These two play well together.
Most Overdue Homerun: Eric Johnson and Jon Engbrecht – How does Jon not hit more homers? He’s big and strong and has the capabilities to assemble a bat that would most likely have more pop than all of $300+ bats combined. Well, he went all of 2006 without one and knocked one out of the park in his second to last game this year. We’ll be looking for a couple more next year. Eric is a whole different story. In 2003, Eric hit 12 homers, good for second on the team. The following year he was even better with 14 homers also good for second. In 2005 the team shifted to a non-homer park and Eric still managed 4 homeruns which led the team. Last year, in limited playing time because of injury, Eric mashed out 7 homers which was second on the squad. What does he do in 2007? He waits 44 at bats before hitting his first homer. There were some whispers around the clubhouse as to what caused this power outage, but it could very well have something to do with the newly enforced 10-game suspension rules for performance-enhancing drugs. I’m not making any accusations, I’m just pointing out the “coincidence.”
Most Helpful Fan: Kelli Johnson – Kelli was very willing to help videotape this year. This was a new experiment for the team and she captured around 10 games on film which was fun for Austin as he was able to put a few highlight clips on the blog. Next year, we’ll try to improve our format and get multiple angles. Thanks a lot to Kelli!!
End of Season Report
The end of the 2007 summer softball season is upon us and the Resurrection Life Warriors finished another successful season with a record of 12-6. The Warriors improved greatly as the year went on and had two separate five game winning streaks.
The team opened the season with a drubbing of Immanuel, 24-5 before having its worst offensive performance in years in game two, a 12-0 loss to eventual league-champion Life. Game three saw the start of the team’s first five-game winning streak with a comfortable 9-1 win over Wooddale. In game four the bats really started to click as the team whooped Pax Christi 13-2 to move its record to 3-1. Game five and six were a little closer as the team came from behind in the last inning to defeat St. Andrew Red 19-16 and the following week the offense exploded for 21 runs in the first two innings and then fell asleep but held on for a 21-12 win over St. Andrew Blue.
The final victory in the winning streak was a close, 18-14 contest versus Eden Prairie Assembly of God. After the big winning streak, the team suffered a bit of a let down, losing to nemesis Living Word 26-18 before laying a big egg against over-matched Immanuel in a 7-3 loss. With a chance to avenge its week two loss to Life, the Warriors narrowly missed the opportunity, falling 15-14 in a great game.
After the three-game skid, the Warriors split their next two games, beating Wooddale 17-3 in a laugher before dropping the next game to Living Word 17-12, bringing their season record to 7-5. Living Word was just too much to handle in that game.
The next five games were all victories pushing Rez Life’s record to 12-5 and setting up a final-game showdown with 13-4 Living Word. The first game of the streak was a boring 10-4 over Pax and the second win was a controlled 18-12 victory over St. Andrew Red. In game 15 of the season, St. Andrew Blue again had to deal with early hot bats versus the Warriors and again the Warriors put 21 on the board to coast to a 21-2 win. EPAG provided another tough game the following week as Rez squeaked out an 8-4 win. The final game of the streak came against Wooddale and the team handled them easily again, winning 14-1 and completing the season three-game sweep by a margin of 40-5.
The final game of the year pitted the Warriors against their rivals from 06 who are clearly the most talented team in the league. It was a great game as the Warriors clung to a lead for most of the game only to lose in the 8th inning and end their season in defeat, at 12-6.
Next year Rez Life will have two teams to make amends with as Living Word swept the season-series 3-0 and Life beat the Warriors both times including the 12-0 shutout.
The team didn’t mash the ball as well this year as it has in years passed, but the bats were still very competitive. Four Rez Life hitters managed to post averages over .600 with another two players reaching the .600 plateau in on base percentage. The team slugging percentage was down quite a bit this year, but still sat right at .800 for the season.
The big boppers this year were Austin Colby, Brendan Finn and Chris Burr. Austin had 11 homers to go along with his team-high 13 doubles while Finn finished with 9 doubles and 6 homeruns. Chris added 6 doubles and finished second on the team with his 7 homers. Both Jeff Johnson and newcomer Jamy Antoine added three homeruns each.
What this year’s team lacked in offensive prowess, it more than made up for it with its defensive intensity. 2007 marked the finest defensive year that Rez Life has had during my tenure on the team. Hands down. The infield was outstanding, led by the trio of AJ Larson, Austin, and Lee Valle. Jeff was very good in his first season at first base and with another year under his belt he’ll be that much better next season. AJ finished the year with a fielding percentage over 92% which is top-notch for infielders. He handled a lot of the shortstop duties as well when Austin was paroling the outfield. Lee had a very solid year at the hot corner, having a hand in five double plays with a fielding percentage over 85%.
Jordan Schumack and Matt Shuster handled the majority of the battery duties and really got into a groove down the stretch.
The outfield was extremely solid as usual with Chris, Nick Larson and Finn being the three standards out there. Jon Engbrecht, Jamy, Eric and Austin all got some quality innings out there and contributed. By the end of the season Matt Hanson was chasing flyballs around and getting lots of innings in the grass as well.
The team finished in third place, down a notch from last year’s 2nd place finish and 12-5-1 record. In two years the Warriors have compiled a record of 24-11-1 with a 2nd and 3rd place finish to their credit. Next year, the team will take aim at the crown and look to knock off the previous years’ defending champions.
Congratulations to the team on another fun and successful season!
The team opened the season with a drubbing of Immanuel, 24-5 before having its worst offensive performance in years in game two, a 12-0 loss to eventual league-champion Life. Game three saw the start of the team’s first five-game winning streak with a comfortable 9-1 win over Wooddale. In game four the bats really started to click as the team whooped Pax Christi 13-2 to move its record to 3-1. Game five and six were a little closer as the team came from behind in the last inning to defeat St. Andrew Red 19-16 and the following week the offense exploded for 21 runs in the first two innings and then fell asleep but held on for a 21-12 win over St. Andrew Blue.
The final victory in the winning streak was a close, 18-14 contest versus Eden Prairie Assembly of God. After the big winning streak, the team suffered a bit of a let down, losing to nemesis Living Word 26-18 before laying a big egg against over-matched Immanuel in a 7-3 loss. With a chance to avenge its week two loss to Life, the Warriors narrowly missed the opportunity, falling 15-14 in a great game.
After the three-game skid, the Warriors split their next two games, beating Wooddale 17-3 in a laugher before dropping the next game to Living Word 17-12, bringing their season record to 7-5. Living Word was just too much to handle in that game.
The next five games were all victories pushing Rez Life’s record to 12-5 and setting up a final-game showdown with 13-4 Living Word. The first game of the streak was a boring 10-4 over Pax and the second win was a controlled 18-12 victory over St. Andrew Red. In game 15 of the season, St. Andrew Blue again had to deal with early hot bats versus the Warriors and again the Warriors put 21 on the board to coast to a 21-2 win. EPAG provided another tough game the following week as Rez squeaked out an 8-4 win. The final game of the streak came against Wooddale and the team handled them easily again, winning 14-1 and completing the season three-game sweep by a margin of 40-5.
The final game of the year pitted the Warriors against their rivals from 06 who are clearly the most talented team in the league. It was a great game as the Warriors clung to a lead for most of the game only to lose in the 8th inning and end their season in defeat, at 12-6.
Next year Rez Life will have two teams to make amends with as Living Word swept the season-series 3-0 and Life beat the Warriors both times including the 12-0 shutout.
The team didn’t mash the ball as well this year as it has in years passed, but the bats were still very competitive. Four Rez Life hitters managed to post averages over .600 with another two players reaching the .600 plateau in on base percentage. The team slugging percentage was down quite a bit this year, but still sat right at .800 for the season.
The big boppers this year were Austin Colby, Brendan Finn and Chris Burr. Austin had 11 homers to go along with his team-high 13 doubles while Finn finished with 9 doubles and 6 homeruns. Chris added 6 doubles and finished second on the team with his 7 homers. Both Jeff Johnson and newcomer Jamy Antoine added three homeruns each.
What this year’s team lacked in offensive prowess, it more than made up for it with its defensive intensity. 2007 marked the finest defensive year that Rez Life has had during my tenure on the team. Hands down. The infield was outstanding, led by the trio of AJ Larson, Austin, and Lee Valle. Jeff was very good in his first season at first base and with another year under his belt he’ll be that much better next season. AJ finished the year with a fielding percentage over 92% which is top-notch for infielders. He handled a lot of the shortstop duties as well when Austin was paroling the outfield. Lee had a very solid year at the hot corner, having a hand in five double plays with a fielding percentage over 85%.
Jordan Schumack and Matt Shuster handled the majority of the battery duties and really got into a groove down the stretch.
The outfield was extremely solid as usual with Chris, Nick Larson and Finn being the three standards out there. Jon Engbrecht, Jamy, Eric and Austin all got some quality innings out there and contributed. By the end of the season Matt Hanson was chasing flyballs around and getting lots of innings in the grass as well.
The team finished in third place, down a notch from last year’s 2nd place finish and 12-5-1 record. In two years the Warriors have compiled a record of 24-11-1 with a 2nd and 3rd place finish to their credit. Next year, the team will take aim at the crown and look to knock off the previous years’ defending champions.
Congratulations to the team on another fun and successful season!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Season Ends With a Split
The Rez Life Warriors finished up the regular season with a hard-fought split, winning the opener 14-1 over Wooddale and losing a heartbreaker 18-15 in 8 innings against Living Word. The victory against Wooddale marked the fifth in a row for Rez Life and put them in position to tie for second place with a win in the nightcap. However, Living Word came from behind and took its first lead in the top of the 8th and held on for the victory, pushing the Warriors into 3rd place with a final record of 12-6.
Game one wasn't close, as expected, and the Warriors rolled to the 13-run victory via 10-run rule after six innings. The team used two 5-run innings , the second and sixth, to open the game up and finish it off. Eight players had multiple hits with Eric Johnson and Austin Colby ripping out four apiece. Eric earned his first Player of the Game of the season with three runs scored, three RBI, a double and his second homerun of the year.
Things got going with one out in the top of the second inning as Eric singled and moved to second on AJ Larson's single. Chris Burr then deposited his first of two three-run homers on the day deep into the left-field trees to make it 3-0. Matt Hanson followed wtih a single and scooted home after Austin lined his 11th homerun of the season down the right-field line, making it 5-0.
Wooddale scored its only run of the game in the bottom half using two singles and taking advantage of a defensive miscue. The bats were silent again until the fourth when the Warriors added two more on three hits. Matt Hanson singled and went to third on Austin's double. After an out, Jordan Schumack ripped a two-RBI single to push the lead to six, 7-1 Rez.
Jordan worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth by striking out consecutive batters to end the inning. The offense responded with two more runs. This time, Lee Valle started things with a triple and jogged home on Eric's two-run shot.
In the top of the sixth, the Warriors put an exclamation point on their victory with five more runs. Jordan and Jamy Antoine singled to start the inning and both runners scored on a wild throw from the shortstop on Jeff Johnson's grounder. With Jeff at second, Lee singled and Eric followed with an RBI-single to score Jeff. A forceout cut down Lee at third for the first out and then Chris singled to plate Eric, making it 13-1 Rez. Another grounder provided the second out and Austin capped the scoring with a run-scoring double off the wall.
The defense was very good in the game, with Lee recording five putouts at third base to go along with his one assist.
Game two promised to be a barn-burner as the two most talented teams faced off for second place. Living Word, sporting its full lineup, was the most formidable team in the league all year. Living Word beat Rez 26-18 in a slugfest in the first meeting and handled the Warriors 17-12 in a game that saw the Warriors twice come back from 10+ run deficits. This game went the other way as Rez had leads of 7-0, 11-4 and 14-12 before falling in the extra frame.
The end of the seventh inning was controversial but the Warriors had the perfect opportunity to end the game and failed to do so.
Things started well as the offense exploded for seven runs in the top of the first inning. Lee led off with a single and Austin followed with a single out of the two-hole. Chris popped up for the first out but the shortstop fired the ball to the pitcher who couldn't handle the throw and the ball went out of play, allowing the runners to advance one base. AJ singled which plated Lee and moved Austin to third. Eric then popped foul but the shortstop's momentum carried him out of play, allowing Austin to score and move AJ to second. Jamy then singled to score AJ and make it 3-0 with two outs. Jordan followed with a double that scored Jamy and Matt Shuster singled to push Jordan to third. Jeff delivered the big blow launching a three-run homer to make it 7-0.
Living Word answered with four runs in the bottom half using two singles and a three-run homer to start its scoring. With two outs, two singles sandwiched a walk to plate the fourth run.
In the second, the top of the order produced again. Lee and Austin singled back-to-back and Chris drilled a three-run homer to center giving the Warriors a 10-4 advantage. AJ singled and Eric doubled to plate him making it 11-4. Still with no outs, Jamy walked to make it first and second. However, three straight pop-ups ended the inning.
The defense held strong versus Living Word's bottom half of the order, keeping them off the scoreboard. The first two batters singled, but Lee made a very nice unassisted double-play at third for the first two outs and Chris snagged a flyball to end the inning.
A two-out double from Austin in the third inning was wasted and Living Word bounced back with three runs in the bottom half making it a four-run game, 11-7. Living Word used four hits and a sacrifice fly to score the three runs.
Leading 11-7, the Warriors managed one more run in the fourth after AJ led off with a triple to right. Eric singled to score AJ but a popout and back-to-back grounders capped the frame, 12-7.
Living Word had its biggest inning tying the game with five runs in the bottom half. An error started the inning and after a pop-up Living Word drilled a two-run homer to make 12-9 with one out. A single, walk and a two-out three-run homer tied the game.
In the fifth, the Warriors were shutout again wasting a lead-off walk from Jeff. Thankfully, the defense held ground in the bottom half, keeping Living Word off the books also.
Chris started the sixth with a single and moved to second on AJ's walk. Eric Johnson lined his third hit of the game to score Chris and after a flyball advanced AJ to third, Jordan lined one to left that allowed AJ to score making it 14-12.
With just two minutes left on the game clock, Living Word came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. For the first time all season, the Warriors actually wanted the game to end via time limit but because of three straight slick catches from Austin and Chris in the outfield, the inning lasted just 100 seconds leaving enough time for the umpire to call the "flip/flop" rule letting Living Word bat to start the seventh inning. With its stud hitter due on deck and most likely going to hit the team's fourth and final homer, Living Word's three-hitter came through with a huge lead-off single. As estimated, the Living Word four-hitter hit a ball over the grass and the first parking lot to tie the game at 14. However, the good thing was that any additional homers would result in an out. After another single, the next three batters went down quietly, leaving the score tied at 14 with the Warriors coming to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
With the 9 and 10 hitters coming up, things couldn't have started better for Rez Life. Jeff walked on three pitches to open the inning and Matt Hanson lined a single to center on the next pitch. Unfortunately, the liner looked a little deceiving off the bat so Jeff had to hold up for just a split second and the left-center fielder was able to field the ball and gun to second to nail Jeff by a step for a forceout. However, Lee came through out of the lead-off spot with a single to put two on for Austin and Chris. The Warriors were feeling pretty good about their chances. After a short infield conference, Living Word chose to pitch to Austin, mainly because Chris was waiting on deck. With a deepened outfield, Austin drilled one to deep left-center only to have it caught by the left-center fielder. Living Word then pitched very carefully to Chris and threw the final ball over his head to ensure that he didn't swing, loading the bases for AJ with two outs. AJ was perfect on the night thus far, 3-3 with a walk and he laced the 1-1 pitch back up the middle. The pitcher stabbed it as he fell towards first base. The first baseman thought the ball would get by so he hadn't covered first and a footrace was on. The pitcher had just 30 feet to run and AJ had 60 but the pitcher knew he'd have to hurry. He ran so hard that as he reached AJ just 5 feet in front of first, he was unable to slow down enough to tag AJ as AJ slammed on the brakes. AJ avoided the tag and touched first, seemingly ending the game, 15-14 Warriors. That wasn't the case according to the umpire. The umpire called AJ out, not having a good view of the play as AJ was running away from him at the time. Living Word was very grateful for the opportunity to play the one extra inning as evidenced by the smiling and laughing caught on film by the pitcher and shortstop.
In the extra frame, a runner starts on second with one out. The first batter singled to make it first and third with one out. The next batter hit a chopper down the line at third that Lee knocked down, holding the runner at third from scoring but loading the bases with still one out. The next hitter singled to score one run and give Living Word its first lead of the game, 15-14. The next batter grounded to AJ who forced a runner at second for the second out, but a second run scored making it 16-14 with runners on first and third and two outs. The next hitter delivered the back-breaker, lining a ball to the wall in right-center scoring the two runners making it 18-14. Thankfully, Jamy made a nice relay throw to Eric who gunned the batter at home saving another run.
The bottom of the eighth went quickly for Rez Life. AJ started on second with one out and Eric singled to score him and make it 18-15 with one out. The next two batters got out to end the game and the season for the Warriors.
AJ earned Player of the Game with his 3-4 performance with one walk and a triple. He scored a season-high five runs and narrowly missed ending the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Life captured the league crown with a final record of 15-3. Living Word finished second at 14-4 with the Warriors coming in third at 12-6. The team now regroups and plays the Bloomington Assembly of God tournament this Saturday before calling it a season and re-tooling for next year.
Game one wasn't close, as expected, and the Warriors rolled to the 13-run victory via 10-run rule after six innings. The team used two 5-run innings , the second and sixth, to open the game up and finish it off. Eight players had multiple hits with Eric Johnson and Austin Colby ripping out four apiece. Eric earned his first Player of the Game of the season with three runs scored, three RBI, a double and his second homerun of the year.
Things got going with one out in the top of the second inning as Eric singled and moved to second on AJ Larson's single. Chris Burr then deposited his first of two three-run homers on the day deep into the left-field trees to make it 3-0. Matt Hanson followed wtih a single and scooted home after Austin lined his 11th homerun of the season down the right-field line, making it 5-0.
Wooddale scored its only run of the game in the bottom half using two singles and taking advantage of a defensive miscue. The bats were silent again until the fourth when the Warriors added two more on three hits. Matt Hanson singled and went to third on Austin's double. After an out, Jordan Schumack ripped a two-RBI single to push the lead to six, 7-1 Rez.
Jordan worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth by striking out consecutive batters to end the inning. The offense responded with two more runs. This time, Lee Valle started things with a triple and jogged home on Eric's two-run shot.
In the top of the sixth, the Warriors put an exclamation point on their victory with five more runs. Jordan and Jamy Antoine singled to start the inning and both runners scored on a wild throw from the shortstop on Jeff Johnson's grounder. With Jeff at second, Lee singled and Eric followed with an RBI-single to score Jeff. A forceout cut down Lee at third for the first out and then Chris singled to plate Eric, making it 13-1 Rez. Another grounder provided the second out and Austin capped the scoring with a run-scoring double off the wall.
The defense was very good in the game, with Lee recording five putouts at third base to go along with his one assist.
Game two promised to be a barn-burner as the two most talented teams faced off for second place. Living Word, sporting its full lineup, was the most formidable team in the league all year. Living Word beat Rez 26-18 in a slugfest in the first meeting and handled the Warriors 17-12 in a game that saw the Warriors twice come back from 10+ run deficits. This game went the other way as Rez had leads of 7-0, 11-4 and 14-12 before falling in the extra frame.
The end of the seventh inning was controversial but the Warriors had the perfect opportunity to end the game and failed to do so.
Things started well as the offense exploded for seven runs in the top of the first inning. Lee led off with a single and Austin followed with a single out of the two-hole. Chris popped up for the first out but the shortstop fired the ball to the pitcher who couldn't handle the throw and the ball went out of play, allowing the runners to advance one base. AJ singled which plated Lee and moved Austin to third. Eric then popped foul but the shortstop's momentum carried him out of play, allowing Austin to score and move AJ to second. Jamy then singled to score AJ and make it 3-0 with two outs. Jordan followed with a double that scored Jamy and Matt Shuster singled to push Jordan to third. Jeff delivered the big blow launching a three-run homer to make it 7-0.
Living Word answered with four runs in the bottom half using two singles and a three-run homer to start its scoring. With two outs, two singles sandwiched a walk to plate the fourth run.
In the second, the top of the order produced again. Lee and Austin singled back-to-back and Chris drilled a three-run homer to center giving the Warriors a 10-4 advantage. AJ singled and Eric doubled to plate him making it 11-4. Still with no outs, Jamy walked to make it first and second. However, three straight pop-ups ended the inning.
The defense held strong versus Living Word's bottom half of the order, keeping them off the scoreboard. The first two batters singled, but Lee made a very nice unassisted double-play at third for the first two outs and Chris snagged a flyball to end the inning.
A two-out double from Austin in the third inning was wasted and Living Word bounced back with three runs in the bottom half making it a four-run game, 11-7. Living Word used four hits and a sacrifice fly to score the three runs.
Leading 11-7, the Warriors managed one more run in the fourth after AJ led off with a triple to right. Eric singled to score AJ but a popout and back-to-back grounders capped the frame, 12-7.
Living Word had its biggest inning tying the game with five runs in the bottom half. An error started the inning and after a pop-up Living Word drilled a two-run homer to make 12-9 with one out. A single, walk and a two-out three-run homer tied the game.
In the fifth, the Warriors were shutout again wasting a lead-off walk from Jeff. Thankfully, the defense held ground in the bottom half, keeping Living Word off the books also.
Chris started the sixth with a single and moved to second on AJ's walk. Eric Johnson lined his third hit of the game to score Chris and after a flyball advanced AJ to third, Jordan lined one to left that allowed AJ to score making it 14-12.
With just two minutes left on the game clock, Living Word came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. For the first time all season, the Warriors actually wanted the game to end via time limit but because of three straight slick catches from Austin and Chris in the outfield, the inning lasted just 100 seconds leaving enough time for the umpire to call the "flip/flop" rule letting Living Word bat to start the seventh inning. With its stud hitter due on deck and most likely going to hit the team's fourth and final homer, Living Word's three-hitter came through with a huge lead-off single. As estimated, the Living Word four-hitter hit a ball over the grass and the first parking lot to tie the game at 14. However, the good thing was that any additional homers would result in an out. After another single, the next three batters went down quietly, leaving the score tied at 14 with the Warriors coming to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
With the 9 and 10 hitters coming up, things couldn't have started better for Rez Life. Jeff walked on three pitches to open the inning and Matt Hanson lined a single to center on the next pitch. Unfortunately, the liner looked a little deceiving off the bat so Jeff had to hold up for just a split second and the left-center fielder was able to field the ball and gun to second to nail Jeff by a step for a forceout. However, Lee came through out of the lead-off spot with a single to put two on for Austin and Chris. The Warriors were feeling pretty good about their chances. After a short infield conference, Living Word chose to pitch to Austin, mainly because Chris was waiting on deck. With a deepened outfield, Austin drilled one to deep left-center only to have it caught by the left-center fielder. Living Word then pitched very carefully to Chris and threw the final ball over his head to ensure that he didn't swing, loading the bases for AJ with two outs. AJ was perfect on the night thus far, 3-3 with a walk and he laced the 1-1 pitch back up the middle. The pitcher stabbed it as he fell towards first base. The first baseman thought the ball would get by so he hadn't covered first and a footrace was on. The pitcher had just 30 feet to run and AJ had 60 but the pitcher knew he'd have to hurry. He ran so hard that as he reached AJ just 5 feet in front of first, he was unable to slow down enough to tag AJ as AJ slammed on the brakes. AJ avoided the tag and touched first, seemingly ending the game, 15-14 Warriors. That wasn't the case according to the umpire. The umpire called AJ out, not having a good view of the play as AJ was running away from him at the time. Living Word was very grateful for the opportunity to play the one extra inning as evidenced by the smiling and laughing caught on film by the pitcher and shortstop.
In the extra frame, a runner starts on second with one out. The first batter singled to make it first and third with one out. The next batter hit a chopper down the line at third that Lee knocked down, holding the runner at third from scoring but loading the bases with still one out. The next hitter singled to score one run and give Living Word its first lead of the game, 15-14. The next batter grounded to AJ who forced a runner at second for the second out, but a second run scored making it 16-14 with runners on first and third and two outs. The next hitter delivered the back-breaker, lining a ball to the wall in right-center scoring the two runners making it 18-14. Thankfully, Jamy made a nice relay throw to Eric who gunned the batter at home saving another run.
The bottom of the eighth went quickly for Rez Life. AJ started on second with one out and Eric singled to score him and make it 18-15 with one out. The next two batters got out to end the game and the season for the Warriors.
AJ earned Player of the Game with his 3-4 performance with one walk and a triple. He scored a season-high five runs and narrowly missed ending the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Life captured the league crown with a final record of 15-3. Living Word finished second at 14-4 with the Warriors coming in third at 12-6. The team now regroups and plays the Bloomington Assembly of God tournament this Saturday before calling it a season and re-tooling for next year.
Friday, July 20, 2007
4th Win in a Row for Rez Life
Resurrection Life enjoyed its fourth consecutive victory last night with a quiet 8-4 triumph over Eden Prairie Assembly of God in a contest of defense, or as some would say inept offense. Regardless of the lack of bats for the Warriors, the team managed just enough runs to let its superb defense handle the rest.
Brendan Finn hit three shots in the game, a two-run homer in the first, a double to deep right-center in the fourth and a line-drive out at the wall in left during the seventh inning. He earns his second Player of the Game honor of the season with his two runs and two RBI.
The Larson brothers narrowly missed sharing the honor as both went 2-3 on the night with some sparkling defensive plays. Nick made a highligh-reel diving catch in the third inning and AJ made a couple of beauties at shortstop in the early part of the game.
On the night, the defense had 6 assists to go along with the 21 put-outs in a seven inning game while playing very solid both inside the rim and out. Lee Valle and Jon Engbrecht continued their excellent play in the dirt while Finn and Chris Burr remained steady in the outfield.
Jordan Schumack had his best game on the mound, going the distance while walking just two batters. He also managed three put-outs fielding the bump, catching two pop-ups and covering third on a grounder to end the game on a real smooth finish.
To start the game, Austin Colby doubled off the wall in left and Matt Hanson just missed doing the same as he flew out to deep left-center, allowing Austin to move to third. Chris lined one to right-center to score Austin and give the Warriors the lead. Finn quickly followed with a high, deep foul-ball homerun that was impressive. Not satisfied with that, on the next swing he tasered one out to left-center for a fair-ball homerun and a 3-0 Rez Life lead.
Eden Prairie answered with three runs in the bottom half using three two-out hits to score them. Nick made a nice stab on a funny hop in left that saved a run for the Warriors.
Three pop-ups sandwiched singles from Nick and Jordan in the second and the Warriors went down without scoring. However, the defense showed its worth, leaving a pair of EPAG runners on in the bottom half to make it 3-3 heading into the third. After a lead-off out, Austin lined another one to left this time clearing the fence for a solo shot which pushed Rez Life on top for good, 4-3.
EPAG couldn't manage much in the third, as Nick made his diving catch to start the inning and kept Eden Prairie's bats at bay.
In the fourth, Rez extended its lead to 6-3 with two runs on three hits and a sacrifice fly. Finn doubled to start things and after a pop-out Lee doubled to score Finn. AJ singled to push Lee to third and a Jamy Antoine flyout scored Lee. EPAG pushed across a run in the bottom half but that was it and the Warriors clung to their 6-4 lead after four.
The offenses both went stagnant over the next two innings and neither team scored and it was still 6-4 after six. The Rez Life defense left the bases loaded in one inning as EPAG mounted a threat, but nothing came of it.
In the seventh, Eric Johnson mashed his first homerun of the season to start things and add another run to the cushion. Lee followed with his second hit of the night and moved to second on AJ's second hit. A grounder from Jamy forced AJ at second but advanced Lee to third and Nick ripped his second single to score Lee and give Rez its eighth and final run.
EPAG again managed to put runners on in the last inning but with two on and two out, a slow chopper to the left side got by Jordan and Lee but Austin charged and back-handed the ball to Jordan whose momentum carried him to third base for the force-out to end the game. It was a pretty cool finish.
The victory gives Rez Life an 11-5 record and a second-place standing. Life is still in first at 13-3 and Living Word is in second at 13-4. Next week is the final week for the regular season with the Warriors taking on Wooddale at 6:50 on field #2 and closing out the season against Living Word directly following. Should be a good finish with the game most likely deciding second place.
Brendan Finn hit three shots in the game, a two-run homer in the first, a double to deep right-center in the fourth and a line-drive out at the wall in left during the seventh inning. He earns his second Player of the Game honor of the season with his two runs and two RBI.
The Larson brothers narrowly missed sharing the honor as both went 2-3 on the night with some sparkling defensive plays. Nick made a highligh-reel diving catch in the third inning and AJ made a couple of beauties at shortstop in the early part of the game.
On the night, the defense had 6 assists to go along with the 21 put-outs in a seven inning game while playing very solid both inside the rim and out. Lee Valle and Jon Engbrecht continued their excellent play in the dirt while Finn and Chris Burr remained steady in the outfield.
Jordan Schumack had his best game on the mound, going the distance while walking just two batters. He also managed three put-outs fielding the bump, catching two pop-ups and covering third on a grounder to end the game on a real smooth finish.
To start the game, Austin Colby doubled off the wall in left and Matt Hanson just missed doing the same as he flew out to deep left-center, allowing Austin to move to third. Chris lined one to right-center to score Austin and give the Warriors the lead. Finn quickly followed with a high, deep foul-ball homerun that was impressive. Not satisfied with that, on the next swing he tasered one out to left-center for a fair-ball homerun and a 3-0 Rez Life lead.
Eden Prairie answered with three runs in the bottom half using three two-out hits to score them. Nick made a nice stab on a funny hop in left that saved a run for the Warriors.
Three pop-ups sandwiched singles from Nick and Jordan in the second and the Warriors went down without scoring. However, the defense showed its worth, leaving a pair of EPAG runners on in the bottom half to make it 3-3 heading into the third. After a lead-off out, Austin lined another one to left this time clearing the fence for a solo shot which pushed Rez Life on top for good, 4-3.
EPAG couldn't manage much in the third, as Nick made his diving catch to start the inning and kept Eden Prairie's bats at bay.
In the fourth, Rez extended its lead to 6-3 with two runs on three hits and a sacrifice fly. Finn doubled to start things and after a pop-out Lee doubled to score Finn. AJ singled to push Lee to third and a Jamy Antoine flyout scored Lee. EPAG pushed across a run in the bottom half but that was it and the Warriors clung to their 6-4 lead after four.
The offenses both went stagnant over the next two innings and neither team scored and it was still 6-4 after six. The Rez Life defense left the bases loaded in one inning as EPAG mounted a threat, but nothing came of it.
In the seventh, Eric Johnson mashed his first homerun of the season to start things and add another run to the cushion. Lee followed with his second hit of the night and moved to second on AJ's second hit. A grounder from Jamy forced AJ at second but advanced Lee to third and Nick ripped his second single to score Lee and give Rez its eighth and final run.
EPAG again managed to put runners on in the last inning but with two on and two out, a slow chopper to the left side got by Jordan and Lee but Austin charged and back-handed the ball to Jordan whose momentum carried him to third base for the force-out to end the game. It was a pretty cool finish.
The victory gives Rez Life an 11-5 record and a second-place standing. Life is still in first at 13-3 and Living Word is in second at 13-4. Next week is the final week for the regular season with the Warriors taking on Wooddale at 6:50 on field #2 and closing out the season against Living Word directly following. Should be a good finish with the game most likely deciding second place.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Warriors Slug Six Homers in Route
The bats were alive and mighty, slugging six homers, albeit two for outs, en route to a 21-2 dismantling of St. Andrew Blue last week. The team mashed out 25 hits with 3 walks including 2 doubles, 2 triples and 4 homeruns that counted. The team had extra base-hits in every inning and had a 12-run inning to cap the game's scoring after four innings.
Chris Burr and Jamy Antoine led the charge with there hits each in four at bats with Chris scoring four times while driving in three on a double and two homers. Jamy scored twice and drove home four with a three-run homer. His lone out was a two-on homer for an out that he mashed to the opposite field. The players shared Player of the Game honors.
Jon Engbrecht provided the other countable homerun with a two-run laser to left-center in the 12-run fourth. It was Jon's first homer of the year.
The bats opened the game with four runs in the first. Austin Colby single and scored on Lee Valle's deep double to right-center. Lee jogged home as Chris launched quite possibly the farthest homer of the season to left. After an out, Eric Johnson singled and moved to second on AJ Larson's single. Jamy then knocked out his first hit of the game, a single, to score Eric and make it 4-0. Both runners were left stranded as two line drives from Nick Larson and Jordan Schumack were speared to end the inning.
Blue scored its only two runs of the game in the bottom half of the first using a lead-off single, a two-out walk and three straight singles after that to push the runners home. A nice play up the middle from Austin and AJ ended the inning, 4-2 Rez.
In the top of the second, Austin hit a two-out triple but was left stranded. St. Andrew was unable to take advantage as Lee made a fine stab with two outs and the bases loaded to keep Blue from scoring.
The Warriors scored five in the third to open the game up for good using six hits and two walks. Chris doubled to right to open the inning and scored on Brendan Finn's single to left. After consecutive outs, Jamy singled to put two on for Nick who blooped one to right-center but the ball scooted right on a funky bounce which allowed both runners to score and saw Nick standing on third with his third triple of the season. Jordan followed with a single to plate Nick and make it 8-2 Rez Life. Jon walked and Matt Shuster hit an infield single to load the bases for Austin who was seen drooling and licking his chops as he strode to the plate. However, discipline and a team-first attitude kept Austin's bat on his shoulder as he watched three balls go by, walking for the third time this year with the bases loaded. On the tape, you can actually see his bat flinching about 10 times with each pitch with hopes of swinging, but knowing that he'd catch some major grief from his teammates for popping up on a bad pitch, he wisely chose to accept the walk and take the one free run. Unfortunately, the team left the bases loaded as a popout ended the frame.
Blue went down one, two, three in the third on three pitches and the Warriors were quickly up again. Chris opened the inning with a line-drive homer giving him two for the game and five on the season. Finn, Eric, and AJ all singled scoring Finn and making it 11-2. Jamy came up and smashed a three-run homer down the line clearing the bases and pushing the lead to 12, 14-2. Nick singled and Jon knocked his homerun out of the park for the fourth and final allowable homer and a 16-2 lead. Matt singled again and hustled to second as a bad throw got away from the first baseman. Austin lined one up the middle for his third hit which scored Matt. Lee singled to push Austin to second and Chris hit a grounder to second that squirted through his legs and allowed Austin to score and Lee to scamper to third. With the score now, 18-2, Finn lined his third hit of the contest to score Lee and Eric followed with an RBI single also, his third knock of the game. Now 20-2, AJ picked on the second baseman again who couldn't handle the grounder which allowed Finn to trot home and end the scoring. Jamy came up with two on, but hit a towering homer which counted as the second out. Nick walked to load them up for Jordan who picked a good time to hit his first homerun of the season as he lifted one to deep left for a would-be grand slam, but again, the four-homerun limit came into play and ended the inning, 21-2 Rez Life.
Needing five runs to keep playing, St. Andrew couldn't do much offensively, leaving two runners on as AJ speared a line-drive at short to end the contest. Lee made two fine defensive plays at third earlier in the inning.
The third straight win from Rez Life pushes its record to 10-5, good for third place. Life suffered one loss last week and sits atop the standings at 12-3 while Living Word is in between in second at 12-4. Rez plays EPAG this week who has played extremely well as of late, knocking off Life for the second time this season last week. Game time is 6:50 on field #4.
Chris Burr and Jamy Antoine led the charge with there hits each in four at bats with Chris scoring four times while driving in three on a double and two homers. Jamy scored twice and drove home four with a three-run homer. His lone out was a two-on homer for an out that he mashed to the opposite field. The players shared Player of the Game honors.
Jon Engbrecht provided the other countable homerun with a two-run laser to left-center in the 12-run fourth. It was Jon's first homer of the year.
The bats opened the game with four runs in the first. Austin Colby single and scored on Lee Valle's deep double to right-center. Lee jogged home as Chris launched quite possibly the farthest homer of the season to left. After an out, Eric Johnson singled and moved to second on AJ Larson's single. Jamy then knocked out his first hit of the game, a single, to score Eric and make it 4-0. Both runners were left stranded as two line drives from Nick Larson and Jordan Schumack were speared to end the inning.
Blue scored its only two runs of the game in the bottom half of the first using a lead-off single, a two-out walk and three straight singles after that to push the runners home. A nice play up the middle from Austin and AJ ended the inning, 4-2 Rez.
In the top of the second, Austin hit a two-out triple but was left stranded. St. Andrew was unable to take advantage as Lee made a fine stab with two outs and the bases loaded to keep Blue from scoring.
The Warriors scored five in the third to open the game up for good using six hits and two walks. Chris doubled to right to open the inning and scored on Brendan Finn's single to left. After consecutive outs, Jamy singled to put two on for Nick who blooped one to right-center but the ball scooted right on a funky bounce which allowed both runners to score and saw Nick standing on third with his third triple of the season. Jordan followed with a single to plate Nick and make it 8-2 Rez Life. Jon walked and Matt Shuster hit an infield single to load the bases for Austin who was seen drooling and licking his chops as he strode to the plate. However, discipline and a team-first attitude kept Austin's bat on his shoulder as he watched three balls go by, walking for the third time this year with the bases loaded. On the tape, you can actually see his bat flinching about 10 times with each pitch with hopes of swinging, but knowing that he'd catch some major grief from his teammates for popping up on a bad pitch, he wisely chose to accept the walk and take the one free run. Unfortunately, the team left the bases loaded as a popout ended the frame.
Blue went down one, two, three in the third on three pitches and the Warriors were quickly up again. Chris opened the inning with a line-drive homer giving him two for the game and five on the season. Finn, Eric, and AJ all singled scoring Finn and making it 11-2. Jamy came up and smashed a three-run homer down the line clearing the bases and pushing the lead to 12, 14-2. Nick singled and Jon knocked his homerun out of the park for the fourth and final allowable homer and a 16-2 lead. Matt singled again and hustled to second as a bad throw got away from the first baseman. Austin lined one up the middle for his third hit which scored Matt. Lee singled to push Austin to second and Chris hit a grounder to second that squirted through his legs and allowed Austin to score and Lee to scamper to third. With the score now, 18-2, Finn lined his third hit of the contest to score Lee and Eric followed with an RBI single also, his third knock of the game. Now 20-2, AJ picked on the second baseman again who couldn't handle the grounder which allowed Finn to trot home and end the scoring. Jamy came up with two on, but hit a towering homer which counted as the second out. Nick walked to load them up for Jordan who picked a good time to hit his first homerun of the season as he lifted one to deep left for a would-be grand slam, but again, the four-homerun limit came into play and ended the inning, 21-2 Rez Life.
Needing five runs to keep playing, St. Andrew couldn't do much offensively, leaving two runners on as AJ speared a line-drive at short to end the contest. Lee made two fine defensive plays at third earlier in the inning.
The third straight win from Rez Life pushes its record to 10-5, good for third place. Life suffered one loss last week and sits atop the standings at 12-3 while Living Word is in between in second at 12-4. Rez plays EPAG this week who has played extremely well as of late, knocking off Life for the second time this season last week. Game time is 6:50 on field #4.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Warriors Topple St. Andrew Red 18-12
Rez Life came through in a must-win game versus St. Andrew Red last week with an 18-12 victory that propelled the team into 3rd place. The solid victory keeps hope alive for a 2nd place finish in the league for the Warriors.
The offense was consistent, scoring at least two runs in every inning before time ended the game after six full innings. The team banged out 25 hits and drew 3 walks.
Lee Valle led the way and earned Player of the Game honors with a 4-4 game including a walk, three runs scored and two RBI. Eric Johnson added four hits with four runs scored and one RBI.
In the top of the first, Austin Colby singled to open the game and went to second on a flyout from Chris Burr. Brendan Finn then lined a single to score Austin and open the scoring. Eric followed with a base-hit and Lee drove home Finn with the third straight single of the inning. After another flyout, Jordan Schumack capped the scoring with an RBI single.
St. Andrew Red didn't score and Rez came to bat in the second leading 3-0. The first two batters went down but Austin and Chris hit back-to-back doubles to push one run across and then Finn singled to score Chris to make it 5-0. Red came back with five runs in the bottom half to tie it as the Warrior pitchers combined to walk five straight batters after the first two players reached on errors. After the fifth walk, three straight pitches led to three outs and ended the long inning.
Now tied, the Warriors first six batters reached base safely which led to four runs in the top of the third. Lee walked and went to second on Jamy Antoine's single. Jordan doubled to score Lee and Jon Engbrecht's grounder to short allowed Jamy to score and a bad throw allowed Jon to reach. Jeff Johnson then delivered a two-RBI single to plate Jordan and Jon all with no outs. Jason Merritt singled to make it first and second with no outs and the top of the order up. However, Austin, Chris and Finn went down in order and Rez missed out on a big inning.
Red came back with one run in the bottom half on four singles. There could have been more but a Jason to Finn to Jamy relay cut down a runner at home to end the inning. Rez Life scored three more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 12-6 lead. Eric, Lee and Jamy singled to start the inning, the last one scoring Eric. After an out and a walk loaded the bases, Jeff hit a sacrifice fly to score Lee for the second run. Jason singled up the middle to plate the final run of the frame.
St. Andrew scored one run and had four straight singles in the bottom of the fourth but Jamy fired a strike to Eric at home from right-center which cut down another potential run and a grounder to Jon at third ended the dangerous inning.
In the top of the fifth, the first two Warriors went down again only to see another two-out rally come alive. Eric and Lee ripped back-to-back singles and the bases were loaded when Jay walked. Jordan knocked out the two-out two-run single to make it 14-7 after four and a half innings.
St. Andrew used its three hits and walk well in the bottom half scoring two runs and making it 14-9 going into the last inning because of the time limit. The Warriors again used the two-out sparkplug to make things happen as Austin ripped a single to right with two outs and no one on to start the rally. Chris followed with a single and Finn's deep double plated both runners to add some cushion. Eric followed with a double down the left-field line and Lee plated Eric with his fourth hit of the game. Jamy lined his third single but both runners were stranded after the third out.
Leading 18-9 going into the last inning, the Warriors kind of cruised, alonging three runs while holding on for the comfortable 18-12 win. The team is all by itself in third place at 9-5 with four games remaining. With wins in all four games, the Warriors would surpass last season's win total and most likely finish in second place. Life is still atop the standings at 11-2 with Living Word in second at 10-4. Living Word missed out on its chance for first last week dropping a close one to Life.
St. Andrew Blue is the opponent tonight at 5:50 on field #3.
The offense was consistent, scoring at least two runs in every inning before time ended the game after six full innings. The team banged out 25 hits and drew 3 walks.
Lee Valle led the way and earned Player of the Game honors with a 4-4 game including a walk, three runs scored and two RBI. Eric Johnson added four hits with four runs scored and one RBI.
In the top of the first, Austin Colby singled to open the game and went to second on a flyout from Chris Burr. Brendan Finn then lined a single to score Austin and open the scoring. Eric followed with a base-hit and Lee drove home Finn with the third straight single of the inning. After another flyout, Jordan Schumack capped the scoring with an RBI single.
St. Andrew Red didn't score and Rez came to bat in the second leading 3-0. The first two batters went down but Austin and Chris hit back-to-back doubles to push one run across and then Finn singled to score Chris to make it 5-0. Red came back with five runs in the bottom half to tie it as the Warrior pitchers combined to walk five straight batters after the first two players reached on errors. After the fifth walk, three straight pitches led to three outs and ended the long inning.
Now tied, the Warriors first six batters reached base safely which led to four runs in the top of the third. Lee walked and went to second on Jamy Antoine's single. Jordan doubled to score Lee and Jon Engbrecht's grounder to short allowed Jamy to score and a bad throw allowed Jon to reach. Jeff Johnson then delivered a two-RBI single to plate Jordan and Jon all with no outs. Jason Merritt singled to make it first and second with no outs and the top of the order up. However, Austin, Chris and Finn went down in order and Rez missed out on a big inning.
Red came back with one run in the bottom half on four singles. There could have been more but a Jason to Finn to Jamy relay cut down a runner at home to end the inning. Rez Life scored three more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 12-6 lead. Eric, Lee and Jamy singled to start the inning, the last one scoring Eric. After an out and a walk loaded the bases, Jeff hit a sacrifice fly to score Lee for the second run. Jason singled up the middle to plate the final run of the frame.
St. Andrew scored one run and had four straight singles in the bottom of the fourth but Jamy fired a strike to Eric at home from right-center which cut down another potential run and a grounder to Jon at third ended the dangerous inning.
In the top of the fifth, the first two Warriors went down again only to see another two-out rally come alive. Eric and Lee ripped back-to-back singles and the bases were loaded when Jay walked. Jordan knocked out the two-out two-run single to make it 14-7 after four and a half innings.
St. Andrew used its three hits and walk well in the bottom half scoring two runs and making it 14-9 going into the last inning because of the time limit. The Warriors again used the two-out sparkplug to make things happen as Austin ripped a single to right with two outs and no one on to start the rally. Chris followed with a single and Finn's deep double plated both runners to add some cushion. Eric followed with a double down the left-field line and Lee plated Eric with his fourth hit of the game. Jamy lined his third single but both runners were stranded after the third out.
Leading 18-9 going into the last inning, the Warriors kind of cruised, alonging three runs while holding on for the comfortable 18-12 win. The team is all by itself in third place at 9-5 with four games remaining. With wins in all four games, the Warriors would surpass last season's win total and most likely finish in second place. Life is still atop the standings at 11-2 with Living Word in second at 10-4. Living Word missed out on its chance for first last week dropping a close one to Life.
St. Andrew Blue is the opponent tonight at 5:50 on field #3.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
8-5, 4th Place
The Rez Life Warriors head into tonight's contest at 8-5 on the season and in 4th place. St. Andrew Red is in 3rd place with a record of 8-4 and is Rez's opponent this evening. A victory would put the Warriors into 3rd place.
Last week Rez managed a split in its double-header versus Living Word and Pax Christi. Living Word took the first game 17-12 while the Warriors came back and won the nightcap 10-4 over Pax. The offense never really got clicking after a good two-week stretch.
Living Word showed why it is the league's hottest team by jumping out to leads of 12-2, 15-3, and 17-9 before shutting down a last-inning rally and winning by five. In the top of the first inning, Living Word took advantage of two Warrior miscues to score two unearned runs and three runs total. The Warriors failed to answer leaving one runner on in the bottom half without scoring. The offense was a little tentative in that first inning.
Living Word added four more runs in the second using a three-run homer for most of the damage. Three hits before the homer plated one run and the dinger capped the inning's scoring. In the bottom of the second, a leadoff double from AJ Larson was followed by a triple from brother Nick Larson to get the team on the board. After a groundout, an error scored Nick and a single put two runners on with just one out. However, another grounder and then a fine play from the pitcher ended the threat, 7-2 Living Word.
Living Word opened up a bigger lead with five runs in the third, again using one homerun. Six out of seven batters ripped hits en route to the five-run inning. Trailing 12-2, The Warriors put one run on the board on back-to-back doubles from Chris Burr and Austin Colby.
Three more runs from Living Word made it a 15-3 game going into the bottom of the fourth. Consecutive singles started the inning and a three-run homer provided all the scoring. With the offense still shaky, the Warriors put together three singles to score one run and make it 15-4 after four innings. Nick, Lee Valle and Jon Engbrecht hit the singles with Jon's driving home Nick. With two on and one out, Rez had a chance for more but the offense was unable to muster anything else.
A one-out double from Living Word in the top of the fifth was wasted as the defense made a couple nice plays to keep Living Word off the scoreboard for the first time. The offense picked up on the defense's cue and tried to turn it on to force another inning of play as the team stared the 10-run rule in the face. Unfortunately, the first two batters went down quickly and the team needed two more runs to force another inning. Austin and Brendan Finn made sure they got that inning with homers on consecutive swings to make it 15-6 with two outs. The offense kept going as AJ ripped a liner and moved to third on Nick's third hit. Jordan Schumack then doubled to score both Larsons and make it 15-8 and there was life showing in the dugout. Lee followed with a single to score Jordan and give the team a solid five-run inning.
Living Word came back and got two more runs in the top of the sixth to make it 17-9 and the offense fell asleep again with no runs in the bottom half. However, the defense held well one more time keeping the Living Word bats at bay, ending the inning with a nifty 1-4-3 double-play.
In the bottom of the inning, Rez needed the bats to get hot again and it looked promising early on as Austin knocked out a double to start things and scooted to third on Finn's liner single. AJ singled to plate Austin and make it 17-10 with two on and no outs. Nick hit a chopper up the middle which looked like his fourth hit of the game but a bad bounce richoceted the ball to the shortstop who just got it to second in time to force out AJ. Finn scored on the play to make it 17-11. After the second out, Lee doubled to make it second and third and kept the rally alive. A single by Jon (hits third hit of the game) scored Nick but a popout ended the rally and the game, 17-12.
Nick Larson earns Player of the Game with four putouts in left field and a 3-4 day at the plate that included four runs scored, two RBI and a triple.
The disappointment from the tough first game loss hung around the Warriors for five innings in game two and the bats were dead for much of the game. The team found itself trailing 4-3 going into the sixth inning before erupting for seven runs to take a 10-4 lead and hang on for victory.
In the top of the first, the team got five straight singles which scored two runs, but a double-play ended the inning without scoring another. Pax's bats were pretty much non-existent the whole game and went down very easily in innings one through three without scoring.
In the top of the second, Rez added one more run as Jordan singled to start, moved to second on an error, and came home on a Jeff Johnson single. After Pax's zero in the bottom half, the Warriors went down quickly in the top of the third leaving Chris on first after a lead-off single.
The defense had one more scoreless inning but the offense matched that with one of its own. In the bottom of the fourth, the Warriors were kind of woken up from their slumber as Pax's first six batters reached base and led to four runs. With the bases loaded and no outs, a sac fly plated the fourth run and the next batter hit into a double-play as Jon speared a liner at second and fired to Chris at first to double off the runner and end the potentially disasterous inning.
The Warriors now trailed 4-3 to a very inferior team and felt their pride tested a bit. Jon and Jeff provided singles with one out in the fifth to put two on for the top of the order but two shots were speared and Rez went down without scoring in the inning for the fifth time on the night. Another inning-ending double-play kept Pax from scoring in the bottom half and the bats shook out the cobwebs for a few minutes and scored seven runs to secure the victory.
Austin started the party with a double and scored on Finn's double. Finn went to third on AJ's single and Nick's double pushed Finn across to give the Warriors the lead, 5-4 with no outs. Jordan singled to score AJ and Lee followed with a single to score Nick and make it 7-4. After a strikeout and a groundout, Jeff blooped one to shallow right that bounced around to score Jordan and put runners at second and third for Jamy Antoine. Jamy delivered a two-run single to make it 10-4 and end the scoring on the night as Austin passed up a glorious opportunity to open up the game by flying out high to left with two runners on to end the inning.
Pax went down quietly in the bottom half as did Rez in the seventh. Pax got two runners on in the seventh but nothing materialized and the game ended on a pop-up to short.
Jordan Schumack and Jeff Johnson shared Player of the Game honors reaching base 6 out of the 7 times up while compiling three runs scored and three RBI between the two of them. Jordan also pitched a much better game on the mound walking only three batters over the seven innings giving the defense a chance to produce.
The 8:50 game tonight on field #4 will likely determine who finishes in third place as the top two teams have much easier schedules the rest of the way. Life still sits atop the standings at 10-2 even though they are just fourth in runs scored.
Last week Rez managed a split in its double-header versus Living Word and Pax Christi. Living Word took the first game 17-12 while the Warriors came back and won the nightcap 10-4 over Pax. The offense never really got clicking after a good two-week stretch.
Living Word showed why it is the league's hottest team by jumping out to leads of 12-2, 15-3, and 17-9 before shutting down a last-inning rally and winning by five. In the top of the first inning, Living Word took advantage of two Warrior miscues to score two unearned runs and three runs total. The Warriors failed to answer leaving one runner on in the bottom half without scoring. The offense was a little tentative in that first inning.
Living Word added four more runs in the second using a three-run homer for most of the damage. Three hits before the homer plated one run and the dinger capped the inning's scoring. In the bottom of the second, a leadoff double from AJ Larson was followed by a triple from brother Nick Larson to get the team on the board. After a groundout, an error scored Nick and a single put two runners on with just one out. However, another grounder and then a fine play from the pitcher ended the threat, 7-2 Living Word.
Living Word opened up a bigger lead with five runs in the third, again using one homerun. Six out of seven batters ripped hits en route to the five-run inning. Trailing 12-2, The Warriors put one run on the board on back-to-back doubles from Chris Burr and Austin Colby.
Three more runs from Living Word made it a 15-3 game going into the bottom of the fourth. Consecutive singles started the inning and a three-run homer provided all the scoring. With the offense still shaky, the Warriors put together three singles to score one run and make it 15-4 after four innings. Nick, Lee Valle and Jon Engbrecht hit the singles with Jon's driving home Nick. With two on and one out, Rez had a chance for more but the offense was unable to muster anything else.
A one-out double from Living Word in the top of the fifth was wasted as the defense made a couple nice plays to keep Living Word off the scoreboard for the first time. The offense picked up on the defense's cue and tried to turn it on to force another inning of play as the team stared the 10-run rule in the face. Unfortunately, the first two batters went down quickly and the team needed two more runs to force another inning. Austin and Brendan Finn made sure they got that inning with homers on consecutive swings to make it 15-6 with two outs. The offense kept going as AJ ripped a liner and moved to third on Nick's third hit. Jordan Schumack then doubled to score both Larsons and make it 15-8 and there was life showing in the dugout. Lee followed with a single to score Jordan and give the team a solid five-run inning.
Living Word came back and got two more runs in the top of the sixth to make it 17-9 and the offense fell asleep again with no runs in the bottom half. However, the defense held well one more time keeping the Living Word bats at bay, ending the inning with a nifty 1-4-3 double-play.
In the bottom of the inning, Rez needed the bats to get hot again and it looked promising early on as Austin knocked out a double to start things and scooted to third on Finn's liner single. AJ singled to plate Austin and make it 17-10 with two on and no outs. Nick hit a chopper up the middle which looked like his fourth hit of the game but a bad bounce richoceted the ball to the shortstop who just got it to second in time to force out AJ. Finn scored on the play to make it 17-11. After the second out, Lee doubled to make it second and third and kept the rally alive. A single by Jon (hits third hit of the game) scored Nick but a popout ended the rally and the game, 17-12.
Nick Larson earns Player of the Game with four putouts in left field and a 3-4 day at the plate that included four runs scored, two RBI and a triple.
The disappointment from the tough first game loss hung around the Warriors for five innings in game two and the bats were dead for much of the game. The team found itself trailing 4-3 going into the sixth inning before erupting for seven runs to take a 10-4 lead and hang on for victory.
In the top of the first, the team got five straight singles which scored two runs, but a double-play ended the inning without scoring another. Pax's bats were pretty much non-existent the whole game and went down very easily in innings one through three without scoring.
In the top of the second, Rez added one more run as Jordan singled to start, moved to second on an error, and came home on a Jeff Johnson single. After Pax's zero in the bottom half, the Warriors went down quickly in the top of the third leaving Chris on first after a lead-off single.
The defense had one more scoreless inning but the offense matched that with one of its own. In the bottom of the fourth, the Warriors were kind of woken up from their slumber as Pax's first six batters reached base and led to four runs. With the bases loaded and no outs, a sac fly plated the fourth run and the next batter hit into a double-play as Jon speared a liner at second and fired to Chris at first to double off the runner and end the potentially disasterous inning.
The Warriors now trailed 4-3 to a very inferior team and felt their pride tested a bit. Jon and Jeff provided singles with one out in the fifth to put two on for the top of the order but two shots were speared and Rez went down without scoring in the inning for the fifth time on the night. Another inning-ending double-play kept Pax from scoring in the bottom half and the bats shook out the cobwebs for a few minutes and scored seven runs to secure the victory.
Austin started the party with a double and scored on Finn's double. Finn went to third on AJ's single and Nick's double pushed Finn across to give the Warriors the lead, 5-4 with no outs. Jordan singled to score AJ and Lee followed with a single to score Nick and make it 7-4. After a strikeout and a groundout, Jeff blooped one to shallow right that bounced around to score Jordan and put runners at second and third for Jamy Antoine. Jamy delivered a two-run single to make it 10-4 and end the scoring on the night as Austin passed up a glorious opportunity to open up the game by flying out high to left with two runners on to end the inning.
Pax went down quietly in the bottom half as did Rez in the seventh. Pax got two runners on in the seventh but nothing materialized and the game ended on a pop-up to short.
Jordan Schumack and Jeff Johnson shared Player of the Game honors reaching base 6 out of the 7 times up while compiling three runs scored and three RBI between the two of them. Jordan also pitched a much better game on the mound walking only three batters over the seven innings giving the defense a chance to produce.
The 8:50 game tonight on field #4 will likely determine who finishes in third place as the top two teams have much easier schedules the rest of the way. Life still sits atop the standings at 10-2 even though they are just fourth in runs scored.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Play at the plate????
On the Life highlight video, stop the tape at 2:34(if the time goes forward as you play it or 1:23 if the time counts down as you play it) and you'll see Jon laying the tag before the guy's foot gets to home. Pretty close, but he's definitely out. Tough break.
Heart-Breaker Drops Warriors to 4th
The Resurrection Life Warriors lost a tremendous battle versus Life Church last week, 15-14, and saw their regular-season title hopes dwindle a little bit more. Life's close win completed the season-series sweep against Rez, after Rez dropped the earlier contest 12-0. Life now has a two-game lead in the loss column and sits at 8-2 in first place. After bouncing back in game two versus Wooddale, the Warriors are 7-4 and alone in fourth place. St. Andrew Red is in second at 8-3 while the hot team, Living Word, sits at 7-3 in third place. The Warriors have two games left with Living Word and one with St. Andrew Red so capuring second place is in their own hands.
Rez started the game versus Life at the plate and scored three quick runs as the first four batters ripped base hits. AJ Larson started with a single and scooted home on Austin Colby's double off the wall. Brendan Finn followed with a line-drive single to score Austin and Chris Burr singled to push Finn to second. After a fielder's choice cut Finn down at third, Eric Johnson drove home Chris with an RBI-base hit. Unfortunately, the team stranded two runners on as the following two batters went down in order.
Life answered those three runs with three of its own, using a three-run shot with two outs after two walks put runners on base. Tied at three in the top of the second, the Warriors stranded two more runners. Jon Engbrecht walked with one out and went to second on Matt Shuster's first of three hits. Consecutive outs from the top of the order ended the inning, with Austin's line-out to left the final out.
An unearned run gave Life its first lead of the game, 4-3, after two innings. Again, Rez went down without scoring opening another window of opportunity for Life to pounce. This time Life responded with another three-run homer making it 7-3 after three innings.
Rez scored a run in the fourth on great base-running from Jordan Schumack. Jordan doubled to start the inning and went to third on a foul-out to the catcher, catching the defense sleeping. The next batter hit a grounder to short which allowed Jordan to score.
Leading 7-4, Life went down without scoring in the fourth after starting the inning with two singles. Good defense kept them off the scoreboard though and the Warriors used the momentum to charge back and tie the game in the top of the fifth.
Matt singled to start the frame, but was erased on a fielder's choice. Austin destroyed a ball to left to score two and make it a 7-6 game with one out. After the second out, Chris launched a solo shot to left-center which tied the game at 7.
Life came right back and opened an even bigger lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Life scored all four runs with two outs and strung together four consecutive singles to do so. Now down 11-7, the Warriors knew that they had to get on the board quickly with just two innings left.
A lead-off error sparked the offense and led to three unearned runs. After Eric reached on the error, Jordan singled and Nick Larson singled to load the bases. Jeff Johnson then hit into a fielder's choice to score Eric. After the second out, Matt delivered a huge two-out two-RBI single to left plating Nick and Jeff.
Life used four hits and two walks in the bottom of the sixth to expand its lead to the biggest margin of the game, 15-10. With the score 14-10, the bases were loaded with one out. A batter lifted a fly to Finn who caught and fired to home, laying a perfect strike to Jon who made the catch and tag in one motion on a bang-bang play at the plate. After the dust settled, the umpire ruled the runner safe and that was the final run of the game. Upon reviewing the tape of the game later, the runner was actually out, but it was a tough call.
Needing five runs to tie in the seventh, the first three batters ripped singles. Austin, Finn, and Chris started the show and Austin scored on Lee Valle's fielder's choice groundout. Eric Johnson stepped up and drove one to deep left-center which scored Finn and moved pinch-runner Chris to third with one out. A sacrifice fly scored Chris and made it 15-13 with two outs. Nick stroked a big single that scored Eric from second and cut the deficit to just one, 15-14. However, a flyball to left ended the game, 15-14 Life.
Austin earned Player of the Game honors with his 3-4 game including three runs, three RBI, a double and a homerun. He also went 2-2 with a dinger and two RBI in the 5th inning and on. Chris, Finn and Matt all added three hits.
Still reeling from the game one loss, the Warriors didn't come out firing against Wooddale. After AJ led-off with a single and came home on Austin's two-run shot, the offense didn't manage another run for three innings.
Wooddale scored one run on two hits in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1 after one inning, and came back and scored two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead. In that second inning, Wooddale had two on with two outs and lifted a low liner to center which Chris attempted to dive and snag. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite reach it and to his further dismay, teammate Eric Johnson had gathered up the ball and hurriedly fired the ball towards the infield to try and keep another run from scoring. In his great haste, Eric didn't quite get a good grip on the ball and nearly decapitated Chris who was still laying on the ground in shallow center. A great moment of softball film was made.
The defense continued to play well and kept Wooddale off the board while the offense struggled to find its stroke. Finally, in the top of the fourth the bats came alive. Austin started the inning with a triple to right-center and came home on Finn's single. Chris doubled to score Finn and an error on the shortstop allowed Chris to come home on the next play.
Eric started things again with a double and he jogged home on Jordan's triple to left-center. Nick lofted a shallow fly to right-center which was mis-handled allowing both Jordan to score and Nick to reach base. With one out, Jeff lined a double to deep center to score Nick, and Jon followed with a walk. After the second out, AJ was walked to load the bases for hot-man Austin. With the score 8-3, Wooddale intentionally walked Austin to force in a run. Finn and Chris made them pay as Finn ripped a two-run single and Chris popped a big fly to left-center to make it a 12-run inning and give the Warriors a 14-3 lead.
After another scoreless inning from the defense, the offense added three more runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Jordan walked and went to third on Nick's double. A Jeff walk loaded up the bases for Jon who singled to score two. After the second out, AJ walked again to load the bases for Austin. This time, in a showing of poor sportsmanship, Wooddale chose to intentionally walk Austin again to force in a run even though it was a 16-3 game at that point and totally out of hand. That final run made it 17-3 and after a quick bottom of the fifth, that was the final score.
Austin again earned Player of the Game with a 2-2 game, three runs, four RBI, triple, homer and those two walks to score runs. He also made a fine diving play at third in the fourth inning. Finn and Chris had solid games with two hits apiece.
The team struggled to hit again, scoring its 31 runs in bunches. For the two games, the squad was still under .500 but did manage to smack out 14 extra base hits which is well above the season average.
This week's games will help determine the Warriors final place in the standings as the team matches up against Living Word at 6:50 and Pax Christi at 7:50. It may take 30 runs to knock off Living Word but I think the Warriors have it in them.
Rez started the game versus Life at the plate and scored three quick runs as the first four batters ripped base hits. AJ Larson started with a single and scooted home on Austin Colby's double off the wall. Brendan Finn followed with a line-drive single to score Austin and Chris Burr singled to push Finn to second. After a fielder's choice cut Finn down at third, Eric Johnson drove home Chris with an RBI-base hit. Unfortunately, the team stranded two runners on as the following two batters went down in order.
Life answered those three runs with three of its own, using a three-run shot with two outs after two walks put runners on base. Tied at three in the top of the second, the Warriors stranded two more runners. Jon Engbrecht walked with one out and went to second on Matt Shuster's first of three hits. Consecutive outs from the top of the order ended the inning, with Austin's line-out to left the final out.
An unearned run gave Life its first lead of the game, 4-3, after two innings. Again, Rez went down without scoring opening another window of opportunity for Life to pounce. This time Life responded with another three-run homer making it 7-3 after three innings.
Rez scored a run in the fourth on great base-running from Jordan Schumack. Jordan doubled to start the inning and went to third on a foul-out to the catcher, catching the defense sleeping. The next batter hit a grounder to short which allowed Jordan to score.
Leading 7-4, Life went down without scoring in the fourth after starting the inning with two singles. Good defense kept them off the scoreboard though and the Warriors used the momentum to charge back and tie the game in the top of the fifth.
Matt singled to start the frame, but was erased on a fielder's choice. Austin destroyed a ball to left to score two and make it a 7-6 game with one out. After the second out, Chris launched a solo shot to left-center which tied the game at 7.
Life came right back and opened an even bigger lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Life scored all four runs with two outs and strung together four consecutive singles to do so. Now down 11-7, the Warriors knew that they had to get on the board quickly with just two innings left.
A lead-off error sparked the offense and led to three unearned runs. After Eric reached on the error, Jordan singled and Nick Larson singled to load the bases. Jeff Johnson then hit into a fielder's choice to score Eric. After the second out, Matt delivered a huge two-out two-RBI single to left plating Nick and Jeff.
Life used four hits and two walks in the bottom of the sixth to expand its lead to the biggest margin of the game, 15-10. With the score 14-10, the bases were loaded with one out. A batter lifted a fly to Finn who caught and fired to home, laying a perfect strike to Jon who made the catch and tag in one motion on a bang-bang play at the plate. After the dust settled, the umpire ruled the runner safe and that was the final run of the game. Upon reviewing the tape of the game later, the runner was actually out, but it was a tough call.
Needing five runs to tie in the seventh, the first three batters ripped singles. Austin, Finn, and Chris started the show and Austin scored on Lee Valle's fielder's choice groundout. Eric Johnson stepped up and drove one to deep left-center which scored Finn and moved pinch-runner Chris to third with one out. A sacrifice fly scored Chris and made it 15-13 with two outs. Nick stroked a big single that scored Eric from second and cut the deficit to just one, 15-14. However, a flyball to left ended the game, 15-14 Life.
Austin earned Player of the Game honors with his 3-4 game including three runs, three RBI, a double and a homerun. He also went 2-2 with a dinger and two RBI in the 5th inning and on. Chris, Finn and Matt all added three hits.
Still reeling from the game one loss, the Warriors didn't come out firing against Wooddale. After AJ led-off with a single and came home on Austin's two-run shot, the offense didn't manage another run for three innings.
Wooddale scored one run on two hits in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1 after one inning, and came back and scored two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead. In that second inning, Wooddale had two on with two outs and lifted a low liner to center which Chris attempted to dive and snag. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite reach it and to his further dismay, teammate Eric Johnson had gathered up the ball and hurriedly fired the ball towards the infield to try and keep another run from scoring. In his great haste, Eric didn't quite get a good grip on the ball and nearly decapitated Chris who was still laying on the ground in shallow center. A great moment of softball film was made.
The defense continued to play well and kept Wooddale off the board while the offense struggled to find its stroke. Finally, in the top of the fourth the bats came alive. Austin started the inning with a triple to right-center and came home on Finn's single. Chris doubled to score Finn and an error on the shortstop allowed Chris to come home on the next play.
Eric started things again with a double and he jogged home on Jordan's triple to left-center. Nick lofted a shallow fly to right-center which was mis-handled allowing both Jordan to score and Nick to reach base. With one out, Jeff lined a double to deep center to score Nick, and Jon followed with a walk. After the second out, AJ was walked to load the bases for hot-man Austin. With the score 8-3, Wooddale intentionally walked Austin to force in a run. Finn and Chris made them pay as Finn ripped a two-run single and Chris popped a big fly to left-center to make it a 12-run inning and give the Warriors a 14-3 lead.
After another scoreless inning from the defense, the offense added three more runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Jordan walked and went to third on Nick's double. A Jeff walk loaded up the bases for Jon who singled to score two. After the second out, AJ walked again to load the bases for Austin. This time, in a showing of poor sportsmanship, Wooddale chose to intentionally walk Austin again to force in a run even though it was a 16-3 game at that point and totally out of hand. That final run made it 17-3 and after a quick bottom of the fifth, that was the final score.
Austin again earned Player of the Game with a 2-2 game, three runs, four RBI, triple, homer and those two walks to score runs. He also made a fine diving play at third in the fourth inning. Finn and Chris had solid games with two hits apiece.
The team struggled to hit again, scoring its 31 runs in bunches. For the two games, the squad was still under .500 but did manage to smack out 14 extra base hits which is well above the season average.
This week's games will help determine the Warriors final place in the standings as the team matches up against Living Word at 6:50 and Pax Christi at 7:50. It may take 30 runs to knock off Living Word but I think the Warriors have it in them.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Mid-Season Report....
We are at the halfway point of the 2007 Summer Eden Prairie Round Lake Church Softball season and nothing has been decided yet. Life Church is holding onto the top spot in the standings with a record of 7-2. St. Andrew Red is just one half game behind at 7-3 and Living Word and Resurrection Life are trailing by one full game at 6-3 respectively.
Living Word was last year's winner and has looked extremely tough of late. The team has won six straight games in convincing fashion. Life, a newcomer to the league this year, started strong with four straight wins but faltered quickly and dropped consecutive games. However, the team finds itself back on the right track with three more wins in a row. St. Andrew Red has displayed the most improvement from last year's .500 team and has bashed the ball around the park with authority, averaging nearly 14 runs per game.
The Resurrection Life Warriors, in just their second season in the league, have been an up and down team. In two of the three losses the team has had, it scored a total of three runs. In the other loss, Rez was out-slugged, 26-18. The offense has yet to hit its stride, averaging only 5.1 extra base hits and 13.9 runs per game. Those numbers are down from last year's averages of 7.8 and 15.8.
Two big boppers from 2006, Chris Burr and Eric Johson, have yet to find their power stroke with a combined 1 homerun and 7 extra base hits. Last year, each player slugged 7 homers and had a combined 34 extra base hits.
Last year's MVP, Austin Colby, got off to a 2-9 start and has slowly been working his way back in to the groove. After hitting .716 a year ago, he is at just .571 this year. He also managed 10 doubles and 8 triples last season and thus far has been limited to just 3 doubles and he has yet to leg out a triple.
All told, the team is hitting .519 overall with a .575 on base percentage and a .795 slugging percentage. Those numbers are a bit of a disappointment as last year's team set a league record with a .951 team slugging percentage.
The bats have had flashes of brilliance, with several 5+ run innings and a few 7+ run innings. There have been steady signs of improvement up and down the lineup and it looks like things have started to even out. Without the two losses where the team scored just three runs, the offense is averaging 17.4 runs per outing. That is very good.
Although the Warrrios are only hitting .519 overall, they have kicked it up a notch with runners in scoring position and late in the game, hitting .537 and .536 respectively in those categories.
Defensively, the team has been very solid. There was a three-game stretch early on that saw some of the best defense the team has had in 5 years. The outfield has been just quick enough and pretty sure-handed. The infield has knocked enough balls down and has completed 6 double-plays in 9 games.
AJ Larson has had a bit of a bounce-back season leading-off after a tough season last year. He is hitting .577 so far and has settled in nicely at second base. He has made just four errors in 30 total chances and been in on two different double-plays.
Austin has manned shortstop for the majority of innings so far and has been solid. He has had two multiple error games but overall he has had 47 chances, a team-high, and 22 assists from the hole. He also has been in on three double-plays, two of which were unassisted. From the box, he has smacked six dingers and driven in 17.
Brendan Finn has pitched and played outfield and done a fine job at both. He is also batting in the three-hole and delivering. He has bopped four homeruns and driven in 15 runs while scoring a team-high 17 times. He has six doubles to his credit too.
Chris has been the most consistent hitter so far with a .700 average. He has been very steady in left-center and right-center too handling 17 chances without a miscue. He has scored 16 runs and brought home 15 out of the clean-up spot.
Lee Valle continues to play very well. He has shown a little more pop in his bat this year ripping two triples already while hitting .583 with a team-leading .704 on base percentage. He has played third mostly and filled in at first also.
Eric is hitting in the 6-hole and is clipping along at a .520 pace. He has played all over the diamond, seeing time at third, second, catcher and the outfield. He has scored 11 times and knocked out three doubles.
Newcomer Dr. Jamy Antoine has been very productive in the first half. While hitting just .500 on 10 hits, he has made the most of them. He has three triples and two homeruns. He has driven in 15 runs on those 10 hits and is leading the team with 5 walks. His slugging percentage is over 1.000 and his on base percentage is just under .700.
Nick Larson has shown good skills in the outfield as usual and his speed has paid off from the plate too. He has ripped an inside-the-park homerun and a triple so far while scoring 8 and driving in 7 from the 7 and 8 hole.
Jeff Johnson has shown his customary power, bashing two long homers and blasting two doubles. While his average has been low, he has been taking advantage of every hit. He has 12 RBI on his 10 hits. He has also shown good glove work at first base so far.
Jordan Schumack has stepped in nicely after missing the first couple of contests. He hasn't quite found his pitching groove yet but has hit the ball pretty well with a triple and six RBI in his five games.
Jon E. has been hotter of late and has hit three doubles while anchoring the bottom portion of the lineup. He has played all over the field with innings at first, second, third, catcher and multiple outfield positions.
Matt Shuster has been a big success story in the first half. He started the year with six straight hits and is hitting .588 overall. He is also a perfect 6-6 from the 5th inning on, an amazing stat. His on base percentage is a very good .650 also.
The other two newcomers, Matt Hanson and Jared Valle, have shown much improvement since the first practice of the year. Jared got his first career hit in his first game and has added one since. Matt took longer to get going but had a three-hit game and went 4-5 in one stretch with four RBI. Unfortunately, Jared will not be with the team for the second half of the season.
Mid-Season All-Stars:
Chris Burr - outfield
Brendan Finn - outfield
Austin Colby - infield
Lee Valle - infield
Matt Shuster - catcher
Second-Half Predictions:
Eric "Morneau" Johnson? - Eric has come out of the gates slowly this year. Maybe it's because he isn't used to playing with a wedding ring on, it's hard to say at this point. However, I look for some more Eric-like numbers in the second half with tons of production. I'm seeing .725 avg, 6 homers, 20 RBI and a 1.450 slugging percentage.
Offensive Consistency - So far the team bats have been feast or famine. The feasts have been good, but the famines have been deadly. I'll wager that the lineup shake-ups settle down and we see a solid 17-18 runs per game with a .575 average and over 20 hits per game.
Power Outage? - Where has the power been? One could make the argument that the team has had the misfortune to play on fields where the wind has not been helpful, but that shouldn't stop doubles and triples from happening. Of all the returning players, only Lee, Shuster and Jordan have slugging percentages at or better than last year's pace. What will happen in the last half of the season? Lots of big turns at first base and lots of chain link fences getting clanked. The team approaches a 1.000 slugging percentage in the second half.
Move from Solid to Outstanding in the Field - While the team defense has been good with an .872 fielding percentage, I think it can do better and I'm predicting a .900 clip in the field for the stretch run.
Leap to Greatness - Someone always has a huge second half. Last year it was Austin who hit .750+ with 10 homers and 35 RBI. This year it will be Jeff Johnson. He will hit over .600 and he will add 20 RBI to his total and be a solidified threat that completes the lineup.
Matt-Attack...Let Down? or Pick-Up? - The Matt's have been fun. Shuster is smacking the ball around the best he's ever done and Hanson is hitting .444 since his first hit. What's that mean in the second half? It means the Warriors will not only have the pleasure of saying "Matt-Attack" multiple times this year but also that the bottom part of their lineup will be the best in the league.
Living Word Champs - Living Word has made mince meat of its competition in the last four weeks. While the Warriors have a favorable schedule and the opportunity to knock Living Word off two more times, they have to do it first. The Warriors will drop at least one of those games and finish in a dogfight for second. I will put this out to all the Warriors who are reading: Prove Me Wrong.
Living Word was last year's winner and has looked extremely tough of late. The team has won six straight games in convincing fashion. Life, a newcomer to the league this year, started strong with four straight wins but faltered quickly and dropped consecutive games. However, the team finds itself back on the right track with three more wins in a row. St. Andrew Red has displayed the most improvement from last year's .500 team and has bashed the ball around the park with authority, averaging nearly 14 runs per game.
The Resurrection Life Warriors, in just their second season in the league, have been an up and down team. In two of the three losses the team has had, it scored a total of three runs. In the other loss, Rez was out-slugged, 26-18. The offense has yet to hit its stride, averaging only 5.1 extra base hits and 13.9 runs per game. Those numbers are down from last year's averages of 7.8 and 15.8.
Two big boppers from 2006, Chris Burr and Eric Johson, have yet to find their power stroke with a combined 1 homerun and 7 extra base hits. Last year, each player slugged 7 homers and had a combined 34 extra base hits.
Last year's MVP, Austin Colby, got off to a 2-9 start and has slowly been working his way back in to the groove. After hitting .716 a year ago, he is at just .571 this year. He also managed 10 doubles and 8 triples last season and thus far has been limited to just 3 doubles and he has yet to leg out a triple.
All told, the team is hitting .519 overall with a .575 on base percentage and a .795 slugging percentage. Those numbers are a bit of a disappointment as last year's team set a league record with a .951 team slugging percentage.
The bats have had flashes of brilliance, with several 5+ run innings and a few 7+ run innings. There have been steady signs of improvement up and down the lineup and it looks like things have started to even out. Without the two losses where the team scored just three runs, the offense is averaging 17.4 runs per outing. That is very good.
Although the Warrrios are only hitting .519 overall, they have kicked it up a notch with runners in scoring position and late in the game, hitting .537 and .536 respectively in those categories.
Defensively, the team has been very solid. There was a three-game stretch early on that saw some of the best defense the team has had in 5 years. The outfield has been just quick enough and pretty sure-handed. The infield has knocked enough balls down and has completed 6 double-plays in 9 games.
AJ Larson has had a bit of a bounce-back season leading-off after a tough season last year. He is hitting .577 so far and has settled in nicely at second base. He has made just four errors in 30 total chances and been in on two different double-plays.
Austin has manned shortstop for the majority of innings so far and has been solid. He has had two multiple error games but overall he has had 47 chances, a team-high, and 22 assists from the hole. He also has been in on three double-plays, two of which were unassisted. From the box, he has smacked six dingers and driven in 17.
Brendan Finn has pitched and played outfield and done a fine job at both. He is also batting in the three-hole and delivering. He has bopped four homeruns and driven in 15 runs while scoring a team-high 17 times. He has six doubles to his credit too.
Chris has been the most consistent hitter so far with a .700 average. He has been very steady in left-center and right-center too handling 17 chances without a miscue. He has scored 16 runs and brought home 15 out of the clean-up spot.
Lee Valle continues to play very well. He has shown a little more pop in his bat this year ripping two triples already while hitting .583 with a team-leading .704 on base percentage. He has played third mostly and filled in at first also.
Eric is hitting in the 6-hole and is clipping along at a .520 pace. He has played all over the diamond, seeing time at third, second, catcher and the outfield. He has scored 11 times and knocked out three doubles.
Newcomer Dr. Jamy Antoine has been very productive in the first half. While hitting just .500 on 10 hits, he has made the most of them. He has three triples and two homeruns. He has driven in 15 runs on those 10 hits and is leading the team with 5 walks. His slugging percentage is over 1.000 and his on base percentage is just under .700.
Nick Larson has shown good skills in the outfield as usual and his speed has paid off from the plate too. He has ripped an inside-the-park homerun and a triple so far while scoring 8 and driving in 7 from the 7 and 8 hole.
Jeff Johnson has shown his customary power, bashing two long homers and blasting two doubles. While his average has been low, he has been taking advantage of every hit. He has 12 RBI on his 10 hits. He has also shown good glove work at first base so far.
Jordan Schumack has stepped in nicely after missing the first couple of contests. He hasn't quite found his pitching groove yet but has hit the ball pretty well with a triple and six RBI in his five games.
Jon E. has been hotter of late and has hit three doubles while anchoring the bottom portion of the lineup. He has played all over the field with innings at first, second, third, catcher and multiple outfield positions.
Matt Shuster has been a big success story in the first half. He started the year with six straight hits and is hitting .588 overall. He is also a perfect 6-6 from the 5th inning on, an amazing stat. His on base percentage is a very good .650 also.
The other two newcomers, Matt Hanson and Jared Valle, have shown much improvement since the first practice of the year. Jared got his first career hit in his first game and has added one since. Matt took longer to get going but had a three-hit game and went 4-5 in one stretch with four RBI. Unfortunately, Jared will not be with the team for the second half of the season.
Mid-Season All-Stars:
Chris Burr - outfield
Brendan Finn - outfield
Austin Colby - infield
Lee Valle - infield
Matt Shuster - catcher
Second-Half Predictions:
Eric "Morneau" Johnson? - Eric has come out of the gates slowly this year. Maybe it's because he isn't used to playing with a wedding ring on, it's hard to say at this point. However, I look for some more Eric-like numbers in the second half with tons of production. I'm seeing .725 avg, 6 homers, 20 RBI and a 1.450 slugging percentage.
Offensive Consistency - So far the team bats have been feast or famine. The feasts have been good, but the famines have been deadly. I'll wager that the lineup shake-ups settle down and we see a solid 17-18 runs per game with a .575 average and over 20 hits per game.
Power Outage? - Where has the power been? One could make the argument that the team has had the misfortune to play on fields where the wind has not been helpful, but that shouldn't stop doubles and triples from happening. Of all the returning players, only Lee, Shuster and Jordan have slugging percentages at or better than last year's pace. What will happen in the last half of the season? Lots of big turns at first base and lots of chain link fences getting clanked. The team approaches a 1.000 slugging percentage in the second half.
Move from Solid to Outstanding in the Field - While the team defense has been good with an .872 fielding percentage, I think it can do better and I'm predicting a .900 clip in the field for the stretch run.
Leap to Greatness - Someone always has a huge second half. Last year it was Austin who hit .750+ with 10 homers and 35 RBI. This year it will be Jeff Johnson. He will hit over .600 and he will add 20 RBI to his total and be a solidified threat that completes the lineup.
Matt-Attack...Let Down? or Pick-Up? - The Matt's have been fun. Shuster is smacking the ball around the best he's ever done and Hanson is hitting .444 since his first hit. What's that mean in the second half? It means the Warriors will not only have the pleasure of saying "Matt-Attack" multiple times this year but also that the bottom part of their lineup will be the best in the league.
Living Word Champs - Living Word has made mince meat of its competition in the last four weeks. While the Warriors have a favorable schedule and the opportunity to knock Living Word off two more times, they have to do it first. The Warriors will drop at least one of those games and finish in a dogfight for second. I will put this out to all the Warriors who are reading: Prove Me Wrong.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Lifeless Bats Drop Rez Life into 3rd Place
The Resurrection Life Warriors dropped a tough 7-3 contest to Immanuel last week and fell from 1st place to a tied for 3rd with Living Word. Life Church is back on top of the standings at 7-2 with St. Andrew Red in 2nd at 7-3. Living Word and the Warriors (the top two returning teams from last year) are locked at 6-3.
The Warriors were short-manned, with four regulars not available, so the team had a bit of a makeshift lineup in place. While Rez only started with 8 players, two more showed up and gave them a full 10.
Immanuel had one big inning, the fourth, where it scored six of its seven runs to secure the victory. The Rez Life bats just couldn't muster anything with only 8 hits in the game. Brendan Finn and Chris Burr provided half of the hits with two apiece. Chris walked away with his third Player of the Game award with his two hits, one run and one RBI. Lee Valle, Jeff Johnson, Jamy Antoine and Matt Shuster had the other four hits.
The defense held up pretty well and kept the runs off the board for the most part, but the offense just couldn't get any steam going. It was just one of those tough games.
The 9th game of the season brings us to the halfway point with the Warriors playing .667 ball. That is pretty much in line with last year's regular season record of 12-5-1.
Of course, at the halfway point, the league puts out its mid-season All-Star team and the team hands out its halfway honors. Check back soon for more details....
The Warriors were short-manned, with four regulars not available, so the team had a bit of a makeshift lineup in place. While Rez only started with 8 players, two more showed up and gave them a full 10.
Immanuel had one big inning, the fourth, where it scored six of its seven runs to secure the victory. The Rez Life bats just couldn't muster anything with only 8 hits in the game. Brendan Finn and Chris Burr provided half of the hits with two apiece. Chris walked away with his third Player of the Game award with his two hits, one run and one RBI. Lee Valle, Jeff Johnson, Jamy Antoine and Matt Shuster had the other four hits.
The defense held up pretty well and kept the runs off the board for the most part, but the offense just couldn't get any steam going. It was just one of those tough games.
The 9th game of the season brings us to the halfway point with the Warriors playing .667 ball. That is pretty much in line with last year's regular season record of 12-5-1.
Of course, at the halfway point, the league puts out its mid-season All-Star team and the team hands out its halfway honors. Check back soon for more details....
Monday, June 18, 2007
Split puts Warriors at 6-2, Tied for 1st
A split in two games on June 7, put the Warriors in a tie for first with Life Church. Rez Life defeated Eden Prairie Assembly of God in the first game 18-14 but fell to the mighty bats of Living Word 26-18 in the nightcap. The offense played well in both games, having three innings of seven or more runs scored.
In game one, the squad knocked out 25 hits with 7 doubles and 3 homeruns. Eric Johnson had four hits to lead the charge with Jon Engbrecht and Austin Colby adding three each. Every player had at least one hit and seven different players had an RBI.
Jeff Johnson captures his first Player of the Game honor with a 2-3 performance that included a two-run double and a two-run dinger. His dinger came in the last inning and both of his hits were with runners in scoring position. He also made a fantastic defensive play at first, spearing a liner with no outs and two runners on, and then hustling to first to double a guy up.
The Warriors were the visiting team and went down 1, 2, 3 in the first. EPAG banged out three hits and took advantage of an error to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead into the second.
Rez Life got on the board in the top of the second as the first four players stroked hits and scored. Jamy Antoine provided the big blow with a three-run homer to cap the inning's scoring. Chris Burr singled to start and scored on Lee Valle's double. Lee moved to third when Eric ripped his first hit of the game and both trotted home as Jamy launched one to deep right-center. Jon later doubled but was stranded on second.
EPAG hit the ball well again and answered with two runs to tie it at 4 after two innings. The Warriors jumped back on top with two runs in the third to make it 6-4. AJ Larson singled and went to third on Austin's double. Brendan Finn singled to score both runners.
EPAG clawed back with three singles in the bottom half to make it 6-5 after three. The Warriors looked to add to that tight cushion and came through with five big runs. Eric singled and moved to second on Nick Larson's hit. Jeff stroked his double to deep center scoring both runners. Jon singled for his second knock which put runners on the corners for Matt Shuster. The third baseman made a nice play on Shuster's grounder and Jon was forced at second. With two outs, Matt Hanson popped an RBI single to left-center to score Jeff. AJ followed with another single and Austin lined a two-RBI single to left to complete the scoring.
The home team rose to the challenge in the bottom half and scored three runs to make it 11-8 after four innings. The Warriors were vulnerable as they went down scoreless in the top of the fifth, leaving Eric on second after his double. EPAG had a chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the fifth with time winding down.
The opponents managed two runs to make it a tight-knit contest, 11-10, going into the sixth. Rez Life regrouped and came out breathing smoke. Nick singled and jogged home as POG Jeff dropped a big fly to right-center to give an immediate added cushion. Jon ripped his second double and went to third when Shuster singled. Hanson hit into a fielder's choice which scored Jon and made it 14-10 with one out. AJ reached on anther fielder's choice and brought Austin up with two outs. Austin carved one down the right-field line and sprinted home for an inside-the-park homerun. Finn doubled and scored on Chris' single to make it 17-10. Chris went to second on the throw home and scored on Lee's single to cap the scoring at 18.
EPAG was a little stunned but pushed two runs across in the bottom of the sixth and added two more in the top of the seventh after the flip-flop rule to end the game 18-14 Rez Life.
The bats continued to swing well in the nightcap of the doubleheader, but Living Word had too much in its lineup for the Warriors to match. Rez Life smacked out 21 hits and drew two walks in five innings, but Living Word had 28 hits and consistently smoked the ball up and down its lineup.
The Warriors opened the game with a seven-run top of the first. With one out Austin singled and went to third on a double from Finn. Chris doubled to plate both runners and open the scoring. After the second out, Eric continued his hot hitting with an RBI single. Jamy reached on a wild throw from the shortstop to keep the inning alive and Nick made that error hurt as he cleared the bases with a triple to make it 5-0. Jeff followed with a double to score Nick and came home on Jon's single.
Living Word scored three runs in the bottom half, using a mammoth homerun to accomplish that. The homerun may have rattled Rez Life as the team went down quickly in the second without scoring. Living Word took advantage of that and scored eight runs in the bottom of the second and just lined the ball all over the field.
Rez only managed one run in the top of the third as Chris singled and moved to second on an error. Eric singled to load the bases and Jamy drew a walk to plate Chris. The bases were left loaded as two consecutive flyouts ended the inning.
Living Word tried to end the game and added five more runs in the bottom half to make it 16-8 going into the fourth. The Warriors needed a big boost in the inning and found it right away. Jon doubled and Shuster walked. After the first out, AJ singled to load the bases for Austin. Austin delivered, blasting an opposite-field grandslam which jump-started the offense and cut the deficit to just four, 16-12. Finn singled and Chris followed suit to put two runners on for Lee. Lee lined an RBI single to score Finn. After the second out, Jamy knocked out the second homer of the inning, this one a three-run shot to center to tie the game at 16. The team added two more hits but a deep flyout ended the inning.
Living Word wasn't shaken by the offensive outburst and calmly ripped shots all over the field and scored ten runs to make it 26-16 after four innings. The Warriors managed two runs in the last inning using three hits from Shuster, AJ and Austin. The game was over due to time limit after five innings, 26-18 Living Word.
Rez Life gets two more shots at Living Word and plans on making the most of them. Chris Burr earns Player of the Game after going 3-3 with 3 runs, 2 RBI and a double.
The Warriors tried to stay atop the standings versus Immanuel the following week. Read on to learn more.
In game one, the squad knocked out 25 hits with 7 doubles and 3 homeruns. Eric Johnson had four hits to lead the charge with Jon Engbrecht and Austin Colby adding three each. Every player had at least one hit and seven different players had an RBI.
Jeff Johnson captures his first Player of the Game honor with a 2-3 performance that included a two-run double and a two-run dinger. His dinger came in the last inning and both of his hits were with runners in scoring position. He also made a fantastic defensive play at first, spearing a liner with no outs and two runners on, and then hustling to first to double a guy up.
The Warriors were the visiting team and went down 1, 2, 3 in the first. EPAG banged out three hits and took advantage of an error to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead into the second.
Rez Life got on the board in the top of the second as the first four players stroked hits and scored. Jamy Antoine provided the big blow with a three-run homer to cap the inning's scoring. Chris Burr singled to start and scored on Lee Valle's double. Lee moved to third when Eric ripped his first hit of the game and both trotted home as Jamy launched one to deep right-center. Jon later doubled but was stranded on second.
EPAG hit the ball well again and answered with two runs to tie it at 4 after two innings. The Warriors jumped back on top with two runs in the third to make it 6-4. AJ Larson singled and went to third on Austin's double. Brendan Finn singled to score both runners.
EPAG clawed back with three singles in the bottom half to make it 6-5 after three. The Warriors looked to add to that tight cushion and came through with five big runs. Eric singled and moved to second on Nick Larson's hit. Jeff stroked his double to deep center scoring both runners. Jon singled for his second knock which put runners on the corners for Matt Shuster. The third baseman made a nice play on Shuster's grounder and Jon was forced at second. With two outs, Matt Hanson popped an RBI single to left-center to score Jeff. AJ followed with another single and Austin lined a two-RBI single to left to complete the scoring.
The home team rose to the challenge in the bottom half and scored three runs to make it 11-8 after four innings. The Warriors were vulnerable as they went down scoreless in the top of the fifth, leaving Eric on second after his double. EPAG had a chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the fifth with time winding down.
The opponents managed two runs to make it a tight-knit contest, 11-10, going into the sixth. Rez Life regrouped and came out breathing smoke. Nick singled and jogged home as POG Jeff dropped a big fly to right-center to give an immediate added cushion. Jon ripped his second double and went to third when Shuster singled. Hanson hit into a fielder's choice which scored Jon and made it 14-10 with one out. AJ reached on anther fielder's choice and brought Austin up with two outs. Austin carved one down the right-field line and sprinted home for an inside-the-park homerun. Finn doubled and scored on Chris' single to make it 17-10. Chris went to second on the throw home and scored on Lee's single to cap the scoring at 18.
EPAG was a little stunned but pushed two runs across in the bottom of the sixth and added two more in the top of the seventh after the flip-flop rule to end the game 18-14 Rez Life.
The bats continued to swing well in the nightcap of the doubleheader, but Living Word had too much in its lineup for the Warriors to match. Rez Life smacked out 21 hits and drew two walks in five innings, but Living Word had 28 hits and consistently smoked the ball up and down its lineup.
The Warriors opened the game with a seven-run top of the first. With one out Austin singled and went to third on a double from Finn. Chris doubled to plate both runners and open the scoring. After the second out, Eric continued his hot hitting with an RBI single. Jamy reached on a wild throw from the shortstop to keep the inning alive and Nick made that error hurt as he cleared the bases with a triple to make it 5-0. Jeff followed with a double to score Nick and came home on Jon's single.
Living Word scored three runs in the bottom half, using a mammoth homerun to accomplish that. The homerun may have rattled Rez Life as the team went down quickly in the second without scoring. Living Word took advantage of that and scored eight runs in the bottom of the second and just lined the ball all over the field.
Rez only managed one run in the top of the third as Chris singled and moved to second on an error. Eric singled to load the bases and Jamy drew a walk to plate Chris. The bases were left loaded as two consecutive flyouts ended the inning.
Living Word tried to end the game and added five more runs in the bottom half to make it 16-8 going into the fourth. The Warriors needed a big boost in the inning and found it right away. Jon doubled and Shuster walked. After the first out, AJ singled to load the bases for Austin. Austin delivered, blasting an opposite-field grandslam which jump-started the offense and cut the deficit to just four, 16-12. Finn singled and Chris followed suit to put two runners on for Lee. Lee lined an RBI single to score Finn. After the second out, Jamy knocked out the second homer of the inning, this one a three-run shot to center to tie the game at 16. The team added two more hits but a deep flyout ended the inning.
Living Word wasn't shaken by the offensive outburst and calmly ripped shots all over the field and scored ten runs to make it 26-16 after four innings. The Warriors managed two runs in the last inning using three hits from Shuster, AJ and Austin. The game was over due to time limit after five innings, 26-18 Living Word.
Rez Life gets two more shots at Living Word and plans on making the most of them. Chris Burr earns Player of the Game after going 3-3 with 3 runs, 2 RBI and a double.
The Warriors tried to stay atop the standings versus Immanuel the following week. Read on to learn more.
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