Rhodes had a pretty crazy and certainly not all bad tournament, although we were eliminated last night. We started off by beating Hendrix on the strength of a great complete game performance by our ace.
We kept rolling by beating Oglethorpe in the aforementioned 21 inning thriller. We started our #2 who was coming off an injury, and he had to exit early after just not being 100% healed. We then had a solid relief effort from one of our top set up guys for 2 and a third, followed by a 10 and two thirds inning, 167 pitch (I charted them all) effort by our star closer Hunter Chandler. Taylor Babich pitched the remaining four innings (if memory serves me right). After a straight steal of home to tie the game in the top of the ninth, we scored the next run in the game in the 21st inning on an infield single. There were several times in those "middle" innings (aka 10-20) in which a call or bounce another way could have easily ended the game. A bases loaded, no out, jam was broken up by a double play turned on a failed suicide squeeze by Oglethorpe. We forced the out at home and tagged a runner that had ran past third celebrating, thinking the game was over. Almost ten innings later, Taylor Babich made a dive and toss to get the out at home on another suicide squeeze. Likewise, there was a play in which our go ahead run was overturned after a ruling that our batter was in the baseline when he was hit by the throw. Very emotional and draining game, but a great story to tell for sure. The amazing thing about such a long game is that I surely left out extremely memorable plays and game changing plays.
The next day, we squared off with the other undefeated team in the tournament, Trinity. It was a clean, well played game on both sides. Our sophomore conference starter turned in a great full game performance, but came out on the short end. The bats didn't come through, but that's the game sometimes and against a team like Trinity we weren't hanging our heads too much that the ball didn't bounce our way in that game.
We waited for the next game to determine our opponent for the nighttime elimination game. I was told I'd start, and then after some reconsideration I was indeed given the ball. I was encouraged to really up my intensity for the big game, and in the end that is a big thing that backfired. I got way too emotional and lost control of what was going on too often because of it. I've always been super-relaxed on the mound, and throughout this year when things have gone wrong it has been perceived that it has been caused by a lack of focus. When it comes down to it, it always comes down to a lack of execution. I'm pretty ashamed of the way things went but at least it didn't end up looking so bad on paper and we had a chance in the game. Needless to say, not much right for us as a team the rest of the game and here we are now, with two "regular season" games left against the same team, Hendrix next weekend. Coach believes there is a small chance we get an at large bid so we may have a lot at stake in those two games. If not, we still have our senior day regardless.
If, as it seems, we don't make the NCAA, it's not all bad. I'll get a quicker start on my summer internship and two jobs here in Memphis and a chance to go home before those commitments begin. It's been a long and emotional season and I will be ready for a little bit of spare time.
Congrats to the Trinity Tigers, they were certainly the deserving winner of the SCAC!