Back from a wearying day at the field.

Emmett had a rough day. After being nearly perfect behind the plate in both District and Sectional all-star games he let a ball bounce off his shin guard in the first inning and kick away with a runner on third to score. Then he came up to bat in the first inning with the bases loaded and one out and hit the ball right on the screws, an absolute rocket. Right into the shortstop's glove to start a double play and kill the rally.

In his second at-bat he walked, got around to third and in the middle of a key rally with our best hitter at the plate he tried to score on a wild pitch. Their pitcher covered the plate with his entire ass and Emmett's slide was stopped well short of the plate, and he was tagged out killing the rally.

In the middle of the game, they rallied with two outs and their hitter drove a ball into the right field corner. The throw was late to the plate, Emmett couldn't hang on to the ball and the batter knocked him over at the plate. The ball dribbled away and Emmett couldn't get to it before a second runner came around to score. Emmett was crying with hurt and frustration. His manager came out to calm him down.

In Emmett's third at-bat he blooped into the last out with men on base.

It was a long day. We were down 10-5 when we came up in the bottom of the fifth inning. The dugout was demoralized. I had to go out behind the centerfield fence to watch the game from there because I was so agitated. (Emmett wasn't the only player having a raggedy game. After playing near perfect baseball for the last five games, we were making all kinds of mental errors.)

We got the lead runner on, and then Colin came up and hit a majestic home run to straight away center, right over my head. Not that I'd been superstitiously moving around all day trying to find a lucky spot. I decided centerfield now counted as a lucky spot. I retrieved the ball, ran it around to the stands and gave it to Colin's mom. Score was now 10-7.

Then I ran back to centerfield. Next batter walked and was thrown out trying to steal second. So stupid! More bad baserunning. Next batter made the second out. Matthew came up. The kid standing next to me wasn't standing in the same position as we was during the home run! He was messing up the feng shui of the lucky spot.

After an admonishment from his father, "You were on the other side! And over by the seam in the fence" we got the kid properly aligned.

Matthew promptly smoked a double into the right centerfield gap - right at us. Matthew moves up on a wild pitch to third. Next batter walked. Another wild pitch and Matthew foolishly tries to score from third! Bad baserunning - one run won't make a difference yet and you need to keep the inning going! He's barely barely barely safe. Score is now 10-8.

Kye comes up with runners at first and third, and rips a shot off the third base bag. The runner scores and we've got runners at second and third. It's 10-9 now. Two outs.

Emmett comes up and swings completely through the first pitch. It didn't look good from my centerfield vantage point. Please don't strike out please don't strike out please don't strike out.

Me of little faith. Next pitch Emmett rips into the right center gap, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs. Our crowd is going nuts. Timeout while they change pitchers. Our kids are bouncing off the walls in the dugout, Emmett's hopping up and down on second. I call his name and he sees me behind the centerfield fence. He gives me a huge grin.

Alex O. comes up with yet another double into the gap, scoring Emmett. Colin comes up for the second time in the inning and hits another double, scoring Alex. (That's right Colin hit a home run and a double in the same inning for a slugging percentage of 6.000. For that inning.) Then we made the last out.

We were up 13-10, top of the sixth. We just need three outs to win the Sectional championship. First batter gets behind in the count, then hits a high chopper in the infield. Alex R. glides over from (continued...)

( continues...) third, grabs the ball and in one smooth motion throws out the runner. One out. Next batter we get into the hole with two strikes and he hits a clean single up the middle. One on, one out. Next batter rips a ball down the third base line. Alex R. dives full length to stop the ball, gloves it, rolls over and throws out the runner at second from his back.

Next batter singles. Two on, two outs. Easy grounder to Arlo, throw to first and we win! Sectional Champs! First time Albany has won Sectionals with this age group. Only the third time we've ever done it.

Turns out Emmett had a pretty good day after all. We celebrated at a nearby restaurant and his manager said, "I didn't think there was any way Emmett would be able to match his clutch hitting of last year. But I was wrong. Two outs, game on the line, there's nobody else you'd rather have at the plate."

Aww, David, that is so awesome! What a bunch of troopers. And to pull it out that way, when everything looked lost. Give Emmett and the crew a high five from me!

Thanks, Sail! I will.

I'm all teary with joy for Emmett and his team, David. WOOOOT!!! Now I'm gonna go bounce into the other room and tell K-Bug.

And yes, HIGH FIVES all around.

Good god, David, you had my stomach twisting for a minute there! Give Emmett my congrats.

Good god, David, you had my stomach twisting for a minute there!

JZ was so tense from seeing Emmett get run over at home and crying behind his mask she burst out in tears on his game winning hit from pure relief.

Give Emmett my congrats.

Will do!

Jeez, I don't even like baseball and I got all nervous and tense and teary. Good Job, guys

Hair: My dream hair looks like Melissa Leo's hair, but that would take about five processes because my hair is blonde and straight and hers is red and curly.(And looks awesome long, which mine never has. It's so hot when she straps on her Glock and ties her hair back.) Tep, I totally get it, being that I'm also a blonde and when I used to get my hair cut professionally and asked for the short, bouncy styles that my hair seems to like, the whole shop acts as if I threw out crown jewels. It's weird to be part of a collective cultural...fetish(?)

Hello, all. It was a good trip. The funeral was almost secondary to reconnecting with my sisters, except for that fact that we attended a funeral and did some clean up of Mother's old apartment. More stories to tell, but I figured I'd post some of my pictures.

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