Predatory Practice...

Who are these other hunters on my turf?

The Lions' gloves and arms have become the place where base runners' aspirations of runs go to die!

Our guys returned to Palega #2 Wed night to face St. Philip and after coughing up their usual quick run, they settled down and got to work.

Think of Jon Stewart doing his mobbed up New Yorker voice...
"So we're gonna spot yous guys a run... and we're gonna let yous hang around for a while... while we get our legs under us, so ta speak... but c'mon, we all know what's gonna happen here... by the end we're gonna take yous down, bada-boom!"

And get to work they did, choosing this time around to get the job done with spectacular defense, which as everyone knows starts with pitching. The Lions got great innings from John C (3 innings/3 strikeouts/2 hits/2 walks), Nick S (2 innings/3 strikeouts/0 hits/2 walks) and Andrew F (2 innings/4 strikeouts/2 hits/2 walks). For the game? 10 strikeouts, 4 hits (!) and 6 walks in 7 innings of work. Great job!

John C (innings 1-3)

Andrew F (innings 6, 7)

Nick S (innings 4, 5)

Backing up this effort was some of the Lions best defense of the season, including great plays in every single inning:
1st:  an inning ending double play (grounder to Nick at first, tags base and throws to Stephen E for the tag out at second)
2nd: Stephen E's back to back put-outs on well struck balls to Short
3rd: Andrew's great inning ending play deep in the hole at 2nd base with throw to first, stranding 2 runners
4th: Stephen E's inning ending web gem backhand with long cross-diamond side arm to first, stranding a runner on 3rd
5th: Ryan C's inning ending running catch in Center Field, stranding 2 runners
6th: The Predatory play of the game![TM] - With no outs and a runner at first, Morgan dives for a well struck liner to Right Field that gets by him, runs it down, throws to his cut-off John K who relays to Andrew, who guns to John C at home to put the runner out, which also stops the hitter at third. Andrew strikes out the next two batters to strand that runner, getting out of the inning with no runs scored!
7th: And another Predatory play! With no outs and a runner at 3rd, Ryan runs down a deep fly ball in Center Field, and then uncorks a cannon of a throw to home, scaring the runner back to third, where he is eventually stranded after Andrew strikes out the last two batters.

You're out! Liam stretches for the throw

Needless to say, the Coaches' focus on defense since those first few shaky games is beginning to pay off, and if the guys can keep this level of focus, they are not going to be an easy team to score runs on.

John C & K - You'd never guess they were stone-cold beasts

We'll talk offense the next post. We've already hit the major highlight (John C's big 3-run "dingah"). Till then, Go Lions!

P.S. - Big thanks to Jack the Photog for coming and taking the photos! Joe was at his practice for the school Play and couldn't even come to the game, but Jack was there for us anyways!