OBI Vaults into 1st Place with 2 One-Run Wins Against Midlife Crisis

6-2 OBI downed 5-3 Midlife Crisis by scores of 8-7 and 13-12 this past week. OBI started fast and furious in both games, while MLC played the role of comeback victors to only fall short in both games.

Game 1 was a tale of two halves. OBI moved out to a 7-0 lead after 3 innings. MLC tied the game at 7 in the bottom of the 6th inning. Then, OBI wins the one inning game 1 to nothing for the 8-7 final. Game 2 started well for MLC as they pushed across 3 then 4 runs giving them a 7-2 lead heading to the bottom of the 2nd inning. OBI batted around for the only time this night, scoring 8 for a 10-7 lead we would not relinquish. Each scored 2 in the 3rd and MLC won the 4th inning 2-1. With OBI holding onto a 13-11 lead in the fifth and final inning, MLC was held to a single run and OBI had its sweep,,, and according to the Victory Lane Season 2 standings,,, the outright lead in the D2 division.

Game 1 saw OBI score 8 runs on 17 hits and 3 Sac Flys. Matt and Michael each scored in the first two inning. Then, 5 were pushed across in the 3rd inning as Matt doubled and Clint singled him home,,, Juan then followed that with a 2-run Big Fly. Next, Michael single home Spillane following his triple and Michael scored after Mando and Paul singled.

Silence for the next 3 innings allowed MLC back in the game and in the top of the 7th inning, OBI broke the tie with Matt again doubling and scoring on Jayse’s 2nd Sac Fly. Defense held MLC to a donut and onto Game 2 we went, 8-7.

Game 2 was a fast start for MLC as they jumped out to a 7-2 lead. OBI answered in the bottom 2nd with 8 runs as,,, once again,,, Matt started the hit fest and Clint, Jayse, and Juan each singled. Then Spillane doubled home 2 and Michael pulls up lame on a 2-run triple. The feasting continued as Mando, Paul and Larry single only to be bested by Nuta’s 2-RBI Fielders Choice…

Jayse scored in the 3rd on Juan’s 2nd HR of the night and Mando scored in the bottom of the 4th as Paul, JR, and Larry each singled following him up. With Defense playing well again, MLC was held just shy of our run total and the sweep was completed.

Realizing that 1st place will bring out the best in our opponents, OBI needs to play at their best the final 3 weeks of the Season 2 season to qualify for the playoffs. Our quest begins tonight on Field 3 at 6:15/7:15 against Week 1 opponent, Primos… We all recall how happy they were with their opening game victory before Split City showed up…

Missing Clint this week and Michael will be an Extra Hitter after injuring leg last week. Be there or be somewhere else !!!

OBI Switched to Late Games on Field 5,,, Split City unable to Find Its Way Home…

Instead, 4-2 OBI moved up the standings this week as 1-5 We Ain’t Dead Yet becomes the sacrificial lamb. Ok, so the first sacrifice was a two-run come from behind OBI victory in Game 1, but still lambs I tell ya… Not that there is anything wrong with lambs, nope…

Until the 7th, Game 1 pretty much went like the bottom of the first inning. Matt singled, two Fielders Choices follow, Juan triples home a run and is held at third. Spillane takes a called third strike… In fact there was a FC each of the first four innings, giving us 5 for the game.

After WADY scored 2 in the top of the third, OBI answered with a straight number, again,,, till the bottom of the fourth. Down 3-1 in the bottom of 3, Spillane reached on an FC, of course he did, and scored on John’s double following Michael’s single. Ok, let’s fast forward to the bottom of the seventh with the score 3-2 WADY… Did I mention we were moved to cavernous field 5 with the wind blowing straight in from CF? Was keeping that gem in my back pocket i was,,, but again, I digress.

Spillane collected his first hit of the game, then scored the tying run as the ball was tossed around a bit, including one toss that seemed to glance off his dome,,, giving John his second RBI on his second Double of the game. Once again, with the tying run in scoring position, Nuta was intentionally walked. After Paul safely moved everyone up with an infield (well placed) hit,,, Tom becomes the Game 1 Hero with a Sac Fly to LC field… Easy Peezy 4-3 Victory!

To start Game 2, WADY pushed across 3 runs in the bottom of the first for a 3-0 lead. This did not look good as OBI was not yet rolling,,, till Inning 2. In the inning, 17 batters came to the plate and produced 13 runs giving OBI a 10-run lead they never relinquished…

After Jayse singled and Juan doubled, Spillane pushed across the first run with a Sac Fly to LF. The hit parade began at that point as Michael doubled, followed by a John single. Then back-to-back-to-back Doubles by Nuta, Paul and Tom pushed across 4 more runs. Larry, JR, Matt, Mando, and Jayse singled before Juan doubled home runs 10 and 11. Spillane followed Matts big inning effort from Week 2 (making the second and third outs in our 19 run inning) by making the first and second outs in this inning. Michael followed with a two run single that pushed the final 2 runs across in the inning.

After a quiet third inning at bat, WADY pushed across 4 as the Little Lefty Who Cannot Really Play RF Very Well But Always Seems to Hit Well Against Us, hit a 3-run Big Fly to RF that made the game interesting. But OBI followed suit with our own 4-spot to reclaim the 10 run lead at 17-7.

Larry, JR, Matt singled and with one out, Jayse doubled in the second run of the inning. Spillane followed up a Juan Sac Fly with an RBI Single to cap the inning scoring.

In the 5th inning, Tom singled and scored the only run when Larry and JR followed up with singles. This pushed the lead to 18-7. Two nice defensive plays in the bottom of the 5th inning preserved the run rule and we were like, Done with the Wind, Games, and had collected 2 wins in the process…

Defense was the main theme of the evening. Here are a few highlights, though I am sure to have left some out:
— Larry pitched 12 innings and gave up 10 runs. Including only 3 in the game 1 victory.
— The Outfield was spectacular in the WIND! With the difficulty factor raised exponentially by the howling wind (might have been the motorcycles over near the dam),,, catch after catch was made in seeming heroic fashion by all those who patrolled the night skies over field 5!!! From RFers making all the needful plays, to RC fielders hogging the balls curving back to the RF line, to LC fielders gauging the depth of several hard hit balls, to Nuta’s one hand stab late in the evening on the warning track, it was well played.
— The infield played well most of the night, highlighted by Nuta’s catch in foul ground in game 1, and the aforementioned bottom of the 5th plays by Michael at SS fielding a tough one-hop liner in the hole to get the first out with a bang bang play at first and Juan’s walk off Unassisted PutOut at 2B/Double Play…

Great job and let’s keep Split City away for a little longer. We have 5-1 Midlife Crisis up next this Thursday on Field 6 at 6:15/7:15… Clint will be back in time to reclaim 3B as John is off this week!

OBI Rolls in Game 1, Split City Sleeps Thru Game 2 Loss

2-2 Split City put a hurting on 1-3 Old Glory so bad,,, How bad was it,,, OG requested a run-rule in the top of the second inning. Then, after a 3 inning win, Old Glory put up a late 10 spot to take Game 2 14-10. But, that is not the real story,,,

— Matt led off the top of the first with a hit and scored. He finished with the worst stat line of the game at 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a base on balls.
— Mando was the second hitter and had the second worst stat line at 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored, an RBI and a Double.

The sideways slam/compliment on Matt and Mando stat lines is this,,, at 5 for 9, they made four of the 9 outs in our 3 innings at bat… 2 for 4 and 3 for 5 are nothing to sneeze at I tell ya... That said, here are the main game points…

— OBI sent 23 batters to the plate, of which 19 scored, in the Top of the First inning.
— The first 11 Batters scored,,, in the Top of the Second inning. Yes, we hit 11...
— 32 runs were scored in the Top of the first and second innings total.
— 22 minutes were left in Game 1 as we headed to the bottom of the second inning.
— Matt batted 3 times in the Top of the first inning.
— Michael and John hit back-to-back Big Flies in the second time through the order in the Top of the First inning.
— Jayse, Spillane, and Michael (3, 4, 5 in the order) each had 2 hits in both the first and second innings.
— .795 Batting Average (35-44) in Game 1 with a .804 OBPct (37-46) with the two Walks added in.
— No runs were scored in the top of the Third inning.

In Game 2, Split City was pushing the envelope by winning 3 of the first four innings by a run for a 5-1 lead. Then, the sky fell in as Old Glory collected a few hits and pushed across 10 for an 11-5 lead going to the bottom of the 5th.

In standard OBI fashion, we pushed across 3 runs and to get within striking distance. However, Old Glory was up to the task and pushed across another 3 in the top of the 6th. Split City was able to answer back with 2 runs but no closer were we able to get in the 10-14 loss.

A great evening all in all as OBI proved that once again that when we hit well, we can compete with any team at Victory Lane…

And when we do not hit, well, we did at least have access to beer and other accouterments…

Special Notes for this week:
— Nuta was one base all 7 at bats and is leading the way with a 1.000 batting average & OBP.
— Matt made the second and third outs of the first inning going 1 for 3.
— John hit his first HR since rejoining OBI in 2014.
— Michael hit his first HR since late 2014.
— John, Nuta, Paul, JR, Tom and Larry (6 to 11 in the order) each had 3 hits in Game 1.

This week: 615/715 on Field 1 vs. 2-2 Retreads…

Cya on Thursday…

Season 2 Early Results Are In: Split City Returns!!!

There was hooting and hollering on Field 1 this past Thursday by Primos, a second season D2 team. The celebration was enormous out in shallow RF after Michael’s line drive gapper found the outstretched glove of the RF instead for the final out. Realization quickly set in, Primos was celebratory because that had topped the Season 1 D2 Reigning Champions in the first game of Season 2… Wow, that was cool to watch,,, and it pissed me off too! No one celebrates on our home turf.

Ok, Ok, it is their home turf too… All that was needed after the 7-8 loss was One Big Inning to call from the depths our own Split City selves to save the day and avoid the dreaded sweep at the hands of a team that was overly happy to win one friction’ game… And with the scored tied at 4 in the top of the third inning in Game 2, the dam burst and Split City pushed across 8 runs to take control…

But first, let’s go back to Game 1,,, 7 runs produced on 17 hits and we batted 7 times. Honestly, about the most impressive thing that happened in Game 1 was their RFers catch, Or was it???

Mando and Jayse each singled and scored in both the first and third innings. They were pushed across on hits by Juan and Michael, plus Spillane’s Sac Fly. Then, down 4-8 in the bottom of the 5th, Clint showed us how to earn a hustle Double down the LF line and pull himself from the game due to a slight hammy pull, ouchitty!!!

In the bottom of the 6th, Michael, Matt, JR, Larry, and Mando singled to score our final 3 runs. After Juan singled in the seventh, both Spillane and Michael flew out to kill the rally… And set the stage for the return of Split City…

In Game 2, it was really all about the top of the third inning. Mando singled between Larry and Tom’s outs. Then, what followed was epic as a new HR Leader emerged!!!  After 5 consecutive Singles by Jayes, Juan, Spillane, Michael and Matt scored the first 4 runs of the evening, Paul takes the Season 2 HR lead with his 3 run shot through the outfielders 5-hole and racing around the bases, walla!!! JR, Larry, and Mando kept it going with 3 more hits to score the final run of the inning.

Paul would have happily shared his Season 2 HR lead with Michael who needed 3 more push ups to get the ball over the fence. Alas, instead it bounced back into play for only a Double in the 3-run second inning,,, oh well…

After Matt singled in the 13th run in the top of the 4th, Primos attempted to make a run at Split City in the bottom of the 5th and final inning falling short for a final of 13-9 Split City.

The Stats are done, but the stat sheet asked not to be presented due to the law of averages. Meaning our 20 runs scored on 38 hits leave a bit for interpretation…  Below average for OBI Law...

This week it is all about Old Glory… Another D2 team that played last season and did not play us. See y’all for the 815/915 games on Field 2 !!!
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A text was sent out today asking for shirt sizes from each of you. Am trying to get the League Champion Tee Shirts this week to hand out on Thursday Night! Send me your Tee Shirt size (100% Cotton that Will Shrink ;~) )...