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