4/26 v. the Zoo: Righting the ship.

"We WILL be more competetive than we have shown thus far."

Well, that didn't take long -- once the game eventually got started.

DOUBLE RAINBOW... What does it mean?!?

Rainy days can be tricky for any CCSL squad. Based on the most recent unofficial polling data available, approximately 12.4% of participants enjoy playing in soggy conditions, which makes fielding a full squad difficult for any team with a roster size smaller than NCC. It was a good sign to see a full contingent of Badgers brave the elements and take the field. Even more inspiring to have multiple fans and onlookers joining the fun behind our bench. Most importantly, it meant Paul could avoid taking the field with his recently-dislocated index finger still in a splint.

Don't need 10 fingers to hold a clipboard.

The Badgers started strong with three runs in the first, tacked on extra runs in the second and third innings, and then blew the game wide open in the fourth, as nine straight batters reached base and the first eight all crossed home plate. It had quickly become a romp. The Badgers finally allowed a run in the fifth but also tacked one on in the same inning. All sides agreed that, with darkness closing quickly, five innings was a sufficient length to determine the winner, and having met the criteria for an official game, it was agreed to call it at that point.

Apparently hitting with a recently-dislocated finger is OK. #NoPainNoGain

Not that everything was wine and roses - 2016 early-season stalwart Bob came up limping with a pulled quad after another fine catch in the outfield. And as good as we should feel about the performance, it is only fair to note that the Zoo was playing a man down, with attendance perhaps influenced by the wet weather. It's a lot easier to get hits against a three-person outfield, which may have helped us out a bit.  A win is a win, and it's hard to imagine that one more outfielder could have prevented all 13 runs. So we'll take it, and we'll build on it. 

Honey Badger bench.

FINAL SCORE: THB 14, ZOO 1

LESSON LEARNED: Attendance matters! Especially in adverse weather conditions. The Badgers have a doubleheader this week with plenty of gray clouds in the forecast. Let's mine that silver lining and let the other teams stay home, warm and dry, while we grab the wins.

MULTI-MEDIA TIME!

Maybe? We're trying this video thing out for the first time. Note that smooth Badger defense in the background (and that handsome Badger blogger in the foreground, of course). Thanks for the photos and video this week, Adriane! Badgers, the blog always welcomes and appreciates your contributions of visual documentation or even guest-posts. Please share!