There will be no homeruns today. 

A beautiful 70 degree day in the desert but the wind was blowing in. Fly balls were floating around like balloons and falling in between players. The outfielders were positioned like little leaguers and the Big House was really THE BIG HOUSE.

Game 1

This had all the makings of a beautiful small ball game from both sides until the eighth inning when Central put together seven base hits to score seven runs and win 11-4. It was a 4-4 baseball game until then, and there were bunts, stolen bases, punch hits, snatched extra bases, and Gateway Community College pulled off a first-and-third with the runner on first getting into an intentional rundown. 

Edgar Barclay rears in Game 1

Dakody Clemmer pitched a solid 5 and 2/3, Edgar Barclay and Sati Santa Cruz relieved with minimal damage, and Ben Skuro closed it out with a hitless 1 and 1/3 striking out 3 and giving up nothing.

Central recorded 15 hits including doubles from Jaime Estrada, Caleb Henderson, Brent Gibbs, and Phil Mickelson. Henderson went 3-5 with three ribs, catcher Brent Gibbs went 3-4 with three more, and Andrew Chartrand collected two hits and stole two more bases. Jaime Estrada and Mitchell Robinson each had two hits piling on.

Side note: The double from Bailey was an exciting tie breaking shot down the left field line which made the score 5-4 but his thunder was stolen after Central added six more hits in the inning.

Mitchell Robinson pictured (r)

"Gateway is better this year" people were saying in the stands. Too early to tell, but as far as Central is concerned, they might be better also. In the beginning, it's hard to tell, last years Central team was a very good team also, but this year there are 23 new players!

Game 2

George Castillo threw a first pitch strike and went six full innings walking only one and striking out eight. This is one player a team can count on. The one run he gave up was unearned and somehow, Central won this game 4-2 with only five hits, and they won it late.  Brent Bailey rapped a bases jammed two run single in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie and Daily Carnes threw a tidy last two innings for his second win. 

Kobar blocks classic Castillo strikeout pitch. Please sit down sir.                              Thank you.

Central has now won six games in a row to start the season. And the six wins aren't against club teams. It was a very enjoyable day. The dugout DJ got on a roll there too, at one point spinning The Nuge, CCR and AC/DC. Back-to-back-to-back jacks. Blade was impressed.

DB9