Kristina Thorson vs Sarah Pauly.

We've already beaten the toughest pitcher we would face in these games, so we should be able to hit against the Bandits. But can we keep the Bandits, who were just on fire the last month, off the scoreboard?

This game was being streamed live via MLB.com, and if this is the quality of their normal streaming operations, I am shocked that anyone pays for it. Fortunately the Bandits radio is also covering this game. Game Tracker never worked at all.

Nicole Barber hits a fly ball near the left field line that is misplayed by Nicole Trimboli. Barber hustles the whole way, and is able to score on the play. Even though there are 6 umps, including one on each line, the Bandit coach argues that the ball was foul, but he loses the argument. Great start for the Glory, so we'll see if it continues. Hughes goes down swinging for the first out. (I can hear Amber Jackson's music playing in the background as she steps to the plate. This surprises me, since this is an away game.)  Jackson grounds out to 2B. Oli  is hit by the first pitch, somewhere on the leg. She limps slightly on her way to first. Sara Larquier grounds out to SS to end the inning. But we have another first inning lead, just as in the previous game, so hopefully it will turn out the same way.

Stacy May leads off the game for the Bandits. She grounds out to 3B for out number one. Kristie Fox grounds out to 3B, but Pauly is called for the second illegal pitch of the inning. This nearly bites us, as she then hits a long fly ball, but it just barely stays in the park, and is caught by Jessica Moore in left. Rachel Folden gets the first hit for the Bandits, with a single to right. Jaime Clark puts the Bandits on top, with a shot that nearly cleared the 245 mens fence. Trimboli ended the inning with a groundout to 1B. We were down 1 after 1.

Courtney Bures leads off the Glory 2nd with a groundout to SS. Jessica Dignon beats out a slow roller to third (might have been an error on May). Callie Piper ends the inning with a double play grounder to SS. Not a good way to answer the Bandit HR.

Samantha Findlay is in the lineup for the Bandits today. When we played them last, we shut down Findlay so well that she became a part time player for a while. Hopefully we would continue to keep her in check today. A groundout to 3B gets the inning started. Mindy Cowles sneaks a bloop over Larquier and through Jackson for a single. Laura Harms hits a line drive to Larquier, whose snap throw to first is in time to double off Cowles and end the inning. Still 2-1 Bandits after 2.

Jessica Moore starts the Glory 3rd with an out, as did Barber (the video failed for me here, and the TV audio people were more interested in talking about things other than what happened on the field). Hughes singled, and Jackson plated Hughes with a triple down the RF line to tie the game. Oli then crushed a ball to center that even 220 couldn't contain. Larquier strikes out on what looked like a check swing, and she had some words for the home ump on her way to the dugout. The inning was over, but we were back on top, 4-2.

The Bandits had the 9-1-2 hitters scheduled to hit in the bottom of the third. Aimee Morales lined out to Oli for out number 1. May hit a fly to center, but less than 220 and caught by Hughes in center for out number 2. Kristie Fox grounded out to SS to make it a 1-2-3 inning. Still up 4-2 after 3 complete.

Bures started off the 4th inning with a popup to left. Dignon beat out a grounder to SS. As Piper stepped in, Amanda Freed was warming up in the Bandit pen. Piper popped up to 2B for out number 2. Moore takes strike 1 as Dignon steals second base. Moore then grounds out to SS to end the inning.

The Bandits lead off with Folden, who flied out to center for the first out. Jaime Clark drew a walk. (Jenkins pinch-runs for Clark.) Trimboli watches while Jenkins foolishly tests Piper, and is sent back to the dugout as punishment. Trimboli makes that choice hurt the Bandits, as she hits a fly ball over the men's fence, which scores just 1 instead of 2. Findlay draws a walk to prolong the inning. Coach Carie makes a pitching change, as Pauly was into her 11th inning today. Desiree Serrano comes in to face Cowles while Taryne Mowatt warms up in the bullpen. Desi gets Cowles on strikes to end the inning. We're still up, but the lead is down to 4-3, at the end of 4 innings.

The 5th inning starts with the top of the order for the the Glory. Barber hits a comebacker for the first out. Hughes gets to first as a result of being hit by a pitch, and she remains in the game after a short delay. After hurting us, could Jackson return the favor and hurt the Bandits? No. She lined out to 3B, and Hughes dives back to avoid the double play. Oli works the count to 3-1 before lining the ball right back up the middle and through the wickets of Thorson in the circle. Larquier had a great opportunity to give us a cushion, but she swung and missed for strike three to end the inning.

The Bandits inning started with Laura Harms, who lined out to Bures. Morales hits a fly to shallow left that Moore tracks down for the second out. May hits a liner to the LC gap that Hughes keeps from getting to the fence with a diving snag, and she nearly threw out May at second. Fox grounded out to 3B to end the inning. Still 4-3 Glory after 5.

Catalina Morris pinch-hit for Bures to start the 6th inning. She strikes out swinging. Dignon flies out for the second out. Piper lines out to SS to end the inning.

For the Bandits in the bottom of the 6th, Folden doubles down the left field line. Ashley Carlson runs for Folden. Jaime Clark swung and missed at a high pitch for the first out. Trimboli takes several pitches, during which Piper fails to catch a pitch that did not bounce, allowing Carlson to take third. Trimboli then walks. Findlay steps in, as all sorts of options come into play. A squeeze is unlikely, but a steal of second seems certain. Neither happened, as Findlay doubles over the head of Hughes in center to score both runners, giving the Bandits the lead with just 1 inning left. This brings in Mowatt, though it may be too late. Emily Nichols runs for Findlay at second, as scoring her would quite possibly put the game out of reach. Cowles steps in, and watches strike 3 go by for the second out. Amanda Freed pinch-hits for Harms. Freed quickly gets in an 0-2 hole, but doesn't chase a waste pitch. After fouling off the next pitch, she takes a low pitch that goes through the legs of Piper, allowing Nichols to take third. Two more pitches are fouled off, and the next pitch is grounded back up the middle to score the runner from third. (The runner may have scored anyway, without the passed ball/wild pitch, but we'll never know for sure.) Harms re-enters to run for Harms. Morales also gets in an 0-2 hole, then takes ball 1 as Harms steals second. Morales flies out to RF to end the inning. The Glory trail 6-4 with just 3 outs remaining.

Our last hopes are Moore, Barber, and Hughes, though we might see a pinch hitter. Moore takes an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle for a single. Barber steps in as the tie run, but not before Jessica Sallinger comes in to relieve Thorson. Barber worked the count to 3-2 before tapping it back to Sallinger. But she throws high to second, and everyone is safe. Hughes fails to get the bunt down, then flies out to short left for the first out. Jackson is called out on a low "strike" to bring up Oli as our last chance. Oli watches strike one go by, then swings at the next pitch, a very high one, and pops up to end the game and the season. Final score was 6-4.

I really don't think we had a shot at beating the Bandits twice today, since Pauly had to pitch the first game in full, so if we weren't going to win both, there was no real reason to win the first.

After taking third in the season, we took second in the championship. Neither is what we hoped for, but we'll try to regroup, improve, and try again next year.

End notes: In addition to the music as our players come up to bat, another sign that we are feeling at home was Jessica Moore losing yet another race around the bases to her four-legged friend Nala.

From the video, it didn't look like the Championship game was attended nearly as well as last year's seemed to be.

The Force, who have copied us quite a bit towards the end of the season (2-for1 season tickets, starting a travel team), continued doing so in Kimberly. The players were dancing on the dugouts between innings during this game, just like we did last year.