Golden Strip Baseball Tournament

 After the regular baseball season ended, the leagues from three local cities participated in a tournament.  Each age group had different tournament levels so that all the teams within each tournament level were fairly evenly matched.  Joseph's team was in the platinum tournament for 4th and 5th grade, and Joshua's team was in the silver tournament for 2nd and 3rd grade.  The tournament was double elimination and took place over the course of two weeks.  Joseph's team was undefeated the first week, played and won one game the second week, and thereby got into the championship game on Friday night.

(Unrelated, but related:  We had had plans since March to go camping with our community group on the weekend of the championship game--long before we knew it was the weekend of the championship game).

Meanwhile, Joshua's team lost the second game they played, dropping them to the losers' bracket.  This meant they had to play consecutive nights the second week as long as they kept winning.  Lo and behold, they won Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night.  Now they were also in their championship game on Friday night.

Now, in terms of our camping trip, we had already given up on Friday night camping earlier in the week.  BUT, if Joseph's team won Friday night AND if Joshua's team lost Friday night (not that we were hoping for that, but we really were surprised they had made it this far), baseball would be over for us and we would head to the campground Saturday morning.

However.

God has been teaching me to hold my plans loosely.

Friday night, Joshua's team played first.  And in the last inning, they came from behind and won.  This meant it was the other team's first loss, and the two teams had to replay each other Saturday morning at 9:30 to determine the actual champions.

And then.

Joseph's team lost when their opponents came from behind in the last inning and won.  This meant it was Joseph's team's first loss, and the two teams had to replay each other Saturday morning at 11:00 to determine the actual champions.

(Where are the pictures? you are asking.  I didn't take any during the games.  They were too intense.  The pictures are coming.  Just hold on.)

Saturday morning Joshua's team played for the 5th day in a row, and they beat the other team soundly.  The tournament had a seven-runs-per-inning rule, and Joshua's team got so far ahead that the other team could not catch up.  The game ended in the middle of an inning.  Very few people had kept track of the exact score and the exact situation, so it took a minute for it to register that we had won and were, in fact the CHAMPIONS!

 (What is Tony looking at?)

(Better.)

 Lining up for their 1st place medals

 Getting his medal from Coach Dad

 INDIANS! one last time

Ready to watch his brother's game

Now it was time for Joseph's game.  Our starting pitcher had pitched the night before, so he couldn't pitch.  Our 2nd pitcher, who is also our 1st catcher, was playing an early game on a travelling team and wasn't there for the start of the game.  Our 3rd pitcher and 2nd catcher had a hard time getting in sync with each other.  After the top of the first inning (27 minutes long), we were down 7-0.  By now, the 2nd pitcher/1st catcher had arrived.  Our 4th pitcher and he got into a good rhythm in the second inning.  Fast forward to the bottom of the last inning.  We were down 10-3.  If you're doing the math, you know we have to score the maximum 7 runs we're allowed in order to tie things up.  And that's just what we did.  In the extra inning, the other team scored two runs.  (Or maybe it was one.  I think it was two.  Joseph and Tony aren't home right now to check with.)  Then, some guys got on base and some things happened (it's a blur by now).  Then Joseph drove in the tying run.  Then the batter two after Joseph drove in Joseph, and we WON the game.  CHAMPIONS!

 Getting his medal from Coach DeVaney

 Champion brothers (and their little brother running the bases in the background)

Yes, Tony changed shirts and hats between games to reflect the proper coaching allegiance.

If you're wondering about the camping trip at this point, congratulations on actually making it through all my storytelling.  It was 1:00 by the time Joseph's game finished.  We grabbed lunch at home and headed to the campground, where we enjoyed boating, wading, eating dinner, playing corn hole, sitting around the campfire, and eating S'mores with our friends.  Then we drove home and slept (well) in our own beds!