Saturday, June 27, 2015

Area Tournament Semifinals: West Raleigh 10U Blue 13, Roanoke Rapids 3

Saturday dawned with people around the world, including London bobbies, desperate for their favorite team on Earth--West Raleigh 10U, of course, to advance to the area title game:



Something very important happened on Saturday: the pregame music on the PA included “Watch me whip.” This was a very popular choice on the West Raleigh side:



There was also a game, which 10U Blue won 16-3 to move into the area tournament championship game. They did so on the strength of great coaching, with a coaching staff willing to impart valuable wisdom to this group of 10-year-olds. Such as, for example, how to flip a bat behind your back without hitting yourself in the butt.



Once the dancing and bat shenanigans subsided, Roanoke Rapids put the first opposing run of the tournament on the board in the first, taking a quick 1-0 lead. But West Raleigh bounced back and scored three runs in the bottom of the frame, then pounded out 11 hits for the game and got quality performances on the mound from three different pitchers.

That advances West Raleigh to the title game tomorrow at 2 p.m., which pleases Sensei Eric very much:





Semifinal WR 10U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Gavin reached on a two-out single. Chace walked. Each runner stole a base. Ben walked. Andrew cleared the bases with a drive to right.
Score after one inning: WR 10U Blue 3, Roanoke Rapids 1

Second inning
Joe walked. Elias smacked an RBI double. Asher singled and took second on the throw from the outfield. Bryce singled in Elias. After a walk to Banks, Chace drove in a pair with an RBI single.
Score after two innings: WR 10U Blue 7, Roanoke Rapids 1

Third inning
With the rally snipers fully fueled:



Andrew crushed a leadoff double and stole third. A wild pitch scored him. Colin beat out a ball in the infield and went to second on a wild pitch. Brady walked. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Bryce laced a two-run single.
Score after three innings: WR 10U Blue 10, Roanoke Rapids 3

Fourth inning
Banks walked and went to second on a fielder’s choice. A wild pitch moved him to third. Chace walked and took second on a wild pitch. Ben’s fielder’s choice scored Banks. A wild pitch scored Chace.
Score after four innings: WR 10U Blue 12, Roanoke Rapids 3

Fifth inning
Needing just one run for the run rule, Joe and Elias singled. JT powered a ball to right to load the bases, and then Bryce turned on an inside fastball and went walk-off down the left field line.
Score after five innings: WR 10U Blue 13, Roanoke Rapids 3
Pitching Performances
Two great innings from Banks starting the game, as he retired the final four batters he faced.

Gavin recorded a strikeout and got the final two outs of the third on balls back to the mound.

Bryce closed it out with two shutout innings, finishing with a strikeout in the fifth.

Semifinal Web Gems
   Asher threw out a runner stealing second in the first, with Gavin making an especially impressive tag considering that the runner was throwing a rolling block.
   Bryce knocked down a shot ticketed for left field in the first, and then Gavin scooped it up and fired to first to get the runner by a half-step.
   Gavin hopped off the mound and made a play on the right side, then took it himself for the final out in the third.
   Sweet double play in the fourth. With one out and a man on first, Banks scooped up a grounder to first, stepped on the bag, then threw to Gavin covering second, who applied the tag for the inning-ending double play.

Semifinal line score
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
Roanoke Rapids
1
0
2
0
0
X
3
6
WR 10U Blue
3
4
3
2
1
X
13
11



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