Top Gun All-Star Weekend Game 4: WR 7U 3, Winter Park 8U National 2

The win over Efland vaulted West Raleigh into a rematch with Saturday's second opponent, Winter Park National. As you might remember, that was a very tight contest, and this time a berth in the championship game was on the line. This meeting between the two teams produced what was likely the game of the summer so far, with both sides playing solid defense and making quality plays.

After learning from the first meeting, 7U Blue played to defend the bunt at almost all times. This took away a big part of the Winter Park attack, and after laying down a half-dozen bunts on Saturday, they beat out just one bunt on Sunday.

It turned into a defensive battle, and West Raleigh trailed 3-2 going into the top of the sixth (7U was back in the familiar visiting role). All the following videos are courtesy of Coach Tom (Charley's dad from 8U Blue/Mudcats), who had infiltrated the press box in an effort to add a run or two to the 7U score. His efforts from on high were supplemented by the field level cheers of the 8U Blue squad, which almost made it feel like a home game.

Suitably inspired, the 7U hitters took care of the rest. In a promising turn of events, it was the bottom half of the order that generated the rally. First, Ben led off with a single. Elias laid down a perfect bunt, and Ben alertly raced all the way to third when Winter Park failed to cover the bag. That put him on third base with one down for Asher, who grounded the ball back up the middle to tie the game (note that one of the best parts of this video is Coach Gooch's celebration):




With two outs, Trey hit with a runner on first, and promptly laced a single back up the middle:



Bryce's hard shot back up the middle loaded the bases with two outs:



So now all Joey had to do was hit with two outs, the bases loaded, and the potential winning run on third. No problem: he crushed a ball down the third base line to score the eventual winning run (enjoy the anguished "Noooo" cries of the Winter Park scorekeepers in the press box).



After a strong defensive stand in the bottom of the sixth clinched the win, some deliriously happy people--but enough about the parents--and the players gathered under a shady tree to recap the victory.

The win moved 7U Blue into the championship game of the weekend tournament, and they gathered down the first base line to cheer on the 8U Blue team to a decisive win over another Winter Park squad.

Game 4 West Raleigh 7U scoring plays
Third inning
In a defensive-minded first three innings, West Raleigh scratched across its only run in the top of the third, as the bottom half of the order generated a run, with Alex singling in Elias to give 7U a 1-0 lead.
Score after two and a half innings: WR 7U 1, WP National 0


Sixth inning
With the sellout crowd on its feet, West Raleigh did one of the most fun things in sports: stunned a home crowd into silence. Winter Park held a 3-2 lead when Ben led off the inning with his second single of the day. When Elias dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt, Ben ran with his head up into second, where he discovered that no one was covering third. He raced to the bag and beat all the defenders there, putting him on third base with one down. Asher slapped a ball back up the middle to tie the game. Then, with two outs, Trey singled. Bryce's shot to short was too hot to handle and loaded the bases. That brought up Joey with the bases loaded, two outs, and a tie game in West Raleigh's likely last at-bat in the game. In other words, Coach Bruce was not nervous at all (I can say this, since Coach Ken and I were totally cool and collected during Asher and Trey's at-bats). Fortunately, it was Joey in the batter's box and not Coach Bruce, and Joey promptly ripped a line drive that almost took off the third baseman's glove, scoring Elias (running for Asher, the catcher) with the eventual game-winning run.
Score after five and a half innings: WR 7U 3, WP National 2

Game 4 Web Gems

• Gavin set the defensive tone by sliding up the middle from shortstop, fielding a grounder, and hosing him at first to give 7U two down quickly in the bottom of the first.
• Joseph made a big play to end the third. Winter Park had the potential go-ahead run on third, but JT/JDI/Hot Wings scooped up a grounder to third and fired to first to end the inning and get WR 7U out of what looked like might be a big inning.
• After a one-out triple, Winter Park had a runner on third and a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. With the infield in, Gavin fielded a grounder to short and fired a strike to Asher at the plate, who tagged the runner out to prevent a potential big third run.
• Joseph again snuffed the threat. This time, with the bases loaded, he caught a grounder and again fired to first to end the inning.
• One of the game's many key plays came leading off the bottom of the sixth. The Winter Park leadoff man ripped a double to left. As the throw one-hopped back into second base, Bryce knocked it down with his chest and kept it in front of him. When he picked up the ball, he was very pleased to see the hitter wandering off second, where he was alertly tagged out by Bryce to get a big leadoff out.

Game 4 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 7U Blue	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	10
Winter Park National	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	7