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Naturally, the games were postponed until the following day where, under a clear sky, the Riverdogs and Phillies gave the spectators one hair-raising, knuckle-biting, stomach-clenching game. With the Phillies up, batter at full count, and loaded bases, two outs, the Riverdogs ahead by 1 run -- the stands on both sides were in an uproar. As Clayton began his windup, the noise suddenly died and everyone held their breath. You could have heard a pin drop. The ball rocketed over the plate, the batter swung hard... and missed! The umpire jerked his arm and yelled "strike!!" ... and our stands exploded in a roar of cheers. We were estatic!! The Riverdogs had won and were now the top ULLL team.
The following night we went up against the ULLL Hillcats who were still on top of the world from their win against the top seated team the ULLL Buzz. It's hard to work against that type of enthusiam, and both teams fought hard, swapping the lead one to two runs at a time as the innings progressed.
But, once again, it all came down to the final moment at the top of the seventh inning, with the Riverdogs up by one run, the Hillcats at bat, two men on base, two out, and the batter at full count. Our pitcher, Mark, stood for a moment, eyeing the catcher's glove, and then pitched a dead accurate ball straight over the plate.. and right over the bat!! Strike three - and another win for the Riverdogs!
The final game had to wait through rain and the other teams battling it out for who would play the Riverdogs in the final game. The "Cats" were the ones to achieve that honor, but even though they did their best, the "Dogs" still ruled the day. The final game ended in the 5th inning with a score of 12-2 with the Riverdogs as the ULLL Junior Champions.
Baseball doesn't get any better than this!
The photos below are from the games. Enjoy!
Going into the play-offs with a 12-1 record, our team was ready to make it a clean sweep against the Clark County Phillies. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to intervene at the third inning, and sent everyone dashing for their cars to avoid a torrential downpour which included a scattering a small hail, and lots and lots of lightening.
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