Top Gun Zone Qualifier Championship: Madsports 4, WR 10U Blue 2

Madsports outscrapped 10U Blue in the championship game, as West Raleigh held a 6-4 edge in base hits but still fell 4-2. 

Blue put up two quick first inning runs, but then what had been a potent offense dried up, and they mustered just two hits over the final five innings and put just two runners in scoring position over that stretch. Madsports, meanwhile, made the most of their four hits. They cobbled together their go-ahead run in the fifth without hitting the ball out of the infield, and two of their other three runs, including the game-tying run, were unearned. 

The Blue offense, meanwhile, didn't do a very good job of forcing Madsports to make plays, lifting nine pop-outs to go with three strikeouts, meaning two-thirds of the outs were via strikeout or fly out. 

The loss perhaps overshadows what was a very strong weekend performance in a tournament played with the entire team practicing together just once before taking the field. Every player on the team who was available to play pitched, every player got at least one hit, and every player played a variety of positions. Oh, and every player got ice cream.

The most telling photo of the weekend, though, came from Saturday's game. It was during a pitching change, so the defense had a little free time. Now, over the weekend, we saw defenders on other teams use this team in a variety of ways. Some of them sat on the ground. Some of them lay down on the ground. Some of them had their mothers come out of the stands and yell at them. Sometimes all the infielders got together, and sometimes all the outfielders got together.

But 10U Blue, though, used it differently. While the pitcher threw his warmup tosses to the catcher, suddenly there was all seven of the remaining defenders having a chat, as if they hadn't seen each other in days.

  

Championship 10U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Elias led off with a single. Colin swatted an RBI triple, and then Gavin followed with an RBI triple of his own.

Score after one inning: WR 10U Blue 2, Madsports 1

Pitching Performances
Chace started and went two strong innings, allowing just one runner past first base.

Gavin threw an effective middle two innings and struck out a pair.

Andrew pitched well in two innings and struck out the side in the sixth.

Championship Web Gems

• Colin made a tremendous stop in the hole on the right side to nab a hot shot by the leadoff man in the second inning, then threw to first for the out.
• Taking advantage of some confusion on the base paths, Ben threw to Andrew at second to eliminate a runner from scoring position in the fourth.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Madsports	1	0	0	1	1	1	4	4
WR 10U Blue	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	6

Top Gun Zone Qualifier Semifinal: WR 10U Blue 13, RV Fishers 1

The booming bats continued in Sunday's semifinal game, as 10U Blue rode the second-biggest inning of the weekend (an eight-run second) on the way to a 13-1 victory over the Roanoke Valley Fishers. The game was shortened to four innings by the run rule.

With the offense rolling behind a complete team effort that included hits from nine different players and every player in the lineup reaching base at least once, three different 10U Blue pitchers combined to limit the Fishers to just one run. After the first inning, Roanoke Valley had just one runner reach third base the rest of the morning. 

It has been brought to my attention that we almost made it through the weekend without a photo of creative Frogg Togging, which has always been a staple of this particular group. Therefore, here's a shot of Ben from pregame warmups:

The victory advanced West Raleigh to the championship game against Madsports.

Semifinal 10U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Elias led off with a single. Colin beat out a fielder's choice. Gavin tripled off the fence in center, driving in two. Then, while the Fisher defense was unhinged, Gavin raced home. 

Score after one-half inning: WR 10U Blue 3, RV Fishers 0

Second inning
Bryce reached leading off the inning. Joe and Asher walked. A wild pitch scored Bryce. Chace was hit by a pitch. Elias singled in two. Colin singled. Gavin smacked a sacrifice fly. Andrew singled in Elias. Banks hit a sacrifice fly that scored Colin. Ben tripled home Andrew. Brady singled in Ben.
Score after one and a half innings: WR 10U Blue 11, RV Fishers 1

Third inning
Asher tripled, and then Chace jumped on the second pitch he saw and blasted a home run over the left field fence.
Score after two and a half innings: WR 10U Blue 13, RV Fishers 1

Pitching Performances
Brady started and faced just one over the minimum in two innings.

Ben fired a 1-2-3 third, including a pair of strikeouts.

Colin closed it out with a shutout fourth inning.

Semifinal Web Gems

• Gavin climbed the ladder to snag a line drive over shortstop leading off the second.
• The next hitter blasted a would-be extra-base hit to left. But Andrew raced over to retrieve it, hit Gavin with a perfect throw, and then Gavin fired to Colin to nail the hitter at second.
• Chace made a smooth scoop of a low throw to first leading off the fourth.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 10U Blue	3	8	2	0	X	X	13	10
RV Fishers	1	0	0	0	X	X	1	4

Top Gun Zone Qualifier Game 2: WR 10U Blue 18, Granville Storm 1

And now for the highlights of Saturday's second game, an 18-1 win over the Granville Storm:

That about does it. Tomorrow's game is at TBA at Neill's Creek Park (the other Angier field) at a time TBA. 

Oh, what? You wanted to know about the baseball game? Well, as Coach Sean correctly observed, the second game featured another batch of less than mediocre pitching. This time, it was a trio of 10U Blue pitchers who were rocked to the tune of...oh my goodness...this is painful...do you boys ever practice?...zero hits. 

Luckily, the substandard pitching was balanced by a booming offense that blasted 18 runs in three innings. Every player in the lineup reached base at least once, ten different players had a hit, and ten different players scored a run. 

It was also the second straight win with JT in the dugout instead of on the field where he belongs. But he still found a way to contribute, coming up with the line of the day. As he brought the blank lineup card to Coach Sean during the few minutes before the start of game two, he looked at the head coach with a perfectly straight face and said, "I'm not your errand boy." 

The win meant it was time for the super-secret West Raleigh 10U Blue initiation procedures. This is an age-old ritual that is shrouded in mystery and very rarely revealed to the public.

OK, that's not true. What it really means is that two members of the 10U Blue family (Joe and Coach Matt) had never been to Sunni Sky's. That has now been remedied.  

It's possible that tomorrow's exact game time and field could not be known until somewhat late tonight. Stay tuned.

Game 2 10U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Gavin cracked a two-out single and stole second. When Andrew grounded to shortstop, Gavin hustled to third, then sprinted home after Andrew legged out the infield hit. Andrew stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Banks beat out a ball in the infield that scored Andrew. Ben singled home Banks.

Score after one-half inning: WR 10U Blue 3, Granville Storm 0

Second inning
Bryce led off with a single and stole second. Asher dropped a single, and then Bryce scored and Asher went to second on an error. A wild pitch put Asher on third. Another wild pitch scored Asher. Chace walked. Elias singled, and an error by the third baseman moved both runners up a base. With two outs, Gavin blasted a two-RBI triple, then scored on a wild pitch. Andrew and Banks walked. A wild pitch put Andrew on third, and then he scored on a first-and-third play even though apparently 10U "doesn't run the bases very aggressively."
Score after one and a half innings: WR 10U Blue 9, Granville Storm 1

Third inning
Brady singled. Bryce singled. Joe singled. Asher singled. Chace singled. THE WHOLE WORLD SINGLED. Oh, sorry. So, after Joe drove in a run, Asher drove in two, and Chace drove in another one, four runners had crossed the plate. Then, with one out, Colin's line drive scored Chace. Gavin doubled Colin to third. Andrew walked, and then a walk to Banks forced in a run. Ben doubled home two. Brady's fielder's choice scored Banks with the final tally of the nine-run inning.
Score after two and a half innings: WR 10U Blue 18, Granville Storm 1

Pitching Performances
Banks (fanned one in the first while working out of a jam), Bryce (1-2-3 in the second) and Gavin (just 11 pitches in buzzing through the third) teamed up on a second consecutive 10U Blue no-hitter.

Game 2 Web Gems

• With runners on second and third and just one out, Elias caught a fly ball to medium center, then threw a strike to the plate to keep the runner on third from tagging and scoring.
• Playing second base, Colin made a leaping catch of a line drive that looked headed for the gap in the third.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 10U Blue	3	6	9	X	X	X	18	13
Granville Storm	1	0	0	X	X	X	1	0

Top Gun Zone Qualifier Game 1: WR 10U Blue 10, Archers 0

The summer 2015 season finally began, with the first game scheduled for roughly sunrise in Angier. The first game of the Top Gun tournament featured the debut of the long-awaited knickers, and included a 10-0 win over the Archers in a game shortened to four innings by the run rule. As usual, Ben could barely contain his excitement over the new gear:

Coach Sean made sure to note after the day’s play that he thought the pitching needed some work. That’s because in the first game, a quartet of Blue pitchers combined to give up a whopping...let's see...carry my one...oh, OK...zero hits. Hopefully over the summer they will improve and give up fewer than that (in all fairness, 10U Blue did allow six walks, which is what he was talking about). 

The barely adequate pitching was enough thanks to a booming offense that cranked out 10 runs in only three offensive innings, featuring 11 hits. Ten different players reached base and eight different batters had a hit.

The quick victory created one of the greatest of all summer luxuries: free time in Angier, North Carolina. You're welcome, parents. Luckily, the second game of the day was on the same field in just a few minutes, so Capt. John and his Shady Committee didn't have to do any major tent movement. 

Game 1 WR 10U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Elias reached on a shot to the left side. He moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Gavin’s one-out double. Two more wild pitches scored Gavin. Andrew doubled. Two more wild pitches scored Andrew (sound familiar?). Banks singled, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on Brady’s two-out shot through the right side. Bryce singled in Brady.

Score after one inning: WR 10U Blue 5, Archers 0

Second inning

Elias was hit by a pitch with two outs. He stole second and third, then scored on Colin’s single. Gavin doubled home Colin. Andrew singled in Gavin.

Score after two innings: WR 10U Blue 8, Archers 0

Third inning

The killer B’s (Ben, Brady and Bryce) started the inning with back-to-back-to-back singles, producing one run. Joe doubled home Brady.

Score after three innings: WR 10U Blue 10, Archers 0




Pitching Performances

Andrew (three straight strikeouts in his 1.1 innings), Asher (relieved in a two-on situation and stranded both runners), Joe (a nine-pitch inning in his summer 2015 debut) and Elias (two strikeouts in the fourth) teamed up on a four-inning no-hitter.

Game 1 Web Gems

•   Ben threw out a runner stealing second in the second, with Gavin making the nice tag.

•   The second inning was a complete web gem inning, as with the bases loaded, Gavin, Colin and Banks teamed up on an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

•   Andrew went deep in the hole at shortstop to make a nice stop, then made the long throw that was scooped by Brady on the other side for the out.

•   The play of the game came in the fourth. With runners on second and third and two outs, one more out would’ve invoked the ten-run rule and moved the Sunni Sky’s arrival up ten minutes. The hitter slapped what looked like a single to right, but with oatmeal cookie ice cream on his mind, Banks came up firing, threw a missile to first, and retired the hitter by two steps on a run-saving and game-ending force.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Archers	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	0
WR 10U Blue	5	3	2	X	X	X	10	11