Daddy, Daddy, Daddy ...

This week’s LBWC is brought to you by Little Caesar’s, Mack’s Earplugs and my sanity.

I just spent a weekend as the sole caregiver to my children, while the Busy Girl flew the coop for a little R&R. She deserved the break. I deserved the punishment. No, I’m kidding. The Busy Baby, Little Tornado and I had a blast. Really, we did. It was a great daddy, daughter, daughter weekend.

And thank God for the things above, or I might not have made it.

On to the countdown ... the “How Many Times Can You Hear Your Name Called In The Span Of 15 Seconds” edition.

5) Saturday morning. Gulp!
She left. She really did. Busy Girl headed out for her weekend with the Busy Sister, and I was left to run the house. I wasn’t alone with the girls for six minutes when I almost had to take LT to the hospital.
We just got back from walking the Lazy Dog when LT turned around after taking her shoes off, took a step and ran head first into the corner of the computer table.
Twenty seconds of breath holding (by both me and her) was followed by 47 seconds of blood-curdling screams. Again, by both of us. Turns out, LT’s tougher than a $2 steak. Just a knot on the head and a pierced eardrum was all we suffered from the incident.

4) Saturday afternoon. Cinderella Story.
I live by two simple rules. 1) There is a God and I’m not Him. And, 2) If it’s free, it’s for me.
Chick-fil-A in the Village Mall had a Princess Day on Saturday, where any one wearing a princess costume would get a free kids meal. We’ll, since the Busy Baby has been sleeping in her Cinderella dress for the last two weeks, I figured it was time to cash in on the deal.

3) Saturday night. Kiss The Cook.
I’ve told you all about the Busy Girl’s cooking prowess. She’s amazing. Well, I’m no slouch either.
I whipped up a little somethin, somethin for the girls Saturday night that was a bigger hit than free Chick-fil-A. Honestly.
Me and my boy the Gorton Fisherman hooked up some fish sticks that would have made Captain D slap his momma.
To quote the Busy Baby ... “This is the best dinner ever!“
That’s right. What’s up now? Betty Crocker who?

2) Saturday morning. Of course we went to Walmart.
Hey, just because the wife is gone for the weekend, that doesn’t mean we nixed the trip to Walmart. Rain, snow, shine or single parent, Walmart must be visited.
I took the girls all by myself to get the weekly supplies. With one cart.
Welcome to the Thunderdome! Two men enter, one man leave.
Seriously, it was almost that bad.
But we made it. But we missed BG. Badly.
Even the lady behind the deli counter asked where the wife was. I wish I was making that up. That’s how much we shop there.

1) Sunday night. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Tucking in the Busy Baby on Sunday, reading her the same story for the fifth time, I realized how much I miss when I’m at work and away from the kids.
Sure, I spend a lot of time with the girls—more than most dads who have full-time jobs. But I do miss a lot when I’m away, and even when I’m home while my wife is there.
You don’t get the full view of how awesome children are until you spend quality one-on-one time with them, without any distractions.
I don’t know. Maybe it’s me, but I get caught up in a lot of things that take my time away from my family. Most days, even when I’m there, my mind is somewhere else.
But this weekend, I cleared my schedule and focused on the kids. And it was one of the best times I can remember.
My wife should go away for the weekend more often. Well, maybe just for the day.

Auburn vs. Oxford…Game 2…honest to blog

OK, a little late start, but I’m here at Riverwalk Stadium to see if Auburn High can possibly wrap up its first state championship since 1986.

Ballgame: AHS 13, OHS 3: Ponder hits a bases-clearing, walk-off double. 4-for-4, 6 RBI. Auburn is your new state champion.

Auburn has loaded the bases on two walks and a beautiful little bunt single by Tanner Cimo with no outs.

Oxford is going to Jackson Stephens, who has pitched 17 innings this year. And we’re hearing a groovy ballpark organ rendition of “When I Saw Her Standing There.“

Middle of the sixth - AHS 8, OHS 3: 1-2-3 for the Yellow Jackets.

Eiland got them on 11 pitches and he’s three outs away.

End of the fifth - AHS 8, OHS 3: The Tigers got another on a Reid Carter single on the first pitch out of the delay.

Then Oxford got the last two outs of the inning on fly balls that would have been a home run and a double (respectively) in any other part.

And we’re back. About a seven-minute delay.

And we’re in a rain delay.

One out and Auburn has anwered with two runs on a sac fly by Mitchell and an RBI double by Ponder that would have been out in any other park (BTW: he’s 3-for-3 with 3 RBI today).

Oxford replaced Simpson with Juricich on the mound, then a base umpire saw some lightning, and now both the teams are in the dugout. And the sun’s still shining. It’s kind of weird.

Middle of the fifth - AHS 5, OHS 3: Oxford got two singles and cashed them in on an error and a sac fly.

The Yellow Jackets are still making good contact on Eiland, even on the outs. After committing an error earlier in the inning, Massey ended it on a nice diving stop of a grounder and a strong throw to first. And now he’s leading off Auburn’s half. And he singled on the first pitch.

End of the fourth - AHS 5, OHS 1: And Auburn goes 1-2-3 on 8 pitches.

Remains to be seen if that was just a lifeless inning or if Tucker Simpson has figured something out on the mound.

Middle of the fourth - AHS 5, OHS 1: And as soon as I say that, Eiland calms down.

He walked one, but got the other three fairly easily - one with a K - to send the Tigers up to bat again.

End of the third - AHS 5, OHS 1: Auburn tacks on another with Ponder’s second RBI single.

They’re getting a steady stream of runners on base, but so are the Yellow Jackets.

Middle of the third - AHS 4, OHS 1: Oxford finally cashed in one of its many hits.

A single, then a double, then Kyle O’DEll with an RBI groundout to get Oxford on the board. Six hits and 44 pitches for Eiland so far.

End of the second - AHS 4, OHS 0: Not much to say.

Todd Thompson walked and made it to third, but got stranded there when Grant Massey struck out. Still up four.

Middle of the second - AHS 4, OHS 0: Oxford has been batting Eiland around. They have four sinlges in the first two innings, but none have come across because of some good fielding and the fact that Eiland is keeping the Yellow Jackets on the ground.

End of the first - AHS 4, OHS 0: Obviously, the Tigers didn’t have the same problem I did. They got started way early.

Auburn loaded up the bases, then brough them all around on a Chace Mitchell sac fly, and RBI singles by James Ponder and Reid Carter.

So that’s a four-run lead and starter Drew Eiland has given up six earned runs all year.

Dadeville falls in Game 1 of state tournament

A seven-run fifth inning for Hamilton was enough to knock off Dadeville, 7-3, in its first game of the Class 3A state tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery on Friday.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Andrea White, plating Iranecia Moss.

Dadeville tacked on two more in the third, when White doubled in another run and Shae Heard scored on a wild pitch.

But the Aggies scored seven in the fifth on four runs and four Dadeville errors to seal the deal.

White was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Moss and Janie Moran added hits for the Tigers.

Dadeville will play Wicksburg at 5:30 p.m. today with its season on the line.

Auburn vs. Oxford…Game 1…live blogging down the highway

Though I’m not entirely sure I’m allowed to. So I might get shut down in the middle. But there’s no posted signs or anything, so I’ll assume I’m good to go.

We’re about to start of Oxford (28-12) vs. Auburn (34-8) , Game 1 at Paterson Field.

I’ve got lineups and I’ve actually got stats this week! So I’ll put them to full use.

Here are the lineups for both teams:

Auburn Tigers
1. CF Todd Thompson: .317, 49 R, 5 HR, 19 RBI
2. 2B Tanner Cimo: .354, 33 R, 4 HR, 26 RBI
3. 3B Grant Massey: .412, 32 R, 6 HR, 38 RBI
4. 1B Trey Gregg: .374, 33 R, 3 HR, 24 RBI
5. C Chace Mitchell: .270, 35 R, 7 HR, 28 RBI
6. DH James Ponder: .317, 23 R, 5 HR, 22 RBI
7. SS Reid Carter: .250, 26 R, 5 HR, 20 RBI
8. RF Dalton Edwards: .322, 23 R, 5 HR, 21 RBI
9. LF Patrick Carroll: .293, 23 R, 4 HR, 12 RBI

P Scott Norrell: 7-0, 2.11 ERA, 41 K, 20 BB in 49.2 IP

Oxford Yellow Jackets
1. SS Judson Edwards: .352, 46 R, 9 HR, 36 RBI
2. CF Brandon Roberts: .472, 40 R, 0 HR, 25 RBI
3. DH Kyle O’Dell: .413, 44 R, 9 HR, 63 RBI
4. P John Pilkington: .328, 31 R, 5 HR, 38 RBI
5. 3B John Juricich: .331, 26 R, 1 HR, 23 RBI
6. C Ricky Guzman: .371, 33 R, 2 HR, 31 RBI
7. RF Matthew Goodson: .342, 30 R, 11 HR, 47 RBI
8. 1B Tucker Simpson: .273, 20 R, 5 HR, 26 RBI
9. 2B Cain Hollingsworth: .287, 24 R, 2 HR, 22 RBI

Pilkington: 8-2, 2.21 ERA, 77 K, 32 BB in 63.1 IP

So there you have it. Two similar teams in that they pitch well and have power up and down the lineup. And Oxford has stolen like a million bases. Actually, 122.

Fun fact: Auburn is undefeated (12-0) in games I’ve been at. But so is Oxford (0-0)! Something has to give!!!

Check back for updates. Unless I get shut down or something.

Final - AHS 4, OHS 1: Pilkington grounds to Gregg who makes a nice throw falling down to get him at first. Auburn up 1-0.

O’Dell reaches on a throwing error by Carter.

Roberts singles to right-center. O’Dell up, and he’s the tying run.

Edwards K’s after a tough at-bat. One out away.

Hollingsworth singles to right.

Simpson K’s on a ball in the dirt.

Middle of the seventh - AHS 4, OHS 1: Massey tacked on another insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Thompson.

Auburn might have tacked on another, but Tanner Cimo made a…interesting baserunning decision on the sac fly and got thrown out at second.

Anyway, three outs to go.

End of the sixth - AHS 3, OHS 1: Norrell gave up his first run on an RBI single by Juricich, which landed just short of a diving Thompson.

Massey made a couple of solid plays at third to make sure the damage wasn’t any worse, and Auburn is three outs away from getting a big advantage in this series.

Middle of the sixth - AHS 3, OHS 0: Ponder led off with a single and made it as far as second, but that’s as far as he made it.

Norrell’s back out and he’s at 79 pitches.

End of the fifth - AHS 3, OHS 0: Norrell goes another inning without giving up a hit. That’s three in a row.

And he’s put down 11 of the past 13 he’s faced.

And friend of the blog Luke Brietzke has pointed out that only one Yellow Jacket has hit a ball out of the infield since the first.

Middle of the fifth - AHS 3, OHS 0: And Auburn blows a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity.

Carroll singled, Cimo reached on the Yellow Jackets’ fourth error of the game and Massey walked on a great at-bat in which he fouled off four two-strike pitches.

Then Gregg whiffed and Mitchell lined out to second to end it.

Oxford’s fans are rallying. Will their team?

End of the fourth - AHS 3, OHS 0: And Norrell is cruising.

He had a walk. And he got bailed out by a real nice scoop by Gregg at first, but he threw only 12 pitches again. So he’s being economical, too.

Middle of the fourth - AHS 3, OHS 0: And Pilkington’s best inning yet.

Three up, three down, also on 12 pitches. He’s up to 63 through four and Norrell’s at 53 through three.

End of the third - AHS 3, OHS 0: Norrell’s best inning yet.

Three up, three down. One K, two ground outs and 12 pitches. Easy peesy.

Middle of the third - AHS 3, OHS 0: Thompson poked one down the right-field line and ran around the bases for a triple to lead off the Tigers’ third. Then Hollingsworth airmailed the relay for his second error in three innings, putting the fans in the 10th row in mortal danger and letting Thompson jog home for Auburn’s third run.

The Tigers appear to be the less shaky team so far.

End of the second - AHS 2, OHS 0: Norrell is living dangerously. He’s thrown 41 pitches through two and is dangerously close to chucking it to the backstop on some pitches.

But he put two on in this half inning and managed to get out unscathed.

By the way, Oxford’s 8 hitter is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. And he’s a freshman. That should be illegal.

Middle of the second - AHS 2, OHS 0: Not much to report. Edwards had a single and then got stranded on a shot back through the box that Pilkington made a nice play on.

The Auburn hitters seem flummoxed by Pilkington at times. A couple ugly swings. But they also have a dong and a well-hit single from Edwards. So who knows?

End of the first - AHS 2, OHS 0: This is interesting.

Norrell had a runner on third and he wheeled around to try and pick off…a runner at second. Everyone was a little confused and the first-base umpire called a very late balk, which temporarily put the first Yellow Jacket on the board.

Then Matt Cimo came out and got his say, brought all three umps into a huddle, and they put the runner back on third.

Then Norrell got the cleanup hitter looking.

Middle of the first - AHS 2, OHS 0: So Gregg, who is going by “Happy” in this game for some reason, hit a ball about 1800 feet over the scoreboard in left, scoring himself and Massey, who had reached on a fielder’s choice.

It was rather shocking, because Pilkington had forced a strikeout and a couple of bouncers from the other hitters. And then Gregg.

First blood, Auburn.

Tuberville going WWW ...

You knew that Tommy Tuberville would be doing some sort of broadcasting next football season.

I just didn’t realize he’d be doing it on the World Wide Web.

Tuberville will be covering SEC football next season, working for BusterSprots.com.

Here’s the press release from the Web site.

Tommy Tuberville Brings SEC Football Experience to New Partnership.
Veteran Coach Joins BusterSports.com To Provide Insider Conference Analysis and Interact With Fans; Adds SEC Focus to National Coverage of Jim Donnan

RALEIGH, NC - May 13, 2009 - Coming off 10 years as head coach of the Auburn Tigers football program, Tommy Tuberville is bringing his vast knowledge of the SEC to BusterSports.com. Tuberville will contribute to multiple shows per week, including Internet Podcasts hosted by Dave Nathan that feature guests from around the conference, including active coaches, players and local sports writers. Shows will cover the upcoming games, as well as looking back at the past week’s results and action off the field. Coach Tuberville will also participate interactively with the BusterSports.com subscribers, providing fans a unique opportunity seldom experienced within today’s high pressure athletic programs. 
Tommy Tuberville says, “Buster Sports gives me a great opportunity to share information and interact with some of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans in the country. From long standing rivals - Crimson Tide and LSU, to the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators and Tennessee, I am looking forward to giving them my opinion week-to-week.”
Fans will be able to interact directly with Tuberville through chat rooms, message boards and even call-in questions.
“Tommy is one of the most knowledgeable and respected coaches in the SEC,” says Dan Ballard, CEO of Buster Sports Communications. “It is our hope fans on our site will use the insight that he shares to keep the ever-heated SEC rivalries alive.”
About Tommy Tuberville
Tuberville served as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers football team for 10 seasons ending in December 2008. He was the 2004 recipient of the Walter Camp and Paul Bryant Coach-of-the-Year awards for Auburn’s 13–0 perfect season. He earned his 100th career win on October 6, 2007 in a 35–7 victory over Vanderbilt. He is also the only coach in Auburn history to beat in-state rival, The University of Alabama six consecutive times.

About Buster Sports
With the mantra, “Being A Fan is No Longer a Spectator Sport” bustersports.com is the ultimate participation site for BCS/NCAA Conference football and basketball fans. BusterSports.com is the place fans get exclusive expert coverage of their teams and conferences through audio and video podcasts, reports and editorials. The rest of the site is devoted to fan-generated content in the form of entertaining and rivalry-induced videos, rants, messages and more that compete for top billing on the site. BusterSports.com was founded in 2008 by Buster Sports Communications Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina.