Saturday - April 24, 9am vs. FIREBALLS

Coming into Saturday’s game, the 5th game of the season, BLUR remained empty handed as a win continued to elude them. BLUR hosted the FIREBALLS in this game, who had so far had a similar experience in their previous outings this season.

So far this season, the BLUR girls seemed to have a much easier time getting started during their weekend, morning games than their weeknight games. Hopefully, that pattern would be proven true against the FIREBALLS and BLUR would come out with a W. But, with the umpire calling a start to the game, BLUR would have to lay it on the line to make it happen. With both teams still out of the win column, one 0 had to go. Who’s 0 would it be?

1st Inning
Lexie was up 1st, leading the BLUR defense in the 1st inning. Lexie battled with the 1st FIREBALL batter, including a couple of no swing strike pitches, to work her way up to full count. The batter stayed alive on a foul ball, but made contact on the next pitch sending the ball rolling through the 1st base side of the BLUR infield. Natalie came off the bag to collect the ball and ran back to step on the bag, getting the 1st out of the game. Lexie lost focus on the next batter and, with a swinging strike in the mix, she walked the next batter and the FIREBALLS got on base. Still struggling, a pitch got away from Lexie and it hit the ground fast and hit the batter on the foot, putting FIREBALL runners on 1st and 2nd. On the next pitch, a passed ball sent the runners to their respective next bases. With runners now on 2nd and 3rd, the batter took a swing and connected on the next pitch, sending the ball into the 3rd base side of the infield. Janessa quickly walked over to scoop it up and hold the runners in place. Then, she threw the ball to Natalie at 1st to get the 2nd out. After the 1st ball pitch, the 5th FIREBALL batter, wanting to bring the runners home, took a swing on the next pitch and put it in play. This time, the ball went through the 2nd base side of the infield, getting past Lexie, but Katelyn was ready on the back up and stopped it. Quickly, she turned and connected with Natalie, getting the 3rd out of the inning and shutting out the FIREBALLS in the 1st.

Rachel was up 1st, starting BLUR off once again this season. Managing only 1 strike on Rachel, the FIREBALL pitcher walked her on to 1st. Again, with 1 strike, the pitcher walked Katelyn as well, putting BLUR runners on 1st and 2nd. Lexie took a swing on the 1st pitch of her at bat and missed for a strike, but the FIREBALL pitcher was finding it difficult to hit her target and, after a couple of ball pitches, lost control of her next pitch, hitting Lexie with the ball and loading the bases. Hylah was up next. She held the bat on the 1st pitch, unfortunately it was a strike. She made contact on the next pitch, sending the ball down the middle of the infield. The pitcher, reacting quickly to the bouncing ball coming her way, reached out her glove and made the grab. She turned and threw the ball home to the waiting catcher and got the out on Rachel, preventing the score. With bases loaded and 1 out, Natalie was up next. Swinging aggressively, Natalie missed the ball on her 1st 2 tries. A low pitch brought up 1 and 2. On the next pitch, Natalie took a cut and sent the ball over the FIREBALL infield. The 2nd baseman moved in to make the catch, but dropped the ball and Natalie reached 1st as Katelyn crossed home, putting BLUR on the board early in the game. Trying to build on Natalie’s hit, Kas took a swing on her 1st pitch and sent the ball into the grass. Unfortunately, the umpire wasn’t ready and had to reset the play. On the next (first) pitch, Kas threw out a bunt and made the FIREBALL pitcher think twice and stopped her motion during the wind up, resulting in an illegal pitch, which advanced the runners, bringing Lexie across the plate. The pitcher had to regroup. On the next pitch, Kas took a hard swing and made contact, but the ball popped high into the air and the FIREBALL short stop came all the way into the 1st base side of the field to make the catch for the out. Anna was up next. Anna’s at bat was reminiscent of BLUR’s 1st 2 batters. The pitcher was only able to throw 1 strike against Anna, bringing the count to 3 and 1. Her next pitch floated through the top of the strike zone for full count, but yet another ball put Anna on 1st on a walk and loaded the bases for BLUR again. Olivia was up next. On the 1st pitch, Olivia got a hit that found a seam and hit the ground behind 2nd base for a single. As the FIREBALL defense scrambled for the ball, Hylah and Natalie scored. Destiny was up next. She also made contact on the 1st pitch, but the pitcher was ready for it. On the bounce, the FIREBALL pitcher scooped up the ball and threw to 1st, getting the out on Destiny and putting an end to the BLUR rush.

FIREBALLS 0 – BLUR 4

2nd Inning
Lexie was back at the rubber in the 2nd. A high pitch and a swing brought the count to 1 and 1 on the 1st batter. On Lexie’s next pitch, the batter hit the ball and it bounced through the 3rd base side into the grass behind short stop. Rachel quickly moved in to collect the ball and threw it back to 2nd base to hold the runner to a single. A passed ball on the next batter advanced the runner to 2nd on a steal. And after 2 straight ball pitches, that brought up 3 and 0, the batter took a swing and hit a slow dribbler down the middle. Lexie reeled it in and threw to Natalie at 1st to get the out on the runner as the runner at 2nd made it safely to 3rd base. The next batter came out and took a swing on Lexie’s 1st pitch. She connected and the ball went through to Kas at short stop. Kas got in front of the slow rolling ball as the FIREBALL runner on 3rd took off for home. Kas got up and threw the ball to 1st as the runner safely crossed the plate, putting the FIREBALLS on the board, but the slow grounder bought the runner just enough time to make it on base. The 4th FIREBALL batter came to the plate. A swing on a low pitch brought up strike 1, but the ball got past Hylah and the FIREBALL runner successfully stole 2nd. On Lexie’s next pitch, the batter sent a hard grounder straight at Kas as the runner took off for 3rd. This time, Kas charged the ball, but on the way up, the ball got loose and the runner had time to beat the throw to 1st. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Lexie turned her attention to the next FIREBALL batter coming to the plate. Working her way to full count, Lexie threw heat on the next pitch and got the batter to swing, striking her out. Mixing strikes and a ball to bring up 1 and 2, Lexie threw her next strike pitch. The batter swung the bat and connected, but the ball fell and rolled just in front of the pitcher’s circle. With 2 outs in the inning, all runners took off. Lexie moved to the ball and, going with her momentum, made the quick toss to Hylah at home to prevent the score and holding the FIREBALLS to 1 run in the inning and, so far, the game.

Jessica was up to lead us off in the 2nd. The FIREBALL pitcher’s 1st pitch hit the ground. On the next pitch, Jessica held her bat, but the pitch was ruled a strike. She took a cut on the next swing, but missed to bring up strike 2. On the next pitch, the pitcher slowed her delivery just enough to throw off Jessica’s timing and her swing just barely missed the ball for an out. Nikki came to the plate determined to do her part for BLUR. Showing good pitch selection, Nikki worked her way to full count. On the next pitch, Nikki got a hit and sent it into the FIREBALL outfield. The outfielder in left center moved in for the catch. She extended her glove, but the ball bounced off of her glove and hit the ground and Nikki was safe on 1st. Doing her best to push the pace, Nikki threw up some solid base stealing during Janessa’s at bat. High pitch. Ball 1. Swing on the next pitch for a strike and Nikki stole 2nd. Janessa held the bat on a strike pitch and the count was now at 1 and 2. On the next pitch, Janessa took a swing and missed for the out and Nikki successfully stole 3rd and put herself into scoring position. Rachel was up next. With 2 outs, Nikki was chomping at the bit to make it home. The 1st pitch got past the FIREBALL catcher and rolled up the 1st base side of the backstop. Nikki rolled the dice. The FIREBALL pitcher rushed in to cover home and the catcher regained control of the ball and made it back to tag the plate for the force out on Nikki, preventing the score and moving the game into the 3rd inning.

FIREBALLS 1 – BLUR 4

3rd Inning
Lexie was back in to pitch for the 3rd inning. A walk on the 1st batter put a FIRBALL runner on 1st base. On a passed ball on the next batter, the runner on 1st made it to 2nd on a steal. A couple of swings brought up 2 strikes, but, unfazed, the batter took another swing. This time, she connected and send the ball quickly through the infield. Kas charged in to make the stop. As she got up, this time with the ball under control, she raised her hand and gave the runner leaving 2nd a hard look and walked her back to base. Then, Kas quickly made the throw to 1st, beating the runner to the bag for the out. A walk on the next batter put FIREBALL runners on 1st and 2nd. The 4th FIREBALL batter came to the plate. After fighting tooth and nail against Lexie to bring the count to 2 and 2, the batter connected and sent a fast grounder through the infield into the grass. Reacting quickly, Rachel got the stop on the ball, holding the runners and limiting the batter to a single. With the bases loaded and after an initial ball pitch, the next FIREBALL batter got a piece of Lexie’s next pitch, sending the ball into the BLUR outfield for a single and scoring 1 run. Lexie started to struggle. A walk on the next batter brought one more run home and kept the bases loaded. Lexie got back to work on the next batter. Two foul tips in a row showed that Lexie was back to her old form as the batter was swinging at good, hard pitches. The next pitch went wide for a ball and the batter stayed alive 1 more time with a foul tip. On the next pitch, the batter tried her luck again, but, this time, Lexie won the exchange and struck the batter out. The next batter came out strong and took a swing on Lexie’s 1st pitch. She made contact and sent a hard grounder tearing through the BLUR infield. Once again, Rachel stopped the ball quickly, holding the batter to a single, but the FIREBALLS took a risk and sent their runners. 2 runs scored on the play and the FIREBALLS took the lead in the game. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs, the FIREBALLS were surging. Lexie eyed the batter and delivered her pitch. No swing and the ball hit Hylah’s glove at the center of the strike zone. On a low passed ball that brought up 1 and 1, the FIREBALL runners stole 2nd and 3rd to get themselves into scoring position. The batter tried her hardest to get them home. She swung on Lexie’s next pitch for strike 2. Lexie took a look and a deep breath as she prepared for her next pitch. She brought her hands together and closed her eyes to visualize the pitch. Lexie stepped forward, brought around her arm and delivered the pitch. Swing and a miss and the ball hit Hylah’s glove. Lexie got the strikeout on the batter and put an end to the FIREBALL rush in the 3rd.

Maintaining control of the game in the 3rd, the BLUR offense took their turn at bat. Back at the top of the lineup, Rachel was up 1st. Battling the pitcher to full count, Rachel misjudged the pitcher’s delivery and held her bat on a strike pitch and was sent back to the dugout empty handed. Katelyn was up next. Also battling with the pitcher to full count, Katelyn held her bat on the last pitch, but, this time won the battle and got on base with a walk. Lexie was up next. On the 1st pitch, Lexie took a swing and missed as Katelyn stole 2nd. A ball on the next pitch brought up 1 and 1. Lexie decided to swing on the next pitch. She connected, as Katelyn left for 3rd, and sent the ball toward the FIREBALL 2nd baseman. Going for the lead runner, the 2nd baseman threw to 3rd, but the 3rd baseman didn’t turn to tag Katelyn and Katelyn and Lexie safely earned 3rd and 1st respectively. Hylah was up to the plate next. The 1st pitch went low and Hylah foul tipped the next one for 1 and 1. A pitch down the middle notched the next strike and a ball on the next pitch brought it to 2 and 2. Taking a shot on the next pitch, Hylah sent a hard grounder through the FIREBALL infield. The short stop moved in to pick up the ball and, as she stood up and got ready to throw to 1st, the BLUR runners took off. The throw to 1 missed the mark and got past the 1st baseman as Katelyn came home. Lexie turned the corner at 3rd and, seeing that the FIREBALLS were still scrambling for the ball, took off for her shot at scoring another run as Hylah reached 2nd. The FIREBALLS threw home, but the ball was too late and BLUR scored 2 on the play and regained the lead. Natalie was up next and, after an initial ball pitch, she hit the ball down the 3rd base side. The 3rd baseman was going to throw home, but Hylah took a couple of steps off of 2nd, drawing the 3rd baseman’s attention and buying Natalie some time. The 3rd baseman thought she could beat Natalie to the bag with a throw and released the ball. The throw went wide and Hylah was able to make it to 3rd. Kas was up next. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Kas took a swing on the 1st pitch. She hit it toward the FIREBALL 2nd baseman. The 2nd baseman made the throw to 1st and Hylah took off for home and scored extending the BLUR lead. The 1st baseman had to come off of the bag to make the catch and Kas was safe at 1st. Anna was up next. On Anna’s at bat, Natalie started to play with the catcher on every pitch. Taking a lead and staying out there, the catcher was forced to come all the way past the pitcher and almost to 2nd base to personally tag Natalie out on nearly every pitch to Anna. This helped to cool the FIREBALL pitcher down, but a foul tip on the next to last pitch, brought Anna to full count. Knowing that the pitcher needed to throw a strike to win the exchange, Anna took a swing, but the off-speed pitch arrived just a bit late and caused Anna to miss and strike out. Olivia took her turn at bat and the FIREBALL pitcher had trouble finding her strike zone. A walk on Olivia loaded the bases. Destiny was up next. After splitting the difference with the pitcher on the 1st 2 pitches, Destiny connected, but the grounder hugged the 1st base line and looked like it was going to roll foul. The 1st baseman reacted quickly to collect the ball in fair territory then stepped on the bag to get the final out of the inning.

FIREBALLS 5 – BLUR 7

4th Inning
With the BLUR lead now down to 2 points, Natalie was brought in to pitch for the 1st time in the game. Natalie had her game face on and was eager to see what she could do at the reins of the BLUR defense. Natalie threw her trademark fastball in with no resistance from the 1st batter. Strike 1. A swing on the next pitch sent the ball into foul territory for strike 2. A couple of ball pitches evened up the count. Then another heater to cap off the 1st batter notched the 1st out of the inning. Natalie had a little trouble on the next batter as her pitches went high on the 1st 2 pitches. A foul ball on the next pitch brought up strike 1. On the next pitch, the batter made contact and sent the ball high over the infield. On the fly, Natalie stepped under the ball and caught it for the 2nd out. Natalie had the same start on the next batter, but eventually found her target and caught the batter swinging on the next 2 pitches. A ball on Natalie’s next pitch brought up full count and Natalie had 1 pitch left to make it a perfect inning. Sure enough, Natalie delivered the goods and burned in another fast ball. The batter held the bat and the umpire called the strike and the FIREBALL offense was stunned.

Jessica was up first for BLUR in the 4th. The FIREBALL pitcher could not find her range and after 2 ball pitches, the pitcher threw a low pitch hit the ground and rolled hard into Jessica’s ankle. Shaking it off, Jessica got on base. Nikki was up next. Nikki took a swing on a high ball and sent it into foul territory. Strike 1. 2 wild pitches brought up 2 and 1 on Nikki. Another foul ball evened up the count. Not wanting to go down without a fight, Nikki took a swing on the next pitch, but the ball got past her and she struck out. Janessa came up next. The FIREBALL pitcher was having trouble finding her pitch again and threw 3 ball pitches in a row. The last one hit the ground and got past the catcher. Jessica took her shot and made it safely to 2nd. Janessa took a swing on the next pitch but fouled it out. At 3 and 1, Janessa held her bat and, sure enough, the pitcher missed the strike zone again and Jessica took off for 3rd. The catcher stood up and threw to 3rd to try to get the out, but the throw went over and Jessica turned the corner and gunned it for home. Jessica scored easily as Janessa walked to 1st. Rachel was back up at the plate. The 1st pitch got past the catcher and Janessa stole 2nd. The next pitch missed the mark again, and, stealing aggressively, Janessa took off for 3rd. The catcher got up again to throw to 3rd, but the FIREBALL 3rd baseman had to come off the bag to make the catch as Janessa approached 3rd. The 3rd baseman had to rush to attempt the tag and lost control of the ball as Janessa slid safely into 3rd. The FIREBALL pitcher worked up to full count on Rachel before losing control once again and sent Rachel to 1st on a walk. Katelyn was up next. Katelyn took a swing on a high ball for a strike. The pitcher, feeling the strikes coming back, strung together 2 pitches and got them both by Katelyn, sending her back to the BLUR dugout for the 2nd out of the inning. Lexie was up next. On the 1st pitch, Lexie took a swing and sent the ball into right field for a single, bringing 1 run home. With BLUR runners on 1st and 2nd, Hylah came out of the dugout for her turn at bat. The pitcher threw low on the 1st pitch for a ball. Hylah took a swing at another low pitch and missed for a strike as Rachel stole 3nd. A low, outside pitch just grazed the strike zone and was ruled a strike, catching Hylah by surprise as Lexie stole 2nd. With the count at 1 and 2, with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Hylah, sensing her chances slipping away, took a swing on the next pitch. The bat went low and the ball sailed over it and reached the catcher’s glove and Hylah struck out to end the 4th inning.

FIREBALLS 5 – BLUR 9

5th Inning
Having effectively shut down the FIREBALL offense in the last inning, Natalie was called up to pitch again. Splitting the 1st 2 pitches on the 1st batter, Natalie threw straight down the middle on the next pitch. The batter took a swing and hit it right up the middle. On the bounce, Natalie caught the ball and threw the ball to Lexie at 1st for the out. Natalie had trouble on the next batter and, in 5 pitches, the batter got on base with a walk. Natalie had to reel it back in on the next FIREBALL batter. The batter took a swing on Natalie's 1st pitch for a strike. Still swinging aggressively, the batter connected on the next pitch, but sent it high over the BLUR infield as the FIREBALL runners left their bases, anticipating a missed catch. Janessa moved in and got under the ball. Reaching out her glove, Janessa secured the ball, for 1 out, and caught all of the FIREBALL runners by surprise. As the FIREBALL runners scrambled back to their bases, Janessa gunned the ball to Lexie at 1st, beating the runner and notching a double play to retire the side.

Natalie was up at bat 1st in the 5th inning. After a high pitch followed by a foul tip, the pitcher lost her pitch and Natalie earned 1st base on a walk. Natalie dropped her bat and jogged up the 1st base line as the FIREBALLS reset their defense in preparation for Kas coming up to the plate. As Natalie approached the half-way point to 1st, she turned on the speed and took the turn at 1st, then she gunned it and made it all the way to 2nd on the steal, catching the FIREBALL defense by surprise and left them scratching their heads as to what just happened. On a high ball pitch to Kas, Natalie took off for 3rd. The catcher reeled in the ball and got up to try to throw Natalie out at 3rd. The FIREBALL 3rd baseman received the ball, but couldn’t turn in time to get the tag on Natalie as she slid into the base to avoid the out. After a foul ball on Kas, the count was at 1 and 1. Kas took a swing on the next pitch and hit the ball hard down the middle. On the fly, the pitcher snatched the ball out of the air, for the out on Kas, as Natalie jumped off base. The pitcher turned to throw and Natalie had to scramble back to 3rd. Anna was up next. On the 1st pitch, Anna hit the ball and sent it rolling through the middle of the infield. The pitcher had to react quickly to get the stop. As the FIREBALL pitcher got up, she checked 3rd to make sure Natalie was staying put and turned to throw to 1st, getting the 2nd out of the inning. Olivia was up next and, wanting to bring Natalie across the plate, started to swing her bat. Fouling out the 1st pitch and holding her bat for 2 balls brought up 2 and 1. After evening up the count on a foul tip, Olivia stayed alive for a moment as she continued to make grazing contact with the next couple of pitches. Finally, the FIREBALL pitcher was able to draw the swing and Olivia missed, striking out and closing out the 5th inning.

FIREBALLS 5 – BLUR 9

6th Inning
With a little time left in regulation, the BLUR defense took the field to begin the 6th inning. Lexie was brought back in to pitch. Lexie struggled with the 1st FIREBALL batter, eventually bringing up full count. The batter knew that Lexie had to throw a strike to win the fight and was ready. On the pitch, the batter took a swing and connected sending the grounder straight back toward Lexie. Lexie had to charge to reach the ball. As she picked up the ball, the runner approached 1st and Lexie had to rush to make her throw. The ball arrived in Natalie’s glove a split-second too late and the runner got on base. Lexie had another battle with the next batter as it went back and forth until the count was at 2 and 2. On the next pitch, the batter connected, sending the ball through the infield. Katelyn, playing 2nd base, moved in to make the stop and quickly threw to 1st for the out. A walk on the next batter put FIREBALL runners on 1st and 2nd. After an initial ball pitch, the batter connected and hit the ball out into the BLUR outfield, recovering quickly, Rachel threw the ball back in to Kas as 1 FIREBALL runner crossed the plate. Then Kas walked the ball back to Lexie, holding the runners on 2nd and 3rd. The next batter came to the plate and was determined to build on the earlier action. Taking a swing and fouling out respectively on the 1st 2 pitches, the count on the batter was at 0 and 2. The batter continued to swing and got a hit on the next pitch sending the grounder down the 1st base line. Natalie picked up the ball and tagged 1st for the 2nd out, then quickly threw the ball to Hylah at home to prevent the runners from coming home. After a high and a low pitch on the next batter, the count was at 2 and 0. With 2 outs, the runners took off when the batter made contact on the next pitch. Kas moved in to make a play on the ball, but ran into the runner going to 3rd and losing the ball in the scuffle. On the backup, Rachel collected the ball and held the runner at 3rd, but 1 more FIREBALL reached home. The surging FIREBALL offense was chipping away at the BLUR lead, which now stood at 2 points. There was some discussion between the umpires regarding whether Kas obstructed the runner, but they ruled that there was, in fact, no obstruction and play resumed. The next FIREBALL batter came to the plate. Lexie’s 1st pitch went high. Hylah collected the ball and threw back to Lexie. Hylah lost control of the throw and it went over Lexie’s outstretched glove. Seizing the opportunity, the FIREBALL runner took off for home and scored before BLUR could get the ball back home. Lexie went back to work, but struggled to find the target on her next 2 pitches. The batter took a swing and missed on the next pitch for strike 1, but the ball got past Hylah and the runner on 2nd made it to 3rd. A walk on the batter put FIREBALLS on 1st and 3rd. The next batter took a swing on the 1st pitch, missing it for a strike. The next 2 pitches went high and the count was not at 2 and 1. On the next pitch, the batter took a swing and hit the ball. The ball bounced slowly between the pitching rubber and home plate. Natalie charged the ball and picked it up. It was a foot race back to 1st. At the last second, Natalie extended her hands to get the tag on the runner for the out. Unfortunately, the runner on 3rd crossed the plate before the out and 1 more FIREBALL scored, tying up the game.

With the score now tied and regulation time running out, there would be no further innings played on the day. So, it would be BLUR’s last chance to regain the lead to win the game. Destiny was up 1st in the 6th. On the 1st pitch, Destiny took a cut and connected. On the bounce, the pitcher collected the ball and made the easy throw to 1st for the out. A walk on Jessica, put a BLUR runner on base. Swinging aggressively to try to advance Jessica, Nikki took the 1st 2 pitches, but missed both. After a couple of foul balls and ball pitches, Nikki stayed alive and the count evened up at 2 and 2. Nikki took a swing on the next pitch. The bat came around to meet the ball. The ball dipped and Nikki’s bat sailed over. Nikki struck out to bring up the 2nd out, but the passed ball allowed Jessica to reach 2nd on a steal. Janessa was up next. Janessa took a swing on the 1st pitch and connected. The ball popped up high over the infield. Jessica held up on 2nd. Janessa took off for 1st as the FIREBALL 3rd baseman waved everyone off as she moved in to make the catch. Losing the ball momentarily, the 3rd baseman bobbled the catch and the ball hit the ground and Janessa was safe on 1st. Rachel was up next. After battling with the pitcher, Rachel reached full count. The next pitch was a ball and Rachel walked. With 2 outs and bases loaded with no time left in the game, Katelyn was potentially BLUR’s last chance batter for the game. After the 1st 2 pitches, the count was at 1 and 1. Katelyn took a swing at the next pitch and connected. She sent the ball rolling fast through the infield as the FIREBALL defense made their move. Katelyn took off for 1st and the BLUR runners were on the move. The pitcher missed the grab, but the FIREBALL 2nd baseman, playing backup, moved in and scooped up the grounder. Quickly running over to 2nd base, the 2nd baseman stepped on the bag, getting the force out and maintaining the tie score. With no time left on the clock, the umpire called the game and the score knotted up. With that, the winless streak for both teams remained intact.

Final Score
FIREBALLS 9 – BLUR 9

Game Ball
In today's game, there was some impressive play executed by the BLUR defense, which made for a very exciting game of softball. Kas had a great day at short stop. But, for her defensive and situational awareness in the 5th inning where she caught the ball on the fly for 1 out, then followed it up with a throw to 1st for the double play, the game ball was awarded to Janessa. Great job Janessa! Way to keep your head in the game!

Thursday - April 22, 6pm vs. CV METS

On a 3 game skid, BLUR came to the fields to host the CV METS. We got to the fields earlier than usual to try to shake off the cobwebs that plagued us in the last game by starting our pre-game warm up and trying to get the girls' blood pumping. Having missed the previous day's practice due to wet field conditions as a storm system blew through the area on practice day, BLUR was not able to work out some of the kinks in their game before this evening. BLUR would have to try to make their improvements under fire against a reportedly strong opponent. Which BLUR team would show up tonight? The team that performed and executed, but came up short in their 1st 2 outings or the team that got a late start in their first weeknight game of the season. It was time to find out as the umpire called a start to the game.

1st Inning
The CV METS were visitor on the day and got the first crack at the scoreboard. Natalie came in to pitch to start the game off. Having not fully warmed up before the game, Natalie was very tentative with her pitching early in the game and had difficulty finding her strike zone. Going back and forth with the batter, Natalie got to full count before throwing a ball on the next pitch for a walk. With a runner on base, the CV METS started stealing aggressively. On the 1st pitch on the next batter, Natalie threw a ball and the runner stole 2nd. Another ball went through, but Hylah maintained control to keep the runner honest. The next 2 pitches found their target, but the runner on base stole her way into scoring position. A ball on the next pitch put another CV METS runner on base. Natalie shook it off to face the next batter. The batter showed bunt on the next pitch, but pulled it away to preserve the ball just as the runner on 1st took off on a successful steal to 2nd. With CV METS runners ready to go, the batter took a swing at a 2 and 0 pitch and sent it high above the infield. Natalie backed up and caught the ball for the 1st out of the inning. Once again, Natalie was struggling and it took 3 pitches before she found a strike. On the next pitch, the batter took a swing and sent a fast grounder down the 1st base line out into the right field grass for a single, bringing 2 runs across the plate and putting the CV METS on the board. The next batter came out swinging, but missed on the 1st pitch for a strike as the runner safely stole 2nd. A ball on the next pitch got past Hylah and the runner made it to 3rd on the steal and put the CV METS back into scoring position. The batter got a hit on the next pitch and, on the bounce, Natalie turns to make a throw to 2nd, but there was no play and the batter made it to 1st as the runner on 3rd made it safely home. After a ball and a foul tip and a successful steal to 2nd, the batter hit the next pitch that Natalie plucked out of the air for the 2nd out. Seeing the runner turn back to 2nd since she didn't tag up, Natalie threw the ball to Kas at short stop, thinking that Kas had a better shot at a tag. Unfortunately, the runner safely avoided it and made it back to 2nd. The next CV METS batter came to the plate. With a high ball on the 1st pitch, the CV METS continued to apply the pressure as they kept up their aggressive stealing and the runner made it to 3rd. On the next pitch, the batter hit a fast grounder through the infield as Kas got in front of the ball. She reached her glove out to collect the ball, but it fell out as Kas stood up to prepare for the throw. The batter got a single on the play and drove one more run home. After working to 3 and 1 on the next batter, Natalie threw a strike through to Hylah, as the runner on 2nd attempted to steal. Hylah got up and threw the ball to Janessa. Janessa reached out to catch the ball but couldn't turn around in time to make the tag and the runner was safe. A ball on the next pitch put another CV METS runner on base. With the 9th batter now approaching the plate with 2 runners on, BLUR needed to wake up to try to put and end to this initial CV METS rush. A ball on the 1st pitch sent the runner on 1st on a successful steal. A high pitch brought up 2 and 0. Hylah's throw back to Natalie went over her and Natalie was not able reach it and the runners on base capitalized on the error, bringing 1 more run across the plate. Natalie was then able to get the batter to swing on the next 2 pitches to bring the count to 2 and 2. The batter connected on the next pitch sending a line drive straight back to Natalie, who made the catch and, with plenty of time, easily tossed the ball to Lexie for the final out of the inning.

With the CV METS taking an early and commanding lead in the 1st, the BLUR offense needed to play catch up early in the game. Rachel came to the plate to kick things off. The CV METS pitcher was warming up and threw 3 pitches before finding Rachel's strike zone. On the next pitch, Rachel took a swing and hit the ball sending it rolling down the 1st base line. The 1st baseman picked it up and walked back to tag the base for the 1st out of the inning. Katelyn was up next. Splitting the difference with the pitcher, Katelyn was at 2 and 2 when the pitcher threw a ball on her next pitch. With the count on Katelyn full, the pitcher threw the ball into the dirt and Katelyn got on base. Lexie was up next and, on the 1st pitch, took a swing and hit the ball out into right field for a single as Katelyn made it to 3rd. It was Hylah's turn at bat. On a strike pitch, Katelyn safely stole 2nd. Another strike pitch came through, catching Hylah by surprise as she held her bat. A foul tip on the next pitch kept Hylah alive. Then the pitcher threw 2 balls across the plate to even the count up. Hylah took a swing on the next pitch, but missed and struck out. With 2 outs and 2 runners in scoring position, Natalie came out to take her turn at bat. On the 1st pitch, Natalie took a swing and sent the ball right over the pitcher for a single, bringing Katelyn home and putting BLUR on the board. Kas was up next and, following Natalie's lead, took a swing on the first pitch, but sent the ball into foul territory. On the next pitch, Kas swung again, this time the ball was fair, but it dropped like a stone just in front of home plate. Kas took off for 1st as the defense scrambled to get control of the ball. As the CV METS threw to 1st, Lexie took off for home and crossed the plate. Anna came to the plate and , for the 3rd BLUR batter in a row, took a swing on the 2nd pitch and made contact. The ball rolled down the 1st base line and the CV METS 1st baseman picked the ball up and tagged the bag to close out the 1st inning.

CV METS 5 – BLUR 2

2nd Inning
Natalie was brought in to pitch in the 2nd. Making quick work of the 1st batter, Natalie got BLUR off to a good start with a strikeout. She had trouble finding her target on the next batter and a METS runner got on with a walk. The 3rd CV METS batter got a hit after a count of 0 and 1 and found a seam in the BLUR infield. With the ball finding it's way to Jessica in left field, the batter managed a single before Jessica was able to get the ball back to Natalie to stop the action. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases. Another walk to follow it up brought 1 CV METS runner home and the difficult decision was made to give Lexie a shot at the CV METS offense. Lexie had been sick during the week and she, although she was still not feeling well, Lexie fought through it to try to keep BLUR in the game. On Lexie's 1st pitch on the next batter, the ball hit the ground and got passed Hylah, rolling up the backstop. The CV METS runners capitalized and were on the move, bringing 1 more run across the plate on a steal. The next CV METS batter got a hit on the 1st pitch and sent the ball quickly through the 1st base side of the infield. Rachel moved in to try to make the stop, but the ball bounced loose and the METS batter made it safely to 1st as another run touched home. With METS runners on 1st and 3rd, the stunned BLUR defense was left scratching their heads as to what to do to stop the surging METS. On the 1st strike pitch, the runner on 1st stole 2nd and the CV METS were, once again in scoring position. No swing on the next strike pitch brought the count to 0 and 2. Then the batter stayed alive of foul balls until Lexie threw a ball, bringing the count to 1 and 2 with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. The batter took a swing on Lexie's next pitch sending it through the BLUR infield on the 3rd base side. Janessa moved in to make the stop, but the ball came out of her glove as she got up to make play and the runner made it on base, scoring 1 more run. The next CV METS batter came to the plate with runners on 1st and 3rd. On a low pitch, the runner on 1st stole 2nd. The batter connected with the next pitch and hit a line drive straight to Lexie. Lexie had to react fast to attempt the catch, but the ball came at an awkward angle and hit Lexie's glove before she could get it open and the ball hit the ground and the runner made it to 1st and brought yet another METS runner home. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases for the CV METS once again and the perplexed BLUR defense struggled to find an answer to the CV METS' aggressive 2nd inning rush. A high ball, a foul ball and a strike brought the count to 1 and 2 on the next batter, but the next pitch hit the ground to even it up. The batter connected on the next pitch and sent a hard grounder to Janessa at short stop. Janessa picked the ball up quickly and extended her arms to get the tag on the runner going from 2nd to 3rd for the 2nd out, but another run came across the plate on the play. The next batter came out swinging, determined to keep the CV METS moving. A foul ball brought the count to 0 and 1. Then Lexie managed to get the batter swinging on the next 2 pitches, striking her out and retiring the side, but after a 6 run inning, the CV METS were now well in control of the game.

Could the BLUR offense find a way to bring this game back to help out their shaken defense? Destiny was up 1st to kick off the 2nd inning. Going back and forth with the CV METS pitcher and getting up to full count, Destiny got on base with a walk. Nikki was up next and got a hit on the 1st pitch. Unfortunately, the ball rolled slowly down the 1st base side of the field. As Nikki got her head down and pumped her arms trying to get to 1st, the pitcher walked over to pick up the ball and threw to 1st, beating Nikki to the bag for the out as Destiny reached 2nd. On the ball pitch to Jahlan, Destiny gunned it for 3rd. The next pitch went low and got past the CV METS catcher. Destiny took off and reached home before the defense could recover, scoring a run for BLUR. The pitcher got back to work and Jahlan fought hard to stay alive on foul balls until, eventually, the METS pitcher got the better of the exchange and caught Jahlan swinging for the strikeout. Olivia was up next. After getting to 1 and 1 in the count, Olivia got a piece of the next pitch and sent it over the infield. The METS short stop moved in to position, but the ball hit her glove and bounced out and Olivia was able to make it to 1st. Jessica was up next and the pitcher, working hard to get out of the inning, started throwing heat. 2 pitches came right down the middle and Jessica was caught off guard. On the 3rd pitch, the ball went low and got past the catcher and Olivia took a shot at 2nd and made it. The next pitch missed the mark as well for a ball. Then a strike on the next pitch brought up full count. Jessica knew the pitcher had to throw a strike to close out the inning. So, she gripped her bat and planted her feet. The pitcher released the ball and Jessica took a swing. The bat barely missed the ball, bringing up strike 3 for the 3rd out. The BLUR offense was sent back to the dugout with only 1 run in the inning.

CV METS 11 – BLUR 3

3rd Inning
Coming into the 3rd inning trailing by 8 and the BLUR defense in the weeds, Hylah was called up to the rubber for the 1st time in the season after holding down the fort at catcher for the entirety of all of our previous games. After getting ahead and bringing the count to 1 and 2, Hylah’s next pitch hit the batter in the helmet, awarding her the base on a walk. The next batter took a swing on Hylah’s 1st pitch sending it into foul territory. On a low pitch, the runner on 1st stole 2nd and, on the next ball pitch, took off and safely stole her way into scoring position. A walk on the batter put CV METS runners on 1st and 3rd. Hylah started to struggle to find her pitch and after a steal to 2nd on the 2nd ball pitch, Kas got up to attempt the throwdown, but the ball got past Rachel at 2nd, getting the runners moving and scoring 1 more run for the CV METS. On the next pitch, the ball got past Kas and bounced off of the backstop, sending the ball rolling back into the infield. Scrambling to get the ball, both Kas and Hylah left their positions to go after the ball and home plate was left open. Seeing the opportunity, the CV METS runner on 3rd took off like a shot and scored. Finally, a walk on the batter put CV METS runners on 1st and 2nd. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases. The pressure seeming to get to Hylah, she struggled but couldn’t find her pitch. At 2 and 0, a passed ball sent the runners once again, but Kas was able to recover quickly and return to tag the plate a split-second before the runner scored, getting the 1st out of the inning. Continuing to struggle, Hylah walked the next 2 batters and kept the bases loaded, putting 2 more points on the board for the CV METS and Natalie was brought back in to close out the inning. Inching her way to 2 and 2 on the batter, Natalie was able to bring out the strike on the next pitch and caught the batter swinging too late for the strikeout. After working to full count on the next batter, Natalie’s next pitch got away from her and the batter walked to get on base, bringing the CV METS score to 15. Things looked bad for BLUR as Natalie’s 1st 2 pitches were called balls. On the next pitch, the batter hit one down the 3rd base line and Janessa moved up to make the stop. She quickly stepped over to 3rd to get the force out, putting an end to the action and moving the game to the bottom of the 3rd.

In back-to-back action in the game, Janessa, after getting the 3rd out on the CV METS in the top of the inning, came to the plate and made hard contact with the 1st pitch. Janessa took it for a ride out into the CV METS outfield for a double. On the 1st ball pitch to Rachel, Janessa stole 3rd and put BLUR into scoring position. The pitcher struggled to find Rachel’s strike zone and Rachel got on base with a walk. Katelyn was up next. The 1st pitch went low and got past the catcher. Janessa took off for home and scored as Rachel moved to 2nd. On the next passed ball, Rachel made it to 3rd. Katelyn started swinging and got to full count, but the pitcher couldn’t close so Katelyn earned the base on a walk. Lexie was up next. On the 1st pitch, Katelyn stole 2nd and BLUR was now poised to score. With 1 strike in the mix, the pitcher couldn’t find her target and Lexie got on, loading the bases. Again, the pitcher found it difficult to hit her mark and walked both Hylah and Natalie, keeping the bases loaded and bringing in 2 more BLUR runs. It looked like the pitcher was going to continue her streak when she pitched a ball on her 1st toss to Kas. But on the next pitch, Kas got a piece of it and sent a low fly ball over the infield that just barely went over the pitcher. BLUR runners took off as the METS’ 2nd baseman moved in to catch the ball. 1 BLUR run came come as the 2nd baseman misjudged the distance and the ball hit the ground on the infield and 1 more BLUR run scored. Kas held up at 1st. Anna was up next, but the CV METS pitcher was now more determined than ever. The pitcher got ahead early and threw 2 strike pitches. Anna got a piece of 1, but fouled it out. As Anna was warming up in the batter’s box, the CV METS catcher got up and got hit by Anna’s bat. This put a halt to the action for a moment as the METS tended to their downed catcher. Eventually, she got up, brushed herself off and got back into her position and play resumed. After staying alive on a couple of foul balls, Anna finally missed 1 and struck out. Destiny was up next. After 2 pitches, the count on Destiny was 0 and 2. Destiny fouled out on a couple of pitches to stay alive and the pitcher threw across 2 ball pitches to bring the count even at 2 and 2. Destiny fouled out again to stay alive, but the next pitch flew just under her swing for the 2nd out of the inning. A walk on Nikki loaded the bases once again and, even though the door was closing on the inning, BLUR was starting to build some offensive momentum and was closing the gap on the CV METS. Knowing that this was possibly the last chance for BLUR in the inning, Jahlan came to the plate swinging hard. On the 1st pitch, Jahlan crushed the ball to the outfield for a double and brought 2 runs home. Olivia was up next. The 1st pitch hit the dirt for a ball and Nikki took off for home on the passed ball. As the CV METS defense scrambled to regain control, Nikki slowed down her run as she approached the plate and the METS were able get the ball back to tag the plate and put an end to the BLUR offensive rush.

CV METS 15 – BLUR 10

4th Inning
After a little break and some time to regroup, Lexie was brought back in to pitch. After stringing together a couple of strikes on the 1st CV METS batter, Lexie eventually walked her. On the 1st pitch, the runner made her way to 2nd on a steal. Another low ball brought up 2 and 0 and the runner made it to 3rd. On the next pitch, the batter made contact. On the bounce, Lexie picked up the ball and threw awkwardly to Natalie, missing the connection and the runner got on base as the runner from 3rd scored. Lexie got back to work on the next batter. Splitting the difference, Lexie worked to a count of 2 and 2 on the batter. Digging deep, Lexie wound up for the pitch and stepped forward, releasing the ball. The batter took a hard step to take a swing on the strike pitch. Taking her eye off of it at the last second, the batter swung high and the ball dipped just under, reaching Hylah’s glove. Strike 3. Lexie notched the 1st out of the inning. The next CV METS batter came to the plate. On the pitch, the batter took a swing and fouled it out. The next pitch was a ball and the runner on base made it safely to 2nd on a steal. The next pitch was a ball and it got past Hylah and, as she ran to collect the ball, the runner took off for 3rd. Hylah made the quick throw to Janessa and Janessa had to come off the bag to make the catch. Turning to make the tag, the runner slid to avoid and Janessa hit her hard in the facemask with her glove. The runner was safe. Struggling to find the mark, Lexie lost control of the next pitch, hitting the batter and sending her to 1st. The next batter connected on Lexie’s 1st pitch. On the bounce, Lexie grabbed the ball and quickly threw to Natalie at 1st for the 2nd out. Reacting quickly, Natalie threw the ball back to Hylah at home to keep the runner on 3rd honest. Lexie turned her focus back to the plate as the next batter took her position. Ball on the 1st pitch. 1 and 0. Strike on the next pitch. 1 and 1. Ball. 2 and 1. Swing and a miss. 2 and 2. On the next pitch, Lexie drilled it in, scooting it just above the batter’s swing for the strike out, bringing out the BLUR offense.

Olivia was up to start us off in the 4th. After a ball and a foul tip, the count was at 1 and 1. On the next pitch, Olivia got a hit, but it went directly back to the pitcher. On the bounce, the pitcher got a hold of the ball and made the throw to 1st for the out on Olivia. Jessica was up next. She held her bat on the 1st strike pitch then took a swing at a low pitch. Jessica held the bat on a low pitch, bringing up 1 and 2. On the next pitch, Jessica took a swing and sent the ball on a hard bounce down the 3rd base side of the infield. The short stop moved in to pick up the ball and, without missing a beat, made the arcing throw to 1st, beating Jessica to the bag for the 2nd out of the inning. With the clock ticking and 2 outs, if BLUR was going to catch up to the CV METS, the time was now. Janessa came to the plate next. On the 1st pitch, Janessa took a hard swing that connected and sent the ball bouncing, past the pitcher and the short stop, into the grass for a single. On 2 strike pitches to Rachel, Janessa stole aggressively and made her way to 3rd. The pitcher lost her target on the next few pitches and Rachel got on base with a walk. With BLUR runners on 1st and 3rd, Kately came up to take her turn at bat. After taking a swing on the 1st pitch for a strike, Katelyn held her bat as the pitcher began to struggle again. A walk on Katelyn loaded the bases for BLUR. Lexie was up next. With 2 outs, the runners had to now get ready for any contact. Lexie took a swing and missed the 1st pitch. On the next pitch, Lexie got a hold of it, but the grounder hugged the 1st base line and the 1st baseman was able to make the stop and step on the bag for the 3rd out, shutting down the BLUR offense. The umpire, checking her clock notified both teams that there was 1 minute left in regulation and called the game.

CV METS 16 – BLUR 10

5th Inning
With BLUR behind in the game and time left in regulation, the ruling was protested citing league rules and the umpire reversed the call. The BLUR girls would get another shot at catching up after the CV METS’ at bat. Lexie was brought back in to close out the game. Lexie had to warm up again after the confusion at the end of the last inning. A walk on the 1st batter on 4 pitches put a CV METS runner on 1st. Lexie got behind in the count early on the next batter, but regrouped on the next couple of pitches, bringing the count to full. The batter stayed alive on a couple of foul tips, but Lexie eventually got the better of her and got the batter to swing on the next pitch for the strikeout. The 3rd batter came to the plate. On Lexie’s 1st pitch, the batter took a swing and hit it through the BLUR infield. Katelyn moved in to grab the ball and stutter-stepped on her throw, giving the runner just enough time to make it safely to 1st. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases for the CV METS. The next CV METS batter came to the plate. On the 1st pitch, the batter sent a low fly ball over Lexie and it looked like it was going to make it into the outfield. The runners took off for their next base, but Katelyn moved in under the ball. On the fly, Katelyn snatched the ball out of the air for the 2nd out and the runners were caught off base without tagging up. In all the excitement, with the stands, the BLUR dugout screaming and the CV METS runners trying to make it back to their respective bases, Katelyn missed the chance at the follow-up double play and threw the ball back to Lexie at the rubber. The bases were still loaded. After a foul tip on the on the 1st pitch, the batter sent the ball for a ride to the BLUR outfield, bringing 2 runs across the plate for the CV METS. The next batter came to the plate. On the 1st pitch, the batter connected as well and sent it bouncing down the 3rd base line. Janessa strolled over to make the stop and tagged 3rd base for the force out, closing out the last offensive inning for the CV METS and seemingly bringing out the BLUR offense for another crack at a comeback.

Unfortunately, the last half inning was academic as the Board Member On Duty instructed the umpire to call a stop to the game citing darkness and safety. The BLUR girls were denied their last at bat and their chance to mount a comeback. By league rules, the score rolled back to the last completed inning.

Final Score
CV METS 16 – BLUR 10

Game Ball
The game ball for today’s game went to Jahlan. On one of her at bats, at 2 outs in the 3rd inning, Jahlan crushed the ball out to the CV METS’ outfield for a double bringing in the final 2 scores of the game. This was probably Jahlan’s biggest hit of the season so far and it came at a critical moment in the game. Unfortunately, BLUR wasn’t able to build on it after the 3rd, but it was a great, exciting hit nonetheless. Great job Jahlan! And keep it up, we need more of that bat out there!

Monday - April 19, 6pm @ CHILI PEPPERS

Coming off of 2 very close, competitive games which resulted in 2 close losses, BLUR came to the fields for their 1st weeknight game of the season. They met the 2010 CHILI PEPPERS for the 1st time in the season. Having played very well against this team in one of their pre-season scrimmages and doing well there, BLUR was hopeful for a win, but knowing that there was some solid talent on the team, including a couple of tough pitchers and hitters, it would be a tall order in regular season play. Could BLUR get in the win column today or would it continue to elude them? It was time to see if they could make it happen on this cold Monday evening.

With BLUR visiting, it was the BLUR offense's opportunity to try to take control of the game early. PLAY BALL!

1st Inning
The CHILI PEPPER pitcher was throwing heat during warm ups. Could the BLUR girls handle the speed of this pitcher? Rachel was up first to kick the game off. A hard pitch blew by Rachel for strike 1. Obviously, this would take some getting used to. Another fast ball flew past right into the CHILI PEPPER catcher's glove for strike 2. Trying to draw the swing, the pitcher threw a change up for the 1st ball on Rachel. With the count at 1 and 2, the next pitch went low, then another heater flew right by, striking Rachel out and sending her back to the BLUR dugout. Lexie was up next. The pitcher's 1st 3 pitches on Lexie missed the mark to bring up 3 and 0. The next pitch brought the heat again for Lexie's 1st strike. Lexie took a swing on a low pitch to bring up full count. A swing and a miss on the next pitch sent Lexie back to the dugout empty handed. With the window of opportunity closing on BLUR's 1st at bat, Hylah came to the plate to face off against the CHILI PEPPER pitcher. Hylah left the bat out on a bunt attempt for strike 1. A swing on the next pitch brought up strike 2. Hylah knew it was her last chance to do something for the BLUR offense in the inning. She took an anxious swing on a high pitch and struck out.

Shutting down the BLUR offense, the CHILI PEPPERS' offense came to the plate to take their 1st at bats of the season. Lexie was in to pitch. After a couple of warm up pitches brought the count on the 1st batter to 2 and 0, Lexie got the batter to swing for strike 1. Swinging again, the count was now at 2 and 2 on the 1st batter. Making solid contact on the next pitch, the batter sent the ball over Olivia in the outfield. Reacting quickly, Olivia went out to retrieve the ball and threw it back to the infield to hold the runner to a double. Lexie turned her attention back to the plate as the 2nd batter took her turn. A ball on the 1st pitch sent the runner on base on a successful steal to 2nd base. A strike on the next pitch and the runner successfully stole 3rd, putting the CHILI PEPPERS in scoring position. A bad throw back from Hylah got past Lexie and the BLUR offense had to scramble to wrangle the ball as the runner took the shot for home and scored. Shaking it off, Lexie got back to work. The batter laid down a bunt, sending the ball dribbling close to the 1st base line. Lexie rushed over to pick it up and made the throw to Natalie at 1st to notch the 1st out of the inning. The next CHILI PEPPER was now up at the plate. Lexie went back and forth with the batter to full count. Lexie then threw a strike pitch, but the batter made contact and sent a grounder through the infield and caught the BLUR defense napping. The ball reached the right center field grass for a single. On Lexie's first strike pitch on the next batter, the runner stole 2nd. On strike 2, the runner made it to 3rd on a steal and put the CHILI PEPPERS back into scoring position. On the next pitch, the CHILI PEPPER's lefty batter took the ball for a ride deep into right field. Destiny took off to retrieve the ball. With no relay help coming, Destiny had to run the ball back for part of the way in order to make the throw to the infield, but it was not enough to stop the runners and the batter scored a home run, bringing 2 runs across home. Lexie got back to work to try to close the inning and prevent any more runs. The next batter took a swing on the 1st pitch for a strike, but a few wide pitches brought the count to 3 and 1 and eventually put another CHILI PEPPER runner on base with a walk. Gritting her teeth, Lexie dug in to get ready for the next batter. Throwing heat on the 1st pitch, the ball reached Hylah's glove. Strike 1. Another heater. Strike 2. Slowing it down a bit on the 3rd pitch drew the early swing for strike 3, getting the batter out of there for 2 outs. The 8th CHILI PEPPER batter came to the plate. A foul ball on the 1st pitch drew a strike. The batter took a swing on the next one, missing it for strike 2. The bat grazed the ball on the next pitch and the batter stayed alive. Staying in control, Lexie wanted to close out the inning strong. She sent a hard pitch down the middle, but the batter made late contact and send the ball down the 1st base line. Natalie was able to come off the bag and pick up the ball. She then walked over to step on the bag for the 3rd and final out of the inning.

BLUR 0 – CHILI PEPPERS 3

2nd Inning
With the CHILI PEPPERS taking control early, BLUR needed to rally stay in the game. Natalie was up to start us off in the inning. After a strike and a ball on the 1st 2 pitches, Natalie hit the ball past the pitcher, but, on the backup, the 2nd baseman grabbed it and made the easy throw to 1st to get Natalie out. Kas was up next. A swing and a foul tip on the 1st 1 pitches put Kas behind in the count. But Kas connected on the 3rd pitch sending it out to right field, but the CHILI PEPPER defense was on it quickly and the right fielder got under the ball to make the catch and the 2nd out. With the door closing quickly on BLUR's 2nd at bats, Anna was up next. A high ball on the 1st pitch and a check on a strike on the 2nd brought the count to 1 and 1. An outside pitch followed by a heater, that caught Anna by surprise, brought it to 2 and 2. If BLUR were to find their offense in this game, the time was now. The CHILI PEPPER pitcher had other ideas and fired one into the catcher's glove and BLUR came up empty handed in the 2nd.

Natalie came in to pitch in the 2nd. Trying to find an answer for the CHILI PEPPER offense in the 2nd, Natalie knew that she had her work cut out for her to keep BLUR in the game. Having little time to warm up her pitch before the game, Natalie soldiered through but struggled on the 1st batter. Four pitches resulted in a walk and the CHILI PEPPERS had a runner, once again, on base. Natalie fared better against the 2nd batter as the strikes started to come. A strike and a high pitch brought the count to 1 and 1. Natalie caught the batter napping on the next pitch and got the 2nd strike on the batter. Natalie threw the heat on the next pitch and the batter took a swing. The swing missed and Natalie sent the batter back to the dugout. Natalie went back and forth with the next batter, bringing the count to full, but a high pitch at the end put another CHILI PEPPER runner on base. Natalie got back to it and threw a strike on the 1st pitch. A ball and a strike to follow it up brought the count to 1 and 2. The runner on 2nd, wanting to move the CHILI PEPPERS into scoring position took a shot at 3rd. Hylah got up with the ball and tried to throw the runner out at 3rd. Katelyn made the catch just as the runner got to the bag and forced the umpires to discuss the play. The runner was ruled safe and the CHILI PEPPERS were now threatening to score. Natalie turned her attention back to the plate and the batter waiting to finish her at bat. Natalie dug in. Stepping out hard, she brought the heat once again and caught the batter swinging for the 2nd out of the inning. The 5th batter came to the plate. With runners now on 2nd and 3rd, the batter was eager to make contact to bring them in. She took a swing on the 1st pitch and missed. A high pitch, then a swing brought the count to 1 and 2. Natalie threw high on the next pitch and the batter took a swing. She connected and sent it into foul territory and she was able to stay alive to see the next pitch. She connected again and sent it into foul territory on the other side and stayed alive. The CHILI PEPPER batter tried to see if her magic would work a 3rd time, but this time Natalie got the better of her and struck her out, holding the CHILI PEPPERS scoreless in the 2nd and giving the BLUR offense another shot at a comeback.

BLUR 0 – CHILI PEPPERS 3

3rd Inning
So far, the game was moving fairly quickly. It was now BLUR's 3rd attempt to get things going. Katelyn was up to see what she could do. A ball on each of the 1st 2 pitches put Katelyn ahead in the count. But 2 strike pitches in a row evened the count up. On Katelyn's last chance, she took a swing, but the swing just missed and the ball reached the catcher's glove for the out. Destiny came to the plate next. The 1st pitch on Destiny went high. She then held the bat on the next pitch, which looked like it grazed the top of the strike zone, and the count evened up. Destiny fought to stay at the plate, eventually getting to full count. She held the bat on the next pitch and it paid off as it was ruled a ball and Destiny made it to 1st. Nikki was up next to try to solve the riddle of the CHILI PEPPER defense, but, until now, the CHILI PEPPERS were able to keep BLUR off base, making it very challenging for BLUR to mount an offense. Heat on the 1st pitch. Strike 1. Nikki took a stab at a low pitch to bring up strike 2. Then, a swing on the next pitch missed the mark and Nikki was sent back to the dugout empty handed. Jahlan was up next and, so far, BLUR was having a difficult time adjusting to the CHILI PEPPER pitcher's speed and delivery. High ball on the 1st pitch. Ball 1. Foul tip on the next pitch. 1 and 1. A passed ball on the next pitch brought up 2 and 1 and Destiny stole 2nd trying her hardest to get BLUR ready to score. The CHILI PEPPER pitcher stayed in control as she threw 1 more heater through to the catcher that caught Jahlan by surprise. The CHILI PEPPERS were effectively shutting the BLUR offense down in the game so far, keeping them off the board.

Natalie was brought back in to pitch in the 3rd. Struggling to find her pitch on the 1st batter, Natalie eventually walked the batter. As Hylah made the throw back to Natalie, the runner turned up the speed as she approached 1st and headed straight for 2nd. Stunned, the BLUR offense was caught off guard and the runner made it safely to 2nd on the steal. On the pitch, the aggressive CHILI PEPPER runner took off for 3rd. Hylah attempted to throw her out at 3rd. The ball was well on its way to Katelyn, but the ball bounced out of her glove and got past her. Seeing her opportunity, the runner turned the corner and headed home, touching the plate before BLUR could recover and extending the CHILI PEPPER lead. A walk on the next batter put a runner back on base. After Natalie threw 2 pitches to bring the count to 1 and 1, the batter connected on the next pitch and sent a hard grounder through the infield. Kas charged the ball, picked it up and threw to Lexie at 1st for the out. The next CHILI PEPPER batter (a lefty) came to the plate next and the BLUR defense adjusted. The batter took a hard swing on Natalie's 1st pitch and sent a high pop fly over foul territory. Lexie, backed up to the fence and reached her glove out to meet the ball. Lexie had to make a quick adjustment with her glove as she slightly misread the ball and made a fingertip catch to get and preserve the 2nd out. With the BLUR defense now gaining confidence, Natalie turned her attention to the next batter coming to the plate. More determined than ever to bring the BLUR offense back out, Natalie brought the heat. No swing. Strike 1. Swing. Strike 2. No swing. Strike 3!

BLUR 0 – CHILI PEPPERS 4

4th Inning
Trailing by 4 to start off the 4th inning, BLUR needed to start getting some runs if they were going to stay in this one. After fighting to full count, the CHILI PEPPER pitcher walked Olivia. With a BLUR runner on base early in the 4th, Jessica came to the plate to see if she could get the game moving in BLUR's favor. Holding the bat on the 1st 2 pitches, Jessica got behind in the count and Olivia managed to safely steal her way to 2nd. Jessica took a swing on the 3rd pitch, but the bat just missed and the pitch and Jessica came up empty handed. Janessa fared a little batter as she got ahead in the count early. With the count at 3 and 0 on Janessa, the CHILI PEPPER pitcher managed to string together 2 strikes to bring the count to full. She went wild on the next pitch and a passed ball got Janessa to 1st and Olivia to 3rd on a steal. Rachel was up next. The 1st pitch hit the ground and got past the catcher and Janessa stole 2nd. Rachel held the bat on the next pitch and it was close, but the umpire ruled it a strike. With the count at 0 and 2, Rachel took a swing at the next pitch, but missed it and she was sent back to the dugout, bringing up the 2nd out of the inning. Lexie was up next. The count was at 1 and 1 after a swing on the 1st pitch and a high ball on the next. Then, Lexie made contact, sending a hard grounder through the infield toward the short stop. The CHILI PEPPER defender stayed in front of the ball and reached out her glove. As she got up to transition into the throw to 1st, the ball fell out and hit the ground, allowing Lexie time to reach 1st and Olivia was able to cross the plate to put BLUR on the board for the 1st time in the game. With BLUR bats coming alive and runners on 1st and 2nd, Hylah came to the plate to take her at bat. A couple of foul balls on the 1st 2 pitches put Hylah behind in the count. The pitcher tried to get Hylah to swing at a change-up, but Hylah saw it coming and held the bat and the ball got past the catcher. Janessa took off for 3rd as the catcher got control of the ball and tried to throw her out at 3rd. The throw was short and the 3rd baseman had to come off the bag to make the catch. She turned and had to race Janessa to the bag. Janessa touched 3rd as the CHILI PEPPER defender applied the tag, but the ball fell out of her glove and Janessa was safe. The pitcher got back to work and tried to get Hylah out to close the inning, but Hylah had other plans. Staying alive on foul balls on the next 2 pitches, the count on Hylah was still at 1 and 2. She made solid contact on the next pitch sending a hard grounder through the CHILI PEPPER infield as the defense tried to stop the ball. The ball reached the grass for a single, but the play brought Janessa and Lexie home, making it a 1-point game. Natalie was up next. She took a swing on the 1st pitch and made solid contact sending a fast grounder down the 3rd base line. The 3rd baseman moved in to pick up the ball, but took her eye off of it. When she got control of the ball, she looked up to see where she could make a play, but both Natalie and Hylah made it to their respective bases safely and she was forced to give the ball back to the pitcher. Despite 2 outs in the inning, Kas was determined to keep the BLUR offense moving and came out swinging aggressively. Foul tips on the 1st 2 pitches brought up 0 and 2. Unfazed, Kas took a hard swing on the next pitch. The ball dropped like a stone right in front of the plate and the umpire ruled it fair. Not hearing the call, Kas stayed in the batter's box thinking that the ball was yet another foul. The catcher got up and scooped up the ball and made a quick throw to 1st to get the final out of the inning and putting an end to BLUR's rally.

Lexie was back in to pitch in the 4th. Getting behind in the count on the 1st batter, Lexie threw a high pitch that sent the batter to 1st on a walk. Lexie got back to the rubber and shook it off. She reached into her bag of tricks and got back to work as the next batter took the plate. Swing on the 1st pitch. Strike 1. No swing. Strike 2. Low pitch. 1 and 2. Next, Lexie threw the heat. No swing. Strike 3. This gave Lexie's confidence a boost as she got back into position with a smile on her face. A high ball on the 1st pitch and a low ball and the count was at 2 and 0, but Lexie found her rhythm again as the next 3 pitches brought up full count. Lexie threw the next pitch right down the middle into Hylah's glove and got it past the batter for the strikeout and the 2nd out of the inning. The next CHILI PEPPER batter came out swinging as she was determined to advance the runner on base and possibly bring her home. A foul tip on the 1st pitch brought up strike 1. Lexie threw high on the next pitch for 1 and 1. Wanting to make a statement to close out the 4th, Lexie put her game face on. She stepped forward and delivered a hard pitch that caught the batter napping for strike 2. Another hard pitch got through to Hylah and, once again, the batter held the bat for strike 3. Lexie's strong pitching performance in the 4th stalled the CHILI PEPPERS and gave the surging BLUR offense a shot to see if they could take control of the game.

BLUR 3 – CHILI PEPPERS 4

5th Inning
Trailing by 1, the BLUR offense needed to get the bats swinging. Anna came to the plate and, after an initial ball, she took a swing and sent a grounder down the 1st base line. The CHILI PEPPER 1st baseman came off of the bag to collect the ball and easily stepped back to get the out and keep Anna from reaching 1st. Katelyn was up next and, once again, after an initial ball, she got a hit herself. This time, she sent the ball down the 3rd base side of the field. The 3rd baseman reeled it in and made an arcing throw to 1st as Katelyn raced it to the bag. The 1st baseman lunged hard to make the catch, keeping her foot on the bag and gaining control of the ball just before Katelyn stepped on the bag for the 2nd out of the inning. The CHILI PEPPER defense was denying the BLUR's every attempt to get on base. Olivia was up next. No swing on the 1st 2 pitches brought the count on Olivia to 0 and 2. A swing on the next pitch sent the ball into foul territory and Olivia stayed alive. A couple of ball pitches evened up the count and it was a do or die situation for the BLUR offense. Olivia and the pitcher looked at each other and each wondered what the other would do. The pitcher pushed off of the rubber and sent the ball flying toward home. Olivia took a cut, but the ball dipped just under her bat, striking Olivia out and retiring the side.

Lexie was back in to pitch in the 5th. After a spectacular 4th inning, Lexie had trouble finding her pitch and walked the 1st 2 batters. Lexie threw a high pitch that hugged the top of the strike zone and the umpire ruled it a strike. A swing on an outside pitch drew a 2nd strike. Then, the batter took a swing at Lexie's 3rd pitch and struck out. The next CHILI PEPPER batter was up and held out her bat on a bunt attempt, but Lexie's pitch got past the bat for a strike. It looked like Lexie found her pitch, but a wild throw on the next pitch hit the batter and the batter was awarded a base. With bases loaded and Lexie in some trouble, she walked the next batter and brought 1 CHILI PEPPER runner across the plate. The next CHILI PEPPER batter came to the plate with 2 runners on and she was determined to put the ball in play to keep the offense moving. Lexie got the batter to swing on the 1st pitch for strike 1. A foul tip on the next pitch brought up strike 2. The batter fouled it out again to stay alive. And finally, Lexie was able to get the better of her as she threw a fast strike pitch as the batter brought the bat around too late. Strike 3. Riding the wave, Lexie threw a hard strike pitch, on the next batter, through to Hylah's glove for strike 1. On the next pitch, the batter was ready and she swung the bat and made contact. She sent the ball for a ride out into the BLUR outfield for a single, bringing 2 CHILI PEPPER runners home and extending the CHILI PEPPER lead. On a ball pitch to the next batter, the runners stole their way into scoring position. Lexie threw a strike and got it past the batter to bring the count to 1 and 1. On the next pitch, the batter took a swing, sending a grounder fast through the BLUR infield straight to Kas at short stop. Kas collected the ball and took a hard step toward 1st to make the throw. Natalie stretched to receive the ball and they connected just before the runner reached 1st, getting the out and moving the game into the 6th inning to give the BLUR offense another shot.

BLUR 3 – CHILI PEPPERS 7

6th Inning
Nikki was in to lead BLUR off in the 6th. Knowing the situation, BLUR had to battle to get back in the game. Nikki came out swinging aggressively. Missing on the 1st 2 pitches, Nikki got behind in the count, but she made contact on the next pitch, sending a grounder through the surprised CHILI PEPPER defense. The ball reached the grass in right field and Nikki got a single. Jahlan came to the plate next and, caught off guard by the pitcher's fast pitches took 2 strikes without swinging. Not wanting to go out without a fight. Jahlan took a swing at the next pitch, but misjudged it and barely missed the ball as it got past her for the out. Olivia was up next and the pitcher had trouble at 1st adjusting to the Olivia's strike zone. The 1st 2 pitches missed the mark, but a foul tip on the next pitch brought the count to 2 and 1. A strike and a ball on the next 2 pitches brought up full count on Olivia. Trying her best to put the ball in play, Olivia spotted the strike on the next pitch. She brought her bat around, but missed, striking out. With 1 out left to go, Jessica was up next. The pitcher lost control of the 1st pitch for a ball, but, sensing that she could put the inning to bed, gathered herself and focused on Jessica. A hard pitch caught Jessica by surprise for strike 1. The next pitch had some speed on it and Jessica was late with her swing, missing the ball for strike 2. The pitcher threw the ball hard and Jessica checked her swing, but the umpire ruled it a strike. The CHILI PEPPERS, once again, effectively shut down the BLUR offense in the 6th.

Fighting an uphill battle, with time running out in the game and the 7th inning fast approaching, the BLUR defense knew that they had to hold the CHILI PEPPERS here if they were going get another shot at a comeback. Natalie was back at the rubber for the 6th. All season, we've been working with Natalie to slow her delivery as she leaned toward what we've come to call rapid-fire pitching, but with the clock ticking, we had to reverse that in order to allow us enough time to start a new inning. Natalie got behind in the count with 2 balls. Natalie was able to string 2 strike pitches together to bring the count to 2 and 2. Trying to balance speed and efficiency, Natalie threw a hard pitch at the batter striking her out for the 1st out of the inning. She continued throwing strikes, until the next batter made contact. The ball flew out toward right field, but Lexie was able to get in front of it and reached out her hand to make the catch and the 2nd out. Going back and forth with the next batter, Natalie brought the count to 2 and 2. Natalie got into her stance and fired the ball through to Hylah, getting the strikeout on the batter with a little less than 1 minute left in the game.

BLUR 3 – CHILI PEPPERS 7

7th Inning
The BLUR girls quickly scrambled to get a batter out of the dugout before time expired and the umpire called the start of the 7th inning. Now reaching the 7th inning for the 2nd game in a row, it was now the BLUR's turn to see if they could finally figure out the CHILI PEPPER defense. A tall order as the answer largely eluded us through most of this game. Janessa came out swinging as she hit one out into right field, that bounced out of the right fielder's glove, for a single. Needing to get things moving, Janessa stole 2nd on the 1st pitch on Rachel. The catcher got up to try to get Janessa at 2nd, but the ball got past the 2nd baseman and Janessa was able to reach 3rd. A few pitches later and a little gamesmanship between Janessa and the catcher, the count on Rachel was full. The pitcher eventually lost the fight as she threw a ball on the next pitch, sending Rachel to 1st. Lexie was next and, on the 1st pitch, Lexie sent the ball bouncing down the 3rd base side of the field. The short stop kept the ball in the infield and was able to get a hold of it in time to step over to 2nd and got the out on Rachel, but Janessa was able to cross home on the play. Hylah was up. With a swing and a miss on the 1st pitch, Hylah took a swing on the next one and connected sending a hard grounder rolling into foul territory. Hylah reset and tried again. On the next pitch, Hylah made contact again. Unfortunately, the grounder rolled up the 1st base line right into the charging CHILI PEPPER 1st baseman's glove. She turned and tossed the ball to the 2nd baseman now covering 1st for the out on Hylah. Natalie was up next. With no runners on and 2 outs, it looked unlikely that BLUR would overcome the CHILI PEPPER lead, but Natalie was still game to keep things moving. She fouled out on the 1st pitch. On the next pitch, Natalie swung her bat hard and connected with the ball. On the bounce, the pitcher stepped over and reeled it in. She took a couple of steps to ensure the easy throw and tossed it to the waiting 1st baseman for the final out of the game.

Final Score
BLUR 4 – CHILI PEPPERS 7

Game Ball
Since the BLUR offense was shut out of most of this game, the game ball was awarded for defensive play. So, for keeping her head in the game and getting BLUR a couple of key outs at 1st from her position at short stop, Kas was awarded the game ball. Great job and stay strong out there!

Saturday - April 17, 9am @ SMASHING PANDAS

Coming into our 2nd game of the season, the BLUR girls wanted to shake off the effects of the last loss in their see-saw battle with INFERNO on Opening Day. We worked hard during our practice to fix some weaknesses that were exposed and build upon some of the things that worked. With the SMASHING PANDAS at home, BLUR had the first opportunity to get on the board. Now, it was time to see if our hard work paid off.

1st Inning
Rachel came to the plate to start us off in the game. The pitcher wasted no time and threw a pitch that caught Rachel off guard. Strike 1. On the 2nd pitch, Rachel took a swing and missed, then stayed alive with foul tips until, the pitcher got the better of Rachel on the next pitch and struck her out for the 1st out of the inning. Janessa was up next and on a bunt, Janessa caught the SMASHING PANDAS napping to get on base with a single. Lexie was next in line and on the 1st pitch, swung aggressively and made contact with the ball, crushing it to the outfield for a double. Hylah was up next. A low ball on the 1st pitch immediately put Hylah ahead in the count, but that didn’t matter as she swung her bat hard on the next pitch sending the ball deep into the SMASHING PANDA center field for a single, bringing both Janessa and Lexie home and putting BLUR on the board early in the game. Natalie was next at the plate. A foul tip and a swing on the 1st 2 pitches brought the count to 0 and 2 as Hylah stole 2nd. Then, Natalie made contact as well and sent a hard line drive toward the defending 1st baseman. The 1st baseman made a quick adjustment to stay in front of the ball, reached out her hand and caught it for the 2nd out of the inning. With Hylah still on 2nd, Kas made her way to the plate. After fouling out the 1st pitch, Kas also got a piece of the ball, sending the hard grounder through the SMASHING PANDA infield for a single, bringing Hylah home. Anna was up next and immediately got a hit, sending the ball through the PANDA infield as she headed for 1st. The short stop collected the ball and made the hard throw to 1st, beating Anna to the bag and getting the last out of the inning.

It was now the PANDAS’ turn to see if they had an answer to the BLUR’s initial rush. Natalie started BLUR off at the rubber. The 1st PANDA batter came to the plate to face off against Natalie. Natalie went high on the 1st pitch for a ball. On the next pitch, the batter took a swing and made contact, but sent a high fly ball toward 3rd. Janessa came off the bag to get under the ball and made the catch for the 1st out. Natalie struggled on the next batter and the batter got on base with a walk. On the next pitch, Natalie stopped her motion, resulting in an illegal pitch and the PANDA runner advanced to 2nd. Natalie shook it off and got back to work. On the next pitch, the batter bunted, sacrificing herself to advance the runner to 3rd. As the ball rolled in front of the pitcher’s circle, Natalie ran over to scoop it up and turned sharply toward first and connected with Lexie on the throw for the out. The next batter came out aggressively and took a swing on the 1st pitch that went foul for a strike. Then, she swung her bat at Natalie’s next pitch, sending a hard grounder on the 3rd base side of the field. Katelyn, playing short stop, charged the ball, but fumbled it as she tried to ready herself for the throw to 1st and the runner made it safely to 1st. The runner on 3rd took her chance as Katelyn tried to regain control of the ball and scored. With the PANDAS now on the board, the BLUR defense regrouped to get ready for the 5th PANDA batter of the inning. On the 1st pitch, the batter connected and sent the ball down the middle of the infield. On the bounce, Natalie reached out and grabbed the ball. Without missing a step, she threw the ball hard to Lexie, who made the catch to close out the 1st inning.

BLUR 3 – SMASHING PANDAS 1

2nd Inning
Katelyn started us off in the 2nd inning. The PANDA pitcher took a minute to find her stride as the 1st pitch went low and the 2nd went high. With the count at 2 and 0, the PANDA pitcher got one past Katelyn for a strike. Eventually, the count was at full when the pitcher finally lost the battle and Katelyn got on base with a walk. Up next was Destiny. Trying to build on the previous inning’s BLUR hits, Destiny took swings on the 1st 2 pitches, missing both. On the 2nd pitch, Katelyn tried to make it to 2nd, but an alert PANDA catcher wouldn’t let her have it. The catcher picked up the loose ball as the PANDA short stop moved in to cover 2nd. As Katelyn reached the half-way point, the catcher released the ball. The short stop moved in and received the throw and promptly got in front of Katelyn for the tag, putting her out. Then, the pitcher turned her attention back to Destiny. The next pitch went high for a ball. Then the PANDA pitcher got Destiny to swing at the next ball for the strikeout. Nikki was up next. The 1st pitch on Nikki was a bit high, but she still decided to take a swing, grazing the ball for a foul tip strike. Nikki made contact on the next pitch and sent a grounder through the infield. The 2nd baseman charged the ball, reeled it in and made the throw to 1st, getting the out on Nikki and retiring the side with no runs in the inning.

Natalie was back in to pitch. Riding the wave of the 1st inning, Natalie threw some heat and got the 1st pitch past the batter for a strike. The batter connected on the next pitch and sent the ball bouncing down the middle. Natalie easily moved in for the grab and threw it to Lexie who was in position at 1st to make the catch. After 2 balls on the next batter, Natalie found her pitch again and sent one straight into Hylah’s glove for a strike. With the count at 2 and 1, the batter threw out the bunt. Natalie was ready for it and she rushed the ball, scooping it up and, once again threw the ball to Lexie, who got the 2nd out on the runner. The next PANDA batter was up next. After an initial strike on a failed bunt attempt, Natalie lost the strike zone long enough to walk the batter, putting a PANDA runner on 1st. But Natalie found the zone quickly and threw a 1st strike pitch on the next batter as the runner, trying to make something happen, stole 2nd. Natalie got the batter to swing again on the next pitch for strike 2. After a couple of balls to bring the count to 2 and 2, Natalie zeroed in once again on Hylah’s glove. She brought her hands together and stepped forward for the pitch. The batter tightened up to get ready for the pitch. Natalie’s arm came around and released the ball. The batter stepped forward to initiate her swing and the bat came around to meet the ball in front of the plate. THUNK!! The ball reached Hylah’s glove as the batter came around with the swing. Strike 3! Natalie put on a great pitching performance to successfully keep the PANDAS at bay in the 2nd.

BLUR 3 – SMASHING PANDAS 1

3rd Inning
Jahlan started BLUR off in the 3rd. She took a swing on the first pitch, but foul tipped it for strike 1. A ball on the next pitch brought the count to 1 and 1. Then, on the next pitch, Jahlan tried again and this time send a hard grounder down the 3rd base line. The PANDA 3rd basement charged the ball and reeled it in. She stood up and made the throw to 1st, but Jahlan beat the ball to the bag and got on base. With Jahlan on 1st, Olivia was up next. The PANDA pitcher couldn’t find Olivia’s strike zone and walked her, but not before Jahlan was able to steal her way to 3rd. Rachel was next at bat. Still trying to find her pitch, the PANDA pitcher brought the count to 2 and 0. The pitcher battled back and brought the count to full. With her last pitch on this turn, Rachel decided to swing the bat and made contact. The ball went bouncing down the middle and the pitcher was able to get to the ball and made the throw to 1st. This time the ball got there 1st and Rachel was out. With BLUR runners now on 2nd and 3rd, Janessa took her turn at bat. She attempted a bunt and missed for a strike. Then, Janessa swung at the next one and missed for a 2nd strike. The pitcher managed to get the next pitch through to the catcher, striking Janessa out. Lexie was next at the plate. On the 1st pitch, Lexie took a cut and sent the ball into the PANDA outfield for a single and bringing Jahlan across the plate to extend the BLUR lead by 1. With BLUR runners on 1st and 3rd, Hylah was next. Swinging on the 1st pitch, Hylah made contact with the ball and sent a low fly ball toward the PANDA 2nd baseman. The ball hit the ground, but the 2nd baseman was able to pick up the ball and make the toss to 1st, getting the out on Hylah and moving the game into the 2nd half of the 3rd.

Putting on a great display of pitching on the day, Natalie was back in for the 3rd. Finding her pitch, Natalie’s 1st 2 pitches on the 1st batter went high, but quickly, Natalie got the PANDA batter swinging at 3 in a row to send the batter back to the PANDA dugout. The next batter came out a little more aggressively, and fought hard against Natalie, but stayed alive on foul balls. With the count at 1 and 2, the batter swung at the next pitch and got a hit. The ball dribbled down the middle. Quickly, Natalie got in front of it, picked it up and turned, flipping the ball to Lexie at 1st. The ball went high and Lexie had to jump for it. She made the fingertip catch and managed to tag the base for the 2nd out. The 3rd PANDA batter came to the plate. The 1st pitch went high for a ball. On the next pitch, the batter took a swing and grazed it, sending it into foul territory. Undeterred, the batter kept swinging, but kept fouling it out. With the count now at 1 and 2, the batter connected on the next pitch sending a low fly ball down the middle. Reacting quickly, Natalie got in front of it and reached out to make the grab for the out, closing the door on the 3rd inning.

BLUR 4 – SMASHING PANDAS 1

4th Inning
Leading BLUR off in the 4th was Natalie. After swinging on the 1st pitch for a strike, Natalie followed it up with a big hit to right field. She took the turn at 1st as PANDA right fielder ran to get the ball and made the throw to 2nd, but Natalie turned up the speed to claim 2nd just as the 2nd baseman caught the ball. Kas was next and on the 1st pitch, Natalie took 3rd on a steal. On the next pitch, Kas hit the ball into foul territory. With the count even at 1 and 1, Kas took a swing at the next pitch and sent the ball high toward the back of the infield. The PANDA short stop took a couple of steps backward to make the catch, getting the out on Kas. It was now Anna’s turn to take the plate. Swinging at the 1st 2 pitches, Anna missed the mark and brought up 2 strikes. A ball on the next pitch brought the count to 1 and 2. With a swing on the next pitch, Anna sent the ball on a short bounce in the dirt. The pitcher cleared the rubber to get to the ball, but Natalie took a hard step home to get her attention and the pitcher threw the ball home. Natalie turned back to 3rd and allowed Anna to get on base. Staying aggressive on 3rd base, Natalie started toying with the PANDA defense. The 1st pitch on Katelyn saw Natalie taking a nice aggressive lead at 3rd. The PANDA defense was set in motion and the catcher threw the ball quickly back to the pitcher. Trying for the pickoff play, the pitcher quickly turned to throw the ball to 3rd to catch Natalie off of the bag, but the ball went wide and got past the 3rd baseman. Natalie saw the opening and gunned it for home and put one more on the board for BLUR. The pitcher focused her attention back on Katelyn. With the fire lit, the pitcher threw aggressively and got Katelyn to swing on the next 3 pitches, striking her out. Destiny was up next and on a passed ball, Anna stole 3rd to put herself into scoring position. The PANDA pitcher wasn’t able to find Destiny’s strike zone and Destiny walked to get on base. With BLUR runners on 1st and 3rd, Nikki came out to take her position in the batter’s box. The pitcher managed to get the count to 1 and 2. Then a passed ball that rolled up the 3rd base side of the backstop opened up home plate. Anna went for it, but as soon as she took off, the catcher quickly recovered and raced Anna to the bag. Going step for step Anna almost had it when the catcher threw out her hands and tagged Anna hard, getting the 3rd out and knocking Anna to the ground.

Lexie was brought in to pitch in the 4th. The PANDAS were now fired up and knew they needed some runs to stay in the game. Swinging aggressively, the 1st batter took the 1st pitch and caught the BLUR defense off guard. She sent a hard grounder through 4 BLUR defenders who were working beautiful backup mechanics, unfortunately none could get a glove on it. BLUR was able to stop the ball in right field holding the runner at 1st. With the count at 1 and 0 after a low pitch, the 2nd batter laid down a perfect bunt. Reacting quickly, Lexie ran to scoop up the ball and made the throw to Natalie at 1st to get the out. The 3rd batter took a swing at Lexie’s 1st pitch sending another slow grounder down the 1st base side of the infield. Once again, Lexie quickly ran to the ball and connected with Natalie for the 2nd out in a row as the PANDA runner on base made her way to 3rd. The 4th batter laid down another perfect bunt on Lexie’s 1st pitch. It looked like a foul ball, but the umpire ruled it fair and the batter made it on with little BLUR resistance. The next batter came to the plate and on a high ball, the runner on 1st stole 2nd. On the next pitch, the batter made contact and sent the ball into the BLUR outfield for a single, bringing in both of the PANDA runners. As the ball was thrown back to Lexie, the runner on 1st left for 2nd. Attempting the throwdown, Lexie waited for Rachel to get in position and fired the ball. The ball got past Rachel and the runner made it around to 3rd. Riding their newfound momentum, the PANDAS were now focused on bringing their runners home. The 6th PANDA batter came to the plate and after an initial ball, she hit a hard grounder to Kas as short stop. Kas couldn’t get a handle on it as she picked up the ball and the runner made it safely to 1st as the other runner crossed home. After the 1st pitch went high on the next batter, Lexie threw what looked to be a strike pitch. The batter caught a piece of it and sent the ball down the 3rd base line. Janessa moved in to collect the ball, picked it up and threw to 1st. The ball went over Natalie’s glove and the runner made it safely to 1st, while the other PANDA runner made it to 3rd to, once again, threaten to score. The next batter had a see-saw battle with Lexie and with the count at 2 and 2, the batter connected with the ball and sent it up in the air. The BLUR defenders converged, but couldn’t make the catch and the ball hit the ground on the infield. The runner was able to reach 1st and the runner on 3rd made it home, eliminating the BLUR lead and tying the game. With PANDA runners on 1st and 2nd, the next batter laid down a bunt, but Hylah was ready for it and jumped up to collect the ball. Throwing to Natalie, the ball crossed the base path and Natalie lost it behind the runner. The runner made it to 1st and the bases were loaded. Bringing the count to 1 and 2 on the next batter, Lexie needed to throw 1 more strike to put this inning to bed. Digging deep, Lexie came around with the pitch and it was on target. The batter took a swing and connected sending the ball toward Janessa at 3rd. Janessa got in front of it and picked up the ball. Slowly backpedaling as the runner approached 3rd, Janessa managed to touch the bag with her foot to get the force out, preventing the score and moving the game into the 5th inning.

BLUR 5 – SMASHING PANDAS 5

5th Inning
With the ball game tied up and great defensive and offensive play on both sides of the ball, it was now anyone’s game. Nikki was 1st at bat in the inning. Nikki took a swing at the 1st pitch and missed for strike 1. She tried again on the 2nd pitch and connected. On the bounce, the pitcher grabbed the ball and easily beat Nikki to 1st with the throw, getting the 1st out. Jahlan was up next. The pitcher delivered her 1st pitch. Strike 1. Jahlan took a swing on the next one and missed. Strike 2. Holding the bat on the 3rd pitch. Strike 3! The pitcher sent Jahlan to the BLUR dugout empty handed. Olivia was next and took a swing on the 1st pitch. Olivia made good contact, but unfortunately the ball went straight down the 1st base line, right into the 1st baseman’s glove. She easily picked it up and strolled back to the bag, tagging it and getting the out on Olivia and quickly shut down BLUR’s offense in the 5th.

Lexie was back in to pitch in the 5th. Trying to answer the PANDAS’ last defensive stand, Lexie started throwing heat. Swing. Strike 1. Swing. Foul ball. Strike 2. On the next pitch, Lexie fired it in there catching the batter off guard as she held her bat. Strike 3. The batter was sent packing. The next batter came to the plate and Lexie stayed focused. No swing. Strike 1. Swing. Strike 2. And, once again, Lexie threw the heat and caught the batter napping. Strike 3. Two great strikeouts in a row. With Lexie throwing 6 straight strikes in a row, the next batter took a swing on the 1st pitch and connected. Lexie zeroed in on the ball but, on a funny bounce, missed the grab and the runner crossed 1st as she tried to reel it in. With her streak broken, Lexie threw high and wide respectively on the next 2 pitches, bringing the count on the next batter to 2 and 0. Now behind in the count, Lexie got a little more cautious in order to regain control, but wasn’t able to find her pitch and the batter got on base with a walk. With the count at 0 and 1 on the next batter and runners on 1st and 2nd, the PANDA runner on 1st attempted a steal on 2nd on the next pitch. Hylah caught the pitch and quickly got up to make the throw to Janessa at 3rd to get the out on the lead runner, however, the runner on 2nd missed the signal and held up on 2nd. As the runner coming in from 1st approached, she realized that she had to run, but cautiously left 2nd as she knew she would be put out by Janessa who was still holding the ball. The runner turned back to 2nd, but was caught since the base was now occupied. The runner now occupying 2nd decided to vacate the base and turn back when the umpire called a halt to the action and ruled that the base runner that started on 1st base executed an illegal steal, drawing the 3rd out and bringing the 5th inning to a close on a very confusing note.

BLUR 5 – SMASHING PANDAS 5

6th Inning
The game was still knotted up as the BLUR offense prepared to take their at bats. With plenty of time left on the clock, Rachel came to the plate to see what she could do as she led us off in the 6th. Swinging aggressively, Rachel tried to connect on the 1st pitch, but missed for strike 1. She tried again on the next pitch and fouled it out, bringing up strike 2. The PANDA pitcher lost it for a moment and threw 3 straight balls to bring the count to full. On the next pitch, Rachel took a swing and connected, sending the ball bouncing to 3rd. The 3rd baseman scooped it up and tried to beat Rachel to the bag with the throw. Rachel crossed 1st just as the 1st baseman made the catch. Safe. Janessa came to the plate and, just like Rachel before her, came out swinging. Foul tip on the 1st pitch drew the strike. A foul ball on the 2nd pitch brought up another. Once again, the pitcher lost her groove and threw 2 balls to bring the count to 2 and 2. Then, on the next pitch, Janessa hit one hard through the PANDA infield to the short stop who missed the stop and Janessa got on as Rachel made it to 2nd. BLUR was now poised to make another run as Lexie came to bat. Lexie following Rachel and Janessa’s lead, came out swinging too. A couple of foul balls brought the count to 0 and 2 and Lexie stayed alive with a couple more fouls on the next 2 pitches. The pitcher decided to literally change things up by throwing the change-up. The ball floated through the strike zone, catching Lexie by surprise for the strikeout. Hylah was up next. The pitcher missed the mark on the 1st 3 pitches to Hylah. Wanting to generate some movement, Hylah took matters in her own hands and swung at the next pitch and missed for the 1st strike in the count. She swung at the next pitch and made contact, sending it into foul territory and bringing up full count. A ball on the next pitch got Hylah on base. With the bases loaded, it was Natalie's turn at bat. Battling with the pitcher, Natalie inched her way to a count of 2 and 2. On the next pitch, Natalie took a swing and caught the ball in front of the plate, but the off-balance swing sent the ball dribbling down the middle of the field. The pitcher rushed forward and picked up the ball. Tossing the ball home, the PANDA defense took out Rachel, our lead runner at the plate, for the 2nd out, and prevented BLUR from getting ahead. With 2 outs and bases loaded, Kas took her position at the plate. Trying to make something happen, Kas took a swing at the 1st pitch and fouled it out. On the next pitch, she tried again, this time sending one through the infield toward the short stop. The PANDA short stop was able to reel it in and step over to 2nd base for the force out on Natalie, negating the BLUR run at home and bringing out the PANDA offense.

Lexie was back in to pitch. After a ball on the 1st pitch, the 1st batter took a swing and sent the ball dribbling back to Lexie. On the bounce, Lexie grabbed the ball and threw it to Natalie who had to come off 1st to make a lunging catch. Natalie dropped the ball, but staying with the play, Natalie quickly grabbed the ball and managed to swing her body around to touch the bag with her glove, salvaging the out at 1st in spectacular fashion. Lexie struggled against the next batter and eventually walked her, putting a PANDA runner on 1st. After the 1st pitch on the next batter, the runner on 1st stole 2nd on the throwback. Reacting quickly, Lexie threw the ball to Rachel as she moved in to cover 2nd, but the ball went high and got away from Rachel and the runner made it to 3rd on the overthrow. On the next pitch, the batter laid down a bunt and Lexie rushed to get the ball and cover home. Lexie picked it up and decided to throw it to Hylah at home to prevent the runner from scoring (not to mention the bad call from her coach as there were no PANDA runners behind 3rd base - Way to listen to your coach Lexie! BAD COACH! BAD COACH!). While battling with the next batter, the runner on 1st made her way to 2nd. On full count, Lexie's pitch was wide and the bases were loaded and the PANDAS were threatening to score. The next batter was up. On the 1st pitch, she took a swing for a strike. A ball on the next pitch got past Hylah and the runner on 3rd took a step, but Lexie rushed in to help Hylah out at home and the runner thought twice. Another swing brought up strike 2, but losing control on the next 2 pitches brought up full count. Lexie threw a perfect pitch, but the batter was ready and made contact sending the ball to Janessa, who quickly picked up the ball and got the force out at 3rd, but the PANDAS scored and took the lead for the first time in the game. Shaking it off, Lexie got back to work on the next batter. The 1st 2 pitches missed, bringing the count to 2 and 2 and it looked like we were getting ready to see another walk, but Lexie reached down and threw a strike pitch that got the batter swinging. She did it again for the 2nd strike in a row. On the next pitch, the batter finally got the hit, but she sent it high and Lexie was able to get under it to make the catch, closing out the inning with BLUR trailing by 1.

BLUR 5 – SMASHING PANDAS 6

7th Inning
Moving into the 7th inning with plenty of time left to spare - a rare feat in the league, which goes to show how evenly matched these 2 teams were - the BLUR offense needed to make something happen, if they were going to get this one back. Anna was 1st up in this, the final inning of the game. Ball on the 1st pitch. Next, Anna took a swing for a strike. Ball on the next pitch brought up 2 and 1. Anna tried again and made contact, sending a grounder through the 1st base side of the infield. Anna took off for 1st as fast as she could, but the alert PANDA 2nd baseman grabbed the ball and tossed it to 1st for the out. Katelyn was up next. Balls on the 1st 2 pitches brought up 2 and 0. The next pitch blew by Katelyn for a strike. Another ball brought the count to 3 and 1. Katelyn checked the next pitch, but it was on target and the count was now full. Katelyn took a swing on the next pitch and missed, striking out. With no runners on and Destiny coming to the plate, it was do or die time for BLUR. A ball on the 1st pitch. 1 and 0. Swing and a miss. 1 and 1. Ball. 2 and 1. No swing, but the pitch was good. 2 and 2. It was now or never. The pitcher dug her feet against the rubber and took a hard look at her catcher. Destiny looked on and got her bat ready to swing. The pitcher stepped and brought her arm around. Destiny loaded up her bat. The pitcher released the ball and sent it straight for the catcher's glove. Destiny swung her bat around and the bat went low and missed. Strike 3! The PANDAS kept their lead and closed the show.

Final Score
BLUR 5 – SMASHING PANDAS 6

Game Ball
Awarding the game ball for this game was a very hard decision. There were a lot of great defensive plays all around and a lot of hitting early on. Natalie put on another stellar performance at 1st and pitcher, but by being involved in a number of outs at 1st and at pitcher as well as getting 2 strikeouts in a row in the 5th, the game ball went to Lexie. Great job Lexie! Keep it up.