Who Needs a Third Game?

Not us... that's who.



Aaron (pictured) pitched five solid innings, but unfortunately it was a no-decision in what was probably the most intense and thrilling game for the Royals this season. An 11-8 victory saw us through to the finals in two games over Canmore. The victory was full of good baseball, bad calls and temper tantrums.

Where to begin when reliving this game? The game itself was sort of in disrepair even before it got started. I actually went to the ballpark early to meet up with Alan and caught a little bit of the other semi-final between Rusty's and the Us Guys and noticed that there was only the Home Plate Umpire and no Base Ump. Well... the first semi, in just the first two-plus innings I saw were marred with a couple short calls that a normal Base Ump would have got. So, I already knew that the game was in some state of trouble.

We were the away team for the second game, so we were to bat first. We were facing the pitcher that we hammered for 15 runs last week and that was the most positive sign of the early part of the game. I was back up to the second spot in the batting order, which fitted well again. Munden led off the game by flying out to left... I reached on a single and was moved around to third before being stranded there. We actually left the bases loaded on three singles, but couldn't cash anyone in.

A rough bottom half of the inning, which saw a couple runs score on a throwing error by Nick. The Canmore team did seem to find Aaron's meatball pitches and took advantage of them, but it was the errors that cost us through the first few innings.

The next few innings saw quite a bit of back-and-forth ball, each team finding their stroke up at the plate. Aaron continued to improve in his pitches, but he was still hit in most innings, which made the intensity all the more great on the defense. Our bats at the same token continued to find life and we finally broke out in the fifth inning, scoring I think it was four runs to secure a three-run lead. A run back and forth until the seventh. I don't think we mustered too much in the top half, but we went into the bottom half up by three. Alan started pitching in the sixth inning and started to dominate, but going into the seventh, up by three, we got worked a bit. Canmore started spraying a couple hits at one out and another error or two later, the game was tied and we had to go into extra innings.



During the first seven innings, however, when we found ourselves behind, we started to really get down on ourselves and when the Ump was making some very questionable calls, more calls that himself, in his position behind home plate, shouldn't have been making, the tempers really started to go. In the fourth inning, Jesse (pictured) lost it... a combination of really dumb calls and his own decisions at that really burned him up. We tried to talk him down, but his top finally blew and he walked out of the dugout towards the complex's exit. This was all going on in the top half of the batting order and he batted right behind me. I couldn't catch up to him, because I was on deck, so when Munden finally reached base, I was up... so I had to tell Tom that we may need to sub Jesse as he had done a runner. I eventually made it on and scored, but the turning point for the Royals came in the middle of the inning.

When we had gone back into the dugout, Tom came racing in and started screaming at the team. It was for a good reason, too. He had made the points that we shouldn't be letting this game slip away and how much better we are and all sorts... but the important part of it all was that he was yelling. It was the only way he'd get the attention of the team and I'm glad that he did. Canmore had finally found some momentum against Aaron and his pitching, but we matched it step for step.

So, going into extra innings, the determination was still there, even despite giving up the three runs in the seventh to go to extra innings. I led off the inning and by the rules of the league to keep the games short, both teams start their half of the inning with a runner on second. With Munden being the last out, caught stealing in the 7th, I led off and was going to advance him with a bunt. Playing some small ball. I got up, first pitch, laid down a great bunt down the first base line. The bunt elluded the pitcher for most of the way down, allowing me to get past in good time. Unfortunately, although I beat the pitcher's throw by a full step, the ump from well behind home plate called me out, but Munden had still advanced and my job was done. I was disappointed though that I didn't stay on as it would have raised my production to 4-for-5, instead of 3-for-4 with a sac bunt. Nevertheless... the blown call sparked the team again and we scored four in the final frame. The home half of the inning went okay... okay enough to win. Their starting runner from second would eventually score only before I picked up the last groundball of the game for the final out and the win.

It was quite the game and a good time was finally had by all. That result should have us jacked up for the finals which starts on Monday night.

Beers were had in the parking lot, as our new tradition sort of goes. Munden went and grabbed a 24-pack of Kokanee and we stuck around for a while to have a beer. I drove Alan home again last night, picked up a couple burgers at Wendy's and didn't make it home until 12:30am.

Tonight, a few of us will meet up at the diamonds to watch Game 3 between Rusty's and the Us Guys... it should be a gooder, I'm assuming. Us Guys won last night 4-0, but not before Rusty's took the first game on Monday. I'm sure that'll turn into quite the game... plus, we get to know in advance who we'll be playing and how we will want to play them. Something that will be discussed on Sunday during practice.

In other news today, work has been alright. A couple big ones done today first thing. You know, more quarterly reporting. Can't wait to do it all again in November. I've been putting off my new trouble client's filing that is due for tomorrow, to actually do tomorrow. That made way for a half-hour waste of time from another one of our problem clients. Today's problem client is the only one we have that could possibly send a FINAL set of documents before their auditors could sign off on them. For me, it isn't a big deal, because it takes a while to process and convert the files. While for Lee, it doesn't. All he has to do is convert the Word documents to PDF and that's that. Moments. That's all it takes. So in between, receiving, waiting a half hour and then filing, the auditors came back to said client and gave them a laundry list of changes. An e-mail not long after explained to us to stop all filing, with a copy of the auditors changes, which wasn't pretty. I stopped all work on this filing and Lee had to explain why he did what he did. Not fun... especially with this client, who has given us this kind of trouble before. Argh! This company's CFO is a huge idiot who gives proof that you don't need any sort of qualification to make a six-figure salary at a company doing a job that handles all their financial records and spending. I know I could do a better job than this guy. The butt of all of our jokes.

Well, that's enough writing for me... probably enough reading material for a while there. More than a 30-second stop, that's for sure.