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.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007
Team Keeps Rolling, Now in 1st at 5-1
The Rez Life Warriors continued their offensive onslaught this week with a convincing 21-12 victory over St. Andrew Blue. The game wasn't as close as the score indicates, as the Warrriors jumped out to a 20-0 lead after one and a half innings by scoring 7 in the top of the first and 13 in the second.
The offense slugged out 24 hits - albeit only three in the last three innings - and took advantage of four Blue errors. Austin Colby, Brendan Finn, and Jeff Johnson all homered as the recent power surge continued as well.
Matt Hanson and Austin shared Player of the Game honors. Hanson, a rookie to softball and any organized sport for that matter, knocked out his first career hit in the frist inning, which plated two runs. Later, he added career hits #2 and #3 and finished a perfect 3-3 on the night, good enough to capture Co-Player of the Game. Austin went a solid 3-4 from the plate with three runs scored and two RBI, including a two-run homer in the second inning. It was his exceptional defense that garnered the Player of the Game honor as he had 6 assists and three put outs without an error at shortstop. He also had a hand in three double-plays, two of which were unassisted, one while being toppled by an oncoming base-runner.
Rez came to swing and AJ Larson started things with a seeing-eye chopper up the middle. Austin followed with a knock to left and after the first out, Chris Burr laced his first of four hits scoring AJ. Lee Valle looped one to plate Austin and Eric Johnson drove one in the gap to left-center scoring both Chris and Lee making it 4-0 Warriors. Jordan Schumack started his day right with a liner to left scoring Eric. After the second out, Jeff Johnson stroked one for a single and Matt Shuster poked one through to load the bases with two outs for Hanson.
Mr. Handsome delivered with a liner to center scoring two and ending the scoring at 7 in the first.
The defense was flawless in the bottom half, keeping two runners stranded on base as a grounder to short ended the inning. In the top of the second, the Warriors put on their best offensive display of the season scoring an amazing 13 times and batting around for the second straight inning. Austin chopped an infield single to start and moved to third on Finn's single. On the throw to third, Finn advanced to second setting the plate for Chris. Chris knocked his second hit of the game this time scoring both Austin and Finn making it 9-0. Lee hit a grounder that the second baseman couldn't handle putting two runners on for Eric. Eric hit a chopper to short whose throw to second pulled the two-bagger away from the base, leaving the bases loaded with no outs. Jordan ripped another single scoring two and pushing Eric to third. Leading 11-0, Jon Engbrecht then lofted a fly to center that was dropped allowing Eric to score and keeping two runners on.
Jeff then delivered the big blow, crushing a three-run shot to dead center and making the score 15-0 Rez. Finally, Blue got the first out but Hanson stepped up and pushed his second hit of the day up the middle to start things again.
A fielder's choice cleared him off the bases but Austin stroked a two-run shot to left-center plating AJ and making it 17-0. Finn, Chris, Lee, Eric, and Jordan all hit singles in succession, the last three scoring runs and ending the inning at 20-0. Very impressive.
However, St. Andrew would not give up and started hitting the ball in the bottom half. The first 11 batters reached base successfully, using eight hits and three walks to score nine runs. Austin had his first unassisted double play on the next batter and Finn corraled a fly ball to end the inning, 20-9 Warriors.
With a much closer game, the Warriors pressed a bit in the third leaving Hanson stranded on first and scoring no runs. In the bottom half, Austin had two assists and a put-out, making quick work of Blue.
Going into the fourth leading 20-9, the Warriors added an insurance run on Finn's solo shot to left. Chris tripled after the homer but was stranded after a fine play from the third baseman robbed Lee and a deep fly-out by Eric ended the inning.
A lead-off walk set the table for Austin's second unassisted double play, this one saw the runner de-cleating him as he made the throw to first. No one was hurt on the play but it sure didn't feel good. A flyout to AJ in right-center ended the inning.
Batting for the last time, Rez went down quickly but hit the ball hard each time. Three popouts made for a quick bottom of the fifth and due to the flip-flop rule, St. Andrew got to bat its half of the sixth right away. Blue's offense managed to get three runs taking advantage of a couple errors and a walk. Another double play ended any rally threat as Eric made a nice turn at second to complete the play. A shallow pop to Finn in left ended the game, 21-12 Warriors.
Chris finished the game 4-4 with three runs and three RBI as he pushed his season average to .700. Jordan and Finn added three hits while Lee, Eric and Jeff all had two.
With the victory, the Warriors now sit alone on top of the standings with a record of 5-1. Life fell for the second straight week and is now 4-2 overall. Next week sees the Warriors playing their first double-header of the year with games at 7:50 and 8:50 on field #2. Eden Prairie Assembly of God and pre-season favorite Living Word are the two opponents. Both are playing extremely well right now.
The offense slugged out 24 hits - albeit only three in the last three innings - and took advantage of four Blue errors. Austin Colby, Brendan Finn, and Jeff Johnson all homered as the recent power surge continued as well.
Matt Hanson and Austin shared Player of the Game honors. Hanson, a rookie to softball and any organized sport for that matter, knocked out his first career hit in the frist inning, which plated two runs. Later, he added career hits #2 and #3 and finished a perfect 3-3 on the night, good enough to capture Co-Player of the Game. Austin went a solid 3-4 from the plate with three runs scored and two RBI, including a two-run homer in the second inning. It was his exceptional defense that garnered the Player of the Game honor as he had 6 assists and three put outs without an error at shortstop. He also had a hand in three double-plays, two of which were unassisted, one while being toppled by an oncoming base-runner.
Rez came to swing and AJ Larson started things with a seeing-eye chopper up the middle. Austin followed with a knock to left and after the first out, Chris Burr laced his first of four hits scoring AJ. Lee Valle looped one to plate Austin and Eric Johnson drove one in the gap to left-center scoring both Chris and Lee making it 4-0 Warriors. Jordan Schumack started his day right with a liner to left scoring Eric. After the second out, Jeff Johnson stroked one for a single and Matt Shuster poked one through to load the bases with two outs for Hanson.
Mr. Handsome delivered with a liner to center scoring two and ending the scoring at 7 in the first.
The defense was flawless in the bottom half, keeping two runners stranded on base as a grounder to short ended the inning. In the top of the second, the Warriors put on their best offensive display of the season scoring an amazing 13 times and batting around for the second straight inning. Austin chopped an infield single to start and moved to third on Finn's single. On the throw to third, Finn advanced to second setting the plate for Chris. Chris knocked his second hit of the game this time scoring both Austin and Finn making it 9-0. Lee hit a grounder that the second baseman couldn't handle putting two runners on for Eric. Eric hit a chopper to short whose throw to second pulled the two-bagger away from the base, leaving the bases loaded with no outs. Jordan ripped another single scoring two and pushing Eric to third. Leading 11-0, Jon Engbrecht then lofted a fly to center that was dropped allowing Eric to score and keeping two runners on.
Jeff then delivered the big blow, crushing a three-run shot to dead center and making the score 15-0 Rez. Finally, Blue got the first out but Hanson stepped up and pushed his second hit of the day up the middle to start things again.
A fielder's choice cleared him off the bases but Austin stroked a two-run shot to left-center plating AJ and making it 17-0. Finn, Chris, Lee, Eric, and Jordan all hit singles in succession, the last three scoring runs and ending the inning at 20-0. Very impressive.
However, St. Andrew would not give up and started hitting the ball in the bottom half. The first 11 batters reached base successfully, using eight hits and three walks to score nine runs. Austin had his first unassisted double play on the next batter and Finn corraled a fly ball to end the inning, 20-9 Warriors.
With a much closer game, the Warriors pressed a bit in the third leaving Hanson stranded on first and scoring no runs. In the bottom half, Austin had two assists and a put-out, making quick work of Blue.
Going into the fourth leading 20-9, the Warriors added an insurance run on Finn's solo shot to left. Chris tripled after the homer but was stranded after a fine play from the third baseman robbed Lee and a deep fly-out by Eric ended the inning.
A lead-off walk set the table for Austin's second unassisted double play, this one saw the runner de-cleating him as he made the throw to first. No one was hurt on the play but it sure didn't feel good. A flyout to AJ in right-center ended the inning.
Batting for the last time, Rez went down quickly but hit the ball hard each time. Three popouts made for a quick bottom of the fifth and due to the flip-flop rule, St. Andrew got to bat its half of the sixth right away. Blue's offense managed to get three runs taking advantage of a couple errors and a walk. Another double play ended any rally threat as Eric made a nice turn at second to complete the play. A shallow pop to Finn in left ended the game, 21-12 Warriors.
Chris finished the game 4-4 with three runs and three RBI as he pushed his season average to .700. Jordan and Finn added three hits while Lee, Eric and Jeff all had two.
With the victory, the Warriors now sit alone on top of the standings with a record of 5-1. Life fell for the second straight week and is now 4-2 overall. Next week sees the Warriors playing their first double-header of the year with games at 7:50 and 8:50 on field #2. Eden Prairie Assembly of God and pre-season favorite Living Word are the two opponents. Both are playing extremely well right now.
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