Two Solid Wins

June 8th, 2007, 6:30 PM PST

Friday night's softball game between the Hitmen (1-1) and the Sluppers (0-2) was a good one. As the road team, the Hitmen (our team!) scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead. However, the Sluppers put up a nine-spot in the bottom half of the inning and were looking good to get their first win of the season. They were close.

Fast-forwarding to the seventh and final inning: down by three runs, the Hitmen batted around (including two clutch base-hits and one big error by a Slupper) and scratched for five runs to take a two-run lead. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the first batter for the Sluppers flied out to right-center on the first pitch. The second one hit a solo-blast to dead-center to make it a one-run game. Batter number three reached base on an error and batter number four singled to left.

The final batter was the fifth hitter of the inning. With runners on first and second, a full-count pitch was a slow grounder to the shortstop. Mr. Shortstop fields the ball cleanly, flips the ball to Mr. Second Baseman, “Out,” and the turn to first is not in time! At the same time, the runner (who was at second base) is rounding third base trying to score! Mr. First Baseman sees the runner flying down the line to tie the game. He fires a bullet to Mr. Catcher. The throw is perfect and the catch is caught. A head-first slide. OUT! BALLGAME! 15-14.



June 10th, 2007, 1:00 PM PST

The tenth and final game on Sunday for LBC’s (5-5) basketball season was against the defending division and league champions, Lights Out (8-2). The game came down to the final minutes of the game.

Down by nine points with just a little over five minutes remaining, substitution time. EXIT: Tom. ENTER: Viet. A three-point jumper by LBC's Mr. Big James cut the deficit to six. On the ensuing possession, a turn around baby-left hook. Money. 4-point game. The next possession down: a double team on James, he hits a slashing guard for an easy-layup. 2-point game. Lights Out scored on their next possession to put it back up to four. Tweety (our shooting guard) pulls up for a three-ball in the open court...SPLASH! One-point game. Lights Out hit a couple free throws to go up by three. Another jumper by Tweety brings LBC back within two. They score again on a couple free throws. Down by four. Jibri's (game-MVP) scores a layup with an and-one. One point game. Another stop and another jumper by Tweety gives LBC a one-point lead. Lights Out hit two more free throws to go up by one. Then Mr. Jibri gets another layup, plus one with :30 seconds left to put LBC up two. Lights Out failed to convert on their last possession. Gameover, 76-71.

With the lost, Lights Out finished in second place for the division crown.

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
-Napolean Hill

If you don't think you can win, you ain't gonna win.

THANK YOU FOR READING!