April 17th, 2015              

    Today marked the opening game of the season for the Holly Reds, as they faced off as the away team against the Holly Red Sox at their home field. The game was close through the first couple of innings, though the Red team had the early lead. In the fifth inning the Reds team opened up a seemingly insurmountable lead, though the Red Sox team did their best to make it close in the bottom of the sixth. Shaky pitching was the Reds major downfall today, as the majority of the runs allowed were due to walks and wild pitches that eventually led to runs. The Reds did just enough to hang on, securing a 13-9 victory. Samantha started the game at second base in the field, doing a good job corralling a relay through and an attempted pickoff throw at second base. She managed to get three innings in at second before retreating to the bench with a sore knee. At the plate, she started off her season like she has so often in the past - with a walk. She singled in her second at-bat, and it may be the hit that she is the most proud of in her career - she literally broke the bat she was using (and no, it wasn't a wooden bat - it was a composite)! Without her lucky bat and with her sore knee she ended up going down swinging in her third and final at-bat of the game.

HLL Intermediate Baseball Holly Reds Game 1 - at Holly Red Sox
	Samantha throwing the relay back into second base.
	Sam in her fielding position at second base.
	Sam taking the throw from the catcher...
	...and trying to tag out the runner at the base.
	Sam swinging for the fences in her first at-bat of the season.
	Sam keeping her eye on the wall...
	...and celebrating her first walk of the season.
	Sam racing her way down to second base for a successful steal.
	Sam moving back a step as the ball bounces beside home plate.
	Samantha lining up a pitch...
	...and deciding against swinging once she saw it was going to be a ball.
	Sam taking aim at another pitch...
	...and driving the ball through the infield for her first base hit of the season.
	Sam taking off for another steal...
	...and coming in standing up at second base.
	Sam rounding third as her teammate drove her home.
	Samantha posing with her broken bat during a break in the game.
	Sam at the plate during her final at-bat.
	Sam swinging and missing a pitch.
	Sam getting ready to swing once again...
	...and striking out for the first time this year (she blamed it on not having her lucky bat any longer).