Game 1

CCF 9 - Desi Nationals 7

A very close game.
The first inning saw the Desi's scoring 4 runs, with Karthik hitting a in the park home run, resulting in 3 runs being scored. Good hitting, Karthik. Being up 6-2, a serious of fielding errors allowed CCF to outscore the Desi's. And in the bottom of the 4th, the CCF went ahead. Good hitting by Coach, Appu, Anjali & Karthik. Excellent pitching from Karthik & Amit.

Post-mortem notes from the game:

Good things:
1. Pitching was solid and very consistent. Pace of pitching was good as we need to work quickly.
2. Hitting by the guys was good.
3. Team spirit. Everyone was hyped up and into the game.
4. Outfield play was consistent and accurate.
5. Good patience, for most part, at the plate to wait for first strike.

Things to improve on:
1. When there are baserunners, there should be ONE person helping and that is either the 1st base coach (for runners at first) or 3rd base coach (for runners coming past 2nd base).
2. Team should know batting order and avoid confusion duing our batting. If you are a guy, know which guy is hitting in front of you so that you can be ready. (Same thing for the girls)
3. When running to first base.....do NOT look at the ball. Focus on getting to 1st base and keep your ear open to hear the 1st base coach.
4. When fielding, KNOW what you are going to do IF the ball is hit to you
5. Wait for the umpire to call TIME before turning your back. The other teams have aggressive baserunners who are very opportunistic!!
6. Infield needs to be ready!! There were too many balls that went through the infield or weren't fielded properly.
7. Make sure coach is better prepared for PRAYER and DEVOTION (that one was from me)
8. When fielding, if there is more than one runner on base, all hell breaks loose. Stick to the plan or listen to Appu(or whoever). Designate one person to be the "voice" and only they should yell out instructions.
9. Hitting, although explosive at times, was not consistent. We were swinging at bad pitches and not waiting for the first strike towards the end of the game. Stay focused up there and get in a good swing!!!!