[Westheim]

One for eternity. NWSN's (Northwest Sports Net) Cubby Hairston with the call of a particular graveyard shift game in late September.

Welcome back at Raccoons Ballpark, we have a new pitcher in the game, Juan Diaz finishing his warm-ups trying to favorably dissolve this jam the Furballs have gotten themselves into. Cipriano Miranda allowed four hits through seven innings of shutout ball, but things have run sour in this top half of the eighth inning. Two hits, an error by Daniel Sharp, then a single by Dave Carroll off Manuel Martinez, and now the game is tied at two, with two men on, and one out.

Diaz has walked 34 batters in 35.2 innings this season. He is not what the Raccoons were looking for from the left side in their bullpen. The Bayhawks have Tom Walls on second, and Dave Carroll on first.

Luke Black, who pinch-hits for Alfredo Marquez to negate Diaz’ left-handedness, steps in. He is a .220 batter this season, a far cry from earlier success.

Here comes the first pitch. And that’s past Julio Mata! The runners move up, as Mata goes to retrieve that ball!

Boy, oh boy, did the Raccoons look for something else from Diaz at this point!

And Lance Cox in the home dugout does not look happy at all.

One and nothing to Luke Black. Diaz winds up, and that one is low – but catches the corner and it is called a strike. One and one to Luke Black, who takes a hack before stepping back in.

The game is tied at two, one out in the top of the eighth, with two men in scoring position for the Bayhawks, and Juan Diaz pitching to Luke Black.

Diaz shakes off Mata, once, twice. Now he gets set. –

It bounces off the plate, and past a befuddled Mata! Here comes Tom Walls, and no throw from Mata, and the Bayhawks take the lead!

Dreadful silence at the park on this cold Wednesday night. Just when everything seemed to get right for the Raccoons in this game. Both Henry Selph and Cipriano Miranda gave up only two hits through six innings, and then the Raccoons took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh on a terrible error by Dave Carroll, yet now things are already reversed.

And in that dugout, Miranda can’t believe it either.

Two and one to Luke Black, as the pitching coach is out there to check after Diaz’ condition. The Raccoons had nobody in their bullpen and just now Scott Wade has gone up and started tossing.

The pitching coach has bought some time. Lance Cox stares bleakly into the night. His mind seems to be what Scott Wade can do keep this from escalating.

Diaz gets set. Two wild pitches in the at-bat, and two and one the count to Luke Black. Three-two Bayhawks with another runner on third base and one out. Here it comes – (voice cracks) and it goes COMPLETELY PAST MATA!! Mata scampers after it, Carroll comes home easily, and the Bayhawks hold a 2-run lead!

(silence but for the boos)

I have never seen anything like this. Three wild pitches in one at-bat. This is the low point. You can not get any worse, for there can not be any more runners on base during any given at-bat.

The three-one pitch is in the dirt, and Luke Black walks, and here comes the pitching coach. And Lance Cox, and he looks terribly unhappy.

And somebody just tossed a hot dog onto the field! The Raccoons are actively alienating their own fans once again tonight!