Game Result Archive for the 2008 Season

Game CT4    American Standard Reds 1   Chaparral 0

In spite of the fact that we lost, you just really have to appreciate how great of a Babe Ruth Baseball game this was.  Only one run scored with two other close attempts out at home plate.  The game was extremely well pitched by both teams and very well played defensively.   On the night, two of our 5 hits were erased by being picked off at 1st base due to great moves from the left handed pitcher. 

James Songster pitched 5 innings of superb baseball, allowing just the one run on 4 hits and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts.  In the first we took away a one out single with a flawless Hunter Tester to Cody Skaggs to Zach Bailey 5-4-3 double play.

In the 2nd we gave up a leadoff walk and a double, but got out of it with a strikeout, a popup to Zach Bailey at 1st, and a line drive caught by David Dunn at shortstop.

On our side in the 5th we had a two out double by Justin Harris followed by a single to left field from Hunter Tester.  Coach tried to send Justin to score, but the Reds made a good play get him at home.

Zach Bailey came on in relief to pitch the 6th, getting a strikeout and consecutive grounders to Hunter Tester at 1st base to retire the side.

David Dunn, Zach Bailey and Cody Skaggs had our other hits in this contest.  Congrats are due to the 2008 Chaparral team for a 1st Place Regular Season, a Memorial Tournament Championship, and 3rd place in the City Tournament.

Game CT3    Evergreen Terrace Apartments 8   Chaparral 6

It's tough to beat a good team 3 times during a season.  In truth we nearly did it for the 4th time this night, but we actually turned against ourselves in this one to really make it an uphill battle.  On the mound Zach Bailey gave us 4 no hit innings, but an error, 4 walks, and 2 hit batters ended up allowing 4 runs.  In spite of this we had pushed out to a 6-4 lead after the top of the 5th on 7 base hits total.

Then came the bottom of the 5th when our frustrations seemed to affect everything we did, and 2 walks and 3 hits later we found ourselves allowing the 4 additional runs that would beat us this night.

Kudos to Hunter Tester, who climbed the mound and got us out of a bases loaded no outs jam in the bottom of the 6th.  To make matters worse, he had to get 3 outs in less than 8 minutes to allow us to get to bat again.  Hunter got a strike out, a fly ball out to left field (with a good catch and throw by Josh Roberge to keep it from becoming a sac fly) and a grounder to 2nd baseman Cody Moore to keep the inning scoreless.

Offensively, Zach Bailey led us with 2 hits and a sac fly for 2 RBIs.  Josh Roberge also added 2 hits and an RBI.  Jordon Dugger added another RBI single as did Mitchell Wilber.  Justin Harris and Hunter Tester also had base hits.

For the game we outhit Evergreen 8 to 3, but also in six innings we gave then 11 walks/hit batters vs. receiving only 2. 

Game CT2    Chaparral 17   Harman Ice 1

This game started with us at bat and our first hitter struck out on a curve ball out of the strike zone.  But unfortunately for Harman Ice this night, the ball got by the catcher and the ensuing throw to first went way into right field allowing our batter all the way to 3rd base.  Five hits, one error and 2 walks later, we'd put up 8 runs.

Then out for the bottom of the first, we gave up a leadoff double, but we quickly caught this runner attempting to steal third base with a great throw from Catcher Dylan Day to 3rd Baseman Justin Harris.  A quick strikeout and a comebacker sent us back to hitting again.

And that we did in the top of the 2nd as we put up 9 more runs on 9 hits and 1 walk. 

Offensively we were led by Jordon Dugger with 2 hits for 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored.  Josh Roberge also had a pair of doubles and 2 runs scored.  Mitchell Wilber also added a pair of doubles for 1 RBI and 2 runs scored.  Zach Bailey added a triple and an infield single and 2 more runs scored.  Dylan Day hit a two-run double and a single and also scored twice.  David Dunn added a 2 run triple and scored twice.  Justin Harris, Hunter Tester, and Cody Skaggs each also had RBI singles.  Yes it was a very good night offensively for the men in the red shirts as we batted .500 as a team for this game (14 for 28!!!).

Defensively this night we would play error free, with great looking plays from Hunter Tester at 3rd base, David Dunn at shortstop, and Josh Roberge from left field.    Catcher Dylan Day also made good plays on a swinging bunt in front of home plate and a tricky pop up in fair territory.

David Dunn earned the pitching victory in 2 innings of work, allowing 2 hits, 1 run, walking 2 and striking out 2.  Cody Skaggs pitched the final 2 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and walking one.

Game CT1    Chaparral 10   American Standard Reds 7

After 3 and a half innings we had a comfortable 9-1 lead.  But with 4 hits and 5 walks, the Reds put 6 runs across in the bottom of the 4th to make this a ball game with a score of 9-7.  Mitchell Wilber put out the fire in the 4th and worked a scoreless 5th to earn a pitching Save.  Hunter Tester was the Winning Pitcher, allowing just a single unearned run on 2 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts in 2 innings of work.  In the first we turned a great diving double play started by shortstop Dylan Day.   Josh Roberge made a fantastic backhand play from 2nd base to start the 4th inning.  And in the 5th and final inning, Hunter Tester moved well to his left and snagged a hard grounder for at out from 3rd base.  Off the bat, our defense played perfectly this night.

Offensively, we started the game with a single by David Dunn, who stole 2nd and scored on Mitchell Wilber's double.  Dylan Day reached on an error, and Justin Harris drove them both home with a well hit triple to right field.  In the 2nd Cody Moore had the big hit to right field for a double, and later scored on a throwing error.  In the 3rd, Dylan Day and Cody Skaggs both had hits and scored runs. 

The lesson to learn this day is to never let up our intensity of play.  Had we faltered at all defensively, this one could have easily gotten away. 

Game 16    Chaparral 15   Coca-Cola 1

On this warm but tolerable evening we went down 1-0 in the top of the first after a hit and a pair of stolen bases even though we missed a good chance to get the runner on his way to 2nd.  This runner scored on a hit and we misplayed that ball in the outfield to allow that hitter to reach 2nd base.  That would be the last things short of perfection we would do in the field this night as we retired the next 11 hitters in sequence to get the "uncle" call after 3 and a half innings.

Offensively Coke had trouble finding the strike zone all night as there were 12 walks/hit batters.  We added six hits to these to get our 15 runs, 11 of those coming in the bottom of the first.  James Songster and Mitchell Wilber each led our hitting with a double and a single for 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored each.  James also walked twice and stole a base.  Dylan Day and Justin Harris added our other base hits, with Justin's single driving in a run.  Josh Roberge also added an RBI ground ball.

On the mound, Mitchell Wilber got the W going 3 innings allowing just 2 hits and 1 run while striking out 5 and walking NONE!  Josh Roberge came on to work the 4th and final inning, getting a ground ball and a pair of pop ups on about 6 well located pitches.

Game 14    Chaparral 13   Coca-Cola 0

It was 98 degrees in the shade but the problem was there wasn't any shade to be found near the ball fields on this Saturday morning.  We scored 3 runs in the top of the first on an RBI single by Dylan Day and an RBI double by David Dunn, but that score ended up staying put until the top of the 5th, when a walk followed by 3 consecutive RBI hits from James Songster, Mitchell Wilber, and Zach Bailey brought home 3 more.  Six of our next 8 hitters were walked or hit by a pitch which set the stage for Mitchell Wilber's 2nd hit of the inning, this time a 3 run triple to the fence.  Ten runs total in the top of the 5th ended the scoring for this one.

Defensively, our pitchers Zach Bailey and Hunter Tester combined for the "no hitter" as Zach Bailey allowed not even a fair ball over 3 innings fanning 9 and walking just 2.  Hunter picked right up where Zach left off for the final 2 frames, allowing just one fair ball to be hit, striking out five, picking one runner off 3rd base, and walking three.

Mitchell Wilber again led the offense, with the big triple and a pair of singles and an RBI ground ball.  James Songster had the RBI hit, walked twice, got hit by a pitch once and added 3 stolen bases for 3 runs scored.  

Game 13    Chaparral 21   American Standard 4

It was a sticky hot afternoon and late start to this one where it took everyone's best endurance to complete the 5 innings.  The game was reasonably well played through 2 innings as we held a 4-0 advantage on a 1st inning 2 run double by Justin Harris, and a 2nd inning RBI double by Hunter Tester.  Even in the top of the 3rd we scored 2 runs and had two out before the barn doors came wide open for American Standard.  From that point we got 3 walks and an error but also added 5 hits to score 9 batters in sequence all with 2 outs (11 total for the inning).  In the top of the 5th, we added 6 more on doubles by James Songster and David Dunn and a huge 3 run shot for a triple off the bat of Cody Moore.

On the evening James Songster was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a bunt single, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored.  David Dunn added a double, a single, and a sac fly for 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.  Mitchell Wilber had 2 hits for 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, and 3 runs scored.  Cody Moore had the 3 RBI triple and a single, a stolen base, and 3 runs scored.   Dylan Day hit an infield single, stole a base, and also scored 3 times.  Josh Roberge hit an RBI single and scored.  Jordon Dugger added a hit and scored a run.

On the mound, David Dunn was very effective for 2 innings allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk, but after our very long 11 run 3rd inning, he had trouble finding the strike zone in the bottom of the 3rd.  David ended up allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts.  Mitchell Wilber was called to the mound and was able to record the 7 outs needed to finish this one.  Mitchell gave up only 1 unearned run on 1 hit and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts.  The game finally ended as right fielder David Dunn took away what would have been a base hit with a quick and alert throw to 1st Baseman Josh Roberge that beat the hitter.

Game 12    Chaparral 10    McLeod 3

The weather was quite comfortable late on this June evening and we took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when our leadoff two hitters got walked and scored on a wild pitch and a ground ball.  Our theme this night was gunning down runners on the basepaths.  In the 2nd we erased an infield single after an errant pickoff attempt as the runner could not beat Hunter Tester's throw to James Songster covering 2nd.  In the 3rd with no outs and a walked runner on first we lost a ball in the lights in deep centerfield, but fortunately for us both the hitter and runner ended up at 3rd base and we were able to sort them apart and tag out the lead runner on good poise from cutoff man Zach Bailey.  In the 4th we clearly threw a runner out stealing 2nd but did not get the call, only to see him called out after the next pitch on a throw behind him from catcher David Dunn to shortstop James Songster.  In the same inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd, a single to right field brought one home, but a great throw from Josh Roberge to catcher David Dunn left the runner from 2nd in a pickle well short of the plate.  After throws to 3rd baseman Cody Skaggs and Pitcher Dylan Day covering home, this runner also was tagged out.

So up just 2-1, we came to the bottom of the 4th where Justin Harris led off with a deep double.  Justin advanced to 3rd on a ground ball by Cody Skaggs, and then scored on an RBI grounder off the bat of Jordon Dugger.  In the 5th, we surrendered a run on a single, a balk, and an errant throw attempting to get the runner advancing to 3rd.  This would be our lone fielding error of the evening.

So this left us up 3-2 going to the bottom of the 5th, and coach asked for some hits and 5 runs.  We ended up adding 7 runs on 6 hits, 1 error, and 2 walks.  Mitchell Wilber started this big effort with a triple, followed immediately by an RBI double from Zach Bailey.  Dylan Day and James Songster had hits in the inning but the big knocks came from Josh Roberge and Mitchell Wilber who each added 2 run singles to right field.

Of course it wouldn't be right to leave out mention of our near triple play to close this one in the top of the 7th.  After a walk and a hit, we got a hard grounder to Cody Moore at 2nd base, who cleanly fielded it and made an excellent flip to shortstop Dylan Day to complete a double play to Zach Bailey at first base.  But the runner from 2nd had been running for 3rd on the pitch and chose to attempt home on the throw to first.  Our throw bounced just 12 inches directly above the plate but it was enough for the runner to slide under the tag.  Almost...

For the game, Mitchell Wilber led our hitting action with a triple and two singles for 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs scored.  Dylan Day added a pair of hits, an RBI, and a run scored. 

On the mound, Dylan Day picked up the Win, allowing 1 run over 4 innings while scattering 5 hits and 5 walks.  James Songster pitching the final 3 frames allowing 1 earned and 1 unearned run on just 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit batter with 3 strikeouts.

Game 11    Chaparral 9    Evergreen Terrace Apartments 4

We got off to a great start in this one as Josh Roberge made a good catch in right field for our 1st out and then made a good throw to double up the fast runner at first base for our 2nd out.  Then we got 2 runs in our 1st on an infield hit by James Songster and an RBI double by Mitchell Wilber, who later scored from 3rd on the throw from catcher when Dylan Day stole 2nd base.  A couple of hit batters matched with 3 errors actually allowed us to be down 3-2 in this one at the middle of the 4th inning.  But in our bottom half of the 4th a one out walk to Josh Roberge followed by a single from James Songster and a two run triple from Zach Bailey, plus an RBI single by David Dunn brought us the 3 additional runs we would need to win today.  Justin Harris added insurance with a big two run single in our 6th and later scored himself on another infield single by James Songster.  Those 3 runs really put this one out of reach for Evergreen.

Mitchell Wilber picked up the pitching Win with 4 strong innings allowing only 2 hits, 2 hit batters, 1 walk, 3 unearned runs with 2 strikeouts.  David Dunn was very effective in relief, allowing just a single unearned run on no hits in 3 innings, walking 4, and striking out 5.

At the plate, James Songster ended the day at 4-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base, and scored twice.  David Dunn had 2 hits, 1 RBI, scored once and stole 3  bases.  Dylan Day also stole 3 bases on a hit and 2 walks with 1 run scored.  Josh Roberge walked twice, had one hit, and scored twice.

Just a little better on ball 4's, hit batters, and fielding/throwing errors, and we would not have been scored on at all in this game.   Congratulations are again in order for winning yet again vs. a very good team! 

Game 10    Chaparral 11   East Tenn Rent-Alls 3

Another good display of hitting prowess against a team with only 8 players present kept this one from getting close.  Dylan Day led the offense with 2 runs scored on 3 hits including an RBI triple.  Mitchell Wilber added 2 doubles and scored thrice.  Zach Bailey had a big double in the first to drive in our first 2 runs and he also hit and scored for the 2nd time in the sixth.  Josh Roberge hit a big RBI single to cap our 3 run 4th inning.   James Songster added an infield single and scored 2 runs.  Hunter Tester had our other base hit and Cody Skaggs put the ball in play three times for two RBIs.

Defensively, Zach Bailey got us started and picked up the Win with a pair of scoreless innings, but a top of the foot pool injury kept him from feeling well enough to continue.  In those innings, Zach struck out 4, gave up 1 hit, and walked 2.  James Songster pitched the 3rd through 7th innings, allowing just 2 earned runs (3 total) on 4 hits and 3 walks with one strikeout.  Unfortunately, this evening the team made 6 errors behind James to allow some runners to reach or advance.

As always there's room for improvement.  This game might have been competitive if it were not for the automatic out that came up in the 9 hole every time for the Bobcats.

Chaparral - 2008 Memorial Tournament Champions

Chaparral went 5 - 1 to come from the Loser's bracket and take this year's Tournament.  Coach believes we won this tournament at a most unlikely moment --- in the bottom of the 5th inning of the game we lost when we turned a 15-1 defeat into a 15-2 loss.  Not losing heart in spite of impossible odds on a frustrating night, and coming together to both get and celebrate that one run coming home became the moment the team decided to work together to both respect the game regardless of the score and take what victories are available however small. 

From that moment on, we never looked back and we played our hearts out...  and the scoreboard began to show the results.  Congratulations Team - Well Done !!!

Game MT6 Tournament Final    Chaparral 19   Horton Sports 5

It was a long night for both Horton Sports and Babe Ruth baseball in Johnson City as several missing players from the Horton squad kept this game also from having a competitive feel.   Chaparral went to work again from the top of the first with 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks and 2 errors.  We added one in the 2nd on 1 hit, but then 5 in each of the 3rd and 4th innings on a total of 3 hits and 6 walks and 7 errors.  In the 5th and final inning we brought home 4 more on 2 hits and 2 walks with one error.

For the game, James Songster led our charge with 3 hits and 5 runs scored.  Zach Bailey added a triple and a single each driving in runs, and Zach scored 4 times.  Mitchell Wilber slammed an RBI triple and a single and scored twice.  Dylan Day also had 2 hits for 2 RBIs.  Justin Harris added a hit and an RBI.  Cody Moore found his way on base in all 4 plate appearances, walking 3 times, getting hit once, and scoring twice.  Jordon Dugger also reached and scored twice by getting hit and also drawing a walk.

On the mound, Hunter Tester worked 2 fairly quiet innings to gain the Win, allowing just 1 run on 1 hit, with 3 walks and 1 K.  Cody Skaggs pitched the next 2 innings, allowing 2 earned runs and 1 unearned on just 1 hit, 3 walks, with a strikeout.  James Songster went to the hill for the 5th and final inning, allowing just an unearned run on 1 hit with 1 strikeout.

Game MT5    Chaparral 19   Horton Sports 3

The outcome of this game seemed determined in the top of the first as we sent 13 batters to the plate.  When the dust settled we'd pushed across 8 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks, and an error.    In the 2nd we picked it right back up, sending 11 to the plate for 7 more runs on 5 hits, a walk, and 2 errors.

For the game, David Dunn had a triple, a single, and an RBI sac fly.  Dylan Day had a double and a single.  Zach Bailey added 2 hits for 3 RBIs.  Mitchell Wilber also had 2 hits for 2 RBIs.  Justin Harris added a single and 2 RBIs.  James Songster, Hunter Tester, and Cody Skaggs had hits also.  Jordon Dugger hit one for an RBI fielder's choice.

On defense, Zach Bailey got the Win in just 2 innings of work, giving up just one run on 1 hit, 3 walks, 1 hit batter, and 3 strikeouts.  Mitchell Wilber finished this 4 inning contest on the mound, striking out 4, and yielding just 2 hits and 2 walks for 2 runs.

Game MT4    Chaparral 13   East Tenn Rent Alls 3

True to form tonight we gave up two-thirds of the runs against us in the 1st inning after two outs.  Other than that slight hiccup, overall our 13 year old's pitching and the team's defense were nearly perfect.  Hunter Tester picked up the Win with 3 strong innings striking out 3 and allowing only those 2 unearned runs from just 1 hit, a walk, and a hit batter.  Mitchell Wilber finished the bottom two innings of this contest allowing just 1 unearned run on 2 hits, no walks, and a strikeout.

Offensively, our performance as a team at the plate could not have been much better.  In fact, the TEAM's batting average for this game was .567!!!  (17 for 30).  James Songster went 4-for-4 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.  Zach Bailey had 3 hits and 2 RBIs.  Dylan Day also added 3 hits.  David Dunn hit a bases loaded one out triple in the 1st inning that drove in our first 3 runs.  He also added the bases loaded hit in the 5th inning that drove in our 13th run to end this contest by the 10 run rule.   Mitchell Wilber also added 2 hits with 1 RBI and 3 runs scored.  We also had singles from Justin Harris, Hunter Tester, and Cody Skaggs.

Game MT3    Chaparral 16   McLeod 4

What a difference a couple of hours makes.  In this one we were up 4 - 3 after 3 innings of play.  Then came our turn to bat in the top of the 4th.  Josh Roberge got it started with a leadoff single.  Cody Skaggs followed with a single.  James Songster hit a drive to centerfield which was caught, but coach tried to advance Josh to third where he was out by a lot.  So with two outs Mitchell Wilber added a hit and Zach Bailey drew a walk to load the bases for Dylan Day, who promptly put a double down the left field line scoring two.  Justin Harris drew a walk, and David Dunn hit an RBI single.  In all for that inning we added 7 runs on 5 hits to make the score 11 - 3.

For the game, Mitchell Wilber led us with 3 hits and 3 runs scored.  Dylan Day and Hunter Tester each added RBI doubles and also singles.   Cody Skaggs had a pair of hits with 1 RBI.

In the field, James Songster pitched the first 3 innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, 2 walks, with 5 strikeouts.  Cody Skaggs worked the final two frames, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk with 2 strikeouts.

Game MT2    Horton Sports 15   Chaparral 2  

This game started with an out, but then 8 runners reached safely before we could get another one.  Horton got 5 runs in that first inning which ultimately proved to be more than enough in this contest.    On our side in the bottom of the first David Dunn's RBI single scored James Songster who had reached on an error.  Dylan Day had a hit in the 4th and stole both 2nd and 3rd, but we could not get him home.  In the bottom of the 5th, Justin Harris reached on a walk and scored on the throw to first of a sac bunt from Josh Roberge.  This run greatly lifted our spirits and gave us a little momentum when we needed it badly.

The main difference in this game was the walks and hit batters - we got only 2 but we gave up 12.   Hitting was near the same story as we got only 2 but gave up 8.

Game MT1     Chaparral 7   Evergreen Terrace Apartments 6 

Three runs and three outs!  That's exactly what coach called for as we went to bat in the bottom of the 6th inning down 6 - 4.   And that's exactly what ended up happening.  Cody Skaggs led the inning with a walk.  Then with two outs, Jordon Dugger drew a walk.  David Dunn hit a single past the 3rd baseman to drive in Cody Skaggs.  Then James Songster put a ball in play what was mishandled and allowed Jordon Dugger to score.  Then Mitchell Wilber pounded out what proved to be the game winning RBI single driving in David Dunn.

Then all we needed were the 3 outs to seal the deal.  Zach Bailey retook the hill, struck out the first two on full counts, but then gave up a walk.  The next batter clearly took strike 3, but we didn't get the call, so he ended up with a walk as well.  Then it got interesting as yet another hitter drew a walk to load the bases.  But Zach finally got that strike 3 call on a great curve ball to close out the victory.

Dylan Day again led our offense on the night with 2 hits for 1 RBI.  Mitchell Wilber added 1 hit and 2 RBIs.  Hunter Tester and David Dunn also had RBI singles.  James Songster  and Zach Bailey also had base hits.

On the mound Cody Skaggs went the first 2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, 2K's and 1 hit batter.  James Songster worked the next 2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with a walk and a strikeout.  Winning pitcher Zach Bailey fired the final 3 frames, allowing a single run and just an infield single, striking out 4  and walking 3.  Our defense played nearly error free, as our only charged error happened on a collision going for a popup behind 2nd base.

Again our team does what it has to do to find the victory.  Congratulations Chaparral! 

Game 9     Chaparral 6   Tri-County Medical 5 

Yet again it would be so much easier if we didn't have to count the first inning.   It was an ugly start to this one as we gave up 4 runs on just 1 hit due to 3 errors, 4 walks, and 2 wild pitches.  But also as usual we find a way to tighten our defense and slowly but surely match and then overtake our opponent. The hero this day was Zach Bailey, who not only got the pitching win with a scoreless top of the last inning, but also with 2 outs he got the game winning walk off single that drove in Jordon Dugger from 3rd base.

James Songster and Dylan Day led our offense with two hits each.  James had a single and a key double to the fence in that last inning to advance Jordon Dugger from first to third prior to Zach Bailey's heroics.  Dylan add a pair of singles and 2 runs scored.  Mitchell Wilber hit a hard shot RBI double right over first base.  Cody Skaggs added an RBI ground out.

James Songster led our pitching effort, going 4 innings allowing only 1 run, 3 walks, and striking out 6.  After the first inning, we played error free defense including a nice 1-6-3 double play in the 3rd inning.

Game 8     Chaparral 12   Batters Up 2 

No need to come from behind this evening.  Our bats came alive early and often throughout the game as we pounded out 15 base hits as a team!  Dylan Day clearly led the charge with a double and two singles for 4 RBI and 3 runs scored.  James Songster also went 3-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, and 5 stolen bases!  Mitchell Wilber hit an infield single and also an outfield RBI single.  Cody Skaggs added a big 2 run single in the 3rd inning.  Our other hits came from Justin Harris, Zach Bailey (a double), David Dunn, and Hunter Tester.

On defense, we gave up 2 runs in the first inning on a hit batter and two hits, but after that David Dunn and our defense played nearly perfect, facing only 16 hitters to get the final 14 outs of this 5 inning contest.  David finished the complete game 2 hitter with 5 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 2 hit batters.  The turning point defensively was in the first when David got our first out by looking home but then rotating to pick a runner off of second base.  The other highlights were great retreating catches by Cody Skaggs from 2nd base and Zach Bailey from 1st Base, but also a wonderfully executed 4-6-3 by Cody Moore who flipped nicely to Dylan Day's bare hand giving him plenty of time to complete the double play to Zach Bailey at first.

Game 7     Chaparral 11  Tan Shack Smokies 6

Another come from behind effort as we somehow managed to score at least one in every inning.  In the bottom of the 3rd, our first 3 batters walked and then Zach Bailey greeted the relief pitcher with a two run double deep to left field.  Zach later scored himself on Dylan Day's sac fly to centerfield.  In our 4th we pushed across 3 more runs on singles by Hunter Tester, Justin Harris, and Zach Bailey, follwed by a sac fly to centerfield by David Dunn.  Jordon Dugger reached on a fielder's choice in the 5th, and later scored on Hunter Tester's RBI ground out.

On defense, it was yet again a tight strike zone, and we just got a couple of bad breaks in the first inning, where we gave up 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, in spite of 4 strikeouts by winning Pitcher Zach Bailey.  We settled much more in the 2nd through 5th innings, stranding 8 runners on base but allowing no runs.  Zach Bailey worked 4 innings total on the mound, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits, with 9K's but 7 walks.  James Songster worked a near perfect 5th inning, getting a pop up and two ground outs, but hitting one batter.  In the 5th, we gave up 2 hits, another walk, and another hit batter, but we turned a very nice comebacker double play from Pitcher James Songster to Catcher Dylan Day to 1st baseman Zach Bailey to take back the momentum for good. 

Game 6 Rescheduled      Chaparral 5  Harman Ice 4

Cody Skaggs started this day an hour before the game with a rake on the infield.  Two and a half hours later he stood at the plate with the opportunity to rake in the game winning runs.  "Never Give Up!" has to be the lesson this day as it looked pretty dire early in the 7th inning when we had 2 outs and nobody on base.  Dylan Day had fouled off several pitches to earn a base on balls.  Then Dylan took advantage of not being held closely to steal both 2nd and 3rd base.  Justin Harris then also fouled off a few pitches to earn a walk.  James Songster came to bat, but was intentionally walked.  This set the stage for Cody Skaggs, who promptly delivered the game winning walk off single over the shortstop into centerfield scoring Dylan Day from 3rd base and Justin Harris from 2nd.

James Songster went 3-for-3 on the day with an RBI and a stolen base to lead our hitting.  Cody Skaggs also ended up with 2 hits for 2 RBIs and a stolen base.  Justin Harris crushed an RBI double to the fence in the 1st inning.  Hunter Tester had a hit in the 2nd, but was doubled off when Mitchell Wilber's hard hit line drive was somehow retained by the Harman Ice pitcher. 

In the field, Hunter Tester definitely stepped it up as he made 4 flawless plays from 3rd base and later 2 more from shortstop.  Cody Skaggs pitched very effectively for the first 4 innings, allowing 4 hits for 3 runs (all unearned), no walks, and 2 strikeouts.  David Dunn worked the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and hit batter for just 1 run with 5 strikeouts.  Our defense made 3 errors in the field all on batted balls, but we made several other tough plays to compensate.  One of these was a great knock it down and throw 'em out play from 2nd base by Cody Skaggs.

Game 2 Rescheduled      Chaparral 13  McLeod 11

After 2 innings in this one we found ourselves down 5-1.  But our 2nd trip through the order in the top of the 3rd was quite productive as we slammed out 6 singles among a pair of walks to produce 6 runs and take the lead for good at 7-5.    Defensively we took control in the bottom of the 3rd on a one out single to left field when Justin Harris threw a perfect strike to James Songster at shortstop who relayed the throw home to Catcher David Dunn to tag out the runner attempting to score from 2nd.  David then promptly nailed the hitter attempting to reach 2nd base with an alert throw to 2nd Baseman Cody Skaggs to end the inning.  

Dylan Day worked the first two innings to earn the pitching victory.  Dylan struck out 3, and gave up only 1 earned run on 2 hits and 3 walks.  On the day defensively we challenged our 3 pitchers by making 5 errors in the field, and also those pitchers struggled to find the strike zone as we gave out 12 walks and a hit batter. 

Offensively, Mitchell Wilber went 3 for 4 with an RBI.  Dylan Day hit a double and a single for 3 RBI.  Zach Bailey had a pair of singles and a walk for 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.  Dylan Fisher added an RBI double and a single.  James Songster also had a pair of singles with an RBI.  David Dunn hit a leadoff triple, walked and reached on a fielder's choice to score 3 times.  Justin Harris hit a single, walked twice for 2 RBIs and scored twice.  Cody Skaggs also added an RBI single.

A win is a win, but this one left us knowing just how we must improve on defense and pitching.

Game 5      JC Press 5  Chaparral 4

Well we certainly had the thrill of competition this warm evening.  Hunter Tester was the tying run in scoring position on 2nd base in the top of the 7th inning with one out, and David Dunn hit a single deep to the outfield.  But unfortunately this night the uncertainty of whether the ball would be caught plus Coach's aggressive decision to risk the scoring attempt cut down our hopes at home plate.  It was a well played competitive game which is what youth baseball should be.

Zach Bailey again led our offensive effort with a deep double, a walk, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored.   Catcher Justin Harris contributed an RBI single.  Cody Skaggs, Hunter Tester, Dylan Fisher, and David Dunn each added base hits.

On the mound James Songster gave us 3 strong innings, allowing only a single earned run in the 1st, plus 2 more unearned, 3 hits, only 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.  Mitchell Wilber pitched the 4th and 5th innings, allowing 2 runs on just one hit, but 3 walks.  David Dunn hurled the 6th inning, getting a fly out, a walked batter caught stealing, and a ground out.

Defensively the highlights were Catcher Justin Harris gunning down a runner attempting to steal 3rd to end the 1st inning and a well played Hunter Tester to Cody Skaggs to Zach Bailey 5-4-3 double play in the 2nd.    Catcher Dylan Day threw out runners attempting to take 3rd and 2nd in the 4th and 6th innings.  We allowed only 1 stolen base this game - well done Pitchers and Catchers!

Game 4    Chaparral 13  Evergreen 6

Play ball !!!  We finally had all our school players eligible and we finally had a game that counted.  And we made the best of it with 11 base hits and some mighty fine pitching and defense.  Zach Bailey dominated from the mound early, picking up the win while posting 6 strikeouts in just 3 innings of work.  Hunter Tester threw the final 4 frames, scattering 3 hits for 2 runs and achieving 3 strikeouts without giving up a walk.

On our side of the plate, Zach Bailey led our charge with strong contact to the outfield in all 4 plate appearances.  Zach ended the day with 2 doubles and a single with 5 RBIs.  Zach would easily have gone 4-for-4 if it were not for an outstanding catch by the Evergreen centerfielder.  David Dunn hit the ball well also, with a double and a single for 2 runs scored.  Dylan Day also hit a double and scored 3 times.  Hunter Tester singled twice.  Mitchell Wilber, James Songster, and Justin Harris also added base hits.  Josh Roberge hit the hardest ball of the day, but the Evergreen pitcher was somehow able to catch the line drive.

Game 3    Chaparral 7  Warriors 0 (Forfeit)

Well unfortunately this night, we still did not get to play a regulation game.  Our opponents only managed to have 7 players ready to start the game, so we got to play another umpired scrimmage, this time for 4 innings, won by Chaparral by a score of 8-3.

We started a little slow, missing an early opportunity for an out at second base and allowing a batter who struck out to reach first safely.  With these miscues and a called balk, the Warriors were able to advance 3 runs home.  However after that inning we settled down and played some really good error free defense including throwing out 2 runners attempting to steal 2nd base.

Dylan Day gave us 3 good innings on the hill, earning 5 strikeouts, allowing no earned runs on 3 hits and 2 walks.  In the 3rd inning, a walked batter ran on the first pitch but was quickly gunned down by a strike from Catcher Justin Harris to Zach Bailey at 2nd base.

Mitchell Wilber got the call to throw the 4th and final inning.  He struck out a batter, then walked a hitter that Dylan Day was able to throw out attempting to steal.  The next batter was hit by a pitch, but Dylan Day caught him retreating slowly to first base to retire the side.

On our side of the plate, Mitchell Wilber led our action with a double and a single, 3 RBIs and a stolen base.  Hunter Tester added a pair of singles and scored 2 runs.  Cody Skaggs hit a 2 run single and laid down a good sac bunt.  Justin Harris added a single and a walk and 2 runs scored.

Game 1    Horton Sports 7  Chaparral 0 (Forfeit)

This year's edition of Chaparral Babe Ruth is blessed with six players still playing on school teams, and most are as yet ineligible for Babe Ruth play.  This left us in the unfortunate place of having only 5 players dressed for play in Game 1. 

So in the ensuing 2 inning umpired scrimmage we found ourselves able to produce some runs with 3 big knocks by Justin Harris, a two RBI single by Jordon Dugger, and also a hit by Dylan Fisher.

On the mound Hunter Tester worked a long first inning allowing no earned runs but he ended up facing 14 hitters total.  Hunter gave up no walks and 7 base hits scattered around our fielding errors.

Justin Harris worked the 2nd inning, allowing 4 earned runs on 4 walks and 2 hits with 2 strikeouts. 

Jamboree (Sunday)    JC Press 10  Chaparral 0

In this 4 inning contest it just seemed like we could never get things to go our way.  In our half of the first a one out single by David Dunn was quickly erased on a hit and run play when Justin Harris smashed a liner the 2nd baseman was able to handle.  Likewise in the 3rd, Josh Roberge was able to beat a throw to first for an infield single, and even though Dylan Fisher laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to advance Josh to scoring position, we could not manage to get the run home.

From the pitcher's mound, Justin Harris worked the 1st inning, allowing only 1 hit, but 4 walks and a hit batter ended up tallying 4 runs for Press.  David Dunn threw a perfect 2nd with a strikeout between a pair of ground balls to third fielded and thrown quite nicely by Dylan Fisher.  David gave up a walk and 2 hits in the 3rd, which Press were able to advance home for 3 more runs.  Dylan Fisher came on to pitch the 4th and final inning, yielding two hits and two walks but also getting a strikeout and picking a runner off 2nd base to limit the damage to just 3 more runs.

All in all, our lesson this day is to show up ready to play and make every opportunity count

Jamboree (Saturday)    JC Press 2  Chaparral 0 (suspended after 2 innings...)

This contest was suspended by a rain delay after just 2 innings on Saturday. 

The plan is to resume on Sunday at 2pm.  Offensively we couldn't seem to get much going as only David Dunn and Josh Roberge put the ball in play and Cody Skaggs drew a walk. 

Cody also worked the 2 innings on the mound, giving up only 1 earned run and 1 unearned on 2 hits, 2 hit batters, and a strikeout.  In the 2nd inning Hunter Tester saved a run from scoring with a marvelous stab and throw from 3rd base on a very well struck ball.