Slipping Into The Lead! 5-2 and 7-0 Wins in Kelly's League

The past two weeks have been good to our little foursome! Two weeks ago we faced the first place team, which held a three point advantage on us overall for the season.

You dart players out there will know what I mean when I say we had a good night. Some times, not nearly often enough, everything clicks. You automatically do things right without even having to think about it. The doubles and the triples look like the broad side of a barn and your darts are like guided missiles on the way to their target. The first two games against the first place team were like that. We were not going to lose. It was not until the third game that we cooled off a bit. Even then, their anchor was forced to hit a five mark for the win in the final inning, which he managed to avoid the white wash. We got out with a 5-2 win, which drew us even with them on points for the season.

Last week we found that same good form in the first two games. I was flying high because my old hometown American football team, the New Orleans Saints, booked their first ever ticket to the Superbowl. I even let Dave buy me a beer :O John and I shot great the first two games, and solid performances by Dave and Tom put us over the top. In the last game, our performance dipped, but we still managed a win for a rare 7-0 sweep. The team we were tied with for first place the prior week lost, vaulting us into first place for the season. WOOT!

I did have the distinction of being the only one on the team to blank a round last week. It was in the last inning of the last game! :( Luckily the guys did not give me a hard time because we were happy with the win. I can just imagine the ribbing I will get next week!

The season is far from over, so anything can happen. However, like the Saints, it feels nice to be on top for a change. Until next time, good darts.

Kelly's League Report, January 11, 2010, 7-0 Win!

We danced on the razor's edge all night and got our first clean sweep! The scoreline was a great injustice to our opponents, who played a phenomenal match. I cannot recall ever having played a team match that was so close, yet resulted in such a lopsided final score.

Our opponents had the benefit of a 13 mark handicap. In the first game they were on fire, and we found ourselves down 39 marks by the fourth inning. Yikes! We kept on fighting and John and I found our stride in the last three innings. The game was barely within reach in the ninth inning, and following good scores by John, Dave and myself, our anchor (Tom) needed to hit his last dart to win the game. Tom nailed it for a one point victory. To give an idea of how close that is, each team had over 150 marks in that game. Tom's last dart in the ninth inning was the first time all game we had the lead. Whew!

In the second game we started out hot, but our opponents surged in the middle of the game. We again found ourselves down in the ninth inning, needing to hit big to win. In a replay of the previous game, Tommy needed to hit a good score to win, and he obliged. This time we won by four marks.

We went into the third game nursing the small 5 mark margin from the previous two games, hoping to hold on to the wood. By the time the game reached the eighth inning we had a double-digit deficit again, and were looking at prospect of losing the two points for that game as well as the extra point for the wood. Some good darts cut that deficit to 7 marks going into the 9th inning. Our opponents were off, hitting only 10 marks in the 9th inning, leaving us needing 17 marks to tie, 18 to win.

John and I stumbled, hitting only 5 marks between the two of us. That left Dave and Tom needing to hit 12, which is no easy feat. Dave hit six, and Tom again needed to play the hero. His first dart hit a single, and his second a double. You could hear a pin drop as he lined up his final dart. Only a triple would tie it. Anything else and we lost the last game. The dart flew and it struck so close to the wire between the double and the triple that you could not tell what he scored until you walked right up to the board. A triple!

That made us play the 10th inning as a tie breaker, and on the momentum of Tom's shot from the last inning we coasted to victory. The margin through all three games, with each team scoring close to 450 marks, was only 5 marks total. What a close match! Tom definitely deserves man of the match for facing must-hit situations at the end of each game and coming through each time. Until next time, good darts.

2010 Rae Chesney Tournament Update

Oliver and I are at the Rae Chesney Tournament in Philly, having a good time. I have yet to throw a dart, but I plan to shoot in the youth/adult and the singles tomorrow. I have not kept up on the results but I just heard them call Darin Young and Sean Downs in the top 4 of the singles, as of 6 p.m. I will pass on results as I get them. Good luck guys!

Kelly’s League, Splitting the Wood with a 5-3 Win

Last Monday featured a clash of the two teams with the lowest handicaps. We gave up only 7 marks to our opponents and knew we needed to have all the pistons firing. They had a blazing start in the first of three games, while we were slow out of the gate. I finished with a dismal showing of five marks under my average, and Tom, John and Dave did little better. We lost by 19 marks, leaving a lot of ground to make up to have any hope of capturing the wood (most total marks on the night).

We showed signs of life in the second game. While nobody had a spectacular performance, everyone shot on par and we finished five points up. Our opponents lost some steam and it was good enough. We still faced the daunting task of winning by 15 marks plus the handicap in the final game to capture the extra point for the wood.

This time, we had the hot hands and our opponents cooled down. By the 7th inning, we were 15 marks up and looking to take the wood. Unfortunately we faltered in the 8th and 9th innings. While we had won the game, they could still win the extra point for the wood. They needed 13 marks to tie, and 14 to win the wood. We could only sit and watch as their first three players shot, leaving their anchor needing 5 marks to tie, six to win. He hit two doubles, and we all held our breath. Why does it seem so many games come down to that last dart? If he hit a double they won the wood. If he hit a single, the wood was tied. If he missed, we won the wood. He let the dart fly and it deflected into the single. A tie. We both got the extra point.

I had a below average first game, but the second and third games I shot slightly above average (31). I feel like I am ready for a break out game, 40 or above. I am missing a lot of darts right on the wire and my groups are tightening up. Soon! I can feel it coming.

Going into this match we are second in the league, three points out of first. We are definitely within striking distance.

I get to lay down the wood darts and pick up the tungsten this weekend for the Rae Chesney Tournament in Philadelphia. I look forward to seeing some old friends there, and you can expect a full report. Until then good darts!

Adding Word Verification For Comments

I have resisted adding additional security to the blog to make commenting more convenient. Unfortunately,it seems that a few spammers have targeted the blog. I am adding simple word verification for comments. We will see if that keeps them away.

By the way, we are playing league tonight, and the Philly Tournament is this weekend. Lots of news to report soon.