[ifspuds]

And, in honor of the Outpost League's 3000th view, here's a bit of interlude as we head into the final stretch of another season...

August 7th, 2016
Gentry Hills Scouts at Lorris Greens

(excerpts from the Lorris Vicinity Newsfeed with Greens broadcaster Paul Stockstill)

Welcome to another beautiful day here at Lorris City Park and another contest against the Gentry Hills Scouts. The Greens send Mark Boykin out to the mound today hoping for the sweep of the three-game series, where he'll face the Scouts' Allen Storey. Our boy hasn't thrown a pitch in anger in just over a month, so one of the early questions will be just how much the 35-year old has in the tank after the long layoff. The wind has picked up out at the park as the day's worn on, headed out toward left field, so we could be in for a real barnburner today.

Boykin takes his final warmups, and there's the toss down to second. The Scouts will send center fielder Eugene Ashman to the dish to lead off the top of the 1st. Ashman's having a fine season for the Scouts, second in the league only to our own Tega Smith in steals with 11. Here's the pitch... fastball on the inside corner for strike one. Good pitch there, had some pop on it.

Kory Jackson puts down the sign, Boykin nods, and here's the pitch... Ashman swings over the changeup in the dirt, strike two! He chased that one, and Boykin has the hitter in an 0-2 hole to start the game.

Boykin wipes his forehead with his forearm and settles his cap back on his head. It's a warm one down there on the field, Greens fans. Mark stares in for the sign and goes into the windup. Here it comes... and Ashman waves at a curveball down and well outside for strike three. Jackson blocked it... he can't find it! There goes Ashman to first, and he'll make it easily. That has to be frustrating for Boykin and his catcher, after a three-strike punchout, one of the fastest men in the Bay League stands down at first. Scouts catcher Rod Higgins will come to the plate next, batting .326 in limited duty this year...

...

That's ball four to Higgins, not even close with the fastball. Boykin's definitely out of sorts, and Jackson's headed out to the mound to talk to his pitcher. That's the first walk Higgins has drawn all year, in 37 at-bats. Now you've got trouble in Brandon Dixon and Tarise Ellis, two of the top hitters in the Scouts lineup today, with slugger Roland Harrington taking the day off...

...

I don't know what Jackson had to say to Boykin, but it worked. Boykin gets the rookie Dixon to chase a fastball up around the shoulders for out number 1. That'll bring Ellis to the plate. Ellis is having an off-year, after the Scouts moved the two-time Top Leather award winner at first base to the outfield to get Dixon into the lineup full time. He'll tell you that the defensive switch isn't affecting him, but he hasn't looked comfortable at the plate in this series at all. The big right hander stands in, digs in the batter's box and awaits the first offering from Boykin. There go the runners! Fastball on the inside corner, here's the throw... Ashman is OUT AT THIRD! Great pitch to throw on, and Jackson put it right on the bag. That's just the third time Ashman's been caught this year. Higgins goes to second on the double steal, but that's a big second out for the Greens...

...

Ellis swings at the 2-1 fastball and lifts a long, slow arcing pop fly into right center. Tega's over, he's under it, and that's the third out. No runs, no hits, a runner left, and a nice job of wriggling out of the jam...

(to be continued...)