Top Gun Back Pack Tournament Game 3: WR 7U 22, Stedman Black Sox 12

In West Raleigh, players never really want to be the home team. Not because they don't like the advantage of batting last, but because being the visitor means one very simple thing: you get to hit first! This was evidenced early on Sunday morning, as Coach Sean broke the news to 7U that they would be the visitor in the early morning start against the Stedman Black Sox (answer to inevitable question of "Where is Stedman?"--Cumberland County).

The response from the 13 players was quick and unanimous: loud cheers.

"Yeahhhh! We get to hit!" In the mind of a West Raleigh baseball player, a season-long road trip would be much preferable to playing any home games.

7U quickly proved just how excited they were, as they scored a first-inning maximum of five runs in the top of the first inning to take an immediate lead. They eventually got at least one hit from every player in the lineup, a complete top-to-bottom performance that included 12 different players scoring at least one run.

In addition, after some defensive hiccups in the early innings, 7U clamped down at the end, facing just seven Stedman hitters over the final two innings to ice the win.

The 22 runs scored were the most scored by any team in a single game in the five-team 8U division. In fact, 55 teams competed in this weekend's Top Gun Back Pack Tournament. West Raleigh's 22 runs were more than any of those 55 teams scored in a single game.


Game 3 West Raleigh scoring plays
First inning
This could take a while, as for the first time this season, West Raleigh scored in every inning. They began with five runs (the first-inning limit) in the top of the first. Trey started it off by beating out yet another single (his teammates have taken to chanting "Speedy Gonzalez" when he comes to bat). Joey tripled, and then Gavin's single scored Joey. After a pair of fielder's choices, 7U had runners at the corners with two outs. Joseph's single scored Chace, and then Ben singled in Bryce. Mason's infield single scored Joseph and invoked the five-run rule.
Score after one-half inning: WR 5, Black Sox 0


Second inning
The hit parade continued. This time, it was Elias, Timmy and Alex stringing together three straight singles, which scored two runs. Asher's titanic moon shot of a bunt scored Alex, and then problems in the Black Sox infield sent Asher all the way to third. That put him in position to tag up and score on Trey's sacrifice fly to deep shortstop.
Score after one and a half innings: WR 9, Black Sox 2


Third inning
Yes, after all that, we're not even halfway through all the runs. West Raleigh got four in the third. For the third straight inning, the leadoff man reached--this time it was Jake with a single. He moved to second on Bryce's single, then scored on Joseph's double to left. After a fielder's choice put runners on first and third, Mason picked up a sacrifice fly. Then Elias had one of the biggest swings of the day, blasting an inside-the-park home run to right that scored two.
Score after two and a half innings: WR 13, Black Sox 6

Fourth inning
West Raleigh got a two-out run. Trey beat out another single, then scored after back-to-back singles from Joey and Gavin.
Score after three and a half innings: WR 14, Black Sox 8


Fifth inning
The leadoff man reached again; this time, it was Jake with a single. Bryce followed with a line shot to right field, and Jake and Bryce hustled all the way around the bases to plate two more runs. Bryce's teammates mobbed him at the plate after his inside-the-park blast.
Score after four and a half innings: WR 16, Black Sox 12


Sixth inning
In the unlimited scoring final frame, 7U had their biggest offensive inning of the season so far. Three straight singles from Elias, Timmy and Alex scored two, and then Asher's fielder's choice scored Alex. With two down and the bases empty, the West Raleigh offense got started again. Joey singled back up the middle, and Gavin crushed an RBI double to left. Chace's line drive to right scored Gavin, and Jake's single scored Jake to provide the final impressive total of 22 runs.
Score after five and a half innings: WR 22, Black Sox 12.

Game 3 Web Gems

• Joseph and Chace teamed up on a fifth-inning double play, with Joseph grabbing a fly ball at third base and then firing across the diamond to Chace to nab the runner venturing too far off first.
• 7U put together a highlight reel-quality sixth inning. It began with Timmy gunning down the leadoff man trying to stretch a single to right field into a double. He fired the ball in with time to spare, hit the cutoff man, and Gavin made the tag at second base.
• On the very next hitter, Joey flashed some quick reactions at third base, snaring a line drive that had been blistered down the line.
• After an infield single, Jake sealed the win by catching a pop fly at catcher.

Game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 7U	5	4	4	1	2	6	22	27
Black Sox	2	4	2	4	0	0	12	18