Playoff's Day One

Storm started strong in the first inning.  Coulas was shut down in the first and Storm exploded for five runs. Joey led off with a single, then Mills, Duran, and Rene each walked. Jeff singled home two and Lance got a hit before Storm ran out of steam, but five was a good start. 

Coulas got a couple back in the top of the second, but Storm extended the lead with six runs powered by Rene’s triple. Storm’s barrage continued in the third with four runs and three more in the fourth. Coulas started crushing the ball in the sixth with a couple of solo home runs, but it was too little too late as Storm won 19-5. 

Storm played really well on both sides of the ball. Jeff and Rene were able to battle the wind to pitch well and the defense was strong. Hitting was solid all through the lineup. It was a full team effort.

Surge started strong as the first four batters all scored. Storm was able to stop the bleeding there. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much thunder in Storm/s bats for the first two innings they were only able to manage one run in the two frames. 

Surge was held off the board in the second, but the top of the order proved powerful once again as they scored three more in the third. Storm’s bats finally woke up in the third, though, as they scored five runs powered by Mills’s three run blast. At the end of the third, Storm trailed 7-6.

Surge kept pounding the ball, though, two more in the fourth, but Storm responded with another three run blast from Mills. Two batters later Jeff recorded a home run out. Apparently he only hits home runs (and home run outs) off of Mike. That essentially killed the rally, but Storm took the 10-9.

It wouldn’t last, though. Surge added four more in the fourth to go up 12-10. This inning also saw the almost greatest outfield catch as Mills leaped over the fence, got his glove on the ball, but couldn’t hold on. 

But the seesaw kept tilting and Storm really opened the floodgates in the bottom of the 5th scoring 8 and taking over lead 18-12. Jeff came back in and shut Surge down in the sixth. Storm also put up a goose egg in the sixth.

Jeff decided to make things interesting in the last inning. He walked three batters and gave up a triple, allowing Suge to score two and bring the tying run to the plate, but a pop fly to left centre ended the game. Storm had to bat because they weren’t up seven, but the game was already decided.