2 losses & an end to a long run!

Nicholas and his team took 2 on the chin today in rain, sleet, snow and blowing wind. A great day for a football game, only it's baseball season.

This tourney was at Indianapolis' Indy Sports Park. Here's the update:

2 games today brought some sadness & an end to a long long run of saves for Nicholas. I missed the 1st game today but was told he was brought in to close a game in which we were down 12-11 in the last inning. We batted last and I guess the plan was to have Nicholas shut em down & he did, then we get at least a run to tie it but we didn't. That's not the run that ended. 2nd game was a thriller and we trailed most of the game until we tied it 6-6 at the end of 4 innings. In the 5th, they scored 2 runs to make it 8-6. We scored 2 runs to tie it in the 6th then Nicholas had bases loaded and sent one into right field down the 1st base line for the go ahead run, our first lead. We continued to score and made it 10-8. Now, the weather was horrendous with rain, snow, sleet, blowing wind and just a plain muddy ass field (pitching mound included). They laid a carpet out for the pitchers to land on after their delivery.

Ok, clearly in the last inning their pitcher struggled as he walked several of our batters. Together with some hits we scored the 4 runs. As I said the pitching mound was treacherous. But, it was for both pitchers and the other pitcher came out on top of this one. I would have to say in defense of Nicholas, I don't think he ever lost his cool. I mean, he didn't kick, slap anything or appear to act frustrated, he seemed to keep plugging away all the while he was getting whipped.

I discussed something he could have been doing that might have helped him in a rainy situation. As he walks toward the plate a bit to get the ball back from the catcher, to take his glove off immediately and use both hands to rub the ball dry while walking back to the mound, put it back into his glove while closed to keep it dry until delivery. Also to blow on his throwing hand to warm his fingers up a bit. Now, this is illegal unless temps are below 45 deg. because of being able to I guess use a spit ball. No doubt whatsoever temps were below 45.

The run of what I think are 21 games of never losing a lead came to a crashing end today. Once he became a pitcher for real starting 3 years ago he had never given up a lead when he came in to close a game out.