Storm Over Blue Crabs Stadium

This is our local stadium, home of our Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball team and is only 10 minutes from our house. The games are so much fun. I took this photo as a thunderstorm was brewing.
I am having a heck of time working with the new lenses. I loaded the 70-300 when I went on a grocery run and noticed a storm cloud brewing over our local stadium. I tried several shots but everything appeared too close so I went home and changed lenses to the 18-55. I tried to shoot a photo of some grasses against the sunset but couldn't get the focus setting to work. I think that there is a setting off. The blip is one of the too close photos with the 70-300. The extra is the failed focus photo. 
This new camera, new lens issue is larger than I expected.