Summer NIT Championship: WR 8U Blue 9, Carolina Red Sox 3

Baseball is a weird game. 8U Blue got 10 hits in the first inning in their first game of the day, stopping only due to the run limit. Then they went out and got 10 hits in the entire championship game against the Carolina Red Sox--but those 10 hits were enough, as West Raleigh earned the tournament championship (and rings!) with a 9-3 victory.

The win was especially important because 8U Blue had chosen to wear their pink shirts on Sunday.

They did this for one of two reasons:

1. The moms had been so nice to the dads on Father's Day, and the players wanted to reciprocate by showing their appreciation for all the hard work and support their moms give them.
2. Pink shirts are cool.

You decide which one you believe.

You can read about the big hits and big defensive plays below. But let's be honest: the highlight of the day was the postgame dance party. Full video below:





Championship 8U Blue scoring plays
Second inning
Jake led off with a double and moved to third on Andrew's single. Mason's sacrifice fly scored Jake.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 1, Red Sox 0

Third inning
Asher led off with a single. After a fielder's choice and a flyout, 8U had Joey on first but two outs, facing a 2-1 deficit. Not content to stop there, they turned it into two runs, as Bryce came up with a big two-out hit down the third-base line and flew all the way around the bases to score himself after the ball was muffed in the outfield.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 3, Red Sox 2

Fourth inning
Gavin reached on a ball through the right side. Chace doubled home Gavin. Jake toughed out a freak injury and after some ace work by the 8U Blue team medical staff, singled to right. Andrew lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center that scored Chace.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 5, Red Sox 3

Fifth inning
West Raleigh finally cracked open the game in the fifth by doing something unusual--playing small ball. Ben skittered a single through the middle. Asher dropped down a bunt and Ben raced all the way to third, putting runners at the corners with nobody out. Joey lined an RBI single off the machine (note that "The Machine" is not just a nickname for Coach Bruce, who was doing the pitching--Joey actually hit it off the machine). Elias laid down a beautiful bunt and beat it out to load the bases. Bryce knocked a sacrifice fly to left--8U's third sacrifice fly of the game after having four sacrifice flies in the previous 19 games. JT beat out a ball to shortstop, scoring Joey and then allowing Elias to score when the throw was errant.
Score after five innings: 8U Blue 9, Red Sox 3

Championship Web Gems

• Jenn made a tough play look easy, playing a foul ball off the shade tent and catching it in the air while seated in her chair. Coach Sean looked over, yawned, and said, "Call me when you save a baby." It should be noted that this is Jenn's second career Web Gem.
• With a runner on first and one down in the second, the hitter slapped a shot back up the middle. Gavin ranged over from shortstop, gathered it into his glove, stepped on second, and then fired to Chace at first, who got the tag on the runner to complete the double play.
• With 8U holding on to a narrow 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth, the Red Sox put a man on first with one outs and the heart of the order due up. The hitter cracked a single to left, but Andrew came in hard, fielded it and threw to Bryce at second for the force, in a big momentum-turning play.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Red Sox	0	0	2	1	0	0	3	9
WR 8U Blue	0	1	2	2	4	X	9	10

Summer NIT Semifinals: WR 8U Blue 15, WR 7U Blue 0

This probably makes sense to someone: on Sunday morning, 24 ballplayers and their families woke up early in the Apex-Cary-Raleigh area and then drove 90 minutes to Greensboro so they could play a baseball game against each other. The semifinals of the USSSA Summer NIT paired 8U Blue with West Raleigh's 7U Blue team in a rematch of last weekend's game in the district tournament.

This time, 8U's offense was a little more potent, carrying them to a 15-0 victory. How good were the bats in this game? The first time through the order, all 12 8U Blue hitters recorded a hit. The onslaught paused only when 8U hit the seven-run limit after 10 batters...then started right up again in the bottom of the second. It wasn't until the 14th hitter of the game that 8U Blue made an out. The seven runs in the first were tied with three other innings this summer for the biggest run production in a single inning this season.

The slugging covered up another solid defensive performance. For the second time in three games, 8U did not allow a hit, and although a 7U runner did make it to second base in the third, no opponent reached third base, making it 13 straight defensive innings without allowing a runner to third base.

Basically, Sunday morning's effort was better in every way than the two games on Saturday. From the pregame dance party to the aggressive offensive approach to the solid defense, 8U Blue was very good in all phases of the game. "That," Coach Sean told the team right after the game, "is what I'm talking about. That right there was fun, and that's how we play baseball."

The victory put 8U into the championship game and gave 7U a chance for redemption in the third-place game against the Showtime team that had upset them on Saturday.

Fortunately, there wasn't much of a break between games, because that prevented the 8U parents from wandering around the complex. The West Raleigh paparazzi captured these two pink-clad looneys a  little confused about where they were supposed to be (but look how happy they are about it!):

Game 2 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
8U Blue unleashed their best inning of the weekend in the bottom of the first. After retiring 7U 1-2-3 in the top of the frame, 8U sent 10 hitters to the plate in the first and picked up 10 hits plus the seven-run limit. Bryce went all the way to second on his leadoff shot to third. JT moved him to third with a single. Gavin drove in the day's first run with a single. Chace powered home JT with a single through the left side, and then some aggressive baserunning also allowed Gavin to score and Chace to go to third. Jake's single scored Chace. Andrew went the other way for an RBI single, scoring Jake, with Andrew moving up to second on the throw. Mason singled Andrew to third. Carter ripped an RBI single through the left side. Ben singled back through the middle. Asher's single scored Mason and enacted the seven-run rule.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 7, 7U Blue 0

Second inning
The hit parade continued with Joey and Elias bashing back-to-back singles. Bryce singled home Joey. After a fielder's choice, Gavin went the other way for an RBI single and took second when the ball was misplayed. Chace slammed an RBI single. Jake's sacrifice fly scored Gavin. With two outs, 8U added two more runs, as Andrew's double scored Chace, and Mason's single scored Andrew.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 13, 7U 0

Fourth inning
Asher and Joey started the inning with singles. After two consecutive fielder's choices scored Asher, JT  walloped a double to right, and then Gavin singled home Bryce with the 15th and final run due to the 15-run rule.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 15, 7U 0

Semifinal Web Gems

• The corner infielders combined for a highlight play in the second. 7U's Tucker ripped a shot down 
• With the first 7U baserunner on first in the third, Elias fielded a tough hop at third near his waist, then threw to Mason at second to get the force.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 7U Blue	0	0	0	X	X	X	0	0
WR 8U Blue	7	6	2	X	X	X	15	21

Summer NIT Game 2: WR 8U Blue 10, Rubber Arm Rockets 0

Sometimes I wonder what goes on in the stands during all these hours the fans have to pass at baseball games. Now, thanks to Coach/Paparazzi Regan, I know: you're all over there writing on yourselves.

After a short turnaround and a quick left-field pep talk, 8U Blue was back on the field against the Rubber Arm Rockets. This provided a very handy way to gauge your maturity. If you found out who we were playing and said, "OK, sounds good," you may actually be an adult. On the other hand, if you found out who we were playing, started giggling, and then spent 45 minutes of the ride to Greensboro coming up with possible uniform combinations for a team called the Rubber Arm Rockets, then you are...a Lucas.

It turned out that they did not actually have rubber arms, which was a little disappointing, especially for Harrison Ford, who had stopped by and kept saying something about a one-armed man.


After searching every warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and dog house, 8U Blue put up four quick runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 10-0 win in a game shortened to four innings by the mercy rule. The game included the first truly explosive offensive inning of the weekend, as West Raleigh sent 11 hitters to the plate in the fourth and scored six runs on eight hits.

The 8U Blue defense was again solid, playing an errorless four innings, which makes it three of the last six games that they have been completely error-free. The outfielders were even able to get some work in this one, as Andrew snagged a line drive in right-center and Carter had a nice backup at first base. The back-to-back shutouts are the first time in two summers together that this group has put up two consecutive zero-run defensive games.

The win and the zero runs allowed for the day gave 8U Blue the event's top seed and a spot in the 10:15 a.m. semifinal on Sunday, where the opponent is very likely to be 7U Blue. Reminder: Sunday's games are what is likely to be the one and only pink-out of this summer.

Game 2 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce reached second on his leadoff shot through short. He moved to third on a fielder's choice and scored on Gavin's triple. Jake scored Gavin with an RBI groundout.
Score after one-half inning: 8U Blue 2, Rubber Arm 0

Second inning
JT led off with a single. That put him in position to score on Mason's triple to deep left, but only after Mason and JT nearly met on the basepaths so they could discuss their respective hitting strategies. Ben brought Mason home with an RBI groundout.
Score after one and a half innings: 8U Blue 4, Rubber Arm 0

Fourth inning
The bats finally came to life in the fourth, as 8U sent 11 hitters to the plate in building their biggest inning of the day.
Score after three and a half innings: 8U Blue 10, Rubber Arm 0

Game 2 Web Gems

• Bryce started the defensive half of the first inning by ranging to his right and making a leaping grab of a line drive that appeared ticketed to go up the middle.
• Carter hustled over to back up a throw to first in the third. When the throw got past the first baseman, Carter was there to scoop it up, saving what would've been an extra base.
• Asher was a ball hog in the fourth, making all three outs at pitcher, and ending the game on a line drive back to him that he turned into a game-ending double play by throwing to Elias at first to nab the overaggressive runner.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 8U Blue	2	2	0	6	X	X	10	13
Rubber Arm Rockets	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	2

Summer NIT Game 1: WR 8U Blue 8, Southern Heat 0

The day began with Bryce showing up wearing freshly washed gray pants. The only problem was that the rest of the team was wearing white. Luckily, Coach Kevin always travels with an extra pair of white baseball pants (never know when you might need them), and was able to save the day:

This unique strategy enabled Bryce to both play second base and catch fish at the same time.

Quite honestly, Bryce's pants (no, he didn't actually wear them for the game) were kind of the highlight of the first game. 8U Blue took an 8-0 win in a game shortened to four innings by the run rule, and it's always nice to win, but a lack of energy in the dugout, on the field and in the box led to some pointed suggestions from the coaches as to some things that needed to be improved on in the second game.

On the bright side, although the Heat weren't hitting the ball particularly hard, the Blue infield did make almost all the plays they were given, holding the Heat without a hit and not allowing a runner past first base.

If for no other reason, the game was worth watching because it featured a machine-pitch first (at least for me): the Heat opted to intentionally walk Joey in the fourth inning to try and set up a force at home to prevent the potential game-ending run from scoring. Why the rules would allow for intentional walks in a format that doesn't allow any other kind of walks is another question.

With short turnaround, 8U Blue prepared to play the Rubber Arm Rockets immediately after the win.

Game 1 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce ripped a one-out single. Gavin singled him to second. With two outs, Chace lifted a double to left that scored both runners.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 2, Heat 0

Third inning
Elias led off with a seeing-eye single, then moved to second on Andrew's single. Bryce singled to load the bases, and then Gavin cleared them with a mammoth three-run double.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 5, Heat 0

Fourth inning
Singles by Mason, Ben and Asher loaded the bases. Carter drove in a pair with a double, and then after an intentional walk--yes, that really happened--loaded the bases, Elias ended the game with an RBI single to center.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 8, Heat 0

Game 1 Web Gems

• With all the plays taking place in the infield, most of the outs recorded were of the routine variety. But Chace made a nice scoop on a short-hop throw to first to end the third.
• He then followed that up by tracking down an errant throw in the fourth, then hustling back to slap his glove on the bag to get the force. 
• The around-the-horn combination of JT, Gavin, Bryce and Chace combined to make 7 of the outs (in a four-inning game) flawlessly.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Southern Heat	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	0
WR 8U Blue	2	0	3	3	X	X	8	14

Weekend recap: District Tournament

We may have to put the blogger on waivers. Here we are, a mere 12 hours before the next tournament, and the weekend recap from the district tournament is just now being posted. Don't worry--I have docked his salary from the 8U Blue Slush Fund and he will have to use his own money to fill up his team RV this week rather than using the West Raleigh gas card.

As you might remember if you think waaaaaaay back to Tuesday, 8U Blue captured the district title on Tuesday after a snappy tournament that took just five days. Some key numbers from the weekend:

• Districts were the lowest-scoring tournament of the summer so far for 8U Blue. They averaged 11 runs per game, down from the 12.3 they scored in Clemmons, which was the previous low.
• As you would probably expect from the above stat, the team batting average of .488 in Wake Forest was the lowest of the season and well under the season average. 
• The defense was alternately phenomenal and a little porous. West Raleigh played two error-free games, the first time this season they've packed two zero-error games into the same tournament. But in the other two games, they committed four errors in each contest. The tournament total of eight errors was tied for the lowest in a tourney this season.
• 8U Blue added two more double plays to the season total--including a sweet 4-6-3 that ended what could have been a giant North Wake inning in the title game--to bring the cumulative total to 12.
• JT, as far as we know, didn't pass on his illness to anyone on the team. 8U Blue had to play two games without a full roster, as JT missed Friday night's game and Joey was very limited in the championship game.

Here's a look at the district tournament points of emphasis and the results:

Win the district tournament. None of this summer's other goals can happen without winning the district.

Although you couldn't really tell it by the reaction of the event hosts, winning the district is a big deal. Lots of teams would consider it a highlight of their summer, especially in a solid district like ours.

Refocus on defense. Seventeen errors in four games are simply too many. 

8U Blue significantly cut their errors, and just as importantly, they made the key defensive plays when they had to make them. Take out the one bad first inning against North Wake on Tuesday night and it would have been a terrific defensive weekend.

Stay in a groove offensively, and hit at least .650 as a team in Wake Forest.

This one didn't happen, with the team batting average dipping below .500 for the first time this season.

Make adjustments from pitch to pitch offensively. This means getting adjusted to a new machine, or to a change in the current machine. 

See above. One challenging part of the weekend was the wide variation in pitching machines. Some through much slower (Friday night) while others were throwing gas (Tuesday). Figuring out how to adjust is all part of becoming a more mature hitter.

Now, some goals for this weekend in Greensboro:

• Get back in a rhythm offensively. Get the team batting average for the weekend back above .600.
• Have at least one game in which everyone in the lineup gets at least one hit.
• Score at least 55 runs in the tournament and have no more than one scoreless inning in the tournament.
• No selfish moments (the team talked about this on Thursday during the practice rain delay). Play as a team and for the team at all times.
• Try to set the team summer record by committing fewer than eight errors over the four-game tournament, all while getting players some experience at multiple positions. 

 

District Tournament Championship: WR 8U Blue 10, North Wake Rockets 5

I would like to suggest that all of you stand in as close proximity to Coach Hardy during the games as you possibly can. This will be good for your heart rate.

It seems that after the North Wake Rockets scored five runs in the top of the first inning in Tuesday night's district championship game, Coach Hardy--better known as Bryce's grandfather--turned to Coach Chris and said, "That's all they're going to get."

Now, wouldn't it have made you feel a little better if you had known that? It would really be nice if Coach Hardy and Coach Chris would share their insights with the class rather than being so secretive about them. As it turned out, they were exactly right, and 8U Blue proceeded to put 10 unanswered runs on the board while allowing just one North Wake runner past second base over the final five innings. The comeback gave West Raleigh the district title in a game played under the romantic lighting at The Factory.

As Coach Sean correctly pointed out after the game, the 5-0 deficit was the biggest deficit this team has faced this summer and the most ever that this particular group has faced against a team of the same age group.

But after making three errors in the top of the first to crack the door for the big inning, 8U Blue responded by scoring five runs of its own in the bottom of the frame, then tightening the defense and making just one inconsequential error over the final five innings. That gave the offense time to scratch out five more runs after the big first inning, providing some cushion and allowing the facility supervisors to prepare for their elaborate championship celebration. Their plans apparently consisted of shoving some medals and a plaque at Coach Sean and telling him to take care of it. That's exactly what he did, asking his team to take the field and serving as both head coach and tournament director:

The victory earns West Raleigh a spot in the state tournament in Laurinburg from July 5-7. More information on that event will be forthcoming. In the meantime, enjoy your 2013 district champions:

Championship 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
With one out, JT singled the other way. Gavin singled to left, putting two on for Chace, who singled to right-center to drive in JT with the first Blue run. Chace moved up on the throw, putting runners at second and third for Jake, who demolished a double to right that scored a pair. Mason doubled straight down the left-field line to score Jake, then scored on Andrew's game-tying single.
Score after one eventful inning: 8U Blue 5, Rockets 5

Third inning
Gavin led off with a double to right, moved to second on Chace's fielder's choice, and scored on Jake's grounder to second.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 6, Rockets 5

Fourth inning
Andrew and Ben led off with back-to-back singles. Elias dropped down the second of his three straight perfect bunts to load the bases. North Wake couldn't convert the force at home on Carter's grounder up the middle, scoring Andrew. Bryce picked up an RBI groundout, then JT's single through to center scored Elias.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 9, Rockets 5

Fifth inning
Jake led off with a rocket to right that put him on second. Mason's grounder to the right side put runners at the corners. After solid baserunning by Mason and Jake avoided the double play on a liner to shortstop, Ben's one-out fielder's choice scored Jake.
Score after five innings: 8U Blue 10, Rockets 5

Championship Web Gems

• The 8U Blue defense got itself out of what had been an unfortunately eventful first inning by turning a sweet double play. With the bases loaded, five runs already in, and one out, Bryce fielded a sizzler to second, flipped to Gavin at second, who whipped the throw to Chace at first to complete the inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
• Chace somehow got his glove between the ball and the dirt on a hard shot back to first base that ended the second inning.
• With a runner on first, Gavin went deep in the hole at shortstop to field a grounder in the third, then threw to Bryce covering second to record the force.
• With runners on first and second and two down later in the third, Ben ran in and grabbed a shallow pop fly near his shoestrings in right-center.
• Chace made a nice play at first to grab a throw from Bryce and tag the runner a split second before the runner's foot hit the bag in the fourth.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
NW Rockets	5	0	0	0	0	0	5	12
WR 8U Blue	5	0	1	3	1	X	10	14

A fantastic email exchange

Since all of you have some time on your hands--my assumption is that ESPN picked up our game tomorrow, causing an 8-year-old baseball game to be played at 8:30 p.m.--maybe we could use some entertainment.

This link is to an email exchange between what appears to be two parents from opposing Massachusetts Little League baseball teams of 9- and 10-year-olds. It is frightful tremendous.

In case you don't have time to read the whole thing, let's review a few of my favorite parts.

From Email A:

Coach A "demands that this decision be reversed" on behalf of "my team, the parents and all the supporters we have." Who are these imaginary "supporters"? The Mudhens Booster Club?

Coach A wants his team to be "declared champion via an email to every parent and coach in Minor League baseball." Imagine that you are a parent of a kid not on one of these two teams. Can you imagine your reaction if you got an email from the league telling you that some team had been declared Minor League co-champion? Would you give this email more or less credence than an email from a Nigerian prince who wanted you to pick up his large cash deposit in an offshore bank and wire it to him?

I also enjoyed imagining what Coach A would do with this particular email that was sent "to every parent and coach in Minor League baseball." Print it out and hang it on the wall next to your diploma?

As a final crowning achievement, Coach A's closing line is fantastic. "I will not accept any other options." I pictured this line being written while ominous music played in the background. "DECLARE THE MUDHENS MINOR LEAGUE CO-CHAMPIONS VIA AN EMAIL TO EVERY PARENT...OR ELSE!!!!!!" (cue ominous music) Most people learn that the whole, "I will not accept any other options" trick stops working when they are about four years old.

Now, on to the second email. I really liked this one because of the definite undertone that this guy knew the first guy had broken the rules. It seemed a little strange that the first guy could cite chapter and verse of the rulebook but somehow forgot about the whole "play two innings in the infield" rule...or maybe he is such a good coach that he planned for the game to go into extra innings and was going to take care of it then. But you could almost see the second guy drawing a line in the dirt with his sneaker, puffing out his chest, and daring Coach A to cross it. I therefore excuse Coach B for a major error: Spelling ice cream as one word. Ice cream is sacred and should only be spelled as two words.

As a reminder, pregame tomorrow begins at 7. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY OTHER OPTIONS!!!

District Tournament Game 3: WR 8U Blue 14, North Wake Rockets 4

In a rematch of two teams that just played in a tournament championship game last weekend, 8U Blue used a big seven-run first inning to take a 14-4 win over the North Wake Rockets in five innings.

This time, however, West Raleigh had a secret weapon: Coach Bruce led the team in a little pregame yoga.

Please note (in a photo provided by Coach/Paparazzi Regan) Coach Bruce also getting loose. He is constantly bugging Coach Sean to put him in the game and he wanted to make sure he was ready to run the bases if possible.

The stretching must have worked, because the seven runs scored by 8U Blue in the top of the first were their best inning of the weekend so far. That potent offense was coupled with airtight defense, as West Raleigh played its second error-free game of the weekend, making it perhaps one of their most complete efforts of the season.

The victory puts West Raleigh in the district championship game, which is scheduled for Monday night at 6:30 p.m. The opponent is unknown, and rain at The Factory has delayed all of Sunday afternoon's games, which means the opponent may not be known until much later tonight.

Game 3 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce and JT led off with back-to-back singles. Gavin ripped a one-hopper to short and then aggressively went all the way to second, with Bryce crossing the plate. Chace, on his way to a 5-RBI game, crushed a two-run double to left. With one out, Mason hit another double, scoring Chace. Andrew singled down the third-base line, and when the throw back into the infield squirted away, Mason scored and Andrew flew all the way to third. Ben singled to drive in Andrew. After a fielder's choice, Asher singled. Bryce's single scored Elias and finished the scoring with seven big runs.
Score after one-half inning: 8U Blue 7, Rockets 0

Second inning
Gavin smoked a leadoff double and tagged and moved to third on Chace's line drive to left field. Jake's bullet to first scored Gavin. With the Rocket defense shifted to left, Mason took advantage of the shift and powered an RBI double to right-center.
Score after one and one-half innings: 8U Blue 9, Rockets 1

Fourth inning
Gavin once again popped a leadoff double, then ran all the way to third when the throw wasn't handled. He scored easily on Chace's drive to left-center. After a pair of fielder's choices put Joey at third with two outs, Ben's grounder scored Joey.
Score after three and a half innings: 8U Blue 11, Rockets 4

Fifth inning
Asher led off with a double to left-center. With one out, JT singled to put runners at the corners, then took second on the throw. Gavin drove in Asher (who looked suspiciously like Jake). Chace powered a two-run double deep to left-center.
Score after four and a half innings: 8U Blue 14, Rockets 4

Game 3 Web Gems

• Andrew bounced off the mound quickly to field a bunt in the third, and made a good throw to first to retire the hitter.
• Showing a little versatility at pitcher, Andrew dove towards the first base side to snag a hot grounder in the fourth, then threw to first to get the out.
• Not being weighed down by the terrible Adam Lucas jersey, JT somehow managed to leap and grab a line drive that looked like it was over his head on the third-base line in the fifth.
• In a tougher play than he made it look like, Gavin ranged back into shallow left field to gather a pop fly over shortstop in the fifth.

Game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 8U Blue	7	2	0	2	3	X	14	17
NW Rockets	0	1	3	0	0	X	4	9

District Tournament Game 2: WR 8U Blue 5, WR 7U Blue 2

I know you can't tell by the maturity level, but we're getting older. Well, not the moms. But the dads definitely are. That's because it was over a year ago that many of these same players were 7, and had to match up with the big, bad West Raleigh 8s in Wilmington. Our guys looked tiny and their guys looked huge and we somehow kept it close.

Fast forward about 53 weeks and now our kids were the 8s, and the brackets dictated that we had to play the West Raleigh 7s in a district tournament game. Now it was their guys who looked tiny and our guys...well, OK, most of our guys...who looked huge. The score even ended up being similar. Last year, the 8s took a 6-2 decision. This year, the 8s won a 5-2 victory.

That wasn't the only similarity to last year's game. In that 2012 contest, the 7U team, with many of these same players, scored just two runs and collected just nine hits. Saturday's output of five runs and 11 hits was the lowest in both categories since that game.

Players and coaches agreed that facing off against familiar players and coaches might have lessened 8U Blue's competitive edge. Coach Sean used it as a teaching point. "It doesn't matter who you play," he told the team afterward. "You just play your hardest. And as long as you're doing your best, there is nothing to worry about."

There remains a good chance that these two teams could see each other again (brackets can be found here), either sometime on Sunday or perhaps even on Monday in the district championship game. Until then, enjoy this West Raleigh family photo from two very good baseball teams:

Game 2 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Andrew roped a one-out triple, then scored on Gavin's RBI single.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 1, 7U Blue 0

Third inning
Andrew led off with a single, then scored on Gavin's double. Chace drove in Gavin with a single. After a fielder's choice advanced Chace to second, Mason scored him with a line drive to left.
Score after one and one-half innings: 8U Blue 4, 7U Blue 0

Fifth inning
Chace hit a one-out single. He moved to second on a fielder's choice, then was able to hustle all the way around to score on Mason's ball to shortstop.
Score after two and a half innings: 8U Blue 5, 7U Blue 2

Game 2 Web Gallahers

• You might notice that the name of this section has been changed. That felt like the only suitable tribute after a play that will live in baseball history forever. As fans, players and coaches stood around watching the game before 8U Blue, a foul ball was hit from an adjacent field. Sensing danger, Coach Sean politely excused himself from his conversation. He disappeared momentarily, but then reemerged just in time to take about five steps forward, find the foul ball in the sky, and then grab it--with two hands, as usual showing good fundamentals--approximately half a second before it would have conked an innocent bystander and her baby on the head. Already, as this story has been retold, it has gained some embellishments. For example, I don't think it's completely true that once Coach Sean placed his hands on the baby, the baby immediately crushed a triple. And it may be a slight exaggeration that Coach Sean came to the rescue while simultaneously helping an old lady across the street. But it was still a nice play, and all great defensive efforts shall henceforth (well, at least for today) be known as Web Gallahers. However, I think all of us can agree that we are a little tired of hearing Coach Sean constantly retell the story. I mean, does this guy ever stop talking about himself? I was able to catch this photo of one West Raleigh fan who I think expresses all our sentiments when Coach Sean begins yet another sentence with, "So the foul ball went up..."

• Chace had a hand in all three outs in the second inning. He smoothly fielded a bad-hop grounder for the first out, scooped up another grounder for the second out, and then speared a hard line drive for the third out.
• Gavin went deep into the hole in the sixth to grab a sizzler by the leadoff man, then threw to first for the out.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 7U Blue	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	4
WR 8U Blue	1	0	3	0	1	X	5	11

District Tournament Game 1: WR 8U Blue 15, NW Daredevils 0

It takes a lot of effort behind the scenes to put together an 8U baseball team. Mostly, this means the moms have a lot of work to do. But there are a few other individuals who contribute mightily to 8U Blue. For example, just take a look at the impressive effort today in getting the team drinks ready:

You'll be glad to know that we didn't give that particular drink to a player. We gave it to Coach Sean, obviously.

The district tournament began Friday night in Wake Forest, with 8U Blue starting the event with a rematch against the North Wake Daredevils, a team they had just faced last weekend at Thomas Brooks. This time, the rules were slightly different--no run limit during innings, only 10 hitters bat rather than continuous batting, and no coolers are allowed in the venue since such delicious water and cups are provided in the dugout.

West Raleigh responded to the new environment with a solid hitting performance and an even better defensive performance, as they played their first completely error-free game of the summer. Just two North Wake runners reached base, and none went past first, as 8U Blue claimed a 15-0 win. The Daredevil hitters continually peppered the WR 8U infield with grounders, and the infield made every play to preserve the win.

The victory sends 8U Blue into an 11 a.m. Saturday matchup against the winner of the West Raleigh 7U-Durham game.

Game 1 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
8U Blue batted around in the first inning. Bryce started it with a single, then moved to second on a fielder's choice. Gavin doubled to left, scoring Bryce. Chace's shot to shortstop wasn't fielded cleanly, and Gavin ran hard all the way from second to score even when the ball didn't leave the infield. Jake singled to right. Carter's RBI single scored Chace. Mason, on the way to a 4-RBI day, blasted a triple to deep center that cleared the bases. Ben's RBI groundout brought Mason home.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 6, Daredevils 0

Second inning
Joey reached on a bullet to third. Gavin crushed an RBI triple, and then 8U Blue pulled off the rare back-to-back triples when Chace also ripped one. Jake singled home Chace. With two down, Angry Ben smashed a double to left that scored Jake.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 10, Daredevils 0

Third inning
Bryce led off for the second time in three innings and singled again, then moved to second when the ball wasn't fielded cleanly. Andrew smoked a double to left and scored Bryce. With one out, Chace and Jake had back to back singles. Carter drove in Andrew, then Mason drove in a pair with a double. After a fielder's choice, Asher's fielder's choice scored Carter with the game's final run.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 15, Daredevils 0

Game 1 Web Gems

• Chace played a solid first three innings at third base, showing some agility to get to some grounders and also spearing a hard line drive.
• Playing on the right side of the machine in the third, Mason raced over to the line, picked up a nubber, and made a good throw to retire the hitter on what should have been a difficult play. 
• The game ended on a double play. With a runner on first base, the North Wake batter ripped what looked like a single through the left side. But Gavin sprinted into the hole, picked it out of the air, then threw across the diamond to Chace at first to double off the runner and complete the double play.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
NW Daredevils	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	2
WR 8U Blue	6	4	5	X	X	X	15	17

Relax and enjoy your kid

Someone sent me this link. I'm sure they sent it because they knew I was a crazed parent blogger, and they wanted me to pass it on to all the OTHER PEOPLE who need perspective, because obviously it doesn't apply to me. But I thought it was a good story.

With that being said, GET YOUR GLOVE DOWN. KEEP YOUR HANDS INSIDE THE BALL. HUSTLE ALL THE TIME.

Oh, and have fun.

Weekend recap: Top Gun Super State Championship

The offensive numbers from this weekend are as gaudy as the pink shirts that were handed out after the win on Sunday. As always, you can find the individual wrapups here, but here are some of the more impressive cumulative numbers from the four games in Cary:

• As a team, 8U Blue hit .722 and slugged .940. Just for the sake of comparison, they hit .560 and slugged .707 in Clemmons.
• 8U Blue had almost as many extra-base hits (27) as the four opponents had total base hits (29). 
• In Saturday's game one against the Raleigh Raptors, the Raptors had four hits as a team. Gavin, Chace and Mason each had four hits by themselves in that game.
• In Saturday's game two against the North Wake, the Daredevils had four hits as a team. Gavin, Chace and Jake each had four hits by themselves in that game.
•  Overall, 8U Blue outscored the opposition 86-14 in Cary, and outhit them 108-29. 
• West Raleigh came to bat in 22 innings, and had the maximum runs allowed in 15 of those innings (68.2%). After having eight scoreless innings in Clemmons, 8U Blue had just two in Cary.
• For the first time this summer, every hitter in the lineup had at least two hits in the Sunday game against the Western Wake Wildcats.
• Every hitter on the roster has now had at least one three-hit game this summer.
• The offensive explosion did slightly mask some occasional defensive struggles. 8U Blue committed 17 errors in the four games--a total higher than the team had committed in the entire season prior to this weekend. More thoughts on that below.
• Coach Kevin spent approximately 21 hours in the car driving to and from Syracuse, all of which were spent coming up with new ideas for his collection of pregame speeches. I was able to capture some video of his pregame talk on Sunday, which was excellent:

Here's a look at the points of emphasis from last week:

More consistent outfield play, especially on ground balls and line drives to the outfield. 8U Blue has played very well on fly balls so far and will continue to work on one-hoppers and rounding into balls in the gap.

This one still needs work, and expect to see some time spent on this in practice this week. 8U Blue made three outfield errors on Sunday alone.

Increase the team batting average from .560 in Clemmons to at least .575 in Wilmington. The plan to do this began last night at TPA, with a focus on not pulling off the ball and hitting straight through it to produce line drives rather than pop flies.

This one was mixed. Great job increasing the team batting average and rocketing past the .575 goal. Not a great job doing it in Wilmington...but I guess we can let that slide, since the actual tournament was held in Cary (no matter what the trophies said).

Decrease the errors and have zero innings with multiple errors. This is a carryover from last weekend.

There were just two innings with multiple errors, but the overall error total was too high. There are a few possible explanations for the error increase: 1. Blowout nature of the games meant a loss in focus. 2. Players are still being moved around and getting accustomed to different positions. 3. The infield was essentially a slab of concrete and produced multiple unpredictable hops. 4. 8U Blue practiced on the field just twice last week.

With that in mind, the defense still must be tightened up, because the better opponents in district play and beyond will take advantage of mistakes.

Put the ball in play in every at-bat. The big barrel bats are permanently put away now, so everyone can get comfortable with the bats they'll be using in Cal Ripken play.

Almost. It's really hard to quibble with any aspect of the offensive performance this weekend.

Zero scoreless innings.

I actually thought this one was unreachable...but they almost did it. There were just two scoreless offensive innings, both of which came against the very solid North Wake Rockets.

Some goals for the district tournament this weekend:

• Win the district tournament. None of this summer's other goals can happen without winning the district.
• Refocus on defense. Seventeen errors in four games are simply too many.  
• Stay in a groove offensively, and hit at least .650 as a team in Wake Forest.
• Make adjustments from pitch to pitch offensively. This means getting adjusted to a new machine, or to a change in the current machine. 

Practice is tonight at Ephesus from 5-7. Tuesday is an off day, and then the team will practice on Wednesday and Thursday before (likely) beginning play in the district tournament on Friday night in Wake Forest.

 

 

Top Gun Super State title game: WR 8U Blue 9, North Wake Rockets 3

After steamrolling through the first three games of the tournament, 8U Blue found itself in unfamiliar territory in the championship game against North Wake: the Rockets scored a run in the bottom of the second (only a terrific double play had kept the Rockets off the scoreboard in the bottom of the first). That put West Raleigh behind at the end of an inning for the first time since the first game last Sunday in Clemmons.

But the offense--which had been held scoreless for the first time this weekend in the first two innings--responded by churning out two runs in the top of the third, then cracking it open with five runs in the top of the fourth. 8U Blue played just enough defense to win over the final innings, claiming the Top Gun Super State championship with a 9-3 victory.

Fortunately, after Coach Kevin channeled Roy Orbison and drove all night, Sunday's games included Bryce (oh, and Coach Kevin), meaning the full roster was able to accept their championship hardware (which inexplicably listed the tournament as being played in Wake Forest, even though I feel pretty sure we were in Cary, unless those cupcakes were laced with something other than Oreos):

The win capped a fun Father's Day, as the dads raked in a major haul, including gift cards, a team picture, and the right to be photographed next to their smelly sons. The situation works out especially well for the dads because Mother's Day doesn't fall during all-star season, and we all know the dads would probably forget anyway.

Since the boys had played hard through four games, they deserved a little something also. After a stern talk from Coach Sean on the importance of preparing for districts this week--no soda, no going to bed late, no taking candy from strangers, look both ways before you cross the street, and don't eat yellow snow--each player was given the much-desired pink practice shirt, featuring their nickname on the back:

It's a safe guess that you'll see several of them on the practice field on Monday night. Remember that practice will be at Ephesus instead of West Raleigh, and will be from 5-7.

Championship 8U Blue scoring plays
Third inning
After back-to-back singles from Ben and Elias, Asher sacrificed them to second and third. Andrew grounded a game-tying fielder's choice to third, and then Bryce picked up a clutch two-out RBI single to give West Raleigh their first lead of the day.
Score after two and a half innings: 8U Blue 2, Rockets 1

Fourth inning
After playing a little small ball in the third, West Raleigh went big in the fourth, and scored five runs with just six hitters going to the plate. Joey and Gavin started it with a pair of doubles. Chace's shot to shortstop put runners at the corners. Jake singled, scoring Gavin, and then took second on the throw, while Chace hustled to third. Carter's single scored both Chace and Jake. Mason's single was hit so hard it took the third baseman's glove off, and it scored Carter while activating the five-run limit.
Score after three and a half innings: 8U Blue 7, Rockets 1

Fifth inning
Playing small ball once again, West Raleigh scored a run without a true ball to the outfield. Ben's line drive to shortstop just eked over the defender's head. Elias sacrificed him to second, and Ben raced to third on Asher's fielder's choice. Andrew came through with a two-out single to score Ben.
Score after four and a half innings: 8U Blue 8, Rockets 1

Sixth inning
Getting the leadoff man on base again produced a run. JT and Joey strung together two straight singles to start the inning. After a fielder's choice moved JT to third, he scored on Chace's fielder's choice.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 9, Rockets 1

Championship Web Gems

• North Wake put runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom of the first. But in a big momentum-turning play, Jake caught a fly ball in shallow right, loaded up, and fired a strike to Asher at the plate, who tagged the runner trying to score from third in what turned into an inning-ending double play.
• Carter grabbed a sinking liner down near his knees in right field for the final out of the third inning.
• Before the bottom of the fourth, Bryce somehow managed to throw the infield warmup ball under the closed dugout gate and into the dugout, where it came to rest almost next to the ball bucket.
• With one out in the fourth, the North Wake batter singled and then got adventurous. But Joey picked up the ball in left-center and immediately fired it back to Bryce at second base. Still hot off his major infield warmup ball achievement a few moments earlier, Bryce whirled and threw a seed to Chace at first, who slapped the tag on the hitter, who had taken too wide a turn.
• With a runner on in the fifth, the hitter hit a bullet back through the middle. Mason got a glove on it at pitcher and redirected it in the infield. JT tracked it down and threw to Bryce at second to get the force out.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 8U Blue	0	0	2	5	1	1	9	13
NW Rockets	0	1	0	0	0	2	3	9

Top Gun Super State Semis: WR 8U Blue 25, Western Wake Wildcats 8

The impressive offensive display continued in the Top Gun Super State semifinals, as West Raleigh 8U Blue whipped the Western Wake Wildcats, 25-8. Thirteen straight 8U Blue hitters reached base before the Wildcats recorded a hit, and Blue reached the five-run limit in every inning. Overall, 8U Blue sent 37 hitters to the plate, and only three outs were recorded. You read that right--in five offensive innings, West Raleigh made just three outs. The 32 hits tied a season high set in yesterday's win over the North Wake Daredevils.

Yes, the bats are a little hot. The hitting must have resonated, because the fans of the hard-hitting, big barrel-wielding Wildcats were heard to yell, "Check their bats" of the thin-barrel 8U Blue hitters. Presumably, this is because they were so impressed by the hitting performance that they want to go to the store tomorrow and purchase similar bats, and were checking to see what kind they were. That's the only explanation that makes sense.

By the conclusion of the win, 8U Blue had been to the plate 16 times in this weekend's tournament, and had scored the run limit in 14 of those innings. The victory moved West Raleigh into the championship game against a familiar opponent, the North Wake Rockets.

Semifinal 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
JT started his 4-for-4 day with a leadoff triple. Joey popped an RBI single off the machine. Gavin ripped a ground rule double under the fence in right-center. Chace powered a two-RBI single to left. Jake pulled an RBI single to right-center. After Carter's single, Mason went the other way for an RBI single, as West Raleigh sent just seven hitters to the plate to get the five-run limit.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 5, Wildcats 0

Second inning
And then the 8U offense did themselves one better. This time, they needed just six batters to plate the five runs. Ben's liner to shortstop got through to lead off. Elias singled to left, putting runners on first and second. Asher singled back through the middle, scoring Ben. Andrew's single scored Elias. In his first at-bat of the weekend, Bryce cracked a two-run triple. JT scored Bryce with a single.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 10, Wildcats 0

Third inning
Needing some variety, this time 8U Blue decided to get all of their five run limit with two outs. With Chace on first, Jake singled. Carter's single wasn't fielded cleanly, allowing both runners to score and Carter to move to second. Mason's single put runners at the corners. Ben singled home Carter. Elias singled, loading the bases. On his way to a four-RBI day, Asher doubled to finish the inning.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 15, Wildcats 1

Fourth inning
With Bryce on first and one down, JT launched his second triple of the game, scoring Bryce. Joey drove home JT. Gavin put runners on first and second for Chace, who doubled home Joey. Jake drove home a pair with an opposite-field double.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 20, Wildcats 5

Fifth inning
Carter and Mason started the inning with singles. Ben smacked an RBI single back through the middle. Elias singled through the left side, scoring Mason. Asher singled and brought in Ben. Andrew's single to left scored Elias, and after Bryce's single, JT singled to score Asher, as 8U Blue again hit the five-run limit without a single out.
Score after five innings: 8U Blue 25, Wildcats 5

Semifinal Web Gems

• Playing shortstop on a very firm infield that produced some interesting hops all weekend, Gavin showed quick reflexes in snaring one that bounced much higher than expected in the first inning, then flipping to second for the force.
• Chace alertly tracked down an errant throw on the first batter of the second inning, then put the tag on an indecisive runner who had taken too big a turn.
• 8U Blue executed a perfect cutoff play on the next hitter, as the ball was driven to left-center for what looked like a possible single. But the runner tried to stretch it into a double, and Elias fired in to Gavin, who relayed to JT, who slapped down the tag to get the out.
• Two hitters later, Elias made a nice leaping grab in left-center to end the inning.
• The first double play of the weekend ended the third. JT caught a liner at third, then fired across the diamond to Chace at first base to double off a wandering runner.
• Playing pitcher, Andrew showed good reflexes to his right, scooped up a hot grounder, and threw to first to retire the leadoff man in the fourth inning.
• With the Wildcats mounting a rally in the sixth, Carter tracked down an errant throw at first, and alertly saw that the lead runner was steaming for home. Carter fired to Asher, who applied the tag at the plate for the first out of the inning.

Semifinals line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Wildcats	0	0	1	4	0	3	8	12
WR 8U Blue	5	5	5	5	5	X	25	32

Top Gun Super State Game 2: WR 8U Blue 27, NW Daredevils 1

If possible, the offensive performance in Saturday's second game might have been even more impressive than the game one fireworks. This time, 8U Blue posted a season-high in runs (27) and hits (32) on the way to a 27-1 victory over the North Wake Daredevils. For the fourth time in ten games this summer, every batter in the lineup had at least one hit, and 10 of the West Raleigh batters had at least two base hits.

The offense was unquestionably the story of the day, as 8U Blue hit a combined .724 in the two games, and very nearly had more extra-base hits (21) than hitless trips to the plate (24). The two teams West Raleigh defeated on Saturday had a combined eight hits; two West Raleigh hitters (Gavin and Chace) had eight hits apiece just by themselves.

Credit to Coach Bob for possibly the worst pitching performance of all time, as he gave up 52 runs and 63 hits in 11 innings while operating the pitching machine. The 63 combined hits in the two games are just one fewer than 8U Blue managed all of last weekend in Clemmons.

The undefeated mark in Saturday's pool play means 8U Blue earned the top seed in Sunday's gold bracket. They will take Thomas Brooks field 8 at 1:30 against the winner of the Northview Blue-7U Wildcats game. The winner of that game will be in the 3 p.m. championship contest, also on field 8.

Game 2 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Joey hit a one-out single. Gavin (4-for-4 with three doubles) drove him in with a double. Chace followed suit with another RBI double. Jake lined an RBI shot to right. The final RBI of the inning went to Carter on a one-out fielder's choice.
Score after one-half inning: 8U Blue 4, Daredevils 0

Second inning
The first run-rule inning of this game started with Asher reaching on a single. Runners moved to first and second on Andrew's drive to the left side. JT doubled home Asher, and then Andrew also scored when the ball wasn't handled cleanly. Joey singled, putting runners at the corners. Gavin's double plated JT, Chace's single scored Joey, and Jake's double scored Gavin.
Score after one and one-half innings: 8U Blue 9, Daredevils 0

Third inning
With Carter on first and one out, Mason lined a single that wasn't handled, allowing Carter to score and Mason to move to second. Elias powered it through the left side, scoring Mason. Asher singled to put two runners on, and then Andrew hit a towering double to left that scored Elias.
Score after two and a half innings: 8U Blue 14, Daredevils 0

Fourth inning
Gavin smoked a one-out single that turned into two bases after an outfield miscue. Chace singled him home. Jake singled, and then Ben's single scored Chace.
Score after three and a half innings: 8U Blue 16, Daredevils 0

Fifth inning
Elias led off with a perfectly placed double to left-center. He moved to third on a fielder's choice, then scored on Andrew's single. 8U Blue sent four more runners across with two outs. Joey singled, scoring Andrew. Gavin's double put runners at second and third. Chace (who had an impressive five-RBI game) scored a pair with a double to center, and then Jake finished the scoring with a line drive straight back up the middle that scored Chace.
Score after four and a half innings: 8U Blue 21, Daredevils 0

Sixth inning
The last offensive inning of the day might also have been the most impressive, as 8U Blue scored six runs while recording zero outs and sending only seven hitters to the plate. It began with a leadoff single from Ben that outfield issues turned into two bases. Carter's double scored Ben. Mason's single scored Carter. Elias reached on a single that sent runners to first and second, before Asher's single loaded the bases. Andrew drove in two more, for a game total of four RBI, with another long double to left. JT scored a pair with a hard single that invoked what had suddenly become a six-run limit instead of a five-run limit.
Score after five and a half innings: 8U Blue 27, Daredevils 1

Game 2 Web Gems

• Playing third base, Jake made an agile play to his left on the first hitter of the fourth inning. With the ball pounded into the dirt almost in the hole, Jake ranged over, gloved it, then made a strong throw to first base to easily get the runner.
• JT raced across the dirt in the outfield to gather a sinking liner in left-center in the fifth.
• With a runner on first later that same inning, JT continued his solid play in the outfield. He tracked down a ball hit over his head and fired to Gavin covering second for the force out--the third force recorded by an 8U Blue outfielder on the day.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 8U Blue	4	5	5	2	5	6	27	32
NW Daredevils	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	4

Top Gun Super State Game 1: WR 8U Blue 25, Raleigh Raptors 2

Coach Bruce was reported to be very happy to hear that 8U Blue would be playing virtually in his backyard, with the Top Gun Super State tournament scheduled for Thomas Brooks Park. But I didn't realize how happy he was until we left our house this morning and realized that evidently Coach Bruce had come all the way to Orange County to provide a personal escort to Cary. I especially like his personalized license plate:

Realizing his team would have to play without Coach Kevin (value: debatable) and Bryce (value: irreplaceable), plus the foul ball catching skills of Jennifer, Coach Sean knew he would have to do something spectacular during Saturday's pregame team meeting. Coach Kevin had requested that Coach Sean use Pregame Speech No. 461, which can be found in Coach Kevin's book entitled, "2,831 pregame speeches" and subtitled, "Things Biscuit Taught Me."

But Coach Sean went one better. He used Pregame Speech 461, and added his own special twist: a pregame dance party featuring 8U Blue's own Tiny Dancer, Asher:

The results of the dance: undeniable. 8U Blue went out and scored the five-run limit (well, the run rule sort of fluctuates depending on who is doing the interpretation) in every single inning, bludgeoning their way to a 25-2 win over the Raleigh Raptors. The homestanding West Raleigh squad pounded out a season-high 31 hits...a season high that wouldn't last very long. Ten different hitters scored at least two runs and ten different hitters had at least two hits.

The game was shortened to five innings due to the time limit, setting up West Raleigh's second game of pool play, against the North Wake Daredevils.

Game 1 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Got a snack? OK, here we go. JT led off with an opposite-field single. With one out, Gavin cracked a double. Chace picked up the first RBI of the day with a single, and then Jake drove in Gavin with a single. The last three runs came across with two outs. Carter's shot to third wasn't handled, scoring Chace, and then Mason--on his way to a monster (four doubles, five RBI) game--blasted a double to clear the bases and invoke the run rule.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 5, Raptors 0

Second inning
With one out, Asher singled. He moved to third on Andrew's double. JT smacked a two-run double and moved to third when Joey's shot to the right side wasn't fielded. Gavin lined a single that scored both JT and Joey after some outfield misadventures. Chace singled, and then Jake's double plated Gavin to once again activate the run rule.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 10, Raptors 0

Third inning
Once again, it started with one out. Carter singled and scored on Mason's double. Elias singled, putting runners at the corners. Asher's opposite field single scored Mason. Andrew singled to load the bases for JT, who promptly scored Elias with a single. Joey and Gavin picked up back-to-back RBI singles to send 8U Blue to the five-run limit for the third straight inning.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 15, Raptors 0

Fourth inning
Chace led off with a single and ran to third on Jake's double. With one out, Carter drove in Chace with a single. Mason--stop me if this sounds familiar--doubled, scoring Jake. Elias's RBI single scored Carter and Asher drove in Mason with a single. Andrew's single loaded the bases again, and then JT's shot to shortstop scored Elias and ended the inning.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 20, Raptors 1

Fifth inning
This time, 8U Blue recorded just one out while scoring their five runs on just eight batters. Joey led off with a single. Gavin hit a thunderous double deep to left-center. Chace's single drove in Joey. Jake blistered it through the right side to score Gavin and put runners on first and second. Carter's bullet on the left side wasn't fielded, allowing Chace to score. Mason (yawn) doubled yet again, driving in Jake, and then the last RBI of the game went to Elias on a single to left.
Score after five innings: 8U Blue 25, Raptors 2

Game 1 Web Gems

• With runners on first and second, Elias didn't take anything for granted in the first and backed up shortstop on a ground ball. That worked out well for him, because he was in position to scoop it up and fire to JT at second to get the force.
• 8U Blue got another force out from their outfielders in the second. With one down and a runner on first, the batter lined a shot to right-center. Andrew barehanded it and threw to JT at second to get the out.
• West Raleigh catchers recorded two outs on popups: Asher grabbed one in the second and Jake snagged one in the third.
• Gavin made a smooth play on a tough hopper to end the Raptor top of the fifth.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Raptors	0	0	0	1	1	X	2	4
WR 8U Blue	5	5	5	5	5	X	25	31

Weekend recap: AAU Summer Championship (Clemmons)

The recaps from this past weekend's action can be found here, but here's a look at some of the key stats and trends from the weekend:

• West Raleigh outscored the opposition by a cumulative total of 49-12, slightly off last weekend's pace of 64-11.
• West Raleigh outhit the opposition by a cumulative total of 64-27, slightly off last weekend's pace of 77-29.
• Part of the offensive dip was due to a different set of rules. The first weekend's tournament was Top Gun, which meant all games went the full six innings. But this weekend's tournament was AAU, so 8U Blue played just eight total innings on Saturday (rather than the full 12). But part of the offensive dip was also due to better defenses faced on Sunday and a handful of popups rather than line drives--a trend that was worked on in practice Monday night at TPA (while it poured rain outside, making it very nice to have the indoor facility).
• West Raleigh didn't have a game in Clemmons in which every batter recorded a hit. There were just two three-hit games by individuals.
• The percentage of working scoreboards in Clemmons (100%) was greater by approximately 100% than anywhere else 8U Blue has ever played before.
• Overall, 8U Blue hitters had a cumulative batting average of .560 in Clemmons, up from the first weekend's .550. The team slugging percentage, however, decreased from .714 in Cary to .707 in Clemmons.
• The four scoreless innings in the game against the DC Bomb Squad on Sunday were equal to the total number of scoreless innings in last weekend's tournament in Cary. Overall, 8U Blue had eight scoreless innings in Clemmons.
• Defense was inconsistent. 8U Blue committed just one error in the two games on Saturday. But on Sunday, seven errors were made in the two games. That made the weekend total of eight equal to last weekend's total.

Let's take a look at the points of emphasis we listed last week to see how the results looked this weekend:

1. Decrease the errors and have zero innings with multiple errors.

 Still needs some work. The total errors did not decrease and there were two innings with multiple errors.

2. Put the ball in play in every at-bat.

Almost. Even with the machine firing the ball high on occasion, there was just one strikeout in 116 at-bats.

3. Zero scoreless innings.

This is going to be a tough one to ever achieve, but it didn't happen in Clemmons.

4. Get more comfortable with aggressive baserunning.

This one can be checked off the list. 8U Blue even got a compliment from the field umpire on Saturday, who was impressed with their baserunning. Taking the extra base was big in the win over the Bomb Squad, as during the fourth-inning rally, six different hitters turned what would've been a one-base hit into at least two bases with their hustle on the basepaths.

5. Increase funds for Coach Regan's salary.

Now that she is also a math tutor, she's pretty much guaranteed we'll never be able to pay her what she is worth.

So, with two tournaments completed, here's a look at some points of emphasis for the Wilmington tournament this weekend:

• More consistent outfield play, especially on ground balls and line drives to the outfield. 8U Blue has played very well on fly balls so far and will continue to work on one-hoppers and rounding into balls in the gap.
• Increase the team batting average from .560 in Clemmons to at least .575 in Wilmington. The plan to do this began last night at TPA, with a focus on not pulling off the ball and hitting straight through it to produce line drives rather than pop flies.
• Decrease the errors and have zero innings with multiple errors. This is a carryover from last weekend.
• Put the ball in play in every at-bat. The big barrel bats are permanently put away now, so everyone can get comfortable with the bats they'll be using in Cal Ripken play.
• Zero scoreless innings. It's good to have high goals, right?

The Wilmington tournament schedule will hopefully be out by Wednesday evening. The team has practice at West Raleigh on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at West Raleigh. All those practices are from 6-8 p.m., starting in the cage from 6-6:30.

AAU Summer Championship title game: WR 8U Blue 13, Carolina Shock 6

I'm sure you are probably wondering what such talented baseball players do to kill time in tournaments like this, where there is a lot of down time and waiting. If they have some good ideas, you might even consider stealing them for yourself, since the 8U Blue fan club has an equal amount of down time, but isn't provided with an arsenal of snacks, drinks, water sprayers and other toys.

Well, here's what 8U Blue did while waiting for Sunday's doubleheader: they answered math problems. And had a "not moving" contest.

Seriously, this really happened. Here's a photo of Coach Regan quizzing several players with her devious multi-part math problems:

Notice how into it the players are. Seriously, they REALLY liked the math problems. I don't have a photo of the "not moving" contest, but I can report that Gavin and Chace stayed completely immobile for over 15 minutes. That's not an exaggeration--we timed it. I realize none of this sounds especially fun when you read it, but at the time it was kind of entertaining. And let's be honest, what else did we have to do? And did you really think your 8-year-old son could stay completely quiet and still for 15 minutes? We truly do get to see them do the completely unexpected pretty much every single weekend.

Eventually, there were baseball games to be played. The day's final game was against the Carolina Shock for the AAU Summer Championship. 8U Blue had a fairly quick turnaround from the 7-6 walk-off win over the DC Bomb Squad, and they promptly had to battle back from a deficit again. This time, it was just 2-0, as the Shock plated a pair of runs in the top of the first.

This time, however, it didn't take the Blue offense as long to respond. They ripped off five runs in the first and seven more in the second to take control of the game, and eventually claimed a 13-6 victory that gave them the tournament title.

The game included an approximately 15-minute rain delay, some occasional confusion with the pitching machine (the Shock were doing coach pitch, but strangely, according to what we heard in Mooresville, this did not automatically enable them to win the game) and an umpire who accused Bryce of trying to steal his girlfriend (this actually happened).

The end result, however, was a second tournament championship in as many weekends:

Players indicated that the championship was for Coach Bruce, even firing off an, "I say Coach/You say Bruce!" cheer in the final inning. Coach Bruce's whereabouts were undetermined, but he was believed to be at a potty convention.

West Raleigh celebrated with their usual wild abandon, as indicated by this paparazzi photo from a certain photographer who was on I-40 on the way home:

Practice is slated for Monday night. With uncertain timing and weather, stay tuned for more details.

Championship Game 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce led off the game with a hard shot to shortstop. With two down, he was still on first. But 8U Blue posted five two-out runs, starting when Chace singled Bryce to second. Jake drove an RBI single to center, and then Chace raced around to score when the throw was errant. Joey collected an RBI single, and then Ben's single to left couldn't be handled cleanly, allowing Joey to race around and score and Ben to go all the way to third. Mason scored him with a single to left.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 5, Shock 2

Second inning
Once again, the leadoff man reached--this time, it was Carter with a single. With one out, Asher dropped a bunt single that put runners on first and second. Bryce slashed an RBI single to left that was the beginning of a parade of RBI hits. Before it was over, JT (triple scored two), Gavin (double), Chace (double), Jake (single) and Joey (single) all drove in runs on the way to West Raleigh's only run-rule inning of the game, a seven-spot in the second.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 12, Shock 2

Fifth inning
Gavin led off by smoking a triple to right. Chace scored him with a sacrifice fly to left center.
Score after five innings: 8U Blue 13, Shock 6

Championship Game Web Gems

• Carter made a nice play on a line drive to left field with one out and one on in the third.
• In a quirky play that ended the fourth, the Shock tallied a run on an overthrow in the West Raleigh infield. But Chace made sure the damage wouldn't be worse, as he chased down the errant throw behind first and hustled it back into the infield, where the runner had been too aggressive rounding first. Chace applied the tag to end the inning and prevent further damage.
• Bryce made a nice play ranging up the middle to field a pop fly with two outs and one on in the fifth.
• West Raleigh ended the game in style. With a runner on first and one out in the sixth, JT snared a rocket at third base, then threw to Carter at first to double off the runner and seal the win.

Championship game line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Carolina Shock	2	0	0	1	3	0	6	13
WR 8U Blue	5	7	0	0	1	X	13	16

AAU Summer Championship Game 3: WR 8U Blue 7, DC Bomb Squad 6

Through three innings against the DC Bomb Squad in Sunday's first game in Clemmons, West Raleigh had sent just 11 hitters to the plate, recorded just three base hits, and hadn't even had a runner as far as third base. The three straight scoreless innings were the first time 8U Blue had been kept off the scoreboard for such an extended period of time this summer, and the offense was coming off a 1-2-3 third inning in which they didn't get the ball out of the infield.

Meanwhile, the Bomb Squad had scored two quick runs in the second and added a third run in the third. The 3-0 deficit after three innings was the biggest deficit 8U Blue has faced at the end of an inning this season.

So, yeah, things looked a little grim on the sweltering Clemmons turf.

But without much comeback experience to draw upon--OK, without any real comeback experience to draw upon--8U Blue mounted a furious six-run fourth-inning rally, totally changing the momentum and seizing control of the game...for about an inning.

The Bomb Squad took advantage of some unusual West Raleigh defensive hiccups in the top of the sixth to tie the game, but as soon as it looked like the defensive wizardry had deserted 8U Blue they found it again, and got a timely double play that enabled them to remain tied and need just a single run in the bottom of the sixth (coincidentally, it should be noted that Coach Sean had craftily won the coin toss and elected to be home team to set up exactly this scenario).

It didn't take long to get that run, as Gavin and Chace reached and then Jake ended the game with a walk-off line drive to right-center that sent his teammates spilling out of the dugout to meet Gavin as he crossed the plate with the winning run.

The victory moved 8U Blue to 3-0 on the weekend and sent them to the championship game in a rematch against the Shock and their head coach, Earl Weaver.

Game 3 8U Blue scoring plays
Fourth inning
Here's the game of baseball for you--after the first three innings, in which 8U Blue went scoreless despite peppering the outfield with deep shots, all of which were caught by the Bomb Squad defense, the offense kicked into gear with a ball that was hit about five feet. That's the approximate distance of Asher's leadoff bunt, and when the throw to first was late and fired into right field, he took second. Bryce drove him home with a single and then advanced to second on an outfield error. JT cracked an opposite field single and took second on the throw to the plate, which was late. Gavin blasted an RBI double to center. Chace hit an RBI single and moved up to second on the throw. Jake ripped an RBI single and likewise moved to second on the throw. In the end, West Raleigh scored five runs and registered six hits before the first out was recorded. But that wasn't all, as Ben smoked an RBI single to the left side that scored Jake.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 6, Bomb Squad 3

Sixth inning
Needing just one run to win the game, Gavin led off with a deep double to center. Chace ripped a single to third base that was hit so hard that Gavin couldn't advance. But Jake made sure it didn't matter, as on the second pitch of his at-bat he crushed a single into right that scored Gavin with the winning run.
Score after six innings: 8U Blue 7, Bomb Squad 6

Game 3 Web Gems

• With runners on first and second and the Bomb Squad having already pushed two runs across in the second, Bryce made a nice play backing up on a pop fly behind second base to end the inning.
• Playing on the turf in Clemmons, JT made a solid play on a tough hop at third base against the leadoff man in the third, then threw to Chace at first to retire the hitter.
• Give the coaching staff, plus Coach Chris, a web gem in the fourth. With runners on second and third and no outs, 8U Blue had to work out of a tough spot while already trailing 3-0. Chace picked up one out on a pop fly to first. Then, with one down, the hitter lifted a fly ball to right, where Carter gathered it in. But the excitement was just beginning, as the runner on third base got a little overeager and left early. He did cross the plate, and then some adventures in the infield allowed the trail runner to also cross. But 8U Blue appealed the first runner leaving early, and the umpires agreed, turning it into a double play and erasing both runners.
• After a game when the defense had some uncharacteristic struggles, the last defensive inning still included a sweet defensive play. With the go-ahead run on second base, the batter slapped a grounder to Gavin at shortstop. He froze the runner and fired to Chace. Around the time Gavin released the throw, the runner broke for third. But Chace came firing off the bag after getting the out, threw a rocket to JT at third, and JT slapped the tag on for the unconventional 6-3-5 double play that cleared the bases and gave a little momentum back to West Raleigh.  

Game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
DC Bomb Squad	0	2	1	0	0	3	6	11
WR 8U Blue	0	0	0	6	0	1	7	14