Weekend recap: State tournament

West Raleigh played seven games, outscored the opponents 110-10, and won the Cal Ripken Eastern North Carolina state title. That's really all the recap you need.

Oh, you had something more in mind? Here's a few numbers:

• 8U Blue allowed 30 hits in the seven games. Just to put that in perspective, the 8U Blue offense had 27 extra-base hits alone in those seven games. So even if you took out every West Raleigh single--all 83 (yep, 83) of them--8U Blue still had almost as many hits as the opposition.
• Take out the game against Northview Gold, when some of the bats still seemed to be slumbering, and 8U Blue pounded out at least a dozen hits in every game. That's especially impressive considering that of the seven games played in Laurinburg, the one against Northview was the only one that went the regulation six innings due to the ten-run rule.
• West Raleigh had just four scoreless offensive innings in seven games.
• In two of the games, every hitter in the lineup picked up at least one hit. For the weekend, every player who got an at-bat drove in at least three runs. 
• The .593 team batting average was the second-highest of the summer for a weekend tournament, trailing only the June 15-16 games at Thomas Brooks. 
• Defense was solid; 8U Blue had almost as many double plays turned (five) as they had errors (seven). 

Here's a look back at the goals for state tournament weekend:

Win the state tournament.

Yes. In a pretty incredible sweep, every West Raleigh team from 7U through 12U won their respective state tournament.

Hit over .600 as a team for the weekend.

Pretty close. Take out the Northview game and this one would've happened. It's not too bad to hit .593 as a team for a seven-game tournament.

Maintain the solid defense. 8U Blue will probably have to make tougher plays in Laurinburg than they made this weekend. With a possible seven games, a goal of 10 errors or fewer seems reasonable.

Got it (just seven errors). The shortened games had something to do with it, but so did some very stellar play in the infield and the outfield.

No more than six scoreless innings in the potential seven games.

This might be the best testament to the productivity of the West Raleigh order up and down the lineup. No matter who led off, they almost always seemed to be starting a scoring frenzy...there were just four scoreless offensive frames in the seven games.

At least 20 extra-base hits.

The 8U hitters almost reached this with doubles alone (18), but eventually pounded out 27 extra-base hits. They even added three home runs, the first three roundtrippers of the season.

Southeast Regional pool play begins on Thursday in Richmond/Varina (can we come to consensus on whether we're referring to it as Richmond or Varina?). 8U Blue will play two pool games on Thursday, two on Friday, and will beg to go to the hotel pool roughly an equal number of times in those days. If they compile one of the top two records in the pool, they advance to single elimination bracket play that begins on Saturday and extends through Sunday.

Some goals for the regionals:

• Win the Southeast Regional.
• Hit at least .600 as a team for the tournament.
• Bash at least 30 extra-base hits as a team.
• No more than ten scoreless innings in the potential seven games.
• No more than 12 errors in the potential seven games.
• Hold the opponents scoreless in at least half of the innings played. 

State Championship: WR 8U Blue 12, Supper Optimist 2

Sunday's state championship game capped a remarkable weekend of baseball for West Raleigh 8U, as they would eventually finish 7-0, outscoring some of the best teams in the state by a combined margin of 110-10. They captured the state championship with a 12-2 five-inning win over Wilmington's Supper Optimist, a solid club that had eliminated North Wake in the semifinals. And with all that being said, by the time this blog entry is over, you might be more proud of the kids for non-baseball reasons than baseball reasons.

First, on the diamond: Supper took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first, only to watch West Raleigh club its way to six runs in the bottom of the frame to retake a lead they would not relinquish. Needing just three runs to invoke the ten-run rule in the bottom of the fifth, the bottom of the order played small ball to set the table for the top of the order, which came through with the big hits to clinch the championship. Video of the game-winner, which so far I don't believe will ever get old, is here:




Oh, maybe you'd prefer the behind home plate view?



 This is a very happy group of 8-year-olds and their coaches:

The state title meant another West Raleigh dance party, with a few players having clearly practiced in front of the mirror:



So, that was an incredible amount of fun, and I would do it all again right this second even if the number of bugs in Laurinburg were tripled. But once the trophies were presented, Coach Sean called the players and families over near first base, and asked a special guest to join them. At Friday's opening ceremonies, the participating teams had been introduced to Creed Sellers, a member of the Laurinburg All-Stars who has been battling cancer. Creed threw out the first pitch of the state tournament and did a great job, and West Raleigh players and coaches had been wearing the lime green bracelets worn by members of the Laurinburg community to show support for the youngster.

But the West Raleigh family wanted to do something more for the Sellers family. So Coach Sean asked Gray Sellers, Creed's father, to join them on the field. That's where he presented Mr. Sellers with a donation intended to help his family with their significant medical expenses.

Coach Sean then addressed the team, and I can't remember exactly what he said, because I believe they must have been dragging the infield at that point, which is the only explanation for how dusty it had gotten, causing lots of eye problems. But what I think I remember Coach Sean saying is something about how there were more important things in baseball and how thankful everyone should be that they got to go play a really fun game and then help make a real difference in someone's life.

 As usual, West Raleigh finished the day with their traditional Laurinburg breakdown: "Roll Mason!" While he was indispensable in the dugout, we hope to see him back on the field very soon.

Championship 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
The first four hitters set the tone for the title game. Down 2-0, Bryce led off with a double. JT followed with another deep double that cut the deficit in half. Then Gavin demolished a ball to deep left-center that turned into a two-run home run and gave West Raleigh a lead they would not relinquish. Not content to stop there, Chace destroyed a triple to center, putting him in position to score on Jake's sacrifice fly. But wait, there's more. With two outs and nobody on, the offense got started again. Elias singled, then turned on the jets and managed to sprint home all the way from first on Joey's single. Joey moved up to second on the throw, then to third on Ben's single. Asher singled in Joey with the inning's sixth and final run.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 6, Supper Optimist 2

Second inning
JT led off with a single, then scored on Chace's long double. Chace tagged up and moved to third on Jake's fly ball to right, then hustled home when the throw was errant.
Score after two and a half innings: 8U Blue 8, Supper Optimist 2

Fourth inning
With one out, Gavin singled. He moved to second when the shortstop tried to double him off after Chace's line drive to short. Carter beat out a grounder to short, and when the throw skipped by first, Gavin scored.
Score after four innings: 8U Blue 9, Supper Optimist 2

Fifth inning
Joey and Ben led off with singles, and Asher sacrificed them to second and third. Bryce drove them both in with a single, then moved up to third with Gavin up and two outs. Gavin mashed the ball through the left side, scoring Bryce and giving West Raleigh the state title in walk-off fashion for the second straight year.
Score after five innings: 8U Blue 12, Supper Optimist 2

Championship Web Gems

• JT came in hard on a sinking liner in the first and scooped it off the top of the grass for a big second out.
• West Raleigh got a big outfield assist in the second. With a runner on first and one out, the hitter smacked what looked like a single to right-center. But Ben came in hard, fielded the ball, and whipped the throw to Gavin at second to get the force.
• The leadoff Supper hitter in the fourth rocketed a line drive back up the middle that looked certain to get through to center. But there stood Andrew, who calmly took a moment out from reading the paper and eating a little afternoon snack to throw up his glove, watch the ball smack into the pocket for the out, and then flip the ball back to the umpire like it was no big deal.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Supper Optimist	2	0	0	0	0	X	2	9
WR 8U Blue	6	2	0	1	3	X	12	17

State Semifinals: WR 8U Blue 9, North View Gold 2

Something unusual happened in the state tournament semifinals: 8U Blue had to play the full six innings. The opponent was North View Gold, and West Raleigh could never quite apply the knockout punch on the way to a 9-2 win.

The six-inning win was the only one in seven West Raleigh state tournament games that went the full distance, a combination of North View's scrappy play and the 8U Blue bats going temporarily chilly. Still, they did string together enough offense to post nine runs in the 88-degree, 85 percent humidity conditions in Laurinburg, so maybe we shouldn't be greedy.

Most importantly, the win moved West Raleigh into the state championship game against the cowbell-brandishing team from Supper Optimist (Wilmington).

Semifinal 8U Blue scoring plays
Second inning
Andrew led off with a sharp double to left. Elias beat out a bunt, sending Andrew to third. Joey singled home Andrew. After a fielder's choice put Joey on third, Asher scored him with a fielder's choice.
Score after one and a half innings: 8U Blue 2, NVG 0

Third inning
Gavin smacked a one-out single. Chace singled him to second. With two outs, Andrew singled in Gavin, and then Elias's single scored Chace. Joey's single to center plated Andrew.
Score after two and a half innings: 8U Blue 5, NVG 0

Fourth inning
Asher and Bryce led off with back-to-back singles. After a fielder's choice, Gavin crushed a triple to left that scored a pair. Chace's sacrifice fly scored Gavin.
Score after three and a half innings: 8U Blue 8, NVG 1

Fifth inning
Andrew led off with a single. Elias singled. Andrew tagged up and alertly moved to third on Joey's fly ball to left-center, which put him in position to score easily on Asher's two-out single.
Score after four and a half innings: 8U Blue 9, NVG 1

Semifinal Web Gems

• Look, we all know JT and Gavin have good chemistry on the left side of the infield, but this is getting a little ridiculous. With two outs in the fourth, the batter slapped a grounder to JT's left. However, JT had just made the previous play on an easy (for him) third-to-first putout, so he wanted to try something with a higher degree of difficulty. He achieved this by back-heeling the ball to Gavin, who was racing to his right to back up the play. Gavin scooped the ball out of the air, found the handle, and fired across the diamond for your basic 5-6-3 putout. 
• With one out and a runner on third in the fifth, Chace gobbled up a grounder to first, tagged the bag, and then stared down the runner to keep him from scoring.
• Joey ended the game by racing over almost to the left field line to snag a line drive.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 8U Blue	0	2	3	3	1	0	9	14
North View Gold	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	7

State Quarterfinals: WR 8U Blue 12, Winterville 0

Rivalries are kind of a big deal in our house, and Asher always likes to ask me, "Who is our baseball rival?" On the way to Laurinburg on Friday, we decided that it might be Winterville. The teams aren't especially close geographically, but they were the opponent in last year's 7U state title game, and one of the key ingredients in a rivalry is playing games with high stakes.

They met again with a lot on the line on Sunday at noon in Laurinburg, in the quarterfinals of the 8U state tournament. This time, there was no title on the line, but the winner advanced to the semis and the loser went home. It did feel a little different, though, because of a chance meeting on Saturday. Rain delayed some of the Saturday pool play games, so there was some standing around and waiting (OK, a LOT of standing around and waiting) for games to be played. It so happened that both West Raleigh and Winterville were two of those teams that were waiting. And what happened? Well, they acted like normal eight-year-olds:

As you can see, West Raleigh sent over two of their best diplomats--Bryce and Elias. The group eventually expanded to include most of both teams, and they joked around, talked about practice, and just did whatever 8-year-olds do when their parents and coaches aren't around. As one of the Winterville moms said, "My son is always talking about West Raleigh, and maybe this will help him see they are just baseball players like him."

But the rivals being newfound friends didn't make the quarterfinal game any less intense, as 8U Blue grabbed a 12-0 decision in four innings to advance to the semifinals. No Winterville runner made it to third base, and only one made it as far as second base, as West Raleigh flashed solid defense all over the diamond.

The victory moved Blue into the state semifinals against North View Gold.

Quarterfinal 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce led off with a single. JT sacrificed him to second. With two outs, Chace ripped a double to left for the game's first run. Jake singled back through the middle to score Chace.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 2, Winterville 0

Second inning
Once again, the second inning was the big one, as 8U Blue batted around for the sixth time in the state tournament. It began with back-to-back singles from Elias and Joey, and then Ben drove home Elias with a single. Asher sacrificed the runners to second and third. Bryce's shot to left-center scored Joey. With two outs, Gavin singled, loading the bases for Chace. They didn't stay loaded for long, as Chace cracked an RBI single to left that scored two, and then when the ball was thrown around the infield, Gavin hustled all the way home and Chace moved up to second. He scored on Jake's single. Andrew's shot to third put runners on first and second, and then Elias collected his second hit of the inning, an RBI single. Joey singled back through the middle to score Andrew and finish the scoring.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 10, Winterville 0

Third inning
Carter beat out a ball in the middle of the infield and motored all the way to third when the throw got away. Bryce singled him home. After a fielder's choice, Gavin singled JT to second. He scored on Chace's long drive to right-center.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 12, Winterville 0

Quarterfinal Web Gems

• Bryce backed up on a pop fly that ended up in shallow right and hauled it in for the second out of the second inning--part of three straight outs that he made from his second base position.
• Elias quietly made a very significant play in the fourth. With a runner on first, he was there to back up Joey in the outfield. When the hard-hit ball got by Joey, Elias was there to scoop it up and fire it in to limit the hitter to just one base--rather than the two bases or more that he would have gotten. Why does that matter? Glad you asked...
• Because on the very next hitter, with the double play still in order thanks to Elias's backup, the hitter slapped a two-hopper up the middle. Gavin gathered it on the short hop, stepped on second, and then fired to Chace at first for the game-ending double play (West Raleigh's fifth double play in five state tournament games).

Quarterfinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Winterville	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	1
WR 8U Blue	2	8	2	X	X	X	12	13

State Game 4: WR 8U Blue 20, Topsail 2

Here's some friendly advice: if you have to get a drink, snack or go to the bathroom while watching a West Raleigh 8U Blue game, never do it during the second inning. 8U once again used a big second frame to cruise past Topsail, 20-2, in the final game of pool play.

The seven runs scored in the nightcap's second inning brought West Raleigh's second-inning total this weekend in Laurinburg to 40 runs in four games. It also meant that West Raleigh didn't play more than four innings in any of the pool play games, and averaged 19.3 runs per game in pool play.

Topsail made it close after one, trailing just 4-2, but they got just one more hit the rest of the way and had a potential third run thrown out at the plate, which seemed to take some of their momentum.

The win gave West Raleigh the top seed in Sunday's single-elimination bracket, which can be found here:

The quarterfinal game against Winterville is a rematch of the first game in pool play. Bracket play begins at noon, with very fast turnarounds and the potential of three games in six hours in steamy Laurinburg. Follow us on Twitter for updates during the day.

Game 4 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
With one out, JT doubled to right-center. Gavin made it back-to-back doubles with an RBI two-bagger, and then Chace ripped a triple to left. Jake crushed a long blast to right-center that scored Chace and put Jake on third, where he scored easily on Andrew's single.
Score after one-half inning: 8U Blue 4, Topsail 0

Second inning
8U Blue batted around for the first of two times in the game, sending 11 batters to the plate. With one out, Bryce singled. JT dropped down a perfect bunt single to put two on for Gavin, who cleared the bases with a long rocket to right-center. Chace and Jake started the offense again with back-to-back singles. Andrew drove in Chace with a single. Joey ripped a shot past shortstop that brought in a pair. Ben singled home Joey to finish the scoring.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 11, Topsail 2

Third inning
And for the second straight inning, West Raleigh batted around again. This time, it was 12 hitters who brought in seven runs. And for the third straight inning, it started with one out. This time it was JT who reached on a ball to shortstop, then moved to second on Gavin's single. With two outs, the offense was just getting started. Jake singled home JT. Andrew turned on an inside pitch and lashed it into left, putting it in a perfect spot to use his speed and race all the way around the bases for a three-run homer. Joey kept the rally going with a single, then Ben doubled to left-center. Elias singled home a pair, Carter reached on a ball in the middle of the infield, and then Bryce singled home Elias to finish the scoring.
Score after two and a half innings: 8U Blue 18, Topsail 2

Fourth inning
Gavin, Chace and Jake loaded the bases with no outs. Andrew and Joey each singled home a run to finish the day's scoring.
Score after three and a half innings: 8U Blue 20, Topsail 2

Game 4 Web Gems

• On the first Topsail hitter of the game, JT made a sweet play on the third-base line. The batter chopped it straight down the line, but he took one step to his right, backhanded the ball, then threw all the way across the diamond to retire the hitter easily.
• In the second, 8U Blue turned its fourth inning-ending double play in as many games in Laurinburg. But this one was a little different. With a runner on third and one out, the hitter slapped a grounder straight to JT. He froze the runner, then threw to first to complete the first half of the double play. That's when the runner on third broke for home. Chace fired a perfect strike to Asher, who held on and applied the tag as the runner "slid into home" to finish the double play.
• Bryce came across the middle and speared a sinking liner just above the grass for the first out of the third inning.

Game 4 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 8U Blue	4	7	7	2	X	X	20	22
Topsail	2	0	0	0	X	X	2	4

State Game 3: WR 8U Blue 21, Hamlet 1

West Raleigh began the second day of pool play in chilly Laurinburg with a 21-1 win over Hamlet in a game shortened to four innings by the mercy rule. As with Friday's pool play, the story was the 8U Blue offense. For the third straight game, they set a season high for runs in an inning. After scoring eight in Friday's first game, then ten in Friday's second game, they exploded for 18 runs in the second inning against Hamlet, blowing open what had been a 3-1 game.

The victory moved West Raleigh to 3-0 in pool play, with a chance to complete the perfect pool mark on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 against Topsail Beach.

As most everyone knows, West Raleigh baseball has a certain reputation wherever they go. No matter what you think that reputation might be, it indisputably includes this: people think we can eat. How else would you explain this Domino's coupon we were given in Laurinburg?

OK, there's a minimum of two, that makes sense. But there's a "limit of 254 per order"? Not wanting to push our luck, we cut our lunch order from 255 pizzas to just 20 and spent the afternoon by the pool and in the hotel lobby (the Hampton Inn loves us) waiting for this afternoon's game.

Game 3 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce led off with a double to left and moved to third when the ball wasn't handled cleanly. That put him in position to score on JT's sacrifice fly. Gavin started the rally again with a double, and moved to third on Chace's single. With two outs, Elias drove in Gavin, and then Carter singled home Chace.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 3, Hamlet 1

Second inning
The biggest inning of the summer featured 21 at-bats, 14 hits and 18 runs. None of those runs were scored with no outs, meaning 8U Blue put 18 runners across the plate while making just two outs--and even those two outs were essentially intentional outs. It began with Ben on third and one down. Asher's grounder to pitcher wasn't handled, and Ben scored. Bryce singled Asher to third. JT smacked an RBI single. Gavin tripled home two. Chace singled in Gavin. Jake singled and moved to second on an error. Andrew's shot to third wasn't fielded and Chace scored. Carter singled home Jake. Batting for the second time in the inning, Ben singled. Joey drove in a run with a single off the machine, as he continues to inflict major damage on pitching machines across Eastern North Carolina. Keep in mind that at this point the scoring was not even half finished. Asher singled in two and took second on an error. Bryce singled. JT singled home Asher. Gavin lifted a double to deep center, scoring Bryce. Chace's fly ball on the right side fell safely, scoring JT. Jake hit an almost identical fly ball that also fell safely. Andrew smacked an RBI single to left-center. Carter reached on a fielder's choice. And finally, Ben--batting for the third time in the inning--singled to center, but some adventures on the bases mercifully ended the frame.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 21, Hamlet 1

Game 3 Web Gems

• West Raleigh picked up its third inning-ending double play in three games in the top of the first. With runners on first and second and one out, the batter grounded to Ben at pitcher. He fielded and threw to JT to get the lead runner. JT snapped a throw to Gavin at second, but the runner beat the throw...and then continued out into shallow right-center field. After a prolonged chase, Gavin tagged him out to complete the double play.
• Carter made a sliding catch of a fly ball in right-center in the second.

Game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Hamlet	1	0	0	0	X	X	1	2
WR 8U Blue	3	18	0	X	X	X	21	22

State Game 2: WR 8U Blue 22, Wilson County 0

Friday afternoon featured--thanks to Coach Sean--8U Blue being allowed a 30-minute dip in the hotel pool. This, of course, was the highlight of the trip so far.

Oh, there was also baseball, as West Raleigh took a 22-0 decision over Wilson County in the nightcap, in a game shortened to four innings by the mercy rule. The game was preceded by the very well-done state tournament opening ceremonies:

8U Blue has had a lot of photos taken so far this year, but I really believe that may be the first one that truly captures the best side of the coaches.

After the ceremonies, West Raleigh played a terrific offensive game, setting season highs for most hits and runs in an inning in a 10-run third that put the game away. Oh, and they also turned two inning-ending double plays and played error-free in the field for the fourth time in the last 10 games.

As expected, Giovanna has really taken to Laurinburg, and even found time to open a business between games today:

Walk-in hours are 7:30-2 on Saturday, so you can either visit her before the 10:30 game against Hamlet, or after that game and before the 4:30 game against Topsail. She might consider going into business with Coach Kevin, and they could open a joint laundromat/barber shop where you can get your smelly jerseys washed while getting your hair cut.

Game 2 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Just like the first game, Bryce set the tone with a single to left. JT singled him to second. Gavin singled home Bryce, and Chace drove in a pair with a double. Carter's bullet past third scored Chace.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 4, Wilson County 0

Second inning
In the biggest inning of the season so far (stay tuned, that record would last only one inning), 8U Blue sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on nine hits. It started with back-to-back singles from Joey and Asher, and then Bryce scored Joey with a single. With one out, Gavin blasted a ball to deep left-center...made it to second...then raced to third...and then came all the way around for an inside-the-park three-run home run. In addition to scoring three runs, the homer also meant Gavin hit for the cycle in just his first five at-bats of the day. But the offense wasn't finished. Jake reached on a two-out fielder's choice. Andrew tripled, scoring Jake. Carter singled home Andrew. Elias singled, and then Joey and Asher picked up RBI singles.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 12, Wilson County 0

Third inning
Oh, so you thought the second inning was good? In the third, West Raleigh sent 14 hitters to the plate, scoring 10 runs on 11 hits. JT reached on a shot to shortstop. With one out, Chace singled. Jake drove in JT. Andrew singled. Carter singled and then after an outfield miscue, two runs scored and Carter ended up on second. 8U loaded the bases on a single by Ben. Joey, Asher and Bryce had RBI singles, and then JT drove home a pair with a double. Gavin singled to center, driving in Bryce. Chace singled home JT. The inning ended when Jake singled and Coach Sean--hopefully very, very carefully--tackled Gavin going around third base.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 22, Wilson County 0

Game 2 Web Gems

• With a runner on first and one out in the first, the batter grounded to Bryce at second. He flipped to Gavin at second for the out, and then Gavin threw a laser ("Laaaaaaser show") to Chace at first for the double play.
• What's better than one inning-ending double play? Doing it two innings in a row. In the second, Wilson County had a runner on first with one out. They probably knew what was coming next. The batter grounded sharply up the middle, where Gavin was there to field it, step on second for the out, then throw to Chace at first for the double play.
• In the third, the Wilson County batter smoked a towering foul ball that scraped the tops of the Laurinburg trees. The ball was crushed, and all the other fans bolted for safety, save for one lone scorekeeper, who stood his ground. "I'll protect you," he shouted, looking for a baby to throw underneath him so he could emulate Coach Sean. The anonymous hero reached up, scorebook in one hand and the hopes and dreams of everyone else in his opposite hand, and smoothly grabbed the ball. "All in a day's work, ma'am," he told the collection of elderly nuns that had been passing by at exactly that moment.
• None of the above is true. Coach Adam is currently in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn Laurinburg getting lessons on how to field a pop foul from Jenn.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Wilson County	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	3
WR 8U Blue	4	8	10	X	X	X	22	24

State Game 1: WR 8U Blue 14, Winterville 3

After a nice short drive through one of the most scenic parts of the Tar Heel State, West Raleigh 8U Blue opened state tournament play on Friday afternoon in Laurinburg. Thanks to what must have been a very interesting blind draw, pool play began with a matchup against Winterville. Sound familiar? It should: these two teams were opponents in last year's 7U state title game (Side note: I remember that game being incredibly close, and therefore was really surprised to see the line score from last year's blog. I assume the blogger probably messed up, you can't trust that guy).

This time, West Raleigh had to do it without an injured Mason, who despite his injury still showed up in uniform and was an essential part of keeping the dugout focused.

Winterville posted three quick runs in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. "What happened against North Wake when they scored five runs against us in the top of the first?" Coach Sean asked the team when they came back into the dugout. "We got five runs!" 8U Blue answered. "Let's do that, except let's get even more," he told them.

Maybe he needs to specify that it is OK to actually score more than the other team in the first inning. West Raleigh tied it at three after the first, then cracked it open with a seven-run second on the way to a 14-3 victory that was shortened to four innings by the ten-run rule. The 14-run blitzkrieg prompted the Winterville coach to call West Raleigh--which got at least one hit from 10 of the 11 batters on the roster, which is tough to do with substitutions in a four-inning game--the best-hitting team he had ever seen.

They'll get another chance to prove him correct tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Wilson County, a 22-8 winner over Hamlet in their first game of the day.

Game 1 8U Blue scoring plays
First inning
Bryce set the tone with a single to left. With one out, Gavin lifted a double to center that scored Bryce. Chace cranked an RBI double to left, and then Jake drove in Chace with a single. With some assistance from a dubious "double play," that ended the scoring.
Score after one inning: 8U Blue 3, Winterville 3

Second inning
8U Blue started off this inning playing small, and used the small ball to set up some very big hits. Elias (the PA booth actually asked if his name was pronounced "Ellis"), Joey and Asher dropped down three straight bunt singles to open the inning. That loaded the bases for Bryce, who thumped a two-run single to left. With one out, Gavin lashed a two-run triple down the left field line. Chace blasted a run-scoring double to right-center, and then Jake lined a hard shot to right that scored Chace and allowed Jake to hustle all the way to second. Andrew grounded to third, advancing the runner, and when the throw squirted away, Jake scored the final run of the inning.
Score after two innings: 8U Blue 10, Winterville 3

Third inning
Elias led off with a single. With one out, Carter singled through the left side, putting runners on first and second. Bryce completed a 3-for-3 day with a two-run double. Gavin completed his own 3-for-3 day by driving in Bryce with a single. And then Jake finished up his own 3-for-3 day (it was that kind of game) with an RBI single.
Score after three innings: 8U Blue 14, Winterville 3

Game 1 Web Gems

• Chace hustled in ferociously on a pop fly just into foul territory and snagged it easily for the final out of the first inning.
• With a runner on first and two down in the second, Winterville tried a bunt, but JT broke in immediately, scooped it up, and fired to Chace at first to end the inning.
• Gavin went almost to his knees to field a ball in the hole leading off the fourth, backhanded the ball, then threw across the diamond to Chace, who came off the bag to receive the throw and then slapped on the tag.
• 8U Blue picked up their first outfield assist of the state tournament in the fourth. With a runner on first, the next hitter slapped it through the middle. But that's right where Ben was, and he smoothly fielded the ball and thew to Gavin at second for the force.
• Carter came in aggressively from right field--see a theme with the 8U Blue defense attacking the ball?--to get under a sinking liner that ended the fourth and also ended the game.

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