The Colts’ first weekend in AAA didn’t go the way they wanted.
But it didn’t take long to see what was different.
AAA teams could hit.
In the opener against AZBC, AMDG’s pitching was solid enough, combining for five strikeouts, but the opposing lineup kept putting the ball in play and making the Colts work for outs.
There were bright spots at the plate. Carson and Kayleb both came through with big hits, finishing with three total bases apiece, while Everett, Miles, Rajan, Tommy, and Wyatt each added one.
It was a reminder that the Colts could create opportunities at this level.
They just had to do more with them.
Game two started about as badly as a game can.
AMDG gave up nine runs in the first inning and suddenly found itself facing a big hole against the Boltz.
The boys didn’t fold.
They started chipping away, with Benji driving a double as the offense battled back. By the middle of the second inning, the Colts had cut the score to 9–4 and were beginning to make the game interesting.
Then the sky took over.
A massive dust storm rolled across the field, followed by torrential rain, bringing the game to a stop and eventually wiping it from the tournament record.
Sunday brought another weather delay and another chance to reset.
The Colts finally got back on the field later in the day against Swarm, but never quite found their rhythm. Defensive mistakes gave Swarm extra opportunities, and against AAA competition, those opportunities were difficult to overcome.
AMDG ultimately fell short and closed its first weekend at the new level without the result it wanted.
Still, the weekend made something clear.
The Colts weren’t out of place.
They could hit. They could battle back. And even after falling behind by nine, they showed they weren’t going to stop competing.
But AAA also showed them something the previous two weekends hadn’t.
The margin for error was smaller.
The lesson wasn’t that AAA was too much. It was that AAA demands cleaner baseball.
Cleaner innings. Cleaner defense. Better execution when opportunities come.
That’s a useful lesson to get early.
Now they know what the next level looks like.