Game 11 is on the road, which is where we’ll be for five of the next six games. We travel north to Stockton, which is about an hour away. I remember Stockton well. They always seemed to kick our butts in football every year, as we were in the same conference. But I did win both our conference and district 100m races on Stockton’s track in 1989, so they're not all bad memories.
I ran my personal best in the 100m in that district meet, an 11.2, which sent me to the state meet in Jefferson City. We also broke our school record in the 4x100 relay. I'll never forget it because it was the fastest I've ever run in my life. I was the anchor, and the third leg was a sophomore who just happened to also play linebacker for us. Well, I misjudged how fast he was coming and we nearly botched the exchange. But the adrenaline dump I got thinking "Dino" (pronounced Dee-no) was about ready to run me over pushed me into overdrive. We were in 5th when I got the baton and we finished in third. I was gaining on the other two but ran out of real estate before I could catch them. My split was clocked at 10.6 seconds, but my coach blew it off as not possibly being accurate. I assured him it was.
The Tigers are currently 5-5 and in fourth place in District 13. John Daves gets the start today. He’s 1-1 on the year, with a 3.45 ERA. There’s a decent turnout for the game, with 106 people in the stands. In the top of the 1st, we record two quick outs, but then Chris Gause delivers a triple on a hard hit ball to deep left center. John Graham then breaks out of his hitting slump and brings Gause home on a base hit to left, giving us an early 1-0 lead. Daves had a bit of a rocky start, allowing a hit and throwing a wild pitch, but he gets out of the inning unscathed. Daves pitches well, though, shutting down the Tiger’s bats. It’s the best I’ve seen him pitch all year. In the top of the 5th, Blake McManus hits a leadoff single. My catcher, Billy Hunt, is a terrible hitter. We’re working on it, but I’m not sure how fast he’ll improve. But he can bunt, so he drops down a great bunt on the first base line to advance McManus on the sacrifice. Jon Stevens then delivers a double to center to score McManus, giving us a 2-0 lead. Daves keeps pitching well to stay in the game, getting lots of ground outs. McManus leads off the 7th with a double to center. Two outs later, he comes around to score on Chris Gause’s double to right center. Leading 3-0, I keep Daves in the game but get the bullpen warming with my emergency starter, Justin Schmitt. Daves makes it through the 7th, giving up a single for only the second Stockton hit of the game. We load the bases in the 8th, but can’t score. Schmitt comes in and allows a leadoff walk, but a 4-6-3 double play erases it. Schmitt faces three batters to get through the 8th. Amazingly enough, Schmitt is one of my less talented pitchers, but he’s not allowed a run in three innings pitched over three appearances. I bring in Danny Worley to close out the game. He allows a single, but ends the game and earns the save. We win the game 3-0, and our record improves to 7-4.
In Major League news, Chuck Finley of the California Angels pitched a shutout against the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome, as the Angels win their opener 6-0. Finley allowed only five hits and struck out three, but he did walk four batters in the game.