Split with Falcons

Game 1 - In which Craig discovers we keep statistics and promptly has his worst offensive game of the season, and Bob strikes out with the bases loaded.

The game didn’t start well for Storm. There were some miscues, and the Falcons took advantage, putting up the maximum six in the first inning. 

In the 3rd inning, Storm looked like they were ready to mount a comeback. With one run already in, Storm loaded the bases and flipped the order to the top. Bob was taking his role as lead-off hitter seriously. He had walked to start the game, and with the bases loaded he worked the count full before striking out on a foul ball. Put a skewer in him and call him KBob. 

In the fourth, Storm finally put up some offense. After learning we kept track of stats, Craig had grounded out to the pitcher and then popped up in the infield in his first two at bats. He hit a two run shot to help start Storm’s biggest inning so far. Two batters later Lance hit the first of his two home runs and Storm strung together some singles to put up the max six and get back in the game. 

In the bottom of 4th, Lance had trouble seeing the ball. The first ball he lost landed harmlessly in Bob's glove. The second would have fallen for a single anyway, but it appeared that Lance didn't see it until it hit the ground. The third he apparently had tracked perfectly as it landed in his glove, but then fell out again. Not too much damage was done, and after four Storm trailed 13-11.

In the top of the 5th, Storm was unable to pull even and Kraig decided he really likes it when his name is spelled with K and struck out so he could see it again! Interesting note, his wife Kristie (name actually spelled with a K) is the team’s scorekeeper, and in an act of spousal protection actually scratched out the K on the scoresheet hoping we wouldn’t notice. But Ks always get noticed! 

The bottom of the 5th saw lots of the poor ball handling so reminiscent of Bra… I mean, Scoops's honeymoon that he's so fond of writing about when he does the writeups. Balls bounced off many infielders and even went under an outfielder’s glove. Even when the balls were handled well, there were some mental miscues and a nice scoop by Joey at short was squandered by nobody covering the bag at second. It was not Storm's finest inning. The Falcons scored five and increased their lead to seven.

Lance led off the sixth with his second home run, though this was a solo shot that would put Storm +2. Storm added a second run and drew to within five,

Storm’s ball handling hadn’t seemed to improve in the 6th. The first ball went off Al and Duran. Another ball went off Duran's glove up his shoulder and off his back. Another tipped off Jeff's glove as he dove for the ball. However, Storm managed to minimize the damage, and kept the Falcons to only two runs. 

Storm needed to score seven runs and then record three outs in 10 minutes. It didn’t happen. 

Notable Boxscores:

Duran - 5 for 5, 3 triples, 3 runs, 2 RBI

Joey - 3 for 4, 3 runs, 2 RBI

Lance - 3 for 5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs

Cycle Watch: Duran missed the homer

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Storm	2	2	1	6	0	2	2	15
Falcons	6	0	4	3	5	3	x	21

Game 2 - In which Storm has just enough good defense to win by one

Game 2 started off looking like a replay of game 1 as Jeff scooped a ball cleanly then bounced it to first with Brian unable to scoop it.  That set the tone for a weak defensive inning that the Falcons capitalized on as they scored six to start (just like in the first game). However, the game got different when Storm was able to match the Falcons’ first inning explosion with six runs of their own. Craig hit a two run home run and Storm hit and walked their way through the rest of the order. 

In the second, Joey used every part of his body to control the ball, but he stayed with it and threw to first. The Falcons would score four. 

In the bottom of the 2nd, a sight as rare as Halley's comet soared across the sky. Duran pulled a ball. And it went out of the park. This capped a three run inning and it pulled Storm to within one. 

The top of the 3rd ended with a long scary strikeout just foul over the right field fence. The Falcons were blanked and Storm saw their opportunity to take the lead and took it. Storm scored six runs to pull into the lead. 

The Falcons flew back into the game with four runs in the top of the fourth. Joey made a great play ranging to his left and throwing out a runner at home. This would be important later in the game. Storm scored none in the bottom leaving the game at a very tight 15-14. The Falcons scored none in the fifth. In the bottom of the 5th, Duran hit the longest single of his life, bouncing a ball off the top of the wall. But Mike had to hold up to see if it would get caught, so Duran was stuck at first. The Falcons would score three in the sixth and at the end of six Storm led 20-17. 

The Falcons scored two in the top of the seventh. With two outs Jeff threw across the field to Brian instead of taking the short throw to second. Brian was so surprised that the ball got to him in the air that he didn’t know what to do and dropped it. This put the tying run at second base. The next batter lined out to right centre and Storm held on to the lead.

Cycle Watch: 

Duran hit for the cycle!

Craig missed the triple

Notable Boxscores:

Duran - 5 for 5, 4 runs, 4 RBI, hit for the cycle!

Craig - 3 for 5, 3 runs, 3 RBI

Joey - 3 for 4, 4 RBI

Al 3 for 3, 2 runs, RBI

Mike 2 for 3, 3 runs, RBI

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Falcons	6	4	0	4	0	3	2	19
Storm	6	3	6	0	3	2	x	20