Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Opening Day - Sat. Mar 12, 11am @ EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING
Opening day. After a great showing in their initial scrimmage game, the SKIPPING NINJAS took to the fields with some confidence. However, with some late arrivals and a couple of key players missing due to travel ball, being able to field the league minimum of 8 was in doubt up until game time. The opposing team, EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING, was having a similar dilemma; however, they were still short 2 players at the start of the game. They were able to scramble to get 2 replacement players and, after a small delay and avoiding the forfeit, the opening day game was underway. As visitors, the SKIPPING NINJAS were up to bat.
1st Inning
Kas came up to bat 1st. Showing her trademark aggressiveness at the plate, she struck out on 4 pitches. Erika was # 2 in the lineup and, after a 2-2 start was able to hit the ball to left field for a single. Hylah took her turn at bat and, after swinging and missing the 1st pitch, she was able to recover and put the next ball in play. She sent a hard grounder to the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING short stop for a single, advancing Erika to 2nd. Rebecca came to the plate for her 1st at bat of the day. When the count reached 2-0, Erika and Hylah successfully stole 2nd and 3rd and put themselves into scoring position. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher lost her groove and, after Rebecca fought her way to full count, the pitcher threw a ball on the next pitch, walking Rebecca and loading the bases. Rachel was up next. After reaching 1-1, Rachel took a swing and put the ball in play. With bases loaded, the SKIPPING NINJAS had to run, but the slow grounder from Rachel allowed the pitcher to pick up the ball and get the 2nd out on Erika at home. With bases still loaded, Elise came to the plate. The pitcher, continuing her skid, threw 4 balls in a row and Elise walked and Hylah crossed the plate to put the SKIPPING NINJAS on the board. Natalie was up next. Continuing to struggle, the pitcher walked Natalie and Rebecca scored the 2nd point for the SKIPPING NINJAS as she walked across home. Katrina came up next. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher started to reel it back in and after 2-0, got Katrina to swing at her next 2 pitches. Another ball brought up full count and a swing and a miss on the next pitch sent Katrina back to the dugout empty handed, ending the 1st offensive inning for the SKIPPING NINJAS.
Hylah was at the rubber to lead the SKIPPING NINJAS defense. Hylah struggled right away. After walking the 1st batter, Hylah hit the next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter, putting 2 runners on base. A passed ball allowed the runners to safely advance to scoring position. Hylah hit the next batter and the bases were loaded. Hylah seemed to get her pitch back, but the next batter connected and sent the ball to center field for a single. After a 1st strike pitch on the next batter, Hylah began to struggle again. She hit the next batter and 1 more run came across the plate for EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING, tying up the game. It was time to bring Natalie in to relieve Hylah. Natalie started off slow as well, walking the next batter and allowing EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING to take the lead. Finding her pitch, Natalie started to throw strikes. On her 2nd pitch on the next batter, the batter connected for a single on a hard grounder to right field. Natalie was able to find her groove again and struck out the next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter. But with strike pitches comes swinging and after a ball on Natalie’s 1st pitch, the next batter was able to connect. She sent a ground ball to Katrina at 3rd. Katrina came up and wasn’t sure where to throw and the hesitation allowed EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING to bring 1 more run home. The next batter came to the plate. Natalie got the count to 1 and 2. On the next pitch, the batter got a big piece of the ball and sent it out to center field for a double. By the time the SKIPPING NINJAS were able to recover, 3 more runs came home. Natalie came back to the rubber for the next batter. Rattled, she was again unable to find her pitch and walked the next batter. Things started to look promising after Natalie got the next batter to swing, bringing the count to 1 -2, but the batter was able to put the ball in play for a single, loading the bases once again for EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING. After a strike on the 1st pitch, the next batter roped one out to left field past Hylah for a double, bringing in 3 more EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING runs. Finally, Natalie was able to find her target and got the next batter to swing. On the 3rd pitch, Elise, at catcher, dropped the ball and the batter took off for 1st. Elise recovered and got the ball to Erica, at 1st for the 2nd out of the inning. On the play, the runner on 2nd made it around the horn at 3rd and scored, putting up the 12th run for EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING and giving them a staggering 10-point lead. Back at the rubber, Natalie walked the next 2 batters. Marking the 2nd time through the full EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING lineup, the 18th batter (2nd at bat for the 9th batter in the lineup) came to the plate. Natalie was able to get the count to 1-2 before the batter connected. She sent a fast ground ball down the 3rd base line. Katrina came off of 3rd to collect it and, taking her time, she strolled back to 3rd base for the force out, ending the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 2 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 12
2nd Inning
The SKIPPING NINJAS dug a big hole for themselves in the 1st inning. Trailing by 10 points, the girls needed to turn things around and hoped that they could begin to turn the tide in the 2nd. Aale’a was up 1st. 1st pitch was off the mark, which brought up 1-0. Aale’a took a swing on the next pitch and connected. Unfortunately, it was a line drive to the pitcher and Aale’a was out. Kas was up next. Swinging aggressively, she tried to make something happen, but unfortunately, after 4 pitches, she was sent back to the dugout empty handed. Erika was up next and in similar fashion; she was able to remain at the plate for 5 pitches, with a 2-2 count. She took a swing on the next pitch, but missed and struck out. The SKIPPING NINJAS were stifled in the 2nd.
In an attempt to turn the tide in our favor, Erika was tapped to pitch to see what she could do. Her 1st 2 pitches missed the mark. On the 3rd pitch, the batter connected and sent the ball out to left field. Hylah was able to position herself under it, making the catch and notching the 1st out of the inning. The next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter was hit by a pitch, awarding her 1st base. Back to work, Erika managed to string a few pitches together and got the next batter to swing. With the count at 2-2 after 7 pitches, the batter took a swing at the next pitch and missed for the 2nd out of the inning. Erika’s 1st pitch on the next batter got past Elise and allowed the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING runner to advance to 2nd. The batter got a hold of Erika’s next pitch and sent a fast grounder to Rachel, at short stop. Rachel bobbled the ball on the way up and got the throw to 1st off, but it was out of Natalie’s reach and the batter got on base while the other runner rounded 3rd and made it home safely. The next batter took a swing on Erika’s 1st pitch and put it in play. Again, it was a hard grounder to Rachel. This time, she was able to reel it in. Overcompensating for the previous throw, Rachel didn’t quite reach Natalie and the ball hit the ground. The batter was safe on 1st, but by the time the SKIPPING NINJAS were able to get the ball back to the pitcher, the runner on 2nd turned the corner and made it home. The next batter was up. Erika got her to swing, but the tenacious batter kept hitting the ball into foul territory, bringing up 0-2. She connected on the next pitch, sending a slow roller toward 3rd base for a single. The next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter was up. Erika’s 1st pitch hit the ground and got past Elise. On the passed ball, the runners moved in to scoring position by stealing 2nd and 3rd. Erika threw a ball on the next pitch and it looked like we were headed for another walk, but Erika regained control and threw strikes. The 1st flew by and caught the batter by surprise. Thinking Erika couldn’t do it again, she held her bat and the ump called the 2nd strike in a row. Erika threw her next pitch. This time, the batter took a swing and missed for the 3rd out, moving the game into the 3rd inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 2 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 14
3rd Inning
Coming up short in the last inning the SKIPPING NINJAS needed to get their offense moving to get back in the game. Hylah was up 1st. With strikes on the 1st 2 pitches, Hylah took a swing and connected. Unfortunately, the ball rolled up the 1st base line directly at the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 1st baseman. She scooped it up and tagged 1st for the out on Hylah. Rebecca was up next and the pitcher struggled, walking Rebecca and putting a SKIPPING NINJA runner on 1st. On a passed ball, Rebecca stole 2nd base. With the count on Rachel at 3-0, Rachel took a swing and sent a hard ground ball toward the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING short stop for a single, advancing Rebecca to 3rd. Elise was up next. The pitcher continued to struggle. The next pitch got past the catcher and Rebecca took a shot at home. She made it safely and, finally, put another run on the board for the SKIPPING NINJAS. A walk on Elise and Natalie loaded the bases. Katrina came to the plate for her 2nd AB of the day. She took a swipe at the 1st pitch and connected. With bases loaded, the fly ball was headed toward the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING outfield. The SKIPPING NINJAS runners watched intently as the ball made its way to the grass. Unfortunately, the outfielder was able to get position for the catch and Katrina was out. Rachel, failing to tag up, took a run for home, but the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING team reacted quickly and was able to get the ball back to 3rd and caught Rachel off base, shutting the door on the SKIPPING NINJAS in the 3rd.
Having the most success at pitcher on the day, Erika was brought back to the rubber to lead the SKIPPING NINJAS defense. After a 1st strike, the batter took a swing at Erika’s next pitch and put it in play. She sent a fast ground ball to Kas, at short stop. Kas picked it up and came up firing, connecting with 1st and getting the 1st out of the inning. The next batter came out swinging. Erika took advantage and the batter went down swinging for the 2nd out. The next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter was up next and, like the previous batter, swung aggressively. She connected on Erika’s 1st pitch and popped it up over the SKIPPING NINJAS infield. The fly ball floated over to Kas again and Kas was able to make the catch for the 3rd out of the inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 3 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 14
4th Inning
Down by 9 points and with the time clock ticking, the SKIPPING NINJAS needed to make an offensive stand to match their defensive performance in the last inning. Aale’a was up first in the 4th. After 3 pitches, with the count at 1-2, Aale’a took a swing and struck out. Kas was up next and managed a single with a grounder to the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 2nd baseman. Erika was up next. She fouled a ball off and watched a strike fly by her. On a passed ball, Kas stole 2nd base. With the count now at 1-2, Erika took a swing and struck out. With that being the 2nd out of the inning, things were not looking good for the SKIPPING NINJAS as Hylah came out of the dugout to try her luck. On the 1st pitch, Kas stole 3rd. Hylah connected on the next pitch, sending the ball out to right field for a single and bringing Kas home. Rebecca was up next. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher started to struggle and Rebecca walked, but not before Hylah was able to steal her way to 3rd base. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Rachel was back for her next turn at bat. The pitcher’s 1st pitch got past the catcher and Rebecca stole 2nd base. After another strike, Rachel took a swing and connected, sending a hard ground ball which tore through the infield on its way to center field for a single. Hylah came home on the play and while EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING was trying to recover, Rebecca made it to 3rd and barely beat the throw home to score 2 for the SKIPPING NINJAS on the play. EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING decided that it was time to change their pitcher. The new pitcher took a moment to warm up and walked Elise and Natalie; while Rachel was stealing her way to 3rd. Katrina was back at the plate in a very similar situation as her last at bat. Everyone was hoping for another big hit. It was back and forth and with 1 foul ball in the mix, Katrina was able to work her way to a full count. On the last pitch, Katrina took a swing and missed, striking out and ending the SKIPPING NINJAS 4th inning.
Erika was back at the rubber for the 4th inning. The SKIPPING NINJAS would have to hold EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING to keep their hopes alive in this game. Erika took a brief moment to warm up. After throwing 2 balls, she got the batter to start swinging and reached a count of 2-2. Unexpectedly, the batter laid down a bunt with 2 strikes and Erika rushed to collect the ball. An overthrow at 1st base allowed the runner to stretch the single into a double. The next batter put the ball in play after fouling the 1st 2 pitches off. She sent a grounder to Rebecca, playing 2nd base. Rebecca threw to 1st for the out, but the other runner made it safely to 3rd. With the count reaching 2-0, the next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter sent a fast grounder through the infield into the center field grass for a single, bringing the runner home. The next batter hit a ball to center field again. This time it was a fly ball that Rachel wasn’t able to quite get to and the batter scored a double on the play. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases. The next batter connected as well, sending a hard ground ball to Natalie at 1st. Natalie got the out, but 1 more EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING runner crossed the plate. More determined than ever to get the SKIPPING NINJAS out of this mess, Erika dug deep and battled the next batter to full count. The batter connected on the next pitch, popping it up. Erika waved everyone off and caught the ball for the 2nd out of the inning. Feeling the newfound fire, Erika threw heat at the next batter, striking her out to end the 4th inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 6 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 16
5th Inning
Down by 10, with time quickly running out, the SKIPPING NINJAS had their work cut out for them in the 5th. For the 3rd time on the day, Aale’a started the SKIPPING NINJAS offense off. She took a cut on the 1st pitch for a strike. She took another cut on the next pitch. This time she connected and sent a fly ball out into left field for a single. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher walked Kas and hit Erika with a pitch and the bases were loaded. Hylah was up next. On the 1st pitch, Hylah hit one to center field for a single, bringing Aale’a home. A walk on Rebecca kept the SKIPPING NINJAS moving and brought Kas across the plate. With bases loaded, Rachel was up for the 4th time in the game. And batting 1000 on the day, she connected and sent a hard ground ball toward the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 2nd baseman. With a force at any base, the 2nd baseman chose to prevent the run with a throw home. The catcher received the ball and barely beat Erika to the plate for the 1st out. The pitcher began to lose her groove and walked both Elise and Natalie, bringing in 2 more runs for the SKIPPING NINJAS and keeping the bases loaded. Katrina was up next and fought hard to reach a count of 2-2. On a passed ball, Rachel at 3rd, gunned it for home and scored before the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING could recover. With the count now full on Katrina, she took a swing on the next pitch. The bat sailed over the ball as it flew into the catcher’s glove and Katrina struck out. Bookending the inning, Aale’a was up again. Unfortunately this time, she was not able to connect and struck out. With the home team (EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING) in the lead and time called on the game, the SKIPPING NINJAS took a loss in their Opening Day game.
They put up a good fight and came back in the end, but it just wasn’t enough to overcome their early deficit. Great job SKIPPING NINJAS!
Final Score
SKIPPING NINJAS 11 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 16
Game Ball
Once the SKIPPING NINJAS got warmed up after the 1st inning, the girls put on a great performance. There were some good plays made and, obviously some errors, but overall, it was a great effort and showed true determination in that the SKIPPING NINJAS didn’t let the early deficit bring them down. Instead they pulled themselves up and mounted a great comeback, outpointing EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING by 5 points from the 2nd through the 5th innings. Aale’a shocked everyone with her hit and subsequent single. She is brand new to the game and has some natural and powerful hitting ability. That being said, the SKIPPING NINJAS player that had the game changing play, which lit a fire under the rest of the team was Rachel. She saw a lot of action out in center field and at short stop, scored a run on a steal from 3rd, batted 1000 on the day and had 2 RBIs on a single to center field and for that, she was awarded the Game Ball. Great work out there Rachel! Keep it up!
1st Inning
Kas came up to bat 1st. Showing her trademark aggressiveness at the plate, she struck out on 4 pitches. Erika was # 2 in the lineup and, after a 2-2 start was able to hit the ball to left field for a single. Hylah took her turn at bat and, after swinging and missing the 1st pitch, she was able to recover and put the next ball in play. She sent a hard grounder to the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING short stop for a single, advancing Erika to 2nd. Rebecca came to the plate for her 1st at bat of the day. When the count reached 2-0, Erika and Hylah successfully stole 2nd and 3rd and put themselves into scoring position. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher lost her groove and, after Rebecca fought her way to full count, the pitcher threw a ball on the next pitch, walking Rebecca and loading the bases. Rachel was up next. After reaching 1-1, Rachel took a swing and put the ball in play. With bases loaded, the SKIPPING NINJAS had to run, but the slow grounder from Rachel allowed the pitcher to pick up the ball and get the 2nd out on Erika at home. With bases still loaded, Elise came to the plate. The pitcher, continuing her skid, threw 4 balls in a row and Elise walked and Hylah crossed the plate to put the SKIPPING NINJAS on the board. Natalie was up next. Continuing to struggle, the pitcher walked Natalie and Rebecca scored the 2nd point for the SKIPPING NINJAS as she walked across home. Katrina came up next. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher started to reel it back in and after 2-0, got Katrina to swing at her next 2 pitches. Another ball brought up full count and a swing and a miss on the next pitch sent Katrina back to the dugout empty handed, ending the 1st offensive inning for the SKIPPING NINJAS.
Hylah was at the rubber to lead the SKIPPING NINJAS defense. Hylah struggled right away. After walking the 1st batter, Hylah hit the next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter, putting 2 runners on base. A passed ball allowed the runners to safely advance to scoring position. Hylah hit the next batter and the bases were loaded. Hylah seemed to get her pitch back, but the next batter connected and sent the ball to center field for a single. After a 1st strike pitch on the next batter, Hylah began to struggle again. She hit the next batter and 1 more run came across the plate for EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING, tying up the game. It was time to bring Natalie in to relieve Hylah. Natalie started off slow as well, walking the next batter and allowing EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING to take the lead. Finding her pitch, Natalie started to throw strikes. On her 2nd pitch on the next batter, the batter connected for a single on a hard grounder to right field. Natalie was able to find her groove again and struck out the next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter. But with strike pitches comes swinging and after a ball on Natalie’s 1st pitch, the next batter was able to connect. She sent a ground ball to Katrina at 3rd. Katrina came up and wasn’t sure where to throw and the hesitation allowed EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING to bring 1 more run home. The next batter came to the plate. Natalie got the count to 1 and 2. On the next pitch, the batter got a big piece of the ball and sent it out to center field for a double. By the time the SKIPPING NINJAS were able to recover, 3 more runs came home. Natalie came back to the rubber for the next batter. Rattled, she was again unable to find her pitch and walked the next batter. Things started to look promising after Natalie got the next batter to swing, bringing the count to 1 -2, but the batter was able to put the ball in play for a single, loading the bases once again for EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING. After a strike on the 1st pitch, the next batter roped one out to left field past Hylah for a double, bringing in 3 more EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING runs. Finally, Natalie was able to find her target and got the next batter to swing. On the 3rd pitch, Elise, at catcher, dropped the ball and the batter took off for 1st. Elise recovered and got the ball to Erica, at 1st for the 2nd out of the inning. On the play, the runner on 2nd made it around the horn at 3rd and scored, putting up the 12th run for EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING and giving them a staggering 10-point lead. Back at the rubber, Natalie walked the next 2 batters. Marking the 2nd time through the full EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING lineup, the 18th batter (2nd at bat for the 9th batter in the lineup) came to the plate. Natalie was able to get the count to 1-2 before the batter connected. She sent a fast ground ball down the 3rd base line. Katrina came off of 3rd to collect it and, taking her time, she strolled back to 3rd base for the force out, ending the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 2 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 12
2nd Inning
The SKIPPING NINJAS dug a big hole for themselves in the 1st inning. Trailing by 10 points, the girls needed to turn things around and hoped that they could begin to turn the tide in the 2nd. Aale’a was up 1st. 1st pitch was off the mark, which brought up 1-0. Aale’a took a swing on the next pitch and connected. Unfortunately, it was a line drive to the pitcher and Aale’a was out. Kas was up next. Swinging aggressively, she tried to make something happen, but unfortunately, after 4 pitches, she was sent back to the dugout empty handed. Erika was up next and in similar fashion; she was able to remain at the plate for 5 pitches, with a 2-2 count. She took a swing on the next pitch, but missed and struck out. The SKIPPING NINJAS were stifled in the 2nd.
In an attempt to turn the tide in our favor, Erika was tapped to pitch to see what she could do. Her 1st 2 pitches missed the mark. On the 3rd pitch, the batter connected and sent the ball out to left field. Hylah was able to position herself under it, making the catch and notching the 1st out of the inning. The next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter was hit by a pitch, awarding her 1st base. Back to work, Erika managed to string a few pitches together and got the next batter to swing. With the count at 2-2 after 7 pitches, the batter took a swing at the next pitch and missed for the 2nd out of the inning. Erika’s 1st pitch on the next batter got past Elise and allowed the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING runner to advance to 2nd. The batter got a hold of Erika’s next pitch and sent a fast grounder to Rachel, at short stop. Rachel bobbled the ball on the way up and got the throw to 1st off, but it was out of Natalie’s reach and the batter got on base while the other runner rounded 3rd and made it home safely. The next batter took a swing on Erika’s 1st pitch and put it in play. Again, it was a hard grounder to Rachel. This time, she was able to reel it in. Overcompensating for the previous throw, Rachel didn’t quite reach Natalie and the ball hit the ground. The batter was safe on 1st, but by the time the SKIPPING NINJAS were able to get the ball back to the pitcher, the runner on 2nd turned the corner and made it home. The next batter was up. Erika got her to swing, but the tenacious batter kept hitting the ball into foul territory, bringing up 0-2. She connected on the next pitch, sending a slow roller toward 3rd base for a single. The next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter was up. Erika’s 1st pitch hit the ground and got past Elise. On the passed ball, the runners moved in to scoring position by stealing 2nd and 3rd. Erika threw a ball on the next pitch and it looked like we were headed for another walk, but Erika regained control and threw strikes. The 1st flew by and caught the batter by surprise. Thinking Erika couldn’t do it again, she held her bat and the ump called the 2nd strike in a row. Erika threw her next pitch. This time, the batter took a swing and missed for the 3rd out, moving the game into the 3rd inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 2 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 14
3rd Inning
Coming up short in the last inning the SKIPPING NINJAS needed to get their offense moving to get back in the game. Hylah was up 1st. With strikes on the 1st 2 pitches, Hylah took a swing and connected. Unfortunately, the ball rolled up the 1st base line directly at the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 1st baseman. She scooped it up and tagged 1st for the out on Hylah. Rebecca was up next and the pitcher struggled, walking Rebecca and putting a SKIPPING NINJA runner on 1st. On a passed ball, Rebecca stole 2nd base. With the count on Rachel at 3-0, Rachel took a swing and sent a hard ground ball toward the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING short stop for a single, advancing Rebecca to 3rd. Elise was up next. The pitcher continued to struggle. The next pitch got past the catcher and Rebecca took a shot at home. She made it safely and, finally, put another run on the board for the SKIPPING NINJAS. A walk on Elise and Natalie loaded the bases. Katrina came to the plate for her 2nd AB of the day. She took a swipe at the 1st pitch and connected. With bases loaded, the fly ball was headed toward the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING outfield. The SKIPPING NINJAS runners watched intently as the ball made its way to the grass. Unfortunately, the outfielder was able to get position for the catch and Katrina was out. Rachel, failing to tag up, took a run for home, but the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING team reacted quickly and was able to get the ball back to 3rd and caught Rachel off base, shutting the door on the SKIPPING NINJAS in the 3rd.
Having the most success at pitcher on the day, Erika was brought back to the rubber to lead the SKIPPING NINJAS defense. After a 1st strike, the batter took a swing at Erika’s next pitch and put it in play. She sent a fast ground ball to Kas, at short stop. Kas picked it up and came up firing, connecting with 1st and getting the 1st out of the inning. The next batter came out swinging. Erika took advantage and the batter went down swinging for the 2nd out. The next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter was up next and, like the previous batter, swung aggressively. She connected on Erika’s 1st pitch and popped it up over the SKIPPING NINJAS infield. The fly ball floated over to Kas again and Kas was able to make the catch for the 3rd out of the inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 3 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 14
4th Inning
Down by 9 points and with the time clock ticking, the SKIPPING NINJAS needed to make an offensive stand to match their defensive performance in the last inning. Aale’a was up first in the 4th. After 3 pitches, with the count at 1-2, Aale’a took a swing and struck out. Kas was up next and managed a single with a grounder to the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 2nd baseman. Erika was up next. She fouled a ball off and watched a strike fly by her. On a passed ball, Kas stole 2nd base. With the count now at 1-2, Erika took a swing and struck out. With that being the 2nd out of the inning, things were not looking good for the SKIPPING NINJAS as Hylah came out of the dugout to try her luck. On the 1st pitch, Kas stole 3rd. Hylah connected on the next pitch, sending the ball out to right field for a single and bringing Kas home. Rebecca was up next. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher started to struggle and Rebecca walked, but not before Hylah was able to steal her way to 3rd base. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Rachel was back for her next turn at bat. The pitcher’s 1st pitch got past the catcher and Rebecca stole 2nd base. After another strike, Rachel took a swing and connected, sending a hard ground ball which tore through the infield on its way to center field for a single. Hylah came home on the play and while EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING was trying to recover, Rebecca made it to 3rd and barely beat the throw home to score 2 for the SKIPPING NINJAS on the play. EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING decided that it was time to change their pitcher. The new pitcher took a moment to warm up and walked Elise and Natalie; while Rachel was stealing her way to 3rd. Katrina was back at the plate in a very similar situation as her last at bat. Everyone was hoping for another big hit. It was back and forth and with 1 foul ball in the mix, Katrina was able to work her way to a full count. On the last pitch, Katrina took a swing and missed, striking out and ending the SKIPPING NINJAS 4th inning.
Erika was back at the rubber for the 4th inning. The SKIPPING NINJAS would have to hold EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING to keep their hopes alive in this game. Erika took a brief moment to warm up. After throwing 2 balls, she got the batter to start swinging and reached a count of 2-2. Unexpectedly, the batter laid down a bunt with 2 strikes and Erika rushed to collect the ball. An overthrow at 1st base allowed the runner to stretch the single into a double. The next batter put the ball in play after fouling the 1st 2 pitches off. She sent a grounder to Rebecca, playing 2nd base. Rebecca threw to 1st for the out, but the other runner made it safely to 3rd. With the count reaching 2-0, the next EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING batter sent a fast grounder through the infield into the center field grass for a single, bringing the runner home. The next batter hit a ball to center field again. This time it was a fly ball that Rachel wasn’t able to quite get to and the batter scored a double on the play. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases. The next batter connected as well, sending a hard ground ball to Natalie at 1st. Natalie got the out, but 1 more EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING runner crossed the plate. More determined than ever to get the SKIPPING NINJAS out of this mess, Erika dug deep and battled the next batter to full count. The batter connected on the next pitch, popping it up. Erika waved everyone off and caught the ball for the 2nd out of the inning. Feeling the newfound fire, Erika threw heat at the next batter, striking her out to end the 4th inning.
SKIPPING NINJAS 6 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 16
5th Inning
Down by 10, with time quickly running out, the SKIPPING NINJAS had their work cut out for them in the 5th. For the 3rd time on the day, Aale’a started the SKIPPING NINJAS offense off. She took a cut on the 1st pitch for a strike. She took another cut on the next pitch. This time she connected and sent a fly ball out into left field for a single. The EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING pitcher walked Kas and hit Erika with a pitch and the bases were loaded. Hylah was up next. On the 1st pitch, Hylah hit one to center field for a single, bringing Aale’a home. A walk on Rebecca kept the SKIPPING NINJAS moving and brought Kas across the plate. With bases loaded, Rachel was up for the 4th time in the game. And batting 1000 on the day, she connected and sent a hard ground ball toward the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 2nd baseman. With a force at any base, the 2nd baseman chose to prevent the run with a throw home. The catcher received the ball and barely beat Erika to the plate for the 1st out. The pitcher began to lose her groove and walked both Elise and Natalie, bringing in 2 more runs for the SKIPPING NINJAS and keeping the bases loaded. Katrina was up next and fought hard to reach a count of 2-2. On a passed ball, Rachel at 3rd, gunned it for home and scored before the EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING could recover. With the count now full on Katrina, she took a swing on the next pitch. The bat sailed over the ball as it flew into the catcher’s glove and Katrina struck out. Bookending the inning, Aale’a was up again. Unfortunately this time, she was not able to connect and struck out. With the home team (EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING) in the lead and time called on the game, the SKIPPING NINJAS took a loss in their Opening Day game.
They put up a good fight and came back in the end, but it just wasn’t enough to overcome their early deficit. Great job SKIPPING NINJAS!
Final Score
SKIPPING NINJAS 11 – EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING 16
Game Ball
Once the SKIPPING NINJAS got warmed up after the 1st inning, the girls put on a great performance. There were some good plays made and, obviously some errors, but overall, it was a great effort and showed true determination in that the SKIPPING NINJAS didn’t let the early deficit bring them down. Instead they pulled themselves up and mounted a great comeback, outpointing EAST BAY FLOOR COVERING by 5 points from the 2nd through the 5th innings. Aale’a shocked everyone with her hit and subsequent single. She is brand new to the game and has some natural and powerful hitting ability. That being said, the SKIPPING NINJAS player that had the game changing play, which lit a fire under the rest of the team was Rachel. She saw a lot of action out in center field and at short stop, scored a run on a steal from 3rd, batted 1000 on the day and had 2 RBIs on a single to center field and for that, she was awarded the Game Ball. Great work out there Rachel! Keep it up!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Scrimmage game - Mar 5, 2011 @ INTENSITY
The SKIPPING NINJAS posted their 1st win of the season. It was a scrimmage. So, it didn't count toward our record, but it was great to see the girls in uniform and taking the field for the 1st time in 2011. The score was 13-2 and the girls looked good out there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)