After two loses last weekend, the team set out to rebound. The week leading up to the games were standard, and the team tried to stay positive. Practices seemed to be better, in some regard, and the guys were all focused. It's always good to practice hard, but sometimes that doesn't translate into games. We were set to play Messina at home. It would be the first time playing in Reggio in three weeks, and the first time playing two games against Messina. The table was set, and we were ready to tee it up.
We came out of the gate early, scoring 2 quick runs in the first. I thought this would set the tone, and our offense was finally going to click. We ended up only scoring one more run the rest of the game. We relied on the pitching performance of Fillo, who was throwing a gem. After a rough start the weekend prior, he was putting up zeros inning after inning. We were up 3-0 going into the ninth when things started to get interesting.
As of late, we were having a hard time closing games. It seems that we get very comfortable, and within seconds the other team is rallying and putting pressure on us. It is a reminder of my college days. We had a way of putting up runs, but one way or another would let them team back in the game. I loved college baseball, but last year's wire to wire domination was much more enjoyable. With two outs, we managed to let up two runs, load the bases, and bring their best hitter to the plate. Now when I say best hitter, he is leading the league hitting above .500, and was already 2 for 4 on the day. We were up a run, but a base hit would put them up one. In the back of my mind, I was nervous. Very nervous. With our veteran lefty reliever on the mound, anything could happen. Luckily, he swung at a curveball in on his hands and grounded out to second to finish the game. Another close call for Reggio.
The second game went smoothly. Our offense wasn't completely there, but timely hitting is all that matters. We were able to plate 4 runs against a very good pitcher, and Josh was lights out. After getting ejected the week before, he was calm and collected and threw a great game. He ended up with a complete game shut out, striking out 14. We have been working well together most of the year, and seem to get better every start. Winning two games was huge, as the first place team lost two to the last place team. We reclaimed our spot atop the standings, and hopefully we are there to stay. We play away the next two weekends, but luckily they are all close by. No getting up at the crack of dawn.
On Sunday, we were invited for lunch at Takas house. Franco, Taka's father, is one of our sponsors. Him and his wife, Mari, are as gracious of hosts can be. They made a feast, consisting of fried meat, rice, and fried fish. This was followed by brownies, gelato, and iced coffee. Wine and scotch were the beverages of choice, and we just talked. The lunch lasted about 4 hours, but was entertaining and delicious from beginning to end. It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday.
With baseball being the number one priority for the next 2 months, there isn't much travel on the horizon. It is possible to make some day trips, but nothing planned just yet. I hope we continue to play well, and by the end of the season we get our offense clicking on all cylinders. I especially hope to pick up my performance, as I have been hitting poorly all year. On that note, I also hope that every father had a great fathers day and everybody had a wonderful weekend.
Thanks again for the continued support. I hope everybody enjoys reading as much as I enjoy writing the blog. Remember to check out www.reggiobaseball.com and www.mister-baseball.com for all Reggio and European baseball news. Have a great day and talk to you soon!
We came out of the gate early, scoring 2 quick runs in the first. I thought this would set the tone, and our offense was finally going to click. We ended up only scoring one more run the rest of the game. We relied on the pitching performance of Fillo, who was throwing a gem. After a rough start the weekend prior, he was putting up zeros inning after inning. We were up 3-0 going into the ninth when things started to get interesting.
As of late, we were having a hard time closing games. It seems that we get very comfortable, and within seconds the other team is rallying and putting pressure on us. It is a reminder of my college days. We had a way of putting up runs, but one way or another would let them team back in the game. I loved college baseball, but last year's wire to wire domination was much more enjoyable. With two outs, we managed to let up two runs, load the bases, and bring their best hitter to the plate. Now when I say best hitter, he is leading the league hitting above .500, and was already 2 for 4 on the day. We were up a run, but a base hit would put them up one. In the back of my mind, I was nervous. Very nervous. With our veteran lefty reliever on the mound, anything could happen. Luckily, he swung at a curveball in on his hands and grounded out to second to finish the game. Another close call for Reggio.
The second game went smoothly. Our offense wasn't completely there, but timely hitting is all that matters. We were able to plate 4 runs against a very good pitcher, and Josh was lights out. After getting ejected the week before, he was calm and collected and threw a great game. He ended up with a complete game shut out, striking out 14. We have been working well together most of the year, and seem to get better every start. Winning two games was huge, as the first place team lost two to the last place team. We reclaimed our spot atop the standings, and hopefully we are there to stay. We play away the next two weekends, but luckily they are all close by. No getting up at the crack of dawn.
On Sunday, we were invited for lunch at Takas house. Franco, Taka's father, is one of our sponsors. Him and his wife, Mari, are as gracious of hosts can be. They made a feast, consisting of fried meat, rice, and fried fish. This was followed by brownies, gelato, and iced coffee. Wine and scotch were the beverages of choice, and we just talked. The lunch lasted about 4 hours, but was entertaining and delicious from beginning to end. It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday.
With baseball being the number one priority for the next 2 months, there isn't much travel on the horizon. It is possible to make some day trips, but nothing planned just yet. I hope we continue to play well, and by the end of the season we get our offense clicking on all cylinders. I especially hope to pick up my performance, as I have been hitting poorly all year. On that note, I also hope that every father had a great fathers day and everybody had a wonderful weekend.
Thanks again for the continued support. I hope everybody enjoys reading as much as I enjoy writing the blog. Remember to check out www.reggiobaseball.com and www.mister-baseball.com for all Reggio and European baseball news. Have a great day and talk to you soon!
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