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Game recap.

Game 2 of the series took place under the threat of showers and thunderstorms. The threat was not empty, as it rained lightly much of the evening, and hard enough to cause about a thirty minute rain delay. Joining me tonight were Mary and hubby Bruce, and Stash.

Desiree got the start tonight, and quickly struck out leadoff batter Maria Soto. Jineth Pimentel followed with a line shot down the left field line for a probable double, but was robbed on a diving catch by LaDonia Hughes. This saved a run, since Yuruby Alicart followed with a long bomb to left-center. The hitting continued, with Denisse Fuenmayor doubling to deep right-center, scoring on a single by Ruby Rojas. Yusmary Perez flew out to left to end the inning, and Team Venezuela lead 2-0.

Kelly Kretschman returned to the leadoff spot tonight, and got this party started (as the song says) with a double to deep right-center. But the next 3 batters went 1-2-3 to end the inning.

Team Venezuela continued swinging well in the second inning, as Yaicey Sojo lead off with a solo home run. Neither team scored again until the Glory came to bat in the bottom of the third, down 3-0. With one out, Hughes was hit by the pitch, and stole second easily as the throw bounced well before second base. Hughes ended up scoring on a wild pitch, and the score was 3-1 after three.

In the 4th, Sarah Pauly came in to relieve Desiree, but Team Venezuela still answered with a run of their own. Ruby Rojas started the inning with a walk, and moved to third on a single by Yusmari Perez, then scored on a delayed double-steal.

We tried to answer again in the bottom of the inning, also with a leadoff walk, to Amber Jackson. Amber stole second, and once again the throw did not make it close to second base in the air, bouncing about half way between the mound and the bag. She took third on Sara Larquier's flyout to right, but was stranded there by Nichole Thompson's grounder to first and Stephanie Best's come-backer.

Neither team threatened again until the Glory half of the 6th, but we ran ourselves out of a couple runs, at least. Larquier started things with a single to left, and was standing on second when Thompson lined a hard shot straight up the middle, hitting the pitcher in either the gut or the groin. (Replays were inconclusive.) Unfazed, she picked up the ball and threw to third, but Sara slid in safely under the tag, thanks to the high throw.

With first and third and no outs, for some reason we tried a delayed double-steal. Even though the catcher had yet to get a throw all the way to second, Larquier was sent home once the catcher released the ball. The throw was cut off, and the throw home was in time to get Sara at the plate. (Why we didn't just steal second in this case, I don't know.) Stephanie Best struck out for the second out of the inning. Nicole Barber hit a line shot to left, which bounced off the tip of the left-fielder Ruby Rojas's glove for an error. Barber reached second and Thompson scored. Rojas redeemed herself on the next play, when Callie Piper hit a hard, quick grounder to left and Barber tried to score from second. She didn't, which ending the inning. We went 1-2-3 in the seventh, suffering only our second loss at home. Desiree took the loss, and is now 6-2 on the year.

Other than the first inning, Desiree and Sarah combined for a decent game, totalling 9 strikeouts. But Venezuela pitcher Mariangee Bogado shut us down, and some questionable base coaching cost us the ability to take advantage of the few hits we did get.

On the way in to the game tonight, I chatted with owner Paul Wilson and learned that Oli's injury is to her hand. Her status is day-to-day, but Paul thinks she'll be back soon.