It was about as perfect a morning as you could ask for at the ballpark — great weather, a good turnout, and two full teams ready to play. And after Mother Nature and sidewalk repairs had been messing with our schedule lately, it was just nice to be back at the Southwest Complex playing softball!
The Visitors wasted no time getting started, with the first three batters crossing the plate. Thompson and Guy got things rolling, Brooks ripped a triple, Rabideau and Morrow helped keep the inning alive.
The Home team answered with hits from DiPitro, Earley and Davis, but the Visitors were just getting warmed up.
By the second inning, the bats were busy on both sides. Cobb, Bingle, Vandenberg, John D, Carl and Guy helped the Visitors add four more, while the Home team answered with a five-run inning behind hits from Luis, Sweet, Kenny, Regis and Kim.
The Visitors added another four in the third, with Luke, Rabideau, Mullin, Bales and Vandenberg contributing to the damage. The Home team managed two, highlighted by doubles from Dawson and Davis.
Then, apparently, everybody remembered they brought gloves.
The Visitors were shut out in both the fourth and fifth innings, and for a little while it looked like defense might actually become the story of the day.
Then came the sixth.
And the Bad News Bears made a brief appearance at the Southwest Complex.
Danny hit what should have been a perfectly innocent single. A couple of adventurous throws later, that single had somehow turned into a triple or was it a home run.
Then Davis apparently decided Danny shouldn't have all the fun.
He singled and advanced to second on an errant throw. Once there, he decided to have a little fun taunting the second baseman. The challenge was accepted, another throw went astray, and suddenly three runs had crossed the plate.
Somewhere, a fundamentals coach felt a disturbance in the Force.
And then came THE PLAY.
Vandenberg added another hit, Carl reached, and eventually the bases were loaded.
A ball was popped toward second. It looked like it was going to be handled cleanly...until it wasn't.
The defense recovered, threw to second and got the runner coming from first. Meanwhile, the runner who had been on second started toward third, changed his mind and was tagged before getting safely back.
DOUBLE PLAY!
Well...
Not so fast.
This is senior softball, where occasionally the hardest play on the field isn't catching or throwing the ball — it's knowing the rulebook.
Our Lakeland rule says:
Infield Fly Rule: We WILL NOT call any fly ball or pop-up an Infield Fly as used in most softball games. However, to avoid intentional drops or misplays, the fielding team can only register ONE OUT for any fly ball or pop-up on the infield or routinely handled by an infielder when they move a few steps into the outfield to catch a fly ball. If the ball is not fielded or is dropped, the first out registered by the defensive team, regardless of the base, will be the only out permitted on that play. The batter and any other runners will be entitled to their base. It is possible that NO outs will occur on the play if the defensive team is unable to record an out.
So despite what certainly looked like a double play...
ONE OUT.
And yes — the decision on the field was correct.
The Visitors took advantage and pushed five runs across in the sixth, stretching their lead before both defenses settled down and put up zeroes in the seventh.
Final: Visitors 18, Home 12.
Great weather, plenty of hitting, a few throws we'd probably like back, a little baserunning mischief, and an unexpected mid-game rules seminar.
In other words...
A pretty good day of senior softball.
See you on the field!