Top Gun Back Pack Tournament Game 4: WR 8U Red 12, WR 7U 9

Both 8U Red and 7U Blue won their sunrise games on Sunday at The Factory in Wake Forest, setting up a 10:30 first pitch to determine which team would finish the Top Gun Back Pack Tournament at 3-1 (the Carolina Titans went 4-0 to win the event). 7U jumped out early with a quick 3-0 lead, but a couple of porous defensive innings proved to be their undoing, and 8U overcame the highly questionable pitching of Coach Andy to earn the 12-9 win.

As you would expect in a West Raleigh-vs-West Raleigh game, the contest was highly competitive and well played on both sides. The bottom of the 8U order proved to be the difference, as the final five hitters in their order scored eight runs.

The loss completed play in the Top Gun Back Pack Tournament, with 7U Blue finishing the weekend at 2-2, good for third place in the gold bracket after four games against teams with a healthy smattering of eight-year-olds.

Coach Andy was so pleased with his team's win that he promised to wash Coach Sean's car at the next available opportunity. Look for him soon in the West Raleigh parking lot.

Game 4 West Raleigh 7U scoring plays
First inning
7U got on the board quickly. Trey led off the game with a single, and then Joseph's hard grounder put runners on first and second. A fielder's choice moved two runners into scoring position, and then Chace cleared the bases with a long triple to right-center. Jake's single scored Chace to finish the first-inning scoring.
Score after one-half inning: WR 7U 3, WR 8U Red 0


Fourth inning
Chace led off with his second straight triple. Jake repeated the first-inning format with an RBI single. Joey's fielder's choice set the stage for Bryce's RBI triple. With two outs, Mason scored Bryce with a single to left.
Score after three and a half innings: WR 8U Red 8, WR 7U 6


Fifth inning
Timmy singled and then moved to second after a miscue in the 8U outfield. With one out, The Mad Bunter sacrificed Timmy to third. Trey's speed put him on first and prolonged the inning while Timmy hustled home, and then Gavin earned a two-out RBI single.
Score after four and a half innings: WR 8U Red 12, WR 7U 8

Sixth inning
It looked like a potential rally was beginning when Jake led off with a double. But after a nice play in the 8U outfield retired Joey, Bryce moved Jake to third with just one out. Ben's sacrifice fly scored Jake, but that was all 7U could get in the final frame.
Final score: WR 8U Red 12, WR 7U 9

Game 4 Web Gems

• Asher used the technical defensive technique known as "self-defense" to knock down a grounder back up the middle in the bottom of the first, and threw to first to end the inning.
• Joseph made yet another very good defensive play on a wicked line drive that was crushed by 8U's Bryce.
• After a couple of rough defensive innings, 7U regrouped for the fifth. They recorded their second 1-2-3 defensive inning of the game, which featured a good catch in left-center by Ben to retire the leadoff man.

Game 4 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 7U Blue	3	0	0	3	2	1	9	12
WR 8U Red	1	0	7	4	0	X	12	15