Cheltenham Blue 8 vs Fitzroy 15
Denise Healy reports
The drama began well before the game even started today – all having the potential to wipe out three players from the team.
A text message from Carolyn to Michelle at 12 noon asking where we were, was the start of the drama. Unfortunately, Carolyn was in Fitzroy and the team (and opposition) was at Chelt. Just a small setback for our dedicated Carolyn, who high-tailed it to Cheltenham arriving not long after the game began.
We’ll put it down to the damp conditions or perhaps equipment failure, when two players suffered facial injuries during warm-up. First to cop a ball to the face was Theresa but our little trooper simply gave it a rub and soldiered on with minimum fuss. This was not dramatic enough apparently. Next, Ant nearly knocked out Annaleise with a fly-ball which bypasses her glove and lands full speed onto her cheek. There’s blood. Thankfully no blood on the spanking new white pants! Despite quickly getting ice onto it there was nasty swelling, colourful bruising and her eye was almost shut. Another trooper, Annaleise was not deterred and onto the field she went for her first match.
To be honest, the first innings wasn’t great, with seven runs in by the opposition. We came back with some respectable batting, particularly from Barb, Jess, Sue and Michelle. Although right field was wide open (as Fitzroy only had seven players) we couldn’t quite manage to get a shot out that way despite Ant almost begging us to hit there.
Michelle smacked a great hit over second base to centre field. It was such a good hit that we all assumed Michelle’s happy trot to first would have secured her the base. But to everyone’s surprise, centre field scoops up the ball and in one massive chuck, throws it directly to first and Michelle is run OUT. Michelle was heard to say after the match, “I probably could have gone a little bit harder.” Earlier in the match, in similar circumstances, Michelle had safely run to third during play and with Ant’s encouragement she keeps moving and heads towards home. Low and behold, centre-field throws directly to home plate and in déjà vu fashion, Michelle is run OUT.
Sam at short-stop saw a lot of action today. In a nifty play, Denise fielded a groundball between third and short-stop. She lobs the ball to Sam who is running to cover third base to make the forced play. The ball goes slightly behind Sam but in splendid cricket style, she stretches outs her non-glove hand to catch the ball on the run and gets to third before the runner – runner is OUT.In a similar forced play to third, Sam fields a groundball and throws to third,
Denise has her foot firmly placed on the base and reaches out to receive the throw. Not really knowing how she ended up on the ground, the ball falls out of the glove, Denise scratches around in the dirt to pick up the ball and has it in her hand, hoping it was enough to get the out. A controversial decision is made and the runner is declared safe (not happy Jan).
More action (if not drama) on third base when a pitch goes behind catcher, Jess. As Jess collects the ball, the runner on second base seizes the opportunity and heads to third. The ball is still with Jess at home-base and so we’re all a bit shocked when we heard an almighty scream from the runner when she gets to third. She goes down screaming (dropping f-bombs actually) and has hurt her ankle. A gaggle of mothers swarmed around worried that she had broken a bone. Michelle runs off for ice and Sue’s daughter (yes, she has a daughter) who is a nurse, comes to assess the situation. We’re all a little confused when the runner suddenly stands up and says she can go back on. The mother hens won’t allow this and a substitute runner replaces her. In what appears to be a miraculous (soccer-like) recovery, the injured runner comes back on to catch in the next innings.
There were a few big hits out to Theresa in left-field during the match who did a great job getting them back in to the infield.
It was all class when Carolyn dodged a bullet and safely made her way over home-plate mid-way through the game. As Carolyn was running home in her poised fashion, the ball was thrown to the catcher who should have tagged her for an out. However, she didn’t tag and Carolyn safely stepped onto the home plate and is SAFE!
Today saw Barb Dooley’s return, and man, what a return. If there was a MVP for the day, it would have been Barb. She had some fantastic hits but it was the pitching that really impressed. Those rainbow pitches are the bomb. The stand-out moment, however, was Barb’s slow-motion fall. A pitch from Barb was hit just in front of the batter’s box and as Barb ran forward to field the ball, the momentum got the better of her and she toppled over – ever so graciously though!
Despite losing 15-8, it was a fun game full of high-jinx and drama. Sure beats sitting on the couch watching Netflix. Go Rustlers.
