6:00am rolled around early today. Boys were champs and got up, dressed in our Blue and Greys and ate breakfast. Scrambled eggs, Cheerios, bagels, banana's and fruit were on the menu with OJ, milk and Gatorade.
Breakfast was over, the boys bussed their own tables and headed outside into the sun and what became a very effective production line. Each boy got sprayed front, back and hands and we did not forget the ears. Into the vans at 645am...
The Vans
Took on lives of their own. There were 2 team vans and of course the Golden KIA. In one van, my van, driven by Matt C, we always arrived first. We had 5 players: Devin, Owen, Kyle, Harry and Liam. Makes you wonder why Liam did not drive with his dad and Jack C did not drive with his dad, makes you go, HUUUMMMM, but I digress.
Game 1 8am Westfield Blue Vs Tennessee Thunder from Knoxville at Westside Yards
The tourney started off as well as a coach could hope. Sharp singles from Jack C and Jake K and 2 stolen bases and the Westfield Blue was in business. We went on to score 1 but in precursor of things to come, we left the bases loaded. Jared started off great getting the leadoff hitter to pop out, followed by a sharp single to center. Up came the Thunder's Home Run Derby representative (he hit 8 monster blasts you might recall) and champion and the field fell silent. Ball one, strike one, foul over the back stop, strike 3!!!! e struck him out until we dropped the third strike and he reached safely......a precursor to the game. Maybe it was the first game jitters, maybe it was the fireworks going off til 3am, but the Blue struggled giving up 4 runs but also giving the Thunder 6 outs to score the 4.
Mono and Kyle threw the next 3 innings, the boys threw strikes and kept their composure under some pretty stressful plays as the drops kept coming: 6 more outs in the second, 6 in the 3rd and 5 in the fourth all made it a long morning. Chris C came on in the 5th to pitch a scoreless inning and set the Blue up for Game 2. Coach Mono and coach Rich were heard to days after the game. "Tennessee was a very good team. We know they thumped us and we probably should have lost but more like 7-1. 18- 1 was the final..... On o Game 2 and the Saint Simon Island Seminoles from Georgia.
Game 2 10:15am Westfield Blue Vs SSI Seminoles (GA) at Westside Yards
Smarting from the 8am drubbing from Tennessee, the Blue came out en fuego in Game 2. Chris C started the game and continued his mastery of the Southern teams as he set down the Seminoles in the first, allowing 1 run on a past pall and a swipe of home. The Blue's bast came alive and the Seminoles looked a little tentative in the field. The Blue started the game scoring 8 runs on 8 hits. Key its in the inning were Kyle's double to the right field fence along with 2 out RBI singles from Justin, Liam, Harry and Mono.
The Seminoles fought back tacking on runs as Chris, Harry and Kyle took command of the hill. Strikes were on order and we found ourselves down 12-8 going into the top of the 6th. The Seminoles had a few timely hits, the Blue made a few inopportune errors and a long home run to right gave the Seminoles an 18-8 lead. The Blue fought to the bitter end with a double from Kyle and another single from Mono leaving the bases loaded against the Seminole closer.
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