verdugo288

We came into this one at 14-2 and Notre Dame was 14-1. Verdugo never wins the BIG GAMES? Well this one was about as BIG as it gets. We took them DOWN, short-handed nonetheless, at THEIR YARD….and took over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division.

One of the proudest moments of my ten-year coaching career.

Ivan had football commitments and was unable to be at this one. They threw a lefty at us anyways so it wasn’t the end of the world….but we had to move some guys around defensively in this one.

Kasey started and played the entire game at second base.

Dan Bir started and played the entire game in right field.

Yves played the entire game at third base.

And out roaming the tundra for us in Center? Cowsill……

Brendan hauled-in back-to-back fly balls for us in the second and also the fourth innings. These were not routine plays either. To make matters worse (and I don’t know if Jody arranged for this intentionally or not) but the outfield grass was about ankle deep. That’s a nice field. They usually wouldn’t allow the outfield grass to be that neglected. The infield grass was cut nice and short.

Maybe Jody was anticipating some Verdugo gappers off the Verdugo bats that some ultra long grass out there just might slow down? Hmmmm …I wouldn’t put it past him.

But he had the home field advantage that day and he can do what he wants. It didn’t matter.

Cowsill was making some long runs with some big loping strides through that deep grass to flag down some tough plays.

Even Jody mentioned it from the third-base coaching box in the 4th after “B” had flagged down another and made a great play. A frustrated Jody turned and shook his head and fired over at me “c’mon coach what’s that guy doing out there?” Insinuating “B” was being played out of position (which he was) …..

I calmly fired back “what’s he doing out there coach? From what I can see it looks like he’s killing ya!”

Our dugout erupted as Jody kept shaking his head but I wasn’t done…

“You know what that is out there Jody? That’s just a great athlete!”

Jody didn’t have a comeback for that one…..

Again….we continued to frustrate him.

Hack Workman went all the way. He picked up his 4th win of the year. It was a little rickety …we survived eight walks….but Hack kept pitching his way out of JAM after JAM after JAM. CLUTCH!!!!

We played brilliantly defensively. We played an errorless game. Turner made an incredible DIVING catch at first base on a line drive in the 5th.

The very next play Dave Fielder made one of the most athletic plays I’ve ever seen in my life when he got out in front of the plate to get a bunt and threw the runner out at first when his body was basically horizontal to the ground.

It was everything I loved seeing defensively. A lotta bodies flying around out there. Everybody giving it up and picking each other up. Bir hauled in a fly ball in right and Calf making a clutch play to end a bases/loaded threat on a ground ball in the third inning.

QUICK!!!! – PANTHER-LIKE!!!!

Offensively, they had held us to two hits after five innings. Calf singled in the third, and Fielder with a base-hit in the 4th.

We came to the plate in the top of the 6th in a scoreless tie.

Robb Turner turned on one and doubled down the third base line and into the left field corner. Haggs singled him to third, and Bull Oxen drove in Turner with a clutch base-hit.

1-0 Verdugo.

Thunder stepped in with one out and rocked one up the gap into right center and cleared the bases.

3-0 Verdugo.

Absolutely fucking CLUTCH.

Glenn Carson tripled for them leading off the inning in the bottom-of-the-6th. He later tried to score from third on a wild pitch but Thunder retrieved….flicked to Hack covering the plate….who layed a sweep tag on Carson.

The call could have gone either way. I’m just being honest here. But the umpire wound up and rang-him up!!!!

You can bet that right around this time there were a few guys including myself barkin’ out the words “Now that’s what I’m tawkin’ bout” from the Verdugo dugout.

Right????

Carson argued….Jody argued…..and about ten seconds later Carson was launched!!!!

They eventually scored ONE run that inning but left the bases loaded as Hack again got out of the jam.

We picked it up in the top of the 7th right where we left off. Hack doubled into right center. Turner doubled into right center.

4-1 Verdugo.

Canale drills a base hit and pretty much breaks it open.

5-1 Verdugo.

It didn’t matter how long the grass was in the outfield that day…..all those gappers we hit made it all the way TO THE WALL.

They loaded the bases again in the bottom-of-the-seventh with two out.

Their shortstop Ryan Stromsberg grounded out…..Haggs to Turner on a 3-2 pitch.

Verdugo ….that’s right ….VERDUGO HILLS was now in sole possession of first-place in the Eastern Division.