So this begins my final game recap/photo blog post for the 2012/13 school year.  A 4A semifinal game between Pueblo West and Mountain View.  This game was interesting on many levels.  Two shooters from Pueblo area newspapers were there, 9News’s Arron Matas, the CHSAA Photographer (who was shooting her second ever baseball game, the first being game one of this twin bill) and fellow MaxPreps photographer Cindy Walker.  There were a couple other TV news cameras there, but they stayed up near the press box instead of coming into the media boxes on the field.

The first few innings were slow for action.  Not producing any plays of the game.  Matas was getting frustrated because he needed to get something and then get over to the 5A semifinal to get something.  For still shooters, the game was offering good stand by shots of pitchers, batters, catchers, but not a lot of action.  I got some useable shots from my remote this time around, but I stayed off of the dugout roof this time around.

I shot the first three innings from the first base side, and got some great shots.  The light was much nicer than the first game. One drawback, which made it really hard for me was the fact that neither one of the teams had numbers on the front of their uniforms.  It would have been fine if I was shooting for a news paper, and able to write down the uniform number, or shoot extra after the player turned around, but shooting the quantity I was for MaxPreps, it just did not allow for it, so, no photo has a caption.  I will however talk about each of the photos.

This first shot is one of my favorite static shots.  Catchers have a soft spot with me.  Especially on days like today when it was so hot out and they have more gear on than anyone else.  But the light I was getting was great and I loved how low this catcher was getting.

The next shot is kind of a safety shot.  No bat on ball, not even a base hit if I remember correctly, but it has the ball, the batter, and a swing.  But this us how the first few innings were going for me.  Not a lot of action but throwing and hitting.

It got a little better with a couple pick off attempts causing the runner on first to dive back to the bag, but like the first game, I wish I would have been able to get right down to the ground to shoot more into the eyes of the baserunner.

Unlike the first game, there were no home runs in this game, and when there was a hit, the runners were giving it their all to get to the bases.

The next shot is from my remote camera.  I was in the first base box triggering the camera with my PocketWizard.  I like the fact that runner has both feet off the ground.  The game at this point was slow, and really close.  I headed over to the third base media box and started giving Arron Matas a hard time because he was getting ready to leave.  I told him, “The second you drive off, this game is going to get exciting”  He laughed and said he knew that….

Pueblo West had the lead, and sure enough, as soon as Arron left for the 5A game, this game got good.  In the two photos below are of the same player as he rounds third base to go home taken from two different cameras, my 7D with 120-300 in my hand and my 1D with my 70-200 on the roof of the dugout.  It shows how you can get  two or more different angles.

7d from media box

1D remote on dugout rooftop.

Mountain View came from behind to tie the game up and make this exciting.  Pueblo West brought in a new pitcher to try to keep things calm, and this pitcher was killing me.  His delivery was awesome.  A submarine side arm style.  I got myself down on my knees to get as low as I could, but it was not really enough.  Still, his style on his delivery made for some great photos.

I was going to go behind the backstop to get some head on shots of this pitcher, but he did not last long and Pueblo West replaced him with the pitcher bellow.  Why not as flamboyant a delivery, he still made for some good photos.

But it was not enough.  Mountain View had sent the game into extra innings, and was able to take the lead and last another day.  Pueblo West had been undefeated.   If the Cyclones would have won, they would have played Valor Christian in the first game on Saturday and Mountain View would have been out.  But with the win, Mountain View faced Valor Christian in the first game and Pueblo West was waiting to play in the game following the 5A championship.  Mountain View went on to beat Valor and once again faced Pueblo West for the second time in two days.  And for the second time in 2 days, they beat the Cyclones and captured the 4A State Championship.

 

Now, it is less than three month until I return to the high school diamond for the 2013/14 High School Softball season.

To view and purchase photos from this game, please visit MaxPreps.