The 919 Nationals packed up and headed to Myrtle Beach for this weekend's Ripken Experience tournament. Playing an out-of-state tournament requires extreme concentration and preparation from the coaching staff. Luckily, Coach Bruce and Coach Sean volunteered to go down early and "prepare the Myrtle Beach scouting report." However, it appears they may have misunderstood what was supposed to be in the report:
Coach Kevin, of course, stayed behind to prepare the weekend's pitching plans. It must have worked, because ten different 919 pitchers threw in the opening two games on Saturday, taking an inning at a time, and all threw very well.
Meanwhile, Coach Sean and Coach Bruce's crab-eating regimen woke up the National bats, as the 919 offense finally appears to be awakening. They put together a nine-run second against the Elite Diamond Dawgs (SC) in Saturday's first game on the way to an 18-3 victory. The offense slammed a fall-high 13 hits--or more than in both Sunday games combined in last weekend's tournament--in the game, which was limited to five innings due to the run rule. Nine different players had hits, by far the most complete production of the 10U season so far.
The other good news was that the Diamond Dawgs provided in-game music, leading to some occasionally questionable dancing, as shown below by Gavin, who as you can see, craftily waited until the mean head coach was looking the other way:
After ripping a shot to left that was caught in the fourth, Gavin returned to the dugout and announced, "It's a good thing my dancing is better than my luck."
Um, about that dancing...
Meanwhile, Coach Sean and Coach Bruce's crab-eating regimen woke up the National bats, as the 919 offense finally appears to be awakening. They put together a nine-run second against the Elite Diamond Dawgs (SC) in Saturday's first game on the way to an 18-3 victory. The offense slammed a fall-high 13 hits--or more than in both Sunday games combined in last weekend's tournament--in the game, which was limited to five innings due to the run rule. Nine different players had hits, by far the most complete production of the 10U season so far.
The other good news was that the Diamond Dawgs provided in-game music, leading to some occasionally questionable dancing, as shown below by Gavin, who as you can see, craftily waited until the mean head coach was looking the other way:
After ripping a shot to left that was caught in the fourth, Gavin returned to the dugout and announced, "It's a good thing my dancing is better than my luck."
Um, about that dancing...
Game 1 Nationals scoring plays
First inning
Bryce led off with a single and took second on a throwing error. He stole third, then scored on JT's RBI groundout.
Score after one-half inning: 919 Nationals 1, Dawgs 0
Second inning
Chace cracked a one-out triple, then scored on a passed ball. Ben reached on a shot through the left side, took third on an error by the catcher, then scored on Joey's ball to the right side. Joey stole second. Elias singled, putting runners at the corners. Asher singled home Joey. Bryce walked. JT laced a two-run single. Gavin blasted a three-run homer. Andrew singled and then turned that single into a run with pure hustle, as he stole second and then went all the way to third on an error by the catcher. That put him in position to score on Brady's sacrifice fly.
Score after one and a half innings: 919 Nationals 10, Dawgs 0
Third inning
Chace ripped a shot through the right side and ended up hustling all the way around to score. Joey walked, stole second and third, then scored on Bryce's single.
Score after two and a half innings: 919 Nationals 12, Dawgs 0
Fourth inning
With one out, Andrew cracked a solo homer. Brady went through the left side, and then runners were safe at first and second when Banks reached on an error by the pitcher. Chace loaded the bases with a shot to second. Ben drove in a pair with a single. Eli's two-out single scored Chace, and after Asher walked, Bryce's fielder's choice scored Ben before Coach Sean crazily forgot the rules again and accidentally touched the runner coming around third.
Score after three and a half innings: 919 Nationals 17, Dawgs 0
Fifth inning
JT walked, went to second and third on passed balls, and scored on a two-out single by Banks.
Score after four and a half innings: 919 Nationals 18, Dawgs 0
Fifth inning
JT walked, went to second and third on passed balls, and scored on a two-out single by Banks.
Score after four and a half innings: 919 Nationals 18, Dawgs 0
Pitching Performances
Andrew threw a perfect first.
Ben needed just three pitches in the second.
Joey pitched a scoreless third.
Bryce fanned a pair in a hitless fourth.
JT struggled some with control, but then gave way to Elias, who struck out the only batter he faced with the bases loaded to end the game.
Ben needed just three pitches in the second.
Joey pitched a scoreless third.
Bryce fanned a pair in a hitless fourth.
JT struggled some with control, but then gave way to Elias, who struck out the only batter he faced with the bases loaded to end the game.
Game 1 Web Gems
• 919 turned a sweet inning-ending double play in the second. With runners on first and second and one out, JT fielded a hot shot to third and threw to first to get the out. Because he froze the runner on second, that runner got a late break to third. Brady came up firing from first and threw across the diamond to third, where Gavin was covering. Gavin grabbed the throw and slapped on the tag to complete the double play.
• Ben gunned down a runner trying to steal second in the third, getting him by such a distance that as Andrew--who applied the tag--would later say, "I felt bad for him."
Game 1 line score
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
R
|
H
|
919 Nationals
|
1
|
9
|
2
|
5
|
1
|
X
|
18
|
13
|
Elite Diamond Dawgs
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
X
|
3
|
4
|
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