State Tournament Championship: WR 11U Blue 8, Supper Optimist 0

In the finest pitching performance of the summer so far, Drew spun a complete game shutout against Supper Optimist to give West Raleigh its fifth straight state title.

The final tally was 8-0, but Drew gave himself all the runs he would need in the bottom of the first, when he bombed a two run-dinger that was more like a daaaaaaaaaaanger. From there, he took over on the mound. He kindly allowed Supper a single hit in the first and another hit in the second. After that, he finished the game retiring the final 14 batters he faced. Some key stats:

To get those 14 outs, he needed just 53 pitches. Of those 53, only 13 were balls.

No Supper runner reached third base. Only one reached second base.

The ball left the infield just twice in the final four innings.

He went to three balls on just one hitter in the game, and got him to fly out to center on a 3-1 pitch.

He threw 66 pitches in the game, and that number would've been even lower if the final two hitters hadn't seen 14 pitches. In other words, he needed 52 pitches to get through five and a third innings.

Of the 66 pitches he threw, only 12 were from the stretch.

Credit the defense for playing an error-free game, making every play flawlessly, but this was a day when the West Raleigh pitching just overwhelmed the opponent for six innings.

The victory gave this group its fifth consecutive state championship and means they will move on to the Southeast Regionals in July in Williamsburg. It also meant I had to be mature and resist using the #oneforthethumb hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. But I was thinking it.

State champs! #rollblue

A photo posted by West Raleigh 11u (@westraleigh11u) on Jun 26, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT

Championship 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Chace lined a two-out single and scored when Drew crushed a ball to center that was last seen rolling across Pinehurst No. 2.

Score after one inning: 11U Blue 2, Supper Optimist 0

Third inning

Gavin reached on a fielder's choice. He raced to third on Chace's single and scored on an error.
Score after three innings: 11U Blue 3, Supper Optimist 0

Fifth inning
Bryce walked. Gavin doubled. Chace was intentionally walked, meaning West Raleigh had to be content sending up Drew, who hadn't done anything at all other than hit a titanic two-run homer and dominate on the mound. So he hit a two-run double just to make sure he contributed. Banks lifted an RBI double. Drew scored on a passed ball. Ben singled home Banks.
Score after five innings: 11U Blue 8, Supper Optimist 0

Pitching Performances

Drew.

Drew.

Drew.

Dugout wisdom
In the bottom of the fifth, as West Raleigh put up a five-spot, Drew asked if he was going back to the mound in the top of the sixth. At that point, he had retired 11 straight batters on just 36 pitches. So Coach Kevin's response was direct and to the point:

"Does a bear poop in the woods and wipe with a fluffy white rabbit?"

The answer, if you're wondering, is yes.

Championship Web Gems

• In one stretch through the first and second innings, Banks made three straight outs in right field.
• It's hard to make web gems when the guy pitching for your team isn't allowing any hard-hit balls.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Supper Optimist	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
WR 11U Blue	2	0	1	0	5	X	8	9

State Tournament Semifinals: WR 11U Blue 9, Deep River 5

In what was definitely the ugliest game of the state tournament, West Raleigh muddled through a 9-5 win over Deep River in the state semifinals on Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps part of the problem was that 11U Blue was facing the team from Sanford for the fourth time in the past eight games. The combined score in the previous three meetings had been 34-6, so maybe the focus wasn't quite there, or maybe Deep River just put together their best performance of the series. Whatever the reason, West Raleigh twice saw its lead trimmed to just one run before immediately stretching it back out.

The victory earned 11U Blue a berth in the state championship game and (don't tell the players!) sealed a bid to the Southeast Regional, where it is not true that it is required by law that the first opponent be Deep River.

Semifinal 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Bryce singled and took second on an error. He stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Chace walked and stole second, then third. Drew walked and stole second. A fielder's choice from Banks eventually scored a pair.

Score after one inning: 11U Blue 3, Deep River 0

Third inning

Bryce singled. Gavin doubled. Chace blasted an opposite-field three-run home run.
Score after three innings: 11U Blue 6, Deep River 2

Fourth inning
Colin walked and stole second. Gavin singled and took second on the throw. Chace blasted an opposite-field three-run home run. No, this is not a recording.
Score after two and a half innings: 11U Blue 9, Deep River 5

Pitching Performances

Andrew started and allowed just one earned run.

Asher tossed a perfect third.

Chace got a huge double play ball in the fourth and closed it out with two scoreless frames.

Dugout wisdom
Probably the less said about this one, the better.

Semifinal Web Gems

• Banks made a nice first-inning catch in right field while appearing to work on some sort of Cirque du Soleil routine with Jake, as the duo threw in some nice flips and dives.
• Chace made a superb backhanded stop of a ball near the first base line and then tagged the bag for the out.
• Colin, Gavin and Banks teamed up on a huge inning-ending double play in the fourth. 
• Gavin made a good play on a slow roller to short and did it quickly enough to retire the speedy Deep River leadoff hitter.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Deep River	0	2	0	3	0	0	5	6
WR 11U Blue	3	0	3	3	0	X	9	10

State Tournament Game 3: WR 11U Blue 18, Roanoke Rapids 1

The defense turned in another error-free game as the offense cranked out 18 runs on the way to an 18-1 win over Roanoke Rapids in a game shortened to four innings by the run rule.

Look, all the details are below. What you really want to know about--or maybe what you really don't want to know about--are the postgame shenanigans. Apparently, there is a Big Lots in Laurinburg. Do I really need to say more? That leads to photos like this one. If you take a really close look at this picture, it has just about every possible detail you could ever want.

We've got Cook-Out, we've got other beverages, we've got a Big Lots frequent shopper, and we've got John holding a sign that reads, "Imagination has no age limit." Wait, that just reminded me of something, which I have saved on my computer under the file name "Poobah."

Just shut down the blog. We've reached peak blog content, folks. I really can't believe you get to read this for free.

Oh yeah--state championship bracket play is tomorrow. West Raleigh faces (surprise!) Deep River at 1:30, with the winner moving on to the state title game. Here's the bracket.

Game 3 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Bryce singled and stole second, then scored on Gavin's two-run homer that was crushed through the wind. Chace singled. Drew doubled. Banks doubled home Chace. Andrew lifted a sacrifice fly that eventually scored two after a throwing error. 

Score after one-half inning: 11U Blue 5, Roanoke Rapids 0

Second inning

Chace reached on a shot through short and stole second and third. Drew walked and stole second. Banks walked. Andrew was hit by a pitch ("We got ice!"), scoring Chace. Jake cranked a grand slam, but Shannon wasn't there, so no one mention it. Also, Shannon now has to sit in the car facing away from the field for all Jake's at-bats.

Not just a dinger, but a grand dinger. WR will be top seed tomorrow after two wins today. #rollblue

A photo posted by West Raleigh 11u (@westraleigh11u) on Jun 25, 2016 at 1:48pm PDT

Score after one and a half innings: 11U Blue 10, Roanoke Rapids 1

Third inning
Bryce walked and went to second on an error. Gavin walked. A wild pitch moved Bryce to third, and Gavin stole second. A wild pitch moved up both runners. Elias hit an RBI single.
Score after two and a half innings: 11U Blue 12, Roanoke Rapids 1

Fourth inning
Andrew reached on an error and stole second. A wild pitch put him on third. Jake walked and stole second. Ben singled home Andrew. JT walked. Colin drew an RBI walk. Bryce beat out an RBI fielder's choice. Gavin lined a two-run single. Elias smacked another RBI single. Coach Sean committed some egregious rules violations.
Score after three and a half innings: 11U Blue 18, Roanoke Rapids 1

Pitching Performances

Andrew allowed just one hit in his two innings.

JT threw a scoreless third.

Colin fired a hitless fourth.

Dugout wisdom (PG-13 rated!)
It was very nice of Ashlee to make a delicious between-games snack for everyone. Unfortunately, she didn't have an exact name for it, which resulted in it somehow being known as (EARMUFFS!) "schweaty balls."

That led to, as West Raleigh put up five runs in the top of the first, Asher turning to Coach Kevin and saying, "Those schweaty balls are really working."

Game 3 Web Gems

• 11U Blue has found a lot of ways to turn double plays this summer, and they logged their first 3-6 double play in the second. With a runner on first, Drew snagged a grounder and tagged the bag, then threw a missile to Gavin covering second, who slapped on the tag.
• Asher made a nice running catch on the line in right against the leadoff man in the third.
• Textbook PFP work from Andrew (at first base?!?) and Colin in the fourth, as Andrew gobbled up a grounder and Colin got over to cover the bag. 

State game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 11U Blue	5	5	2	6	X	X	18	12
Roanoke Rapids	1	0	0	0	X	X	1	2

State Tournament Game 2: WR 11U 10, Deep River 0

Some remarkable pitching and defense continued in the second game of the state tournament, as 11U Blue took a 10-0 win over Deep River in a game shortened to five innings by the run rule.

West Raleigh did pound out 14 hits to Deep River's one. But consider these pitching and defense numbers, all of which are as of the end of the 10-run win:

It was the fourth straight shutout for 11U Blue (which Gavin noted right after the game, which of course resulted in West Raleigh allowing a run in the very first inning of the next game, but we're not blaming you Gavin--except for JT. He blames you).

A series of five pitchers had combined on a scoreless inning streak that reached 21 innings.

The 11U Blue defense had not allowed a runner to reach third base in 17 innings, which might be even more amazing than the scoreless streak.

The defense had made just one error in the past 22 innings.

The win moved West Raleigh to 2-0 in pseudo-pool play leading into the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Game 2 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Gavin singled and stole second. Chace drove him in with a single.

Score after one inning: 11U Blue 1, Deep River 0

Second inning

JT singled and went to second on a fielder's choice. Asher lined a two-out RBI double, then scored on Bryce's double, who scored on Gavin's double, who scored on Chace's single. 

Score after two innings: 11U Blue 5, Deep River 0

Third inning
Banks singled. Ben was hit by a pitch. Colin singled. JT drew an RBI walk.
Score after three innings: 11U Blue 6, Deep River 0

Fourth inning
Gavin singled, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error.
Score after four innings: 11U Blue 7, Deep River 0

Fifth inning
Ben singled. Colin singled, moving Ben to third and taking second on the throw. JT doubled home Ben. Elias walked. A wild pitch scored Colin. Asher singled home JT.
Score after five innings: 11U Blue 10, Deep River 0

Pitching Performances

Chace fired three spotless innings and retired five of the final six that he faced.

Asher cleaned up with two scoreless innings, finishing with a pair of strikeouts.

Dugout wisdom
Professor Schneider was at it again in the second, as Blue scored four runs on five hits. "Do you know what we like even more than free bases?" he asked the dugout as the hit parade continued. "Earned bases!"

After Ben was plunked by a pitch in the third inning, he turned to the West Raleigh dugout with a wide smile, which was the same thing he did yesterday after being hit. "You know," JT said, "Ben really brings the joy to being hit by a pitch."

Game 2 Web Gems

• On the fourth pitch of the game, Chace speared a hard shot back to the mound, then threw to first for the out.
• Andrew made a terrific play running in on a shallow liner to center to end the first.
• Leading off the second inning, the cleanup man hit a bullet to right and jogged down to first...only to find out that Asher had already gunned him out from right.
• Not learning their lesson, two batters later, the hitter slapped a would-be single to right, only to find out (say it together, class) that Asher had already gunned him out from right.
• Banks made a nice scoop at first on a low throw in the third.
• Chace bounced off the mound and made a great play ("PFP!" Coach Kevin was heard to giddily exclaim) on a bunt to get the hitter at first.

State game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Deep River	0	0	0	0	0	X	0	1
WR 11U Blue	1	4	1	1	3	X	10	14

State Tournament Game 1: WR 11U Blue 3, Supper Optimist 0

State tournament in Laurinburg means a chance to catch up with #rollcreed, rocking the sweet @westraleighbaseball throwback!

A photo posted by West Raleigh 11u (@westraleigh11u) on Jun 24, 2016 at 12:47pm PDT

West Raleigh opened state tournament play with a very well-played game that ended in a 3-0 victory over Supper Optimist.

The 11U Blue offense never really got rolling, as it mustered just a handful of hits and never had that trademark big inning. But the West Raleigh hitters took advantage of four walks, a couple of hit batters, and a couple of timely wild pitches to generate just enough offense.

And there wasn't much offense needed, because Drew and Banks were dominant on the mound. Supper got just three hits and never advanced a runner to third base; on the four occasions they put a runner in scoring position, 11U Blue pitchers limited them to 0-for-8 in those spots, with four of those outs coming by strikeout. 

The win was especially important because it came in front of Creed, who has been an important part of the team ever since the 8U year. And what better way to cap off a 3-0 win with a "Roll Creed" from Creed himself:

Game 1 11U Blue scoring plays

Fourth inning

Chace singled and stole second. He went to third on a wild pitch. Andrew worked a two-out walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Jake had a clutch two-out RBI single, and then Andrew scored on a wild pitch.

Score after three and a half innings: 11U Blue 2, Supper Optimist 0

Sixth inning

Chace singled. Drew singled and Chace raced to third. Andrew drove him in with a perfectly placed single.

Score after five and a half innings: 11U Blue 3, Supper Optimist 0

Pitching Performances

In his first Ripken state tournament game, Drew pitched four innings of two-hit baseball.

Banks retired six of the seven batters he faced in his two spotless innings of relief.

Dugout wisdom
It was a little tougher to hear some of the dugout wisdom, what with my luxurious position between the two Hardy (and Bryce) built fans (I know, I know). With that cool breeze blowing and the girls feeding me grapes, it's hard to remember to write down all the dugout wisdom. One thing I learned is that we call it "home base" here at the Ripken state tournament. Also, here's how you kill time in a two-hour rain delay:

Rain delay activities. #waterbottlechallenge #uno #whohasaphonecharger

A photo posted by West Raleigh 11u (@westraleigh11u) on Jun 24, 2016 at 1:02pm PDT

Thanks as always to the hardworking folks in Laurinburg who got the field looking nice after quite a thunderstorm.

If you were wondering who the smartest player was during the rain delay, here's a clue:

Game 1 Web Gems

• Chace had a pair of nice scoops at first base.
• Colin showed great range behind first base to haul in a popup in the second.
• Jake made a running catch on the line in left that was a run-saver in the third.
• Gavin made a pair of good, aggressive plays on tough rollers to short.
• The overall defense was airtight at every position.

State game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 11U Blue	0	0	0	2	0	1	3	6
Supper Optimist	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3

Area Tournament Championship: WR 11U Blue 10, Deep River 0

West Raleigh claimed a fifth straight area title with a 10-0 win over Deep River in a game shortened to four innings by the run rule. The game began, as all area championship games do, with Coach Sean the other coach singing the national anthem.

11U Blue held just a 4-0 lead after three innings, but Coach Sean carefully explained that he was ready to go home going into the bottom of the fourth. The players, as usual, followed his instructions, and put six runs on the board in style. The last four came via a three-run homer from Chace and a solo homer/dinger/finger from Drew to end it. 

But in all the offense, don't forget about the pitching. The West Raleigh pitching staff allowed just two runs over the final 12 innings of area tournament play and seven pitchers combined to post a 2.00 ERA for the event. 

The whole night--which included area championships from West Raleigh 7U, 8U, 9U and 12U (10U plays next weekend) was enough to make you want to...well, to make you want to do the stanky leg.

Things are very serious here in Winterville before the area championship game. #stankyleg

A video posted by West Raleigh 11u (@westraleigh11u) on Jun 20, 2016 at 2:37pm PDT

Championship 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Gavin walked and stole second, then took third on a throwing error. A wild pitch scored him. Chace walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Drew's single.

Score after one inning: 11U Blue 2, Deep River 0

Second inning

JT doubled and Asher sacrificed him to third. The pitcher was discombobulated by JT and balked him home. Bryce singled, stole second and scored on Gavin's shot through the second baseman. 

Score after two innings: 11U Blue 4, Deep River 0

Fourth inning
Ben singled and went all the way to third on a throwing error. JT walked and stole second. A wild pitch scored Ben and moved up JT. More discombobulation and another balk scored JT. Bryce walked. Gavin's bullet went through third. Chace smashed a three-run homer. Drew went walk-off, leaving Banks on deck yet again.
Score after four innings: 11U Blue 10, Deep River 0

Pitching Performances

Drew fired three one-hit innings to frustrate Deep River yet again.

Banks finished the game with a scoreless fourth, setting up the big six-run bottom of the frame.

Dugout wisdom
There isn't a particular instance of this to cite, but the interplay between Coach Kevin and Elias after every walk, hit batter, or error is hilarious. They try to beat each other to be the first one to say, "We like free bases!" and have to find each other to do it, which is why after one of the five Deep River walks, Coach Kevin was in the dugout asking, "Where's Eli?" He did eventually find his free bases buddy.

Championship Web Gems

• Great communication between Chace and Drew in the first, as Chace knocked down a hot grounder and Drew dashed over to cover, but Chace called him off and took it himself.
• With a runner on first and Coach Sean gently suggesting, "One! One!" Drew scooped up a bunt and threw a rocket to Gavin at second to get the lead runner in the second.
• 11U Blue again gunned down the lead runner in the fourth, this time with Chace gobbling up another grounder and throwing to Gavin at second.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
New Bern	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	2
WR 11U Blue	2	2	0	6	X	X	10	7

Area Tournament Game 3: WR 11U Blue 10, New Bern 0

West Raleigh moved into the area championship game with a 10-0 shutout of New Bern on Sunday afternoon. Chace and Banks teamed up on the one-hit pitching performance, shutting down a New Bern team that had scored 15 runs in its area tournament debut on Saturday.

The win means all the West Raleigh fathers got a Coach Sean-ordered relaxing rest of the afternoon, while the team gets a Monday date with the team that advances out of the loser's bracket. With a win in that game, 11U Blue would win the area and move on to next weekend's state tournament in Laurinburg. 

Game 3 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Bryce walked. Gavin singled and took second on the throw. Chace blasted a three-run homer and then celebrated (well, a few hours later--not right in the dugout, although that would've been awesome) with Sunni Sky's.

Made it to Sunni skies @westraleigh11u #dontbejealous

A photo posted by @happychappy9s on Jun 19, 2016 at 1:24pm PDT

Drew singled and went to second when the ball was misplayed. A wild pitch moved him to third, and then the pitcher became discombobulated and balked him home. Banks walked and went to second on the balk. Andrew walked. Jake singled home Banks. JT's fielder's choice scored Andrew.

Score after one inning: 11U Blue 6, New Bern 0

Second inning

Bryce singled and stole second, then took third on Gavin's fly ball to right. Chace's fielder's choice scored him.

Score after two innings: 11U Blue 7, New Bern 0

Third inning
Andrew walked and stole second. A passed ball put him on third. Jake singled him home. A balk moved Jake to second, where he scored on Ben's double. JT singled, and then Elias scored Ben with a fielder's choice.
Score after three innings: 11U Blue 10, New Bern 0

Pitching Performances

Chace went three great innings and allowed just one runner past second base.

Good ol' "Double-Ought" Banks, or as Coach Sean calls him, "Double Rock" Banks, finished it up with a perfect inning on four pitches.

Dugout wisdom
When Jake grounded a ball to the right side, New Bern probably thought they had an easy out. But they weren't counting on the second-fastest Barbour in recorded history, as Jake motored down the line and easily beat the play at first. As soon as the umpire signaled him safe, Gavin said, "He's just showing off now." "That was just rude," Bryce added.

Game 3 Web Gems

• Double-Ought/Double Rock skied to reel in a high throw at first base against the game's first hitter, and came down in time to get the out.
• After the lone New Bern hit of the day in the first, Gavin quickly erased him by fielding a ground ball from the next hitter, stepping on second, and then throwing to Banks to complete the double play.
• Ben made a nice play in left on a tough fly ball.
• Asher threw off the mask and made a good play on a spinning pop-up behind the plate.

Game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
New Bern	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	1
WR 11U Blue	6	1	3	X	X	X	10	7

Area Tournament Game 2: WR 11U Blue 25, Greene Co. 2

Area tournament play continued in Dingerville Winterville, as West Raleigh 11U Blue won a convincing 25-2 decision over Greene Co. in the winner's bracket. The game was highlighted by a very potent offense, as five West Raleigh players went yard in the team's three offensive innings.

Pick your impressive offensive stat: in the first inning, West Raleigh went all the way through the order the first time with every hitter recording a TAB. Everyone on the roster reached base at least twice. Eleven different players scored at least one run. West Raleigh had more home runs (five) than Greene Co. had hits (four). Greene Co. had 18 at-bats in the game; West Raleigh had 19 at-bats in the first inning.

You get the idea.  The victory means 11U Blue moves on to tomorrow's winner's bracket game at 1 p.m. against New Bern, a 15-5 winner over Roanoke Rapids. Today's 10 a.m. start time means those who WERE INVITED NOT THAT I AM BITTER were able to enjoy lunch at Parker's, where this happened. You'll need to write your own caption. It seems too risky for me to do it. All I can tell you is I was told these items are called "corn poles." Note: I am not talking about Coach Kevin and Coach Fred.

Game 2 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Bryce led off with a homer (Dinger I). Gavin singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and was balked home. Chace doubled. Drew lined an RBI double and then was wild pitched to third. Banks walked and stole second. A balk scored Drew and advanced Banks to third. Andrew walked and stole second. Jake's fielder's choice scored Banks. Ben walked and stole second. JT's fielder's choice scored Andrew. Asher singled home Ben. Asher stole second and third. Bryce walked. Gavin hit a three-run bomb (Dinger II). Chace was hit by a pitch. Drew doubled (stop me if this sounds familiar). Banks singled home a pair. Andrew doubled. Jake walked. Ben ended the scoring with an RBI single.

Score after one inning: 11U Blue 13, Greene Co. 0

Second inning

Asher walked, was balked to second, and stole third. Bryce walked. Gavin hit another three-run homer (Dinger III). Chace walked and stole second. Elias walked. Colin walked. Andrew walked. Jake's RBI fielder's choice scored Elias. Ben dropped it into center, scoring Colin. JT was hit by a pitch. Asher drove in Jake. 

Score after two innings: 11U Blue 20, Greene Co. 2

Third inning
Gavin singled. Chace cranked a two-run homer (Dinger IV). Elias was hit by a pitch. Colin singled. Andrew lined an RBI double. Jake singled. Ben lofted a two-run homer (Dinger V).
Score after three innings: 11U Blue 25, Greene Co. 2

Pitching Performances

Andrew got the start and went two good innings.

Colin threw an inning and two-thirds of hitless relief.

Asher finished it out, just narrowly missing a save situation with his four pitches.

Dugout wisdom
Coach Sean provided his usual inspirational pregame speech. Then, with the team suitably fired up, he barked, "OK, now go out and get together down the left field line!"

There was only one problem: West Raleigh was in the first base dugout, and Greene Co. might have been a little offended if 11U Blue suddenly showed up on the left field line. To make matters worse, the home plate umpire just happened to be walking through the dugout at that exact moment, enabling him to say, "Uh, Coach, that's the right field line." Sick burn, Ump.

While the teams were lined up on the foul lines being announced before the game, the Greene Co. center fielder was announced as "JT Garris." "Uh oh," Coach Sean said from the back of the West Raleigh line, "they've got a JT." From approximately six people in front of him, the REAL JT turned around and said, "Oh no they don't."

Game 2 Web Gems

• With a slightly unusual infield combination and a man on first in the third, the hitter slapped a grounder between first and second. First baseman Asher gobbled it up and threw to JT to get the lead runner. But the play wasn't over. Pitcher Colin hustled over to cover first and made the stretch to finish off the 3-6-1 double play.
• More crazy infield shenanigans to end the game, as second baseman Banks (yes, really) scooped up a grounder and tossed to first baseman Colin for the game's final out.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Greene Co.	0	2	0	0	X	X	2	4
WR 11U Blue	13	7	5	X	X	X	25	21

Area Tournament Game 1: WR 11U Blue 14, Deep River 6

It's finally time for Ripken play! Ready for all the excitement and pageantry of the games we've been waiting for all summer? Here you go:

Yep, a rain delay. Well, not really a delay, but a significant rainstorm that forced everyone into the dugout to try and stay dry during pregame. 

Eventually, once the skies cleared, 11U Blue raced out to a 10-0 lead in the top of the fourth...but then promptly went to sleep and gave up six unanswered runs to make it 10-6 after five. The Blue offense put up four runs in the top of the sixth to provide a little cushion, and eventually took a 14-6 win. 

The victory puts West Raleigh in the winner's bracket on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. against Greene County. And while the play on the field may not have been all that crisp on Friday night, the dancing, as always, was impeccable, as Elias demonstrated in the on-deck circle during a pitching change:

Game 1 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Bryce walked and went to second on a wild pitch. A fielder's choice put him on third, where he scored on Chace's single. Drew singled. Banks walked. Andrew was hit by a pitch, scoring Chace.

Score after one-half inning: 11U Blue 2, Deep River 0

Third inning

Chace reached on a shot through short. Drew walked. Banks singled home Chace. Andrew's fielder's choice scored Drew. Jake reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. Elias walked. JT hit an RBI single. A pair scored on Colin's single to center. Colin stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a wild pitch.

Score after one and a half innings: 11U Blue 8, Deep River 0

Fourth inning
Drew blasted a homer. Banks walked and went to second on a balk. He moved to third on Andrew's fly ball to center and scored on Jake's double.
Score after three and a half innings: 11U Blue 10, Deep River 0

Sixth inning
Gavin and Chace were hit by pitches. Drew singled home Gavin. Banks was safe on a low throw by the third baseman. Andrew singled home two. Banks scored on a throwing error.
Score after five and a half innings: 11U Blue 14, Deep River 6

Pitching Performances

Drew started in his first Ripken game ever and fired three perfect innings, striking out four of the nine batters he faced.

Bryce pitched in the fourth.

Banks got a quick out in the fifth, then gave way to Chace, who finished with some excellent relief.

Dugout wisdom
Drew crushed his fourth home run in the past five games, prompting an explosion of cheering from the stands...and absolutely nothing from the dugout, where his teammates decided to give him the silent treatment. Here's what it looked like:

Game 1 Web Gems

• JT swooped in from third base on a bunt by the leadoff man in the first and fired to first, where Chace dug out the throw.
• Andrew made a catch running into the fence in center in the second inning.
• Jake stayed with a hard shot that took a bad hop at second base, then threw to first to get the hitter.
• With a runner on first, Banks made a sprawling stab of a line drive down the first base line, then tagged the bag for a double play.
• Chace made another good scoop of a low throw at first in the fifth inning.
• With the bases loaded in the sixth, 11U Blue ended the game with a quick 1-2-3 double play, going Chace to Bryce to Banks.  

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 11U Blue	2	0	6	2	0	4	14	9
Deep River	0	0	0	2	4	0	6	8

Top Gun NC State Games Championship: WR 11U Blue 15, Team Ghost 12U 5

After a scant nine and a half hours at the field on Sunday, 11U Blue won their first championship of the summer, and did it in style with a title in the 12U bracket at Thomas Brooks. The championship clincher was a 15-5 win over Team Ghost.

After a 7-2 loss to Truth Baseball on Saturday, 11U responded by outscoring their next four 12U opponents by a combined 58-10. They once again faced an early deficit against Team Ghost, trailing 3-2 after one inning and then playing to a 5-5 tie after three innings. But the offense would not be denied, and posted ten runs in the final two innings of the five-inning affair.

The powerful offense supplemented some terrific pitching. After the game against Truth, West Raleigh pitchers walked just three in the next 17 innings. In addition to great starting pitching, 11U Blue also got tremendous efforts from the bullpen, as a combination of four relievers pitched eight innings and did not allow an earned run.

But wait, there's more: Sunday marked the debut of the knickers, which made it a perfect day to take the official team picture:

The next time West Raleigh Blue hits the field, it will be in the Ripken area tournament in Winterville. Until then, 11U Blue out:

Championship 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Gavin walked and went to third on an error. Chace singled him home. Drew singled. Andrew walked. Banks singled home Chace.

Score after one-half inning: 11U Blue 2, Ghost 0

Second inning

Elias singled and motored to third when the ball was kicked in the outfield. JT doubled him home. Bryce singled and took second on the throw. A wild pitch scored JT. Gavin's sacrifice fly scored Bryce. 

Score after one and a half innings: 11U Blue 5, Ghost 3

Fourth inning
Ben walked and stole second, then took third on a throwing error. Chace and Drew walked. Andrew came through with a two-run single. Jake followed with a two-out, two-run single.
Score after three and a half innings: 11U Blue 9, Ghost 5

Fifth inning
Ben singled. Bryce beat out a fielder's choice. Gavin doubled home Ben. Chace singled, scoring Bryce. Drew doubled in Gavin, and then Andrew doubled home a pair. Banks hit a double that scored Andrew.
Score after four and a half innings: 11U Blue 15, Ghost 5

Pitching Performances

Chace started and pitched two strong innings.

Banks gave up just one hit in his two innings of relief.

Asher finished the game with a hitless frame.

Dugout wisdom
I don't know who started it (I think Chace claimed credit), but somehow "Taste the rainbow" became the encouragement of choice when 11U Blue was on offense. There are a lot of different permutations of "taste the rainbow" that can be shouted when a hitter is in the box.

In a four-run championship game of the gold bracket with 11U Blue coming to the plate in the fifth inning, the primary conversation concerned who was planning to see Finding Dory. I guess you can decide for yourself, here's the preview:

Championship Web Gems

• Chace made a nice play bouncing off the mound to gobble up a hopper on the right side, then took it himself for the rare 1U putout.
• Colin made a sparkling play in the hole between first and second to scoop up a grounder in the second, then completed the solid throw for the out.
• The defense finished it in style, with a quick Gavin-Jake-Chace 6-4-3 double play for the final two outs of the game.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 11U Blue	2	3	0	4	6	X	15	17
Team Ghost	3	0	2	0	0	X	4	5

Top Gun NC State Games Semifinal: WR 11U Blue 16, GBI Express Blue 12U 4

The second-biggest inning of the summer powered 11U Blue to an impressive 16-4 win over GBI Express Blue 12U at Thomas Brooks.

In a rematch of a pair of teams that played a good game back during Canes season, GBI actually got out to a 4-3 lead after two innings. But West Raleigh outscored them 13-0 over the final three frames, taking advantage of nine walks and a rare three balks. Nine of those runs crossed the plate in the fifth. 

The 11U Blue bullpen was key, as a pair of pitchers combined to allow just a pair of hits over the final three innings, never allowing a runner past second base. 

The victory put 11U Blue in the championship game at 4:45 with a first-ever meeting against Team Ghost, a team from Carthage. 

Semifinal 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Gavin reached on an error and went to second on a wild pitch. Chace walked. Drew walked. A wild pitch scored Gavin, and then another scored Chace. 

Score after one-half inning: 11U Blue 2, GBI 0

Second inning

Colin doubled and scored on Bryce's triple.

Score after one and a half innings: 11U Blue 3, GBI 1

Fourth inning
Jake walked, then went all the way around to score on an errant pickoff throw. Ben walked, advanced a pair of bases on two wild pitches, and then scored on a balk. Bryce walked, the balk moved him to third, and then he scored on a wild pitch. Gavin walked, stole second, and scored on a pair of wild pitches.
Score after three and a half innings: 11U Blue 7, GBI 4

Fifth inning
Grab a chair and a snack. Drew doubled and went to third on a fielder's choice. He scored on a balk. Banks doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Jake walked and stole second. Elias singled home two. He stole second, then went to third on JT's single. A balk scored Eli and moved up JT. Another balk put JT on third. Ben doubled. Gavin lined a two-out single. Chace hit a two-run single. Drew crushed a two-run homer.

Score after four and a half innings: 11U Blue 16, GBI 4

Pitching Performances

Andrew started and went two good innings.

Banks threw a pair of lights-out innings of relief.

Ben closed it out with a scoreless fifth.

Dugout wisdom
I'm not going to reveal the identity of either the speaker or the subject of the comment, but it was completely and totally accurate when an anonymous 11U Blue player said, "The only time he runs is when the microwave dings."

Keeping in mind that Drew had crushed two homers in the last two games, it was funny when he hit one off the fence in the fifth, only to have JT immediately say, "Do you even lift, bro?"

In his next at-bat--also in the fifth--Drew answered the question by hitting one over both fences.

Shortly after that smash, Jake was sitting in the dugout and noticed an injury. "I hurt my finger, just like Drew and Chace," he said. "You know what that means. I'm going to hit dingers like them."

Semifinal Web Gems

• JT had a very quick release after fielding a hopper in the first, which enabled him to get the hitter at first.
• Gavin went into shallow left to haul in a pop fly (a play he made at least three times on Sunday) for the second out of the first.
• The 11U Blue defense made all the plays throughout the five innings to eliminate any chance of a big GBI inning.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 11U Blue	2	1	0	4	9	X	16	11
GBI Express Blue	1	3	0	0	X	X	4	6

Top Gun NC State Games Quarterfinal: WR 11U Blue 11, Carolina Raiders 12U 1

Sunday began with West Raleigh 11U Blue standing on the hill at Thomas Brooks watching their 12U brethren win their 8:30 game:

Then, when they got their own chance to play, 11U Blue scored nine of its 11 runs with two outs on the way to an 11-1 victory over the 12U Carolina Raiders. 

The big blows came in a six-run second inning that broke the game open and all happened after there were two outs and nobody on. From there, though, 11U Blue smacked three extra-base hits in the frame, culminating with Drew's thunderous smash into the trees in center.

That was more than enough offense to support a pair of pitchers who allowed just four hits against the third-seeded Raiders. The win advanced 11U Blue to a semifinal game against GBI Express Blue.

Quarterfinal 11U Blue scoring plays

First inning

Gavin reached on a shot past shortstop and stole second. Chace singled him home. Chace stole third, then scored on Drew's single. Banks singled, took second on the throw, and scored on Andrew's single. 

Score after one-half inning: 11U Blue 3, Raiders 0

Second inning

Asher lined a two-out double. Bryce walked. Gavin doubled home a pair. Chace walked, and then Drew demolished a three-run homer that went past the temporary fence, the permanent fence, and every fence in Wake County. Banks walked, stole second and scored on Andrew's single.

Score after one and a half innings: 11U Blue 9, Raiders 0

Third inning
Jake walked, stole second, then went to third on a throwing error and scored on Colin's fielder's choice.
Score after two and a half innings: 11U Blue 10, Raiders 0

Fourth inning
Bryce walked and stole second. He went to third on a fielder's choice and scored on Drew's single.
Score after three and a half innings: 11U Blue 11, Raiders 1

Pitching Performances

Drew started and gave up just three hits in three innings.

Colin finished it off with a lightning quick four-pitch fourth inning.

Dugout wisdom
After Drew powered another three-run homer, Chace announced, "That's illuminati confirmed. Drew hit a three-run homer yesterday with Gavin and I on base, and he did it again today."

But Professor Schneider quickly corrected Chace's terminology. "That's not illuminati confirmed," Andrew said. "It's ironic." Alanis Morrisette would be proud. 

Quarterfinal Web Gems

• Andrew made a running backhand catch in center field for the first out of the second inning.
• With a runner on second in the third inning, Asher blocked a pitch in the dirt, then picked it up and fired to Colin at third to get the runner trying to advance.

Quarterfinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 11U Blue	3	6	1	1	X	X	11	10
Carolina Raiders	0	0	1	0	X	X	1	4