Florida Finis

             It’s always nice to be proven right as a prophet.  A team that started 1-3 in Florida ends their stay at 8-4, winning the final two games by scores of 10-0 and 4-3.

With Tufts bumped from our schedule, the Middlebury game, our last here, emerged as an important measure of how good the Bluejays are; Middlebury went 26-11 last year in the same conference as Tufts.  I’ve been talking about defense helping out the pitching, but this time it was the other way around.  Tiffany, one of our two starters, hales from downstate Illinois, where Cardinal fans predominate; she certainly has a bit of Dizzy Dean about her.  The girl believes in good ol’ country hardball, the 12” version.  Despite three infield errors costing two runs, Tiffany was less fire-baller than magician, especially in turning a pitcher-to-home-to-first double play with the bases loaded and nobody out.  Clare had a hit and an rbi in each game.  Her 11 rbi’s are the most she’s ever had in Florida.  That’s nearly a pace of an rbi a game, which would give her both the single-season and career rbi records.

I was so caught up in the game and afterwards—doing stats and talking to Coach—I’d forgotten this was it: no more Florida for this player.  Clare knew and was pretty upset.  I did what a parent is supposed to and consoled my daughter.  I can only hope she’ll do the same for me when the time comes later this spring.