Little League Districts Game #1

Position Played:

Holly took the field first, and things went fairly well early. They let a couple of players on base, but managed to get a couple of outs in the process. The third out proved to be a bit of a struggle though, as Birmingham was able to plate two runs before Holly finally got it. Drew spent the inning in left field, but didn't see any action. When it was Holly's turn to bat, they weren't able to generate much excitement. They got a man on base, thanks to a walk, but that was all they could muster, as two strikeouts and a week grounder to the pitcher ended the inning.

The second inning seemed to be a repeat of the first, except that Birmingham managed to plate a run each with one and two outs. One of the runs came on a misplay by Drew in left, when he bypassed the cutoff man and sailed the ball all the way to home plate from left center, allowing a run to reach. Drew finally was able to step into the batters box in the bottom of the second, with a man on base no less. Unfortunately the speed of the pitching from Birmingham was much faster than what anyone on the team was used to, and, when combined with the consistent but low strike zone from the umpire Drew just couldn't quite get the key hit when it was needed. Once again Holly was kept off the board, and trailed by a 4-0 score after the inning was complete.

The third inning proved to be trouble for Holly, as Birmingham beat up on two different pitchers, scoring 9 runs in the process. The big inning seemed to take a bit out of the Holly players, as they appeared a bit deflated when they finally got the third out. They weren't prepared to give up, however, finally scoring their first run of the game with two outs thanks to a past ball. That would be it, however, and Birmingham had a big 13-1 lead.

Holly went to a new pitcher once more in the fourth inning, and he seemed to fare better against the Birmingham bats than the others. He allowed a run, but two strikeouts and a weak pop fly in foul territory limited the damage to just the single run. Holly finally broke through with their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth, and Drew had a chance to drive him in during his second at-bat of the game. Like his first at-bat, Drew couldn't quite make the adjustment to the strike zone (this pitcher wasn't blowing any of the kids away), going down swinging once again. Holly did end up with a run in the inning, but the 14-2 score meant that the mercy rule had been invoked. Birmingham walked away with the victory, sending Holly to the "Losers Bracket" in the process. They can still come out of the Districts, but the challenge has just gotten a little bit tougher.

Here is a quick recap from the coach: "Today wasn’t our best game. Drew played his butt off in left, Hunter made some good plays at 2nd, Ethan was huge behind the plate. It’s a simple fix the boys need to hit. They made adjustments went to lighter bats we just came up short. At the end of the day all this loss did was force us to play 1 more game."

Little League Baseball Districts Game 1 - vs. Birmingham

Drew in position in left field.

Drew moving behind third base to back up a throw.

A look at the team on the field.

Drew chasing down a ball in left-center...

...and readying to throw the ball...

...in to the infield.

Drew at the plate, looking for a pitch to hit.

Drew back in left field.

Drew throwing another ball in...

...and sending it flying to the infield.

Drew fielding a grounder...

...and taking a look at the runners...

...before taking aim...

...and winding up...

...and unleashing a throw to second base.

Drew lining up a pitch during his second plate appearance...

...and swinging the bat...

...and missing on the follow through.

Drew looking for another pitch.

Drew at the plate once more.

Drew ducking under a pitch at his head.

Drew looking for another good pitch...

...and reaching a bit on the outside pitch.