The Hillsborough Generals put the tying run on second and the winning run on first with one out in the bottom of the last inning of last nights division championship game vs. the T-Bags, but were unable to convert in a gut-wrenching 5-4 loss.
"This is the kind of loss that will leave you talking to yourself," said LF Bobby Fenton. "I will go to bed tonight, and I will wake up tomorrow morning, all with absolutely no idea how we lost that game."
The Generals uncharacteristically had trouble scoring runs all evening, and went into the bottom of the last down 5-2. After a ground ball out to lead off the inning, the Gens were able to get one run across and load the bases with one out and the score 5-3. Their one-two hitters, Fenton and Matt Fisherman, were next up, and a hit by either one would have at least tied the game.
"Things looked good," said catcher Artie Fordyce. "I would take us in that situation with those guys coming up ten times out of ten."
Fenton laced the first pitch into the left centerfield gap, but the ball hung for just an instant and allowed the T-Bags centerfielder to run it down. A tag up run came across to make it 5-4, and that left the table still set for Fisherman.
"I honestly thought I had won the game right there," said Fenton. "I thought it was in the gap to clear the bases, but that little [expletive deleted] ran it down. Give him credit."
Fisherman, one of the best General hitters throughout his career, flew out to right field to end both teams's seasons. He left abruptly after the game without speaking to the media.
The rest of the Generals lingered in the players parking lot afterwards, drinking beer out of the trunks of their cars and pondering how they let slip away a game against a team they had beaten twice and slaughtered once in the regular season.
"We were missing some guys, sure," said 2B Anthony Fordyce. "Buck, Scotty B, Swope, DeLessio, but we had the lineup to win this ballgame tonight."
Some were more heated than others after the game.
RF Bob Haught fell int that category, saying, "The T-Bags were what we thought they were, okay? They had an okay defense. We saw them twice in the regular season and blew them out. They were what we thought they were. And if you wanna crown their ass, then go ahead and crown their ass. But THEY WERE WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE, ALRIGHT? And we let them off the hook!"
The Generals will regroup for a week before playing in the first round of the Hillsborough County Tournament of Champions next Wednesday at 7:00. The Generals have already qualified for that tournament by virtue of their 10-0 record and division title last season.
