Bumps in the Road

Although legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas would go on to win three MVP awards and throw touchdown passes in 47 consecutive games—a record that stands to this day—the first toss that “Johnny U” ever made in the NFL was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Before Michael Jordan became one of the greatest basketball players ever to lace up a pair of high-tops, “His Airness” was cut from his high school’s varsity basketball team as a sophomore. Hall of Famer Willie Mays is considered by many to be the greatest all-around player ever to take the field, but “The Say Hey Kid” was an anemic 1-for-26 (an .038 average) at the plate to start his major league baseball career.

These are but a small sampling of the myriad examples in the annals of sports of bumps in the road encountered along the path to greatness, and last week the Louisville Longhorns found out firsthand what it is like to hit a couple of jarring potholes after having previously cruised smoothly down the highway of baseball success. Having won 20 consecutive games—many in convincing, and often lopsided, fashion—the Longhorns were not used to finding themselves at the malodorous end of a 14-6 drubbing, as they did last Wednesday night, nor were they expecting to relinquish a 6-2 lead in the final inning, an ignominious feat they managed to achieve the very next evening.

High-Fivin’: Matt Littlefield and Kathy Arnold were all smiles

before the start of Wednesday night’s Beechmont bout.

 RE-CAP   Last Wednesday night, the Louisville Longhorns would tally 2 runs each in 3 of the 4 innings played against a Louisville Thunder 12U club that is one of the top teams in the Beechmont 12U Competitive League. But the ’Horns would also dig themselves a hole by surrendering 5 first-inning scores, and they would subsequently bury themselves by allowing another 7 in the fourth frame in a make-up of a game that had been rained out earlier in the season. Though they would mount a 9-hit attack, the 14 safeties they yielded, along with 5 free passes and 3 errors in the field, were a quagmire from which even the talented Longhorn ten could not extricate themselves.

Noah Baugher was a bright spot on the bump.

 SILVER LININGS   How Do You Spell Relief?: Brought in with two on and only one out in the top of the first inning, Noah Baugher calmly climbed the hill and delivered 1-2/3 innings without giving up an earned run, with 3 of the 5 outs he registered coming via Whiff Way... Two-Timers: The two Andrews—Littlefield and Arnold—were both 2-for-3 at the plate, with the former scoring 2 runs and the latter driving home a pair... A Full House, and Then Some: Casey Simon had three of a kind and two pairs—3-for-3 at the plate, 2 bags burgled and 2 plate crossings... Kicking and Screaming: With his team down by 10 runs in their last at bat, Matthew Higgins refused to go down quietly, clouting a 2-run tater to make the final score that much more respectable.

Never-Say-Die Matthew Higgins prepares to go deep.

Sometimes it’s all just a blur.

 RE-CAP   After falling behind 2-0 after one, the Louisville Longhorns knotted the score in the third inning and took a 6-2 lead heading into the final frame in last Thursday night’s Beechmont 12U Competitive League contest against the unbeaten DC Bombers. At that point, well, I guess you could say that things did not go quite as well as the Longhorn faithful were hoping. (Insert sigh here).

Trey Sweeney at the plate, and Ryan Hamilton on deck,

keep their collective eyes on the ball.

 THURSDAY-TRIPPERS   Two to Tango: As in the previous game, the Andrew twins—Arnold and Littlefield—made waves, but this time on the mound, combining for 3 innings of no-hit, no-run ball and 5 strikeouts... Double Trouble: Back-to-back, run-scoring doubles by Littlefield and Casey Simon were the key blows in the Longhorns’ 4-run fourth inning... Brendo Perfecto: With a walk, an RBI single and 2 runs scored, Brendan Koester left nothing to be desired in his two trips to the plate.

Catcher Bryce Elmore would once again prove that crime doesn’t pay,

gunning down a would-be base bandit in the second inning.