🥎 08.25.26 Bats, Gloves & a Little Girl Power

Team Wally – Hitting/Visitors: 3
Team Rounds – Sitting/Middle: 5
Team Hill – Fielding/Home: 16

Well, the bats weren't exactly putting on a fireworks show today — unless, of course, you happened to be wearing a Team Hill shirt.

So when the offense is a little sparse, we do what any good sportswriter does:

Change the subject and talk about defense. 

First, though, credit where credit is due.

Lopicolo was outstanding on the mound for Team Hill, holding Team Wally to just three runs for the entire game. On the other side, Rabideau settled in after Team Rounds scored five in the first and then shut them out the rest of the way.

Unfortunately for everyone else, Team Hill apparently decided they were going to play both offense AND defense today.

They came out swinging with five runs in the first, added another in the third, then apparently got bored and decided to score five more in both the fourth and sixth innings to finish with 16.

The first inning set the tone. Carlos blasted a home run that helped bring four runs across, Doyle doubled, JD singled, Constantine added a hit, and Gutenburger knocked in the fifth run.

And Doyle never cooled off — two doubles and a single, scoring every time he came to the plate. Davis added three base hits and scored twice, Constantine had two singles and a double while scoring twice, and Gutenburger collected three hits and a run.

Basically, Team Hill was lit up from top to bottom.

Team Wally's bats may not have had much to say, but once the first-inning coffee kicked in, their defense certainly did.

At one point, Billy completed the defensive trifecta — all three outs in the inning. Apparently he decided involving teammates was optional.

And then there was "the girl" in middle field.

A cutoff came in from deep in the outfield, and Leslie fired it toward home to nail the runner at the plate.

Did the throw bounce?

Yes.

More than once?

Maybe, we don't need to get caught up in unnecessary details.

Did the runner get called OUT?

Absolutely.

Scorebooks don't record style points. 

And speaking of girls, we welcomed Amy to the field today!

Her very first at-bat, Amy ripped a hard shot right up the middle.

Great hit.

Unfortunately, she apparently hadn't received the orientation packet explaining that the girl was playing middle.

Grounder fielded. Throw to first. OUT.

Welcome to Winter Haven Senior Softball, Amy!  We’re really glad to have you — but apparently we could’ve been a little nicer on your first at-bat. 

And because I've apparently been coerced into reporting the entire story, she also snagged a line drive up the middle.

So yes...

The girl had herself a pretty darn good day.

There. It's officially documented. We can all move on now. 

And finally, perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the entire morning:

EVERYBODY MOVED!

On the field.
Off the field.
Between innings.

There was actual purpose in our steps, most of the time!

After last game's slow-motion performance, today's crew hustled enough that we completed seven full innings with time to spare — and Team Hill didn't even need its final at-bat.

See what happens when we move like somebody left the air-conditioning on in the parking lot?

Seven innings. Time to spare. Nobody got hurt from the sudden increase in speed.

I'm calling that a win.