(Editor's Note: Softball is a game about pitching, hitting, and fielding. Reporter's Reply: Oh, go edit for Rolling Stone magazine. Editor's Reply: Sue me!)
Like the weather, Wolverine bats finally heated up. Here's a rundown of some of the key numbers:
19 runs scored by 11 West Po players.
12 hits including 1 triple, 7 (!) doubles, and 4 singles.
Nikki's lead-off triple, one of eight
Wolverine extra base hits on the night.
A total of 21 total bases.
10 players combined for 18 RBIs.
In 4 innings of play, the team batted around 3 times, sending 11, 11, and, yes, 11 hitters to the plate in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings.
For those running out of fingers and toes (most of you should), that's 33 plate appearances in those three innings, and 39 for the game.
West Po batters waited out 10 walks, and Olivia Manous had the 1 hit by pitch. Only one of the walks came in the first two innings.
Defensively, there were 5 Titan errors, and only 1 Wolverine error.
Christina Dillard went 5 innings in the pitcher's circle for the complete game win, recording 10 strikeouts, allowing just 3 hits and 5 baserunners, including just 1 after the first two batters of the second inning. Christina's ten whiffs in five innings means that she averaged two Ks per inning (that math lesson has GOT to help someone on their AP exam!) She only allowed 1 earned run (yes, statheads, I checked -- a wild pitch counts as an earned run, alas). pitching out of a jam in the 2nd to hold the Wolverine lead at 2-1.
Five innings, ten strikeouts.
That's gotta be close to
two Ks per inning!
In summation (Editor's Note: Finally!), the big numbers the Wolverines put up against TC are the numbers you want to be big in softball, and the and small numbers the Wolverines recorded are the numbers you want to be small in softball. (I will pause in writing to give our esteemed readership to reread that sentence a few times just to be sure each reader understand the subtle literary effort that makes this blog the best team-specific softball blog in the entire West Potomac neighborhood.)
(Pausing).
(Ah, I can see the light bulb go off over your head. Resuming).
After the previous two games against T.C. Williams were close, this grizzled blogger noted that the Titans had much improved from past seasons (the Spring Break Tournament win does not count as a conference game, so there is still one more Titan game to go for the Wolverines). Tuesday was so different, even though the game started with promise for the visitors from Alexandria.
Annabelle fires to first.
After two quick outs in the first, T.C. strung together three baserunners and scored a run. The first hit was a triple on a pitch that was nose high and out of the strike zone. The Titan reached up and clubbed it to the fence like a baby seal. (Editor's note: no actual seal was harmed in the game or in the writing of this poorly chosen, tasteless metaphor.)
The Wolverines started the home half of the first quickly, scoring two runs on a triple by Nikki Minnis, an RBI double by Grace Moery, and an RBI double by Raven Williams.
Whatever Coach Lee said worked.
Olivia smacked two doubles.
The game turned in the second inning, with West Potomac up 2-1. The leadoff Titan doubled, and next hitter walked. TC attempted a double steal, but the runner on second was gunned down by Torie Bolger, as a covering Nikki made the tag in plenty of time for the first out. Christina then
On this play, all three West Potomac
wide receivers were wide open.
Annabelle Miller reach on an error, stole second by enticing a pick-off throw from the catcher, and cannily (SAT word alert!) took third on the error by the first baseman throwing it into left field. Maddie Miller then walked, and took second on defensive indifference. Harley Devine scorched one to shortstop that the Titan erred on, earning an RBI. Nikki hit into a fielder's choice for an RBI. Grace hit her second double and got her second RBI to make it 5-3.
Megan Jackson soon had a two-out single that knocked in two runs. Torie followed up with a run scoring single to left. Annabelle had a double that led to a run thanks to a TC error. Suddenly it was 9-1 after two.
Wait. Someone made an out?
How's that possible?
After a commanding 1-2-3 inning by Christina that included a nice scoop by Raven on a low throw, the Wolverines batted around again. (It's like that page in "Go Dog Go" where they are on the ferris wheel and the one dog shouts "Go around again!" and so they do. Oh, I know some people are "Cat in the Hat" people, while others like "Goodnight Moon" or "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." And those are all nice books, but they don't measure up to Go Dog Go! Remember, it's a dog party -- a big dog party! But, I digress.)
Best kids book ever!
Puppy tried out for a role in "Go Dog Go"
(Editor's Note: Again.)
(Reporter: If you see me at the game Friday and you agree that "Go Dog Go" is the king of children's books, just give me a knowing nod. And a fist bump -- that way I don't wonder if you just have a nervous neck tic. In fact, skip the knowing nod and just go with the fist bump -- less confusion that way.)
It's very thoughtful for our photographer to
let us know what sport this photo is from.
(Cindy's the best! -- and I'm the worst!)
Back to the action in the bottom of the third. . .Harley walked. Nikki singled to left. Grace reached on an error by the third baseman, and Harley scored (with all runners advancing). Raven earned an RBI with a sac fly to center. Olivia got two RBI with a double to center. Megan walked, Annabelle singled to center. Maddie and Micaela Neulight each got RBIs from bases loaded walks. Suddenly it was 14-1.
When I was a kid, we used to play a game called Polish
kickball, where you ran the bases backwards.
Besides being confusing, it was politically incorrect.
All Torie is doing here is returning to first after rounding the base.
Man, things were different back then. (Not better, just different!)
In this analogy from Go Dog Go, Elizabeth
is the blue dog -- in safely.
Despite an error that eventually got a Titan runner to third base, Christina cruised through the TC top of the fourth. Which, of course led the team to "Go around again!" in the home half.
Caroline hit this grounder so hard it went all the
way to the fence. "Amazing," Grace thinks
to herself as she heads toward second.
Grace walked. Caroline Bowman smacked a grounder through the hole between short and 2nd base so hard that it went all the way to the wall! On the ground! Oh my. Olivia got her second double of the game for an RBI. Elizabeth Drotos walked, on her way to scoring her third run of the game (two as a pinchrunner). Natalie Lerner smacked a sac fly to center for an RBI (Reporter: why does RBI need "an" instead of "a" in front of it? Editor: Great, now I get to lose sleep pondering that!).
Natalie nails an RBI sac fly to make it 16-1.
Annabelle walked, Maddie walked in a run, Micaela also hit a sac fly to center, Nikkie walked, and Grace ended the scoring with an RBI single to left. It was 19-1.
Despite being up 19-1, half of
the senior six were tense and nervous, they
couldn't relax. (Psycho Killer is a
great song, but not as good as this parody.)
Wolverine Whispers: Friday night. Lake Braddock. At West Potomac. Be there (unless. of course the potential thunderstorm happens and the game is cancelled). Lake Braddock is number 3 in the Post, which means the higher they are, the harder they fall.
Web gems were turned in by Torie Bolger (twice -- a caught foul tip for strike three, and a would-be thief thrown out at third by a long ways) and Raven Williams (nice catch of a bounced throw).
Multiple hit games were turned in by Grace (three hits), Nikki, Olivia, and Annabelle (two each). RBI were earned by Grace and Olivia (three each), Raven, Megan, Maddie, and Micaela (two each), and Harley, Nikki, Torie, and Natalie (one each).
Our beloved Tarpy made an appearance after the game. Tarpy was in good spirits, and happy to protect the infield from the ensuing rain. Tarpy's the best! (Except when Tarpy is full of water, but then Tarpy is just doing its job. So don't blame Tarpy!)
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