The Alexandria A's added to their list of DC Wood Championships, but the Falls Church Barons did not go easy.  Although no Baron was able to figure out Bruton this night, the Barons worked hard on the defensive side and allowed the A's only run (from a SAC fly). A 1-0 victory and the Fall Ball Championship to the Alexandria A's.

It is hard to sweep a doubleheader in this League, especially in a Play-off.  But the Alexandria A's had to feel like they were in pretty good shape going into the bottom of the first inning of the second game of this series.  They had just won the first game, 14-1, behind J. Bell.  They opened the scoring of the first game with an RBI double from J. Bell.  Although the Falls Church Barons got one in the top of the third to pull even, the A's put up 5 in the bottom of the third and just walked away from there, scoring in bunches in almost every inning thereafter.

So, when they put up two more in the top of the first inning of tonight's second game, and then sent D. Lohrman to the mound, the Barons' prospects seemed . . well . . , not good.  But, C. Davis righted himself on the mound for the Barons, and in the 5th inning the Barons put together back to back to back singles, and a three run double by Mardeusz to go ahead.  The A's blew all their scoring on the first game.  They did not get another run after the first inning of the second game, and the Barons extended this Championship Series to Tuesday with a 3-2 win.

In the top of the first today, the DC Cardinals' first three runners reached, and with bases loaded, none out, and some dangerous hitters approaching, it appeared likely the Cardinals would break out on top.  It didn't happened.  The Cardinals did not score in the first.  When the Alexandria A's then put up four in the bottom of the first, the Cardinals might well have folded up.  Not your day.  That didn't happen either.  Instead the Cardinal put up three of their own in the second inning, then two more in the third.  After the A's added another run in the fourth, the teams went into the fifth, tied at five.  In the fifth, however, the A's took advantage of some poor Cardinals fielding and got 5 more.  The teams continued to battle after that, and both teams put up two more, but the 5 run fifth was the back-breaker and in the end the difference, as the A's won, 12-7 to advance to the Championship Final, which begins tomorrow, against the Falls Church Barons.  S. Lohrman went the distance for the A's and got the win.

The winner of today's Alexandria A's/DC Cardinals game will host the opener of the Championship Series, a two out of three series, which will begin with a DH tomorrow (Sunday), 5pm, Frank Mann Field.  The Fall Church Barons will host the second game, which will follow immediately.  If a third game is necessary, it will be on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 7:30pm, Frank Mann Field. 

The Alexandria/Arlington Senators upset run ended yesterday with a 9-4 loss to the Falls Church Barons in a game that was closer than the final score suggests.  The Barons are in the Championship final.

After tonight's Alexandria A's/DC Cardinals game the Barons' opponent is still not determined.  The A's and Cardinals played 11 innings of baseball before local ordinances, and lack of lighting forced the ending of their game without a winner being determined.  The A's got brilliant pitching from Bruton and D. Lohrman and but for an RBI single by the Cardinals' Siegmund, they would have won.  However the Cardinals also got brilliant pitching from Moffet and Stancil.  But for a single HR by Leviton, the Cardinals would have won.  Neither team won.  The game ended A's 1, Cardinals 1.

The A's and Cardinals must play again to determine who goes to the Championship final against the Barons.  Their game will be this Saturday, 10am at Frank Mann Field.  The Championship finals opening DH is moved to Sunday, November 8, time and location TBA (most likely late afternoon).

Fields in Maryland are dressed for us, both before and after games, so nothing is required there except to police the area for trash.  We DO NOT leave any trash in any dugout, even if it was there when you got there.

For fields in Fairfax, DC, Alexandria, and Arlington, we must dress the field after every game.  Our goal is to leave every field in BETTER shape than we find it.  To that end, all teams MUST have at least one team field rake so that for every Fairfax, DC, Alexandria or Arlington game there are at least two rakes available if none can be found at the field.

After games we fill in all holes at home, on the mound, and at any bases.  We also rake the infield dirt to leave it in good playing shape for the next use.  If there are tarps, we put them down - ALL of them. 

If at game time there has been rain earlier in the day, we adhere to the following:

1.  If when walking on the field, you leave a footprint impression either in the grass or the dirt, that field is too wet to take play.

2.  If you get out early and feel there is time for the field to dry with some work before game time, you can rake as needed in the dirt sections, but NO DIRTY WATER IS TO BE TAKEN FROM BASEPATHS - especially no dirty water is to be raked into the grass.  Dirty water dries into mud, which then kills the grass!  Water can be raked in such a way as to more evenly spread it out in the dirt so it will dry faster, but never take any mud off the field.