Last at bat of the season, and as a rookie league player. The boys lost in their first game of the city-wide tournament. The other team was just better. Better at fielding, better at making plays, and better at hitting the ball to places where our players were not at. They deserved the win. Our boys played without a starting infielder (who was on crutches from a summer accident). They also lost another starter to illness after the first inning of the game. But they continued to play hard. There were a few errors, batting was off, and the season came to a hard end.
Overall, it was a great season. They were runner up in the overall point standings for their league and made it several games into their league tournament before losing to their eventual champions. It was a little bittersweet. I've been told that the years of Rookie League are the best ones in little league baseball. With coaches pitching, there are lots of opportunities for hitting and fielding. Fundamentals and instruction are still the key points of the game. And it's just fun to watch.
Connor will be nine this fall, and will move up into the next league where the players begin pitching. It's also a broader age (and ability) range. It will be a different world.
We're taking the summer off to do some fun things. Trips to the lake. Movies with friends. Trips to amusement parks. Swimming in the back yard pool. Week-long camps. Fall baseball will be here before you know it (in August, just as school starts back). Connor will be looking forward to one of those things. I'll let you guess which one.