Astros

Next get together will be on Monday, 10/06 at 6:00pm at the KC cages. Colin Bear, Aaron Dushkin and Ross Chan will not be playing on 10/8 & 10/9 due to school field trip to Austin. Anyone else cannot make it to the games this week, please let me know now. Schedule for wk beginning 10/06 10/06 Monday Batting practice at KC Field 6:00 - ~7:15pm + 10/07 Tuesday Game @ Dodgers (Visitors) 6:00pm 10/08 Wednesday Game vs Diamondbacks (Home) 8:00pm 10/09 Thursday Game vs Braves (Home) 6:00pm 10/13 Monday Batting practice at KC Field 6:00 - ~ 7:15pm + When we are HOME team we get the batting cages 1 hr before game time for 25 minutes. When we are VISITING team we get the cages 35 minutes before game time. Astro Web Site: http://www.eteamz.com/kcpony/index.cfm?league=1218918&subsite=2165796 Top level Kyle Chapman site is: http://www.eteamz.com/kcpony Ken St.Aubin 713-771-9144 - hm 281-274-3566 - wk 713-530-5159 - cell

No practice on Thursday, 10/02. Next get together will be on Monday, 10/06 at 6:00pm at the KC cages. Everyone should hit on there own until then. Please verify attandance for next week, as I know it the following people will be out for next weeks games due to a school trip on Wednesday and Thursday. Ross Chan Colin Bear Aaron Dushkin Schedule for wk beginning 9/29 9/29 Monday Batting practice at KC Field 6:00 - 7:00pm + 9/30 Tuesday Game @ Pirates (Visitors) 8:00pm 10/02 Thursday Batting practice at KC Field CANCELLED 10/06 Monday Batting practice at KC Field 6:00 - ~7:15pm + 10/07 Tuesday Game @ Dodgers (Visitors) 6:00pm 10/08 Wednesday Game vs Diamondbacks (Home) 8:00pm 10/09 Thursday Game vs Braves (Home) 6:00pm When we are HOME team we get the batting cages 1 hr before game time for 25 minutes. When we are VISITING team we get the cages 35 minutes before game time. Astro Web Site: http://www.eteamz.com/kcpony/index.cfm?league=1218918&subsite=2165796 Top level Kyle Chapman site is: http://www.eteamz.com/kcpony Ken St.Aubin 713-771-9144 - hm 281-274-3566 - wk 713-530-5159 - cell

The game against the Cardinals got off to a rousing start. Astros were visitors, so we batted first. Ross and Colin both flied out. Grant hit a single. Dylan lined out to the shortstop. Colin was our pitcher for the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, he struckout the first batter. The second batter grounded out to Tyler at first (unassisted), and the third batter grounded out to Colin for the 1 - 3 play with Tyler at first. End of 1, we are still scoreless. Top of the second, Astros send Chris, Tyler and Fletcher to the plate. With two strikeouts and a 6 - 3 groundout, the inning was over. Three errors in the bottom of the third allowed 2 unearned runs, while Colin struck out two and got the batter to foul tip and third strike that Dylan caught. End of 2, score is 0 - 2; Cards up. Top of the third, Astros send up the bottom of the order. Timmy led off with a fly out to short. Lewis walked. Brian walked. Brett hit a single. Bases loaded, Darwin walks forcing the first run. The Cards change pitchers. Ross Chan is safe on a fielder's choice, gets an RBI and we are tied. Colin is out on a dribbler back to the pitcher. Bottom of the inning, Astros change pitchers and bring in Tyler. First batter hits a fly ball to short right which Darwin snags on a sliding catch. Way to go, Darwin! Next batter reaches on an error. Next batter reaches on a fielder's choice without an out being made. Next batter walks. Next batter is safe at first on a fielder's choice while the runner trying to go home is out. Next batter singles driving in 2 runs. With men on second and third, Tyler gets the next batter to hit a grounder to short. The 6 - 3 play from Grant to Colin gets the Astros out of the inning. The score is now 4 - 2; Cards leading. Grant leads off the fourth with a double off the right center fence. He advances to third on a pickoff overthrow. Dylan is out on strikes. Chris Minifee is hit by a pitch. Men on first and third. Chris advances to second with no attempt made. Tyler strikes out, but advances to first on the catcher's missed catch which allows Grant to score and Tyler is safe at first. Again, men on first and third. Chris steals home on a wild pitch. Fletcher flies out. Timmy walks. Lewis is hit by a pitch. Brian strikes out to end the inning. Middle of the 4th and score is tied at 4 - 4. Grant is brought in to pitch in the 4th. He strikes out the first two batters. The next batter gets a double over the rightfielder's head. Runner advanced to third with no attempt made. Runner steals home on a passed ball. Grant strikes out the fourth batter. We go in to the top of the fifth, down 5 - 4. Fifth inning starts with two strikeouts. Ross walks. Steals second. Colin flies out to short to end the game. Astros lose 5 - 4, but they never gave up trying! Come see this team as they play Thursday evening at 8. See you there!

Ross was the beginning pitcher for the Astros. He walked the first batter, but it was not a problem, as Grant and Dylan paired up for the 2 - 6 caught stealing. The second batter reached first on a throwing error by the third baseman. Ross then struck out Jeremy and JoJo to end the top of the first. In the bottom of the first, Ross helped his own cause by leading off with a homerun over the left field fence. Timmy struck out. Grant singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Aaron followed Grant with a walk. Dylan struck out and Colin grounded out to end the inning. Astros ahead 1 - 0. Ross began the second inning with a strike out of Mercurio. Miles hit a double but scored on a double-error by the Astros. Ross struck out the third batter, giving up a single and a walk to the next two. The sixth batter hit to Tyler for an unassisted out at first. Tyler, Chris and Fletcher flew out to left field and struck out (2) to end the second inning. At the end of 2, score is tied. Ross was serious the third inning and struck out the side, 1, 2, 3. The Astros helped Ross out in the bottom of the inning. Brian struck out. Lewis reached base on a hit by pitch. Lewis advanced on a miscommunication by the Dodgers pitcher and shortstop who allowed a pop-up to fall but then threw out Brett going to first. Ross then hit a long double which scored Lewis. Timmy came to bat. Ross advanced to third on a passed ball. Timmy laid down a gorgeous squeeze bunt that was hard enough to roll up the line toward first but was soft enough that it did not bounce off the grassline and veer foul. PERFECT, Timmy! It allowed Ross to score. Grant hit a single. Aaron struck out ending the inning. At the end of 3, the score was 3 - 1. A pitching change began the fourth. Tyler allowed a hit by the Dodgers lead-off hitter. Runner advanced to second on an overthrow by the catcher in a pick off attempt at first. Next batter grounded out to second. Jeremy hit a fly to center for the second out. Lead-off advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball. JoJo walked and then Mercurio flied out to short. In the fourth, Dylan led-off with a strikeout. Colin walked. Tyler popped out to the catcher. Chris hit a bunt toward third during which Colin double-advanced when the defense attempted to throw out Chris. Men on first and third. Chris advanced to second with no attempt made. Fletcher walked. Brian struck out. The Astros lead 3 - 2. Leadoff batter gets a single and advances to second on a throwing error by Tyler on a pickoff attempt. Tyler strikes out the next batter. There is a pitching change made. Colin comes in to pitch, getting the batter to flyout to second, and then striking out Elliott for the final out of the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, the Astros strikeout, groundout and flyout to end the inning. End of 5, Astros still leading 3 - 2. In the top of the sixth errors did in these Astros. (Similar to some real Astros games in years past.) Colin walked the first batter. Second batter hits a single. Third batter reaches safely on a mental error. First batter scores on an in-the-dirt bouncer pickoff attempt from the catcher to third. The man on second advances to third and the man on first to second. The next batter strikes out. Next batter strikes out but advances to first on a dropped ball by the catcher and is safe at first on the bouncing throw to first. Next batter flies out to second. Jeremy hits a fly over the first baseman's head which lands fair in right field. Another run scores. JoJo hits a hard grounder to the shortstop who gets the last out of the inning on a 6 - 3 play. Having allowed 4 runs this inning, the Astros head to the bottom of the 6th with time having run out, score is 6 - 3. Timmy is leadoff this inning and gets a single. Grant hits a hard grounder to third, and is safe on a fielder's choice as they get out Timmy. Aaron grounds out 6 - 3. Dylan grounds out 4 - 3. Game ends, with a score of 6 - 3. This next week is a killer! We play Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 6, 8 and 8 respectively. See you at the fields!!! Written By Pam Keever

The first inning, Ross and Colin both hit flyballs to the outfield. Unfortunately, they were caught. Grant reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and advanced to second on the overthrow. Dylan grounded out to the second baseman. In the bottom of the first, Grant struck out the first two batters, and got the third batter to ground out to short. At the end of 1, we were tied 0 - 0. In the top of the second, Aaron reached on a hit. Chris walked on four straight pitches. Luis popped out to the catcher. Tyler had a fly to center that was caught. Fletcher had a nice hit to center field and reached first. On his hit, however, Aaron was out trying to score on a perfect throw by the centerfielder. In the bottom of the second, Grant struck out the first batter. The second batter got a hit, then stole second. Grant struck out the third batter. With two outs, the runner on second attempted to steal third. The catcher's throw was low and short, bouncing past the third baseman and into left field. This allowed a run in the second. Grant got the fourth batter to pop out to the second baseman. In the third inning, the Astros were down 1, 2, 3. The Cardinals scoed another run in the third on a error and a nice double. Grant struck out two more batters and got the third out on a grounder to the first baseman. The Cards left 3 stranded in the third. End of the third (in case you weren't paying attention), Astros - 0, Cards - 2. In the fourth inning, Darwin led off the inning with a walk. The new Card left-handed pitcher then picked him off at first. Ross Chan followed with a long homerun ball over the fence just to the right of the left-center 270' mark. Colin reached base on a single. Grant flew out to center. Dylan had a hit and Colin moved around to third. Dylan advanced to second with no attempt made. Aaron reached first on a walk. Chris struck out swinging with the bases loaded. Astros changed pitchers for the bottom of the fourth inning. Chris came in to pitch. He walked the lead off batter that inning. Struck out the second batter. The runner on first stole second and then third. The third batter walked and stole second with no attempt made. The squeeze bunt was beautiful, but not for the Astros. Both runners scored and the throw did not get the runner out at first. Bunter then steals second and third. The hitter hits the ball to Colin at first, who instead of getting the sure out, throws to the catcher who tags the man coming home from third. The catcher then throws to shortstop to get the hitter out who was trying to advance on the throw home. What a great double-play! Score is now 4 - 1. In the fifth, leadoff strikes out. Tyler hits a nice drive into right-center. Third batter strikes out. Tyler is picked off. In the bottom of the fifth, the Astros play tough defense. The score is still 4 - 1. In the top of the sixth, time is almost out. The Astros must tie or go ahead, or the game is over. Brian leads off the inning by allowing himself to be hit-by-a-pitch. The next three batters strike out. Game is over. Grant: 3 innings, 6Ks, 1BB, 3 Hits, 0 ER Chris: 2 innings, 1K, 3BB, 2 Hits, 2 ER Our next game is WEDNESDAY, 8PM. ***NOTE CHANGE IN TIME*** Written By Pam Keever