Worked a college friendly tonight - For my first NCAA game I had Cal Bears vs Pete Turner's San Jose Spartans. It was quite something but by all accounts I did just fine. Called one low one a strike and lordie you think I shot the pope or something.. jeez. Turner wanted a "hit the ball out of the box" but that girl was just lightening fast, I doubt he could see that. She was in the next zip code already anyway.
Had a goofy play. Cal's R1@3B R2@1B . a blooper between R1 and 3B and I got screened and saw the ball land right near the fair side of the line, then it shot over to the dugout - I simply could not tell fair or foul .. too many bodies in the way .. scrambling to bases and scrambling for the ball - I lost the ball - .. 3 man crew so 3U on the line, I look at partner, no signal from him so I give a fairly inconspicuous "fair signal" - I figured 50/50 shot and we could fix that one..so that way my call. So all hell breaks loose and runners and defenders go every whichaway.. and San Jose is going ape sheet, hell I think someone even gave birth and the sky split open - so when its all said and done I get with 3U and apparently it wasnt even close, missed fair by about a foot... So I took a little beating for that one... oh well. I still figure its better to call fair (or nothing I suppose) than guess a foul.. but my bad.
So as of tonight, I am NCAA...and here goes nothing. I'll just do my best.
1 bad call, 1 bad strike call and I could critique my self On several minor things but thats that.
Its a different level of intensity and you always gotta be working on your game and I'll have to make sure I am up for this challenge, or at least try at it.