6 6
The first game of the year featured a lot of new players and some very interesting swings. Keyon got the start and completed 2 innings. Jessica tossed an inning of relief, helping her cause by snagging a short pop fly. Samantha also pitched well in relief. Victoria was solid behind the plate. The Reds rebounded from a 5-1 deficit, mostly due to walks, but patience at the plate is an important skill. Tope did pick up the first base hit of his career in his first game.

10 9
Victoria got her first pitching action and held the Cardinals to 3 runs over 2 innings. Down 5-0, the Reds bats struck in the 3rd, on a bases loaded walk by Carlos, and back-to-back-to-back doubles by Marcus, Samantha and Tope. Brandon collected his first hit, while Joel singled in a pair of runs. Good patience by Bryce with the bases loaded force in a 10th run. We would need them all as the Cardinals roared back in the bottom of the 5th, but some fine pitching by Samantha and two key plays by 2B Derick ended the game.

10 7
Derick made his pitching debut and struck out the side in the 2nd inning, leaving the bases loaded. Brandon looked sharp at 2B, converting a pair of grounders into outs. Tope continued his solid hitting, while Carlos made some good contact as well. Up 9-7, Marcus hit a screaming liner to right field that missed clearing the fence by about two inches. Marcus settled for a double and would later score on an overthrow. Victoria worked a quick 6th inning to pick up the save.

11 2
The newly-minted Blue Jays were a little short-handed for this game, so Joel, Anu and Brandon crossed the diamond to play for them. Anu made a couple of sparkling plays at 1B and both he and Brandon collected singles. Anu ended up scoring both Blue Jay runs. Cristian started and worked two strong innings. Brooke showed good patience, with 3 walks, while Keyon Marcus and victoria continue to sting the ball.

13 1
This was a close game for the first 3 innings. Cristian looked dominant on the mound, striking out 6 in two innings of work. Keyon did some gret work behind the plate, and chipped in two hits, while the "Killer B's" Brooke and Brandon each had singles, Brooke's her first of the season. Derick doubled and reached base 3 times, and the Reds scored 11 times over the final two innings.

18 2
Ok, this wasn't quite as bad as it sounds. The game started off with a Play of the Year candidate as 3B Cristian stopped a hot grounder and fired a one-hopper to first where 1B Samantha dug it out. Jessica and Cristian scored in the first, and after an inning the Reds led 2-1. Things went downhill from there as the Reds were unable to muster much against some deep Yankees pitching. But there were some positives. Brooke had a pair of great at-bats, while Brandon had a single and 2B Derek made a great catch on a fly ball. Carlos and Anu both pitched for the first time, and while their control wasn't there, both showed strong arms and should pitch more in the future.

12 7
The Cards jumped on us for 5 runs in the first and we never really recovered. Joel singled home a pair of runs to cut the lead to 5-3 in the second. Marcus and Tope singled to lead off the 3rd, and spark a 3-run rally, but the Reds stranded the bases loaded and immediately gave up a 6-run rally to the Cards. Jessica provided the offensive highlight for this game, with her first career base hit after several close calls in recent games. Keyon pitched late, and looked very strong, with 5 strikeouts over two innings.

10 9
The Reds jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a triple by Keyon (he scored on an overthrow for the little league home run), walk to Carlos and singles by Samantha and Anu. The defense held the lead until the 3rd, when the Jays struck for six runs in the third and two more in the fourth. A collection of walks and a single by Brandon cut the lead to 8-7. Trailing 10-7 in the fifth, Jessica singled and was doubled home by Keyon, who later stole home. We managed to get the tying run to third, but couldn't plate him, as the Jays nabbed the win.

16 6
Without a doubt, our best effort of the season, against the first-place Yankees. Playing on the larger Peewee field, we started with a bang, as Anu singled, and Marcus ripped a ball into the gap for an in-the-park home run. Victoria got the start, and pitched two strong innings, giving up just a 3-run homer to the Yankees big slugger. She got some good help from her defense. C Marcus pounced on a short grounder and retired a runner at first, a tough play. Brandon singled in Carlos to tie the game in the 2nd. The Reds bat exploded in the 4th. Massimo singled for his first hit, Carlos singled, Derick walked, Anu singled and Marcus cleared the bases with a triple. Victoria singled him home a batter later, and last batter Keyon connected for a triple, completing a six run inning. On the mound, Keyon was dominant, striking out 5 and allowing just a run. The Reds pounced for 7 more in the 5th, highlighted by an in-the-park grand slam by Marcus, giving him 9 RBIs on the day.

13 3
Reds pitching was the story of this game, as Victoria, Keyon and Marcus combined to allow just 2 hits over 5 innings, and just a single run after the first. The Reds held a 5-2 lead until the bottom of the third when hits by Samantha, Tope and Derick and Brandon sparked a 6-run rally. Keyon enjoyed another big night at the plate, with 3 hits, including a triple.

21 10
The bats continue to boom. A quick summary: Derick, 2-2, 3 runs scored; Samantha 2-2 with a triple and 3 runs scored; Keyon 2-3 with a run scored; Jessica 1-1, 2 runs scored; Joel, a double and a run scored; Marcus 3-3, 2 doubles, 3 runs scored. Setting the table at the top: Brandon and Victoria, who combined for 6 walks and 6 runs in 6 trips to the plate. You can see how this would add up.

15 14
Some erratic Yankee pitching and hits by Derick, Keyon and Tope led to a 6-0 Reds lead after half an inning. Victoria kept the tough Yankees lineup in check in the first, but some good hitting and porous Reds defense and the score stood at 11-7 Reds after two. The "pitching duel" continued in the 3rd, as Keyon walked the first batter of the inning and plunked the next two, requiring that he be pulled under league rules. Derick relieved him, and threw strikes, but the Yankees hit well, and our defense didn't help, allowing a "Little League" grand slam to the last batter of the inning. It should probably have been a single. The Yankees led 14-11, but the Reds came back, tying the score on a steal of home by Tope to keep the game alive. The Yankees pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning to end a fun, if sloppy contest. Tope finished 2-2 with a walk, while Anu played well at catcher, hustling to tag out a Yankee runner trying to steal home.

12 5
It had been 3 years since a Red had hit a home run of the natural variety. That streak ended on the third batter of the game when Marcus, after several close calls, crushed a ball to right centre field, clearing the fence for a 3-run homer, his third of the season. An inning later he had a big hit with the bases loaded, driving in Brooke, Anu and Jessica, and giving the Reds a 11-4 lead. After 4 runs in the first, the Reds pitching and defense settled down, allowing just one run over the rest of the game.

9 5
A VERY tight game, contested on the larger Peewee diamond. The Dodgers scored a run in the first, while the Reds went three-up-three-down. The Reds loaded the bases with none out in the second, and a single by Joel tied the game, but thoughts of a big inning were quickly snuffed out, as the next three batters struck out. The Dodgers managed 4 runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Marcus led off the 4th in style, crushing a ball over the left fielder for an in-the-park homer. Tope walked. Cristian moved him to second with a groundout, and back-to-back doubles by Anu and Joel cut the lead to 5-4. Brooke opened the fifth with a walk. Two batters later, Brandon tied the game with a double. He was doubled home by Samantha. Marcus tripled and scored on a poor relay throw, and then Tope lashed a triple down the right field line and scored when that throw went awry. Ahead 9-5 with curfew approaching, and threatening to wipe out the rally, Anu took the mound and was awesome, striking out three straight batters to preserve the win.

8 1
This game started out on a beautiful note, as the Yankees leadoff batter hit a ball to the fence off Victoria, and went racing around 1st. RF Massimo calmly retrieved the ball and shocked everyone in the park by throwing a strike to SS Marcus to erase the Yankee runner. A two-run single by Victoria staked the Reds to an early lead. The leadoff man in the second singled to right field and went roaring around first base. Again, Massimo was quick to the ball and made a good throw to SS Derick. A short rundown resulted in 9-6-3-6 putout. Anu walked to start the 3rd and scored on a triple by Marcus. Derick singled him home, Tope doubled and Victoria singled for a 4 run rally. After Marcus posted two scorless innings, Anu was called upon to pitch his second straight game. He allowed just a run and seems to be relishing his new role of closer.

10 9
Derick started the final regular season game in style, working two solid innings and giving up just a run. He helped his own cause, driving in Jessica. Hits by Anu and Tope gave the Reds a 4-1 lead. Jessica pitched the third inning, and while she boasts a very strong arm, her mechanics aren't quite there yet. She did strike out one, but also walked a bunch, so Brooke was summoned to make her mound debut. After giving up a scratch single (to Cristian no less), she induced the 9th (and last) batter of the inning to chop a grounder to third. 3B Tope snagged the ball and threw home to end the inning. The Reds held an 8-7 lead in the top of the final inning. Anu was pitching well, having struck out 2 and walked 2, when an ill-advised attempt to catch a runner stealing third ended up down the left-field line. 9-8 Dodgers. Jessica singled to lead off the bottom of the inning. Brooke walked. Derick singled in Jessica to tie the game. Anu then ended it, crushing a ball to deep left for the walk-off single. Of course, he raced around the bases anyway, beating the throw home for a quasi-homer. On to the playoffs. Joel and Cristian helped to fill out the Dodgers roster. Cristian pitched two innings and looked pretty good after a long layoff, while the two combined for three hits.

10 5
The playoff run didn't get off to a great start. The defense looked tentative in the first, letting popups drop in and failing to cover bases. The Yankees looked sharp and led 5-0 after one inning. Some erratic pitching and patient Reds hitters helped us walk our way back into the game with 3 runs in the 2nd inning. Anu pitched a scoreless 2nd, with help from 1B Samantha, who tracked a long foul ball. The bats exploded in the 3rd. Cristian and Anu walked and were doubled home by Samantha. Marcus doubled, Tope singled, Derick singled and Victoria capped the 6-run rally with a base hit. Marcus came on for 2-innings of lights-out relief, allowing just a double and a hit batter in two innings. The double was later erased on a beautiful rundown by C Victoria, 3B Tope and Marcus. Carlos sparked a little rally with a base hit for an important tack-on run. A nice comeback.

20 9
For the second straight game, the Reds fell behind early. Keyon struggled on the mound, and walked the Jays into a 4-0 lead. He helped spark a rally in the bottom of the 1st. Derek singled to lead off, Keyon singled him home, and was driven in on a groundout by Marcus. With two outs, the Jays pitcher's control faltered and he walked the bases loaded. Last batter Anu smacked a double to right to give the Reds a 5-4 lead. Anu pitched a pair of solid innings, and received some fine defensive support. C Marcus gunned down a runner trying to steal second, and CF Joel made a fine play on a fly ball to end a Blue Jay rally. The Reds bats continued to take their walks and punch out base hits. Anu added another single, Keyon a double. Jessica, Samantha, Joel, Cristian and Marcus also joined the hit parade. Derick pitched a shutout inning, catching a fly ball and doubling off a Blue Jays runner. Carlos pitched the final inning, showing better control than last time, and helping himself with a pair of 1-2 putouts.

10 7
A very well played game. The Reds took a 1-0 lead on singles from Marcus and Tope. The Cards put up a 4-spot in the 2nd to grab a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the third, the Reds started the comeback. Samantha led off with a single, swiped second and third and was driven home on a clutch 2-out single by Derick. Marcus knocked him in and it was 4-3. After a scoreless 3rd, P Anu ran into some trouble in the 4th, loading the bases with 1 out for the Cards top hitter. Thanks to some damage control defense, we escaped down just 6-3. After the Cards' pitcher struck out the side, Derick took the mound and pitched a shutout inning, thanks to a rocket throw by C Marcus to nab a Cards runner and Derick's own snag of a line drive comebacker. In the fifth, the Reds rallied. Brooke, Massimo and Samantha walked to load the bases. Joel was plunked on the shoulder to force in a run. After a pitching change, Derick walked to tie the game. Marcus followed with a double. Tope scorched a ball to score Marcus and Derick, and then stole first, second and home to cap a 7-run inning. Marcus slammed the door in the 6th. Some great defense in this one, including SS Marcus' diving catch of a shallow fly to centre, a fine 5-6 putout started by 3B Tope, solid work by Brandon at 2B and Samantha at 1B. With a 3-0 record, the Reds are now assured of a spot in the final.

13 7
With a spot in the championship already assured, we shuffled some players around in this game. Brooke got to see some action at 1B, and proved she belonged on the very first play of the game, digging out a one-hopper to save SS Marcus from an error. Massimo filled in at 2B and 1B and combined with 1B Brandon on a nice play to end the game. Derick, getting a taste of LF, threw a one-hopper to the plate to retire a Dodger trying to score. Offensively, Marcus led the way, as he has all season, with a team-record 5th home run, an in-the-park shot to the hill in centre field. He would add a pair of triples. Derick continues to hit the ball solidly, Jessica hammered a ball to left field and Brandon chopped out a base hit. Massimo also had some great swings. On the mound, Derick logged two solid innings, Keyon struggled early but rounded into form, and Anu and Marcus each worked an inning in preparation for Saturday's final.

13 8
The Reds lost the toss and were the visitors in this one. Derick led off with a single. Keyon hit a shot to centre field, where the Cards CF made a nice play. Marcus followed with a double, scoring Derick. Tope followed and picked a great time to hit his first home run, an absolute moonshot over the right field fence - the longest home run we have ever witnessed at this level. The Reds would load the bases and add another run to take a 4-0 lead. Marcus toed the rubber in the bottom of the first, but didn't feel right and had to be pulled after just four batters and a Cardinals run. Tope relieved and we escaped the inning ahead 4-3. Marcus and Samantha combined for a 6-3 putout and CF Joel made a terrific effort on a shallow fly to centre. Tope held the Cards scoreless in the second, thanks in part to the work of C Victoria, who threw out 2 Cardinals trying to steal 2nd. The Reds were able to load the bases in the 3rd, but couldn't push a run across. Keyon pitched the 3rd, and again the defense held, this time with Marcus throwing out a Cardinal runner at 3rd.

Keyon ran into some trouble in the fourth and the Cards pushed across the tying run and loaded the bases. Victoria relieved and got a ground ball, but an errant throw led to 2 more runs. Victoria was able to catch the runner leading off 3rd in a rundown for the final out, but Cards led 8-4. The bottom of the Reds order scratched out a run on a single by Joel, a walk to Massimo and an RBI groundout by Jessica. Victoria then picked up the team with a scoreless inning, leaving the Cards top hitter on deck with two runners on. That proved key, as the Reds went to work in the top of the 6th. Derick singled, Keyon was hit by a pitch and Marcus singled to load the bases. Tope then battled in a marvelous at-bat, fouling off several pitches and working the count full before finally striking out. Everyone in the park, by this time nearing 100 people fell into dead silence just before every pitch for some great atmosphere. Brandon followed with a walk, forcing in a run. At this point, the Cards pitcher hit a wall and had a hard time finding the strike zone. The Reds hitters were very disciplined and took their walks through three pitching changes and had some great at-bats. When the dust settled, 8 Reds had crossed the plate, for a 13-8 lead going into the bottom of the last inning.

With Marcus feeling better, he put an exclamation point on his career, striking out the Cards leadoff hitter, inducing a comeback groundout, and then a short pop fly that settled into 2B Derick's glove for the final out. This was a terrific effort marked by some stellar defense that was the result of hard work and practice. A very deserving championship by a dedicated and deserving team.

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