Patrick's Post Game Wrap - June 11th, 2008
Game SummaryAs severe weather threatened and tornadoes were touching down on the other end of the county, league championship contenders Patrick’s on Third (7-1) battled Flame Bar II (8-0) in a Wednesday night double-header. Both games were competitive but in the end, Patrick’s inability to drive in runs allowed Flame Bar II to eventually emerge with victories of 12-5 and 7-3.
Pitcher Gary Schmiesing started the first game off by allowing a lead off home run on the first pitch of the game. Schmiesing would go on to allow several more home runs through out the double-header, most of which have now landed.
Balls that stayed inside the park had no problems landing either as everyone who played in the outfield Wednesday night had at least one error (and some of us had more). Patrick’s inability to match the home run power in the end proved to be one of the differences in the game.
After driving three balls out of the park in a single game three weeks ago, power-hitting rookie phenom Tom Lippert was signed to a lucrative contract to play with Patrick’s full time. Since his signing, Tom has not hit a single home run (which coincidently is the exact same number that the rest of the team has hit during this same span). Perennial on-base percentage leaders Mike Tollefson and Gary Schmiesing have disappeared like Lamar Odom in the fourth quarter. On Wednesday night, you couldn’t find them with a spotlight.
Key Stats
With only four games left in the regular season, a fourth league championship now appears out of reach for the Patrick’s team. As the Patrick’s II team continues to struggle, it appears that “the” Patrick’s Softball team will have to rely on their tournament playing ability and prowess to bring softball glory back to Patrick’s on Third.
However, this week’s “Key Stat” reveals that Patrick’s has failed to win a year-end tournament in their previous thirteen attempts. Further analysis reveals that they have also failed to place in a district tournament (0-6), or a Lewisville tournament (0-2), or the St. James tournament (0-1) or the Glencoe “Never Won a Tournament” tournament (0-2), etc. However, there is renewed optimism for this year as the year-end tournament will be played over the course of several Wednesday nights starting July 16th.