Little Ray Keeps Us Smiling

July 30, 2012.  5:30PM.  Great Lawn 4.  The past two weeks had been tough.  After a crucial victory against FXF on July 10, a game we (TPG) considered the Turning Point Of The Season, we thought we were 100% playoff bound.  We had momentum, we had fight, we even had a bit of luck.  But the road is not always smooth.  There are hills, curves, bumps, and even the occasional roadkill.  TPG carried leads in each of the next two games - first against SS and then the next week against PCF.  But in both of those games we lost the lead, and ultimately the game.  Our backs were against the wall.  Our emotions got the best of us.  There was anger, there was sadness, and there was no joy. 

So now TPG was faced with needing to win their last two games and getting a tiny bit of help from either GA, SS, or RAMSA.  Our game last night was against RRA, who had been on an absolute tear, giving up a total of only 2 runs in their past 5 games (granted one was a forfeit win vs presently-defunct EA), and having just beaten RAMSA.  Oh, and to make matters worse, TPG's starting LF Ray "I am not a chicken" Dominguez could not make the game.

Okay, fine, this is after all just a softball league for Architects.  No matter what, it should be fun, right?  So that's when we reached even deeper for help last night.  With today's roster deadline approaching, TPG signed one final recruit to help us along the way.  Meet Little "I am a rubber chicken" Ray:

With Little Ray's help, we found our smile.  We made sure he had a great view of the game:

We played defense, highlighted by stellar plays from our 3B Lynee "cannon arm - don't even think about testing it" Hastings.  We even scored some runs with clutch hitting by C Alison "yeah, and i can run fast too" Hopke, and a monster HR by SS Tommy "Guns" Anderson.  Final score 9-7, TPG wins.  With a win in our final game of the season against GSA and a win by either SS against KPF or RAMSA against FXF, TPG will be playoff bound in 2012.

Game ball goes to.... Well who do you think?  Little Ray of course.