1) U.S. Exporters vs Big Shots played on 08/19/14
We split. Both one run games in the bottom of the final inning. They had their full squad there.
A depleted Exporters roster missing 5 players on vacation opened with a strong first inning racking up 8 runs, but could not hold on to win. The lighting at Jennie Dean caused a couple of dropped balls in the outfield that kept the Big Shots in the game long enough to win the
opener.
In the nightcap, the Exporters defense improved to hold the Big Shots scoreless in the first three innings and four overall. The Big Shots finally broke out in the last inning putting 8 on the board to take the lead. However, the Exporters fought back in the bottom of the last inning to walk off with the win.
Max did well at second base and was ready for a Tide commercial after rolling in the dirt to grab a ball tipped by the shortstop. While laying flat out, Max finally reached the ball and extended a foot to touch the base for the force out just before the runner could reach the base. Slo-mo replay confirmed the out.
We welcomed new Exporter, Randall Jefferson, to the team. He should be a good solid hitter in the lineup. We welcomed back Austen Bannon to give us some depth in the outfield.
Unfortunately, the Exporters dropped 2 to the CCSP Empty Pitchers. We gave them too many extra outs in game one and could not hold off their last inning attack in game 2.
Only got one game in before the rain. We had the return of John Thompson. Difficult lighting at Jennie Dean played havoc with the outfield on fly balls as they lost a few in the transitioning sky.
We split with A-Town taking one game from a good hitting fast team. In game 1, Dan Mitchell became the oldest player, at age 56, to hit an over
the fence home run in the modern era of restricted flight bats and balls. In the second game, we just couldn't get enough going other than
a 3-run blast by Jason.
5) U.S. Exporters vs Bums played on 09/16/14
The Bums proved to be too much for the Exporters. They hit a steady
stream of line drives to left field in game 1. We were able to slow
them a little in game 2 by moving Max in to play the short field rover
and it worked for a little while until they changed direction and
sprayed the hits to other fields.
The Bums are a very solid team
showing why they are leading the division. It didn't help that we had a
very depleted outfield with Brian forced behind the plate with a hammy
strain and Andy having to move to DH with a severe arm problem.
It was a wild night for the walking wounded. Brian still suffered from
his strained hammy and was limited. Roger was still nursing multiple
leg injuries. Randall pulled a back muscle in his first at bat and Glen
was hit on the wrist with a hard line drive in the third inning. Glen
wanted to continue, but couldn't swing or catch with his injured left
hand. Glen thought his wrist wasn't broken since he could move it a
little. Heavy painkillers were taken by both.
By game 2 when the drugs
kicked in, they had taken their toll on Glen who lost the plate. Jason
came in from the bullpen to finish the game. The Exporters fought back
in the late innings. In the last inning, Jason hit a 3 run blast over
the left field fence to put us up 2 going into the bottom of the
inning. Then things got strange.
Jason walked the first batter and
gave up a game-tying homer. The next batter hit a triple. So with the
winning run on third and no outs, we intentionally walked the next two
batters to load the bases and brought the outfield in. However, Dan
noticed that the first batter went directly to second base and alerted
the umpire who called him out for not touching first base. The next
batter was also given a free pass to reload the bases with one out. A
ground ball was hit to Randall at third who fired home to Roger for the
second out. With two outs the outfield moved back to normal depth. The
batter hit a gounder to Max at second who threw to first for the third
out ending the game in a tie.
Later that night when the painkillers
wore off on Glen he awoke in such pain he decided to get it looked at.
His wrist was confirmed to be broken.
Glen Maes wrote: "Just giving the Team an update on my left forearm. At 2am Wednesday morning I had to go to the ER for terrible pain. I saw the x-ray of my left ulna bone it was totally fractured above the wrist. I'll be getting a cast soon. Roger you made the right call to pull me out of the game. I'll still be showing up to the rest of the games this season. 'Go Bungalows'
The Master Chief!"
No report. Busy with campaigning. Trying to drag Suzanne Scholte across the finish line against Gerry Connolly.
Editors note: No problems, Roger. All is forgiven. Just win (the election, that is!)
8) U.S. Exporters vs GAP Softball scheduled on 10/08/2014
No games on Wednesday. The other team forfeited for the second and
final time.
Glen returned from the disabled list and had his cast removed from his
broken wrist. We also saw the return on the Trinh clan. We played an
undermanned Hawks team that could only field 8 players. As usual, the
Exporters hit the balls directly to the remaining players rather than
hit the gaps. In the most unusual move I have ever seen in a game, the
Hawks intentionally walked in a run with 2 outs putting the potential
tying run on third and the winning run on second. It turned out to be a
good move as the next batter flew out. We managed a split with the
Hawks by winning the nightcap in a pair of low scoring games.
We weren't close to having enough and forfeit. Stay home