6 days after the victory against the Soul Sisters, Purple Lightning was set to host the Chili Peppers. It was the 2nd meeting for these 2 teams this season, the first being on opening day. That one was a very close game, but both of these teams have had a chance to grow and improve over the course of the season. It was time to see how these teams have changed over the last 6 weeks.
1st Inning
Tess started us off at pitcher. Taking a little time to warm up, Tess walked the 1st batter. Findiing her pitch on the 2nd batter, the runner on base was able to steal her way to 3rd. A walk on the 2nd batter put Chili Pepper runners on 1st and 3rd. The 3rd batter came up to the plate. On a pass ball, the runner on 1st stole 2nd. Tess was getting the 3rd batter to swing, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She stayed alive with foul balls until she hit one that popped up high. Reacting quickly, Hylah was able to run over to make the catch on the foul ball, getting the 1st out of the inning. The next batter came to the plate. Ahead on the count, Hylah threw the ball back to Tess and it went low, getting by Tess. The runner on 3rd base made a break for home and put the Chili Peppers on the board. When things got back under control, Tess was able to finish the job on the 4th batter by striking her out. A walk on the next batter put runners on 1st and 3rd. But Tess put it on the 6th batter by getting her to swing and striking her out, closing out the Chili Peppers' initial effort.
On her first at bat, Janessa made contact with a pitch and sent the ball bouncing down the 1st base line. The 1st baseman made the grab and taggged 1st base for the 1st out. After getting to 3 and 1, the pitcher walked Alli, putting a Purple Lightning runner on base. When Tess came to the plate, Alli went to steal 2nd. An overanxious throw by the catcher got past the 2nd baseman and Alli was able to capitalize and make it to 3rd. Finally, a walk on Tess put Purple Lightning runners on 1st and 3rd. Kelsey was up next and Tess successfully stole 2nd. After a count of 2 and 2 on Kelsey, the pitcher was able to get her to swing and struck her out for the 2nd out of the side. On her turn, Hylah hit a fast grounder that went through the short stop's legs, Alli and Tess took off. Hylah made it to 1st and Alli came across the plate, putting Purple Lightning on the board. Yazmine was next and the bunt was called it. The infield charged, but left a hole on 1st. The pitcher picked up the ball but had no one to throw to and by the time she decided to go for the out at home, Tess crossed the plate. Caitlin came to the plate next and was hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Sara got a hit on her at bat, but unfortunately the 2nd baseman was able to stop the ball and throw it to 1st to close out the inning.
Chili Peppers 1 - Purple Lightning 2
2nd Inning
Kelsey came in to pitch in the 2nd. Kelsey walked the first batter, putting a runner on 1st. The 2nd batter made contact and sent a ball over the infield toward left center. It hit the ground on the edge of the grass just out of Sara's reach, but she was able to pick it up and throw it back to the infield to hold the runners on 1st and 2nd. The 3rd batter hit a grounder toward Yazmine. She made the stop and threw to Tess at 1st for the out. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, the 4th batter (Kas - who played for coach Taf last year) got a hit and sent the ball bouncing toward Yazmine again. Again, she made the stop and threw to Tess at 1st to get the 2nd out, but a Chili Pepper runner reached home on the play. A walk on the next batter put runners on 1st and 3rd, but Kelsey took care of business by stringing 3 together to get the strike out on the 6th Chili Pepper batter.
The Chili Peppers put in a new pitcher in the 2nd inning. On her first trip to the plate, Erin got a hit and sent it through the infield to right center. The outfielder stopped the ball and threw the ball to 1st to try to get the out on Erin, but Erin beat the ball to the bag and got on base. Alexis was up next. On the pitch, Erin hesitantly tried to steal 2nd. The catcher saw her make her move and she got up to make her throw. The ball and Erin reached 2nd base at the same time, but Erin slowed her run just a touch and when she went to put her foot on the bag, she missed, allowing the Chili Pepper 2nd baseman to get the tag and the 1st out. This was the momentum that the Chili Peppers needed. On the next pitch, Alexis hit the ball and sent a grounder toward the short stop. She was able to make the throw to 1st for the 2nd out. Janessa was next and she was able to hit the ball too, but this time it was a short fly ball heading toward fould territory on the 1st base side. Getting a jump on the ball, the 1st baseman made her move and made the catch for the 3rd out, keeping Purple Lightning scoreless in the inning and evening up the score.
Chili Peppers 2 - Purple Lightning 2
3rd Inning
Tess was back in to pitch in the 3rd. Tess made quick work of the Chili Peppers' offense in the 3rd by throwing heat. After what looked like a hit by a pitch off of the 1st batter's hands was ruled as actually a hit on part of the bat and a foul ball, Tess sent her back to the dugout anyway by striking her out. Tess was able to catch the next batter swinging and struck her out too. Now in full 'rock mode', Tess retired the side with a strike out on the 3rd batter, bringing out the Chili Pepper defense.
A new pitcher came in to pitch in the 3rd. Tess's pitching performance in the top of the inning lit a fire under the Purple Lightning offense. Alli hit a grounder through the infield toward left center for a double. Tess was next and hit a grounder through the infield past the 2nd baseman this time to get on base. On the play, Alli was able to make it home. Kelsey was up next and on the 1st pitch, she showed bunt and Tess was able to steal 2nd. On the next pitch, Kelsey hit a short fly ball that dropped right between the Chili Pepper pitcher, short stop and 2nd baseman. The confusion bought Kelsey enough time to make it to 1st and allowed Tess to get to 3rd base. On Hylah's next turn, Kelsey stole 2nd and after a count of 2 and 2, Hylah hit one past the 3rd baseman, bringing Tess home and putting runners on 1st and 3rd. Yazmine was next at the plate and on a pass ball that bounced off the backstop toward the 1st base side, Kelsey and Hylah took off, successfully stealing home and 2nd in the process. On another pass ball, Hylah made it to 3rd on a steal and the eventual walk on Yazmine put Lightning runners on 1st and 3rd again. A walk on Caitlin loaded the bases. On her next at bat, Sara was able to squeeze one past the short stop to bring Yazmine and Hylah home and a walk on Erin loaded the bases again. There was a glimmer of hope as the Chili Pepper pitcher was able to strike Alexis out. But Janessa wasn't having any of it as she hit one past the 2nd baseman, bringing Caitlin and Sara home. On her 2nd trip to the plate in the inning, Alli crushed it and sent it out to right center for a double, bringing Erin and Janessa home. Tess came to the plate for the 2nd time and hit one that bounced toward 2nd bae. The 2nd baseman dropped the ball and Tess made it to 1st and Alli made it to 3rd. On Kelsey's 2nd trip, Tess stole 2nd. Then Alli left 3rd base early, drawing the 2nd out. On the following pitch, Tess left her base early, also drawing the out and closing out the 3rd inning. With 9 runs in the inning, Purple Lightning built a very comfortable lead.
Chili Peppers 2 - Purple Lightning 11
4th Inning
Kelsey was back in to pitch in the 4th. After Tess's 3rd inning pitching performance, Kelsey tried to put her stamp on the game as well, but the Chili Peppers started it off strong. The 1st batter hit one way out into left field past Janessa and past Alli. The ball rolled down the 3rd base line and looked to be rolling foul, but was ruled fair. Getting to the ball quickly, Alli made the long throw to Janessa to hold the runner at 2nd. The 2nd batter got a hit too and sent a high fly ball that hit the ground in front of Sara at 2nd. Keeping her head, Sara grabbed the ball as the batter reached 1st and as the other runner turned the corner to head for home. She had to go for the longer throw to Hylah. She reached back and gunned it and Hylah was able to reel it in for the out at home, getting the 1st out and preventing the score. The next batter got a piece of it and the runner on 1st took off. But Kelsey was able to make the grab on the fly for the 2nd out, which forced the runner to turn back to 1st base. She was too far out of position and it gave Kelsey enough time to easily make the throw to Tess at 1st for the double play and the last out of the side.
Trying to find an answer, the Chili Peppers put their 1st pitcher back in in the 4th. Kelsey came in to finish her at bat. This pitcher started off by walking both Kelsey and Hylah to put Purple Lightning runners on 1st and 2nd. Yazmine was up next and smashed a grounder through to right field. The Chili Peppers tried to get the out on Hylah at 2nd, but the throw went high, giving Yazmine a double and bringing Kelsey home. After a full count, the pitcher was able to get Caitlin to swing at a pitch, striking her out. Sara was next and she got another hit and sent it bouncing past Hylah on her way home. The 3rd baseman decided to throw to first and got the ball there just in time, but the 1st baseman took her foot off the bag and Sara was safe and Hylah crossed the plate. A walk on Erin loaded the bases. On Alexis's next trip, she got a hit, but popped it up. The 1st baseman tried to make the catch, but dropped it and Yazmine came tearing across the plate as Alexis made it to 1st. Getting a hit herself, Janessa bounced it back to the pitcher. With some time, the pitcher was able to make the stop and decided to throw the ball home and got the out on Sara. Alli kept the streak going by hitting a fast grounder down the 3rd base line that bounced off of the base and bought enough time for Erin and Alexis to score. A walk on Tess loaded the bases again. When Kelsey came back to the plate, Janessa left her base early and drew the 3rd out of the inning.
Chili Peppers 2 - Purple Lightning 16
5th Inning
With a very comfortable 14-point lead and the last 2 defensive outings, Purple Lightning decided to try something new. Hylah was tapped to pitch for the first time in the season. Hylah threw pretty well during what little practice she had pitching during the practice season, but the added pressure of her 1st in-game pitching of the season and everyone watching and her team counting on her to close the game was too much for Hylah and she couldn't put it together to get strikes over the plate. She walked the 1st 3 batters, loading the bases. She got a good pitch to the 4th batter, but the batter hit the ball to Alli at short. With a little bobble, the Chili Peppers were able to get a run in and keep the bases loaded. A walk on the next 2 batters brought 2 more runs across and then a steal from 3rd base after a short pickle situation brought another runner over. With the Purple Lightning lead getting smaller, Kelsey was brought in to replace Hylah at the rubber, but the Chili Peppers were on a roll. The next batter hit a grounder for a single, bringing in another run and the following batter roped on out to the outfield, which brought across 2 more. A walk on the next batter loaded the bases. Kelsey was able to get the next batter to swing for the 1st strike out of the inning. The next batter hit one up in the air toward Hylah, now covering 1st. Hylah didn't get there in time and the ball hit the ground. Hylah picked up the ball as the runner ran past and reached 1st as the runner on 3rd came home. The next Chili Pepper batter hit a grounder to Alli at short stop. Alli picked it up and made the throw to Hylah at 1st to get the 2nd out of the inning, but, on the play another run came across the plate. Walks on the next 2 batters loaded the bases and brought 1 more run in for the Chili Peppers. After scoring 11 points in the inning and shrinking the Purple Lightning lead to 3 runs against a very generous Purple Lightning defense, the Chili Peppers were mounting a huge comeback. It was time to put out the fire and bring Tess back in to pitch. After playing catcher for most of the long inning, Tess had to find her pitch again. After a count of 2 and 2, the next batter hit a ball to the outfield for a double, bringing in 2 more runs for the Chili Peppers and making it a 1-point game. After getting to full count, a walk on the next batter loaded the bases. The comfortable lead now turned into a nail-biter. But, just in time, Tess was able to zero in and get the batter swinging to strike her out and close the show.
Final Score
Chili Peppers 15 - Purple Lightning 16
Game Ball
Getting her 1st big hit in the game, Erin received the game ball. Good job!
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