Thursday, July 23, 2009

Bombers: 11, Blues: 11

The face says it all: a cross between fatigue and perhaps, a faint trace of disbelief. Could the Blues really end up with their first tie? Joe C wouldn't learn the outcome until well after the final out, but following seven long innings, Oxford successfully avoided losing their ninth game of the season.

Offensively and defensively the Blues kept their collective head in the game, and a sympathetic umpire even allowed it to continue past the usual seven o'clock finish. Iain pulled off a big catch in right center, Ned scooped up almost everything at shortstop and contributed a home run, while Ninell scored her first run since joining the team. The lead see-sawed back and forth between the two opponents until the sixth, when some heads up base-running inspired by "Crazy Legs" Taylor evened the score at eleven.

Suddenly short a third baseman, the final inning began somewhat tensely with the Bombers at bat, but Robert maintained his steely resolve on the mound and Andy subbed in for Joe C, who snuck off the field to catch a train. Down a player and out of time, the Blues held off the Bombers nonetheless, and headed to 81st and Amsterdam with pride intact. Jared tried dodge photo duty by "forgetting" his camera, but luckily, I brought mine for him.

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