"You could be a kid for as long as you want when you play baseball."- Cal Ripken, Jr.

Dave Kenney on the mound  

The round robin play concludes with each team having played each other team. Your Portland Volcanoes and the San Antonio Lonestars each have 5-1 records and on the back of our head to head win in the game abbreviated by the storm the Volcanoes are the top seed

The Tri-Valley Giants ( 0-6) and the Tortuga Solons ( 1-3-1) place 6^th and 7^th and do not make the playoffs. The Dragons ( 3-2-1) and Red Deer Legends  ( 2-4)will play for the right to play the Volcanoes while the  So Cal Dodgers and San Antonio Lonestars will play for the right to compete in the championship game against the winner of our game.

When we awake we expect to be playing a 2pm game, but find the rain form last night has made several fields unplayable. As there are lots of other games with other age groups schedule the decision makers turn each game into 5 innings with a 2 hour time limit. There is no point in complaining  so we head to Goodyear stadium the spring training home of  the Indians and Cincinnati Reds to await the determination of our opponent.

The Red Deer Legends jump out to an 8-2 lead. In the bottom of the fifth( and final inning )  the Dragons score four and have two men on but can’t get the tying run in  giving the Legends  the win.

Manager Dave Kenney gets the start in the semi finals against the Legends  and gets us through  a  1-2-3 inning to start the game. The second  inning passes similarly and suddenly we are in the equivalent of the 7^th

The Legends start the third with a base hit to left field and with one out get a second hit on grounder between short and third. No one know then but that would be their last base-runner of the day

Dave gets a pop up and ground  ball to end the threat.

Jack Thompson gets a rip

In the bottom of the fourth we get an infield hit and error to give us runners at first and second. Russ Bicknell bunts but they make the play at third  to get the first out . They hit the next batter to load the bases. Then Jack Thompson hits a looper towards short. The shortstop fields cleanly and tosses to second for one out , The throw to first is …just late and here comes  Russ towards the plate from second … the throw goes to the plate  and Russ is save giving us a second run .

Dave Kenney gets a 1-2-3 fifth  and we head to the championship  game . Away from  us,  the Sam Antonio  Lonestars gets an early 5-2 lead over the Dodgers and coast to a 10-2 final and will be our opponents in the championship game .

So for those scoring at home, our offense in the last two games consists of getting hit by pitches and double play balls . We will need to do more in the championship game but we look forward to the challenge.

Steve Tucker - the architect of the team

Jack  takes care of business