Thursday, June 11, 2009

Zog: Hounds Crash to 4 and 2

For Game 6, it was over to the infamous Colonel Charles Young Field in Harlem. This field has never been a Hounds favorite, but we showed up with our game faces on, ready to bounce back from our loss in the previous game. 
Our opponents were NY AILA(whatever that is), who were winless coming in. That was a bit misleading though, as they were actually a good ballclub. They had decent pitching, reliable fielding, and their hitters made their swings count.
George was starting pitcher and generally pitched well despite his usual control issues. Unfortunately our fielding was a bit suspect, aided in no small part by the field conditions. We let NY AILA take a huge lead on us, and it was bound to be an uphill struggle from there. We mounted a good comeback led by Amelia, Dave and Justin, who all hit big HRs to get us closer. Amelia was actually a double shy of the cycle. Diana made a critical catch at home to retire one of their sluggers. But both teams had been taking a lot of pitches, and eventually we ran out of time. The game was called after 4 innings due to time limit, final score: NY AILA 20, Hounds 16.
If we can take heart from one thing after tonight's loss, it's the great spirit we showed to fight back from that big deficit. Definitely a promising sign for the future. We are now halfway through the season with a record of 4 and 2. I would say it's been a good first half. We definitely need to regroup and come out strong for our next two games, which are in rapid succession on June 21 and June 24.
Last but not least, a fond farewell to Nina, who has to relocate and therefore won't be able to play with us anymore. We wish her nothing but the best and would welcome her back with open arms anytime. Good luck, Nina!