Good morning Pilot Nation - what an amazing day of baseball we were treated to yesterday afternoon at Rolland Moore.  Your Pilots shut out an emotionally charged Trappers team 10-0 in the play-in game - and then upset the mighty Spartans 16-9 to earn a trip to the 12U semi-finals.  The FCP scattered 26 hits and stole 29 bases on the afternoon to keep on the pressure and the scoreboard and punch our ticket to more baseball.

This 2020 Pilots flight has been fun.  Turbulence?  Absolutely.  Adorably small bags of free pretzels?  Not so much.  Yesterday our Pilot family learned that this flight is not over.  Put your own mask on before helping others Pilot fans - we've got MOmentum in the cabin ... 

Pilot Bats:  Baseball dreams are not built on walks, and the Pilots were swinging at everything - EVERYTHING - to kick off game 1 vs the Trappers.  The Trap were effective at keeping the impatient FCP in check until the 4th, and then the hits started raining down for the rest of the day.  A Carson triple here - a Jayden homer there - 3 hits from Ollie and 2 from Jack T - and Jack R chipping in a 2 run single.  Team effort.  Game 2 opened up in a hurry with the Pilots hanging a 5 spot on the Spartans in the first frame.  Carson took the first pitch of the game to LF for a statement single.  We saw 4 Pilots with 2 hits apiece - doubles by Henry and Jayden - triples by Jack T and Cooper - 2 out RBIs by Corte, Carson and Kevin.  And those who were unable to sneak a ball thru the infield worked active walks.  Luke earned a trip to 1st via a 7 pitch walk where he fouled off two 2 strike fastballs.  He stole a base and came around to score.  Cooper summed up the Pilots onslaught at the plate after ripping a ball to CF, standing on third, grinning from ear to ear and totally out of breath - 'I didn't even feel it hit my bat ... I DIDN'T EVEN FEEL IT HIT MY BAT!'

Pilot Arms:  The FCP owned the mound all afternoon - with 7 different lads toeing the pitching rubber for the good guys.  Carson set the tone early vs the Trappers with 2 innings pitched - 2ks - and a rare and tidy 1-2-3 second inning.  Jayden, Kevin and Ollie kept the Trappers off balance and off the scoreboard, striking out a combined 7 batters and securing the big Pilot blue, white and red W.  Game 2 came quick and SP Ben proved to be ready to take the reins.  He recorded 3 strikeouts in the 1st, limiting the potent Spartans offense to 2 runs.  Jack T and Henry battled their way thru the final 2 super stressful innings to secure the match, set, and trip to the semis!

Pilot Gloves:  Pilot baseball is such a beautiful thing when our boys execute.  And because I've been taught never to bury the lead let's jump right to the loudest and most well executed out of the afternoon - Jack R turning a well hit Spartan rip to LF into the 3rd and final out of the Pilots latest upset win.  WIth the bases loaded and the #2 seeded Spartans threatening in the bottom of the 4th, Jack R showed off 2 months of practice and 14-ish games of outfield drills - and with every single eye at Rolland Moore field 3 upon him - owned the moment.  The Pilot celebration in shallow LF that quickly ensued is the stuff of legend.  The Pilots turned 2 double plays on the afternoon that need to be mentioned.  In the first inning vs. the Trappers SS Kevin fielded a grounder cleanly - fired to Ollie at 1B for the standard foce out - who then fired a strike to C Jack to nail a runner trying to get on the board.  Tone setter!  In game 2 we saw 2B and birthday boy Luke settle under an infield popout and double up a runner with a controlled throw to Jack R at 1B.  Plus plays that just flat out stop a team in their tracks.

Pilot Baserunning:  Speed around the basepaths has been a huge focus for the Pilots as of late and was translated to the field beautifully all afternoon.  29 SBs over the two games - with 20 of those steals coming in game 2 vs the Spartans.  Oliver lead the way with 7 - Kevin 5 - Ben 4 - and a pile of other Pilots getting their run on.  We were also treated to some unbelievable hustle down the line getting to first - and then taking advantage of extra bases with heads up baseball smarts throughout both games.  Henry turned a standard wild pitch/passed ball into a 1st to 3rd invitation.  He hustled - he made the turn at 2nd - he superman slid 6 feet into 3rd base.  Henry and his co-Pilots put themselves in a position to score and to win base by base by base.

Next Up:  We will have more information on who's next later this morning - so please look out for another email from me - but make no mistake your Pilots are playing (some might suggest with house money) TODAY @ Spring Park with first pitch scheduled for 5pm.  Please have your Pilot to the field between 3:45 and 4pm at the latest.  We're going to need our A games ... again ... so Pilots please come fully fed and watered and ready to rock.  Let's just replay the episode from yesterday ... it was just so flipping good!  And for those of us who grew up in the golden age of TV watching CHIPs, who doesn't enjoy the odd rerun once in a while.

The cheering from the 3rd base fan base yesterday was something special.  Thank you parents and families and fans for celebrating our Pilots with such passion.  Now comes the tricky part - we need to come back to the ballpark today and do it again.  Please keep your Pilot on a short leash today.  Let's give ourselves the best opportunity to bring it!

Go Pilots!

Coach Chris