Fourth of July Weekend

The fourth of July weekend. It is probably my favorite weekend in America. I wish I was able to be back to celebrate. I am, however, in Italy. This weekend was another big weekend for baseball. We were set to play Anzio, who sits high in the standings. They desperately needed to take two from us, and we knew that if we swept them we would sit comfortably in the number one spot. So, after a long week of learning italian and terribly hot weather, we were set to play.

In game one, Fillo threw a great game. After a rough start, he settled down and pitched a solid 8 innings, allowing 3 runs. The offense was stellar as usual, coming up with big hits and driving in big runs. It was extremely hot, and both teams lagged a bit. After two miserable at bats, I was able to bounce back and get two hits and an rbi, ending the first game 2 for 4. We went on to win 10-3, and really putting Anzio's backs against the wall.

After some much needed food and rehydration, we got set to play the night game. The sun being dow was no help, as the humidity took over and the bugs came out. After Luis fell behind in the first, our offense bounced back again, showing true resolve. In my first at bat, I hit a hard groundball up the middle, but the shortstop made a good play and threw me out. I was then hit with a pitch in my next at bat with runners on first and second. At this point, we were down 2-1. With the bases loaded and 1 out, my teammate hit a groundball to second. I went in hard on the slide, throwing my shoulder into the shortstops legs. It ended up being enough, and the ball sailed over the first basemens head. Two runs would score, and we wouldn't look back from there. In the eighth, with us leading 5 to 3, we scored 5 runs. Considering the heat and length of the day, it was great to see the team have life that late. Luis threw a great game, as always, and we went on to win 10-3. I ended up 1 for 3 in the game with an rbi and hit by pitch.

So after some quality wins, everybody was exhausted. I knew I had to represent America the next day. So I woke up, had some pancakes for breakfast, and at about 1 pm started to celebrate. My teammate, Alle, had organized a bbq for everybody at 5. He lives in the country side, and his family owns a landscaping business. He has a nice piece of property, and a pool. It was great to be able to have a bbq on the fourth of July, even though I wish I could have celebrated it with my family and friends. I decided it was necessary to show some love to America, and performed a stellar rendition of the national anthem, much to the pleasure of my teammates.

The weather has been real hot here. It definitely wears you out. Between studying Italian, baseball, and extracurricular activities, this week wiped me out. I'm looking forward to an easy week. Wednesday, we are scheduled to play against the 18 year old national team. It should be a disaster of a game. I have no idea why they are making us play them, but that's just my opinion. This week, we play Poviglio at home. On a side note, since Italy and the US are no longer in the world cup, I have made it a point to root for Germany. It is for completely selfish reasons. If they beat Spain this week, we are planning to head up to Munich for the finals on Sunday. It should be an absolutely amazing experience, especially if they win. So, how about we all hope for that?

I hope everybody had an amazing weekend and enjoyed the holiday. I can't wait until my computer comes so I can actually use skype and have a functioning email account again. Italian customs is the worst, but luckily my teammates father is helping me out. Anyway, have a great one and talk to you soon!