NIGHTS IN WHITE SHIRTIN, NEVER REACHING THE END...

HURTIN' UNITS VS. THE SLIDERS.

Game # 26- Sept. 2nd, 2015

Hurtin' Units win 13-8

Team Record 13-12-1

Keogh Park- Coming in to this game, the Sliders were on a nice little run. They had won 12 of 13 games and they had vaulted their way up in the standings. Looking at their lineup, I'm surprised that they are not higher up than they are. I remember one evening, at Keogh Park,  waiting for a game to end, Sliders playing, and in the open inning the Sliders would score something like 17 runs in the inning. Incredible power!! The score sheet was filled with little dark squares. 

    A little Jekyll and Hydish this season.

I think the 2 games the Units had this week were a good test of what the Units can do against strong teams. I think we passed the test!! The Dodge City and Sliders games showed we can keep pace with teams of these guys . Our defense has been solid all season and I would expect the same in the playoffs. The offense has been a little Jekyll and Hydish at times, but in the Slider game, I saw signs of how well we can hit... solid hard hit balls sprayed around the diamond. "That's what I'm talkin' about".

Nights in white satin. 

For this game we decided to wear our white, HTKP jerseys (more like t-shirts). Why you ask? Well, two games ago, someone (not sure who, maybe Darrell or Scotty or...) suggested that we change it up. So it was decided that we would wear white shirts on the final game of the season. It was fun see the whole team in a different colour.

At game time we had 11 players dressed in the white shirts and for some reason we decided to make behind home plate (outside the cage) our dugout for the evening. We did it during the HTKP tournament also.

Roman was the umpire of record for this game.  

The weather for this game was hot, 30 degrees and with the humidity it felt like 36. There was a risk of thunderstorms, but nothing materialized, only a few drops of rain when we were on the field. 

I tweaked the lineup a little bit for this game, and I liked how it blended together, possibly the playoff opening night lineup.

On Tuesday night we sitting in the Dodge City Saloon, following our victory over the Rounders, and there were rumblings coming across the wire, that the Keogh Park lights were not working. Since the Hurtin' Units were playing there on Wednesday evening, we hoped they would be repaired. 

On Wednesday, I never gave the lights a second thought, I mentioned it to Beechy on Tuesday, and numerous others had been informed, there was nothing to even worry about...Right? 

Roman was umping the game, at Keogh Park, on Tuesday evening, and he would send an e-mail to the town about the dysfunctional lights. The lights were far from my thoughts. 

What I was worried about on Wednesday was the weather. There was a chance of rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday evening and I didn't want our last game, of the regular season, ending in a make-up game at 9:30pm again. We had already had two 7pm games canceled this season and made up at 9:30pm. The rain held off, but the lights never came on.  

In the early innings, the lights not coming on was not a issue, but as the sun began to set behind the trees, the light slowly diminished, it was only a matter of time before Roman would suspend the game...but until that happened, it was game on. 

In the top of the 1st inning, the Sliders would send 8 batters to the plate and they would score 4 runs to take an early lead. In the home half of the inning, the Units would also send 8 batters to the plate, Darrell, Scott and Dave would all come around to score.

In the top of the 2nd inning, the Sliders would send 7 batters to the plate, the Units defense was stellar and the Sliders would only score a single run. In the bottom of the inning, the Units would send 10 batters to the plate, Bill, Jimmer, Darrell, Dave Mc., and Todd would all come around to score. The score after 2 complete innings of play, Units 8, Sliders 5. 

In the top of the 3rd inning, the Sliders would send 10 batters up to bat and 3 more runs would come in to score. In the bottom of the inning, the Units sent 7 batters up to bat, Bill and Jimmer would come around to score.

In the top of the 4th inning, the Units defense was funtastic, keeping the Sliders off the score sheet. In the home half of the inning, the Units would send 8 more batters to the plate, and tack on 3 more runs. 

With the overcast skies and the setting sun now on the horizon, it was starting to get dark. The lights looked as though they were not going to come on. It was not looking good to finish this game. Roman was getting close to suspending the game, but not quite yet. One more inning would make the game official. 

We would start the 5th inning. In the top of the 5th inning, for the Sliders, Craig would get out (1), Stiffer would get on with a single, followed by another hit by Al H., Shorty (Dennis) would hit in to a fielder's choice forcing Al out at 2nd base (2), Art would fly out to end the top half of the inning (3). The home team Units had a 13-8 lead going in to the bottom of the 5th inning.

As the Units were exiting the field, Roman would suspend the game due to darkness. The 2 teams would wait until 8pm, hoping that the lights were on a timer, and would come on. This did not happen and the game was called. This was a lousy way to end our final game of the regular season.

The Units would end the 2015 regular season over .500 with a record of 13-12-1 and 10 more wins than the 2014 season. We now prepare for the 2015 playoffs. UNITS UNFINISHED.