The Bobcats were on edge; they were nervous and pumped up on adrenalin, but at the same time lacking in caffeine and sleep. The pitches seemed much smaller than last year and after being directed to the wrong pitch, we didn’t have much time to warm up. However, Quentin, Chris and Justin came up with a good line up and into the field we went.
Our first combatants were the Grand Balls – who stole our beloved Saps (soon to be voted as Best Traitor for the End of Season Awards) as a ringer. It was a slow game and unfortunately the Bobcats were not in the zone! There were several slips and very few slides. The result was the Grandballs 8 – Bobcats 4.
A little bit disheartened the Bobcats immediately entered into their next game against the Leeds Terriers. The game instantly improved after Quentin’s and Chad’s home runs.
Cara, who was in right field, was the Terrier’s target, but little did they know she would play so brilliantly. She caught a fantastic fly ball both in right field and later at third and she consistently stopped many potential home runs. Tad also hit an fantastic line drive, which fortunately just missed Meg’s head while she was at third base. Both made it home safely! The final result, the Bobcats 16 – Terriers 9.
We then had a much needed hour break in between games; during which we were served tea, coffee, bacon butties and brownies by Chris’ family. Our support van (as it came to be known) was absolutely marvellous and we cannot thank Mike, Sam, Becky and Rosie enough for all their kind support, enthusiasm, and much needed refreshment.
Our third game was against the Spidermonkeys. The Bobcats were fully up to speed at this point and our base running was considered aggressive! Very few mistakes were made in the field but it was still a close game. The final result was Bobcats 7 - Spidermonkeys 6.
The fourth game against the Crazy Tails was immense! The Bobcats were superb and a better game of Softball has never been seen! The fielding was flawless and the batting was spectacular. Quentin was on fine form as Pitcher – throwing non-stop strikes and stopping any balls that came within any reachable (and in some cases unreachable) distances. Sapin made up for his traitorous activities earlier in the day by catching any ball that flew into left field. Both Quentin and Justin got fantastic home runs and even Kate caught a fly ball in centre field, instantly followed by a good hit which resulted in a triple! The result: Bobcats 13 – Crazy Tails 1.
For the next two hours the Bobcats were full of energy, adrenaline and good spirits. However, this paid its toll and by our final game the Bobcats were shattered. To determine who came third in the tournament, the Bobcats had to face The Bristol Phoenixes. It was a intense game; everyone played their best, but they were tired and it showed in the field. However, spirits remained high and even though the Bobcats lost by one point we are determined to beat them in Monmouth(30th October)!
As usual the Cotswold Tournament was a fantastic day and the Bobcats played brilliantly. Their training this year has certainly paid off and we are going from strength to strength. A big thanks goes to Chris and Justin for scoring during the day and to Quentin for leading and coaching the team.
The tournament showed that the Bobcats are an amazing team – not just in skill and team work, but also socially. No one has more fun or team spirit than the Bobcats!
Here are just some of the highlights from the day:
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