Top Gun World Series Qualifier Semifinals: 919 Nationals 10U 4, NSA Warhawks 11U 3

As a group, the team currently known as the 10U 919 Nationals have done quite a bit. They’ve won three state titles, a pair of southeast regional titles, and so many Top Gun championships that I’ve lost count. That’s not bragging—it’s just to give you some context on this next statement.

After 919 took a 4-3 walk-off win over the NSA Warhawks in Sunday’s semifinals of the Top Gun 11U tournament in Goldsboro, Coach Sean gathered the players and coaches down the left field line. “That,” he told the group, “was one of the best.”

And it was. The game was a rematch of Saturday’s pool play game, but was a much better played affair. It also featured one of the weirdest stats in 919 history, as the Nats were outhit 11-2, yet somehow found a way to win the game. The Warhawk starter was actually spinning a no-hitter through four innings, and of the four 919 runs, two scored on ground outs, one came across on a passed ball, and the final heart-pounding run crossed the plate when Gavin legged out an infield single in the bottom of the sixth. And stop me if this sounds familiar: three of the four runs in the game scored with two outs, meaning nine of the last 11 Nat runs have scored with two down.

The second-seeded Nationals combined the opportunistic offense with great pitching. Under the direction of Coach Kevin, 919 pitchers walked just one in six innings, while NSA walked six and hit another. Minimizing the baserunners (and occasionally just casually picking them off when they reached) meant that even when the Warhawks smacked a hit, it didn’t lead to a big inning.

The win moved the 919 “little kids” into the 11U championship game against the top-seeded Mavericks...a blog suitably recapping that game will probably need to be in eight installments with a video component on the Lifetime Network.

Semifinal Nationals scoring plays

First inning

Bryce walked, stole second and third, and scored on a fielder’s choice from Gavin.

Score after one inning: 919 Nationals 1, Warhawks 0

Fifth inning

Banks led off with a single and took second when the pitcher made a throwing error on a pickoff move. He went to third on a wild pitch. Andrew walked and stole second. JT drove in Banks with a fielder’s choice, and then Andrew scored on a passed ball.

Score after two innings: 919 Nationals 3, Warhawks 3

Sixth inning

Bryce drew a two-out walk. He went to second on a wild pitch and stole third. After Lawson walked and stole second, Gavin slapped it to shortstop and hustled it out, setting off a suitably enthusiastic walk-off mob on the field.

Score after six innings: 919 Nationals 4, Warhawks 3

Pitching Performances

Banks started and went three terrific innings.

Bryce threw over an inning and buzzed through the middle of the order.

Asher closed it out with two scoreless innings.

Semifinal Web Gems

• Lefties continued to demonstrate some ridiculous pickoff moves, as Banks picked off the leadoff man in the first. Brady came up to receive the throw and fired to Bryce to get the out at second.
• Chace “The One-Armed Bandit” came up throwing on a would-be single to right in the second and threw a laser to Brady at first to get the out.
• Chalk up another pickoff for Banks in the third, but by now that is more routine than web gem-worthy.
• And yet another roundabout pickoff in the fifth. This time Asher was pitching with runners on the corners. He went with the pickoff move to first, where somehow the obviously wise runner made it back in time. But Brady had other plans, and came up throwing from first to get the runner breaking from third. Brady tossed to Joey covering the plate, who made the tag to get the out.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
NSA Warhawks	0	1	0	1	1	0	3	11
919 Nationals	1	0	0	0	2	1	4	2