Game 2 for the Vets matched them up against the well talented "Buds/Rapid Radiator" team. If the name sounds familiar, it should. The name of the league, Dalton CRA Bud Hall Co-ed Softball League, is named after the team captain of “Buds/Rapid Radiator”, namely Bud Hall. And if this reporter has said it once, he has said it a dozen times. Whenever you go against a team in which the league is named after their team captain, you just know you are in for an uphill battle.

But the Vets came prepared. Game 2 featured the introduction of three former A’s players: Scott Lord, Jason B, and Jon Girard. In addition was Jon Nadeau’s friend, Paul.

The Vet’s defense was strong. Leading the defensive charge was Jon Girard and Joelle. Jon G. made two outstanding catches in left field, including an overhead snag near the foul pole in left and a catch in left field while dodging a silver dollar size orange plastic disk that one of the younger fans lost while playing in the area. The only player not on board was A-WOL, who struggled to keep up after leading the charge in the previous game. Regardless, after the first two innings, the Vet’s managed to limit "Buds/Rapid Radiator" to just 4 runs

However, the Vets were unable to capitalize on their good fortune, scoring only 1 run after the first two innings. "Buds/Rapid Radiator" eventually broke the game open in the third scoring 5 runs in both the third and fourth inning, which included a 3-run HR in the third. The Vets would score an additional 7 more runs over the next three innings, before the defense on both teams went into overdrive and kept their opponents scoreless over the final two innings of the game.

Though the Vets lost 1878, their spirits were definitely lifted from game 1’s fiasco on the shoulders of their strong defensive performance in game 2.

Andy Wolan is a reporter for MLSB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Softball or its clubs.