Clemmons Super Regional Game 4: Kernersville Warriors 16, WR 7U 8

Here is a shocker: Coach Sean lost the coin toss in Sunday's second game. Expect at least one station at this week's practices to include the art of coin-flipping.

Another session might include starting the game with some momentum. For the second straight game, the opposition put a big number on the board right away. This time, it was six runs for the Kernersville Warriors. That meant that combined, 7U trailed 13-2 after the first inning in Sunday's games. For the weekend, the combined four-game first-inning deficit was 18-6.

"As coaches, we're going to figure out how to help you get off to better starts," Coach Sean told the team as they gathered down the third-base line after the game. "I am very proud of how you have played this weekend against some very good teams."

Because of the big first inning, the game was eventually shortened to five innings because of the seven-run limit; trailing 16-8, there was no way West Raleigh could come back and win it in the sixth, so that five-inning score ended up as the game's final score.

But their effort did not go unnoticed by the tournament director, who ran a very solid event at a very impressive complex. He made a special point to stop by the postgame 7U huddle and acknowledge the play of the only seven-year-old team in the field. "It's hard to believe you guys are seven," he told the team. "The way you play, when you get into districts and start playing against other seven-year-old teams, I feel sorry for those other guys."

Districts are still nearly two weeks away. For now, the focus turns to a full week of practice before next weekend's tournament, which is likely to be a loaded field of 8-year-olds in Wilmington. Monday night's practice is from 5-7 at the friendly confines of West Raleigh.

Game 4 West Raleigh 7U scoring plays
First inning
Trey led the game off with a single, then sped to second on a fielder's choice. With one out, Gavin's hard grounder to third wasn't handled cleanly, and Trey scored the first run of the game. Chace came through with a two-out RBI single that scored Gavin.
Score after one-half inning: WR 7U 2, Kernersville 0


Second inning
The leadoff man reached for the second straight inning. This time it was Bryce with a single. He scored on Mason's double to left. After Timmy's grounder put runners at the corners, Ben's fielder's choice down the third-base line scored Mason.
Score after one and a half innings: Kernersville 6, WR 7U 4

Third inning
The offense continued to be jumpstarted by the leadoff man, as Joey dashed all the way to second on a grounder in the middle of the infield. Gavin moved him to third with one out, and then Jake lined an RBI single. Chace doubled deep to right, and then Joseph's RBI fielder's choice scored Jake. The final run came across courtesy of Bryce's single, which scored Chace.
Score after two and a half innings: Kernersville 9, WR 7U 7

Fourth inning
Asher reached on a grounder through the right side, then moved to second on Alex's fielder's choice. When Kernersville struggled to handle handle the play cleanly, Asher came all the way around to score.
Score after three and a half innings: Kernersville 14, WR 7U 8

Game 4 Web Gems

•  In the first inning, Elias hustled over to cut off a ball ripped down the left field line that looked like a sure double, holding the Warriors hitter to a single.
• With a runner on second later in the first, Gavin went deep in the hole at shortstop. He made a solid play just to keep the ball in the infield, but then faked a throw to first to see how the runner might react. The reaction was that the runner broke towards third, where Gavin easily tagged him out.
• Throughout the third, with the Warriors bashing the ball, Trey repeatedly did a good job of aggressively coming in to field the ball, then quickly firing the ball into the infield to limit the Kernersville runners to just one base.
•  Ben made a good catch of a fly ball near the left-field foul line.
• 7U turned a very unique double play to end the fourth. First, JT scooped up a grounder at third base and made a strong throw to Chace at first to retire the hitter. Once JT released his throw, the runner on second base broke for third. But he underestimated the Chace-JT connection, as Chace then fired the ball back across the diamond to JT, who had broken back to cover third. He received the throw and put the tag on the Warriors runner to get the second out on the play and end the inning.

Game 4 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 7U Blue	2	2	3	1	0	X	8	11
Kernersville	6	3	5	1	1	X	16	11