Ripken Championship: 919 Nationals 16, Augusta Braves 5

The 919 Nationals finished a successful trip to Myrtle Beach with a 16-5 win over the Augusta (Ga.) Nationals, giving 919 a third straight Ripken Experience fall title. All of Sunday's games took place on Huntington Park, which had a very deep center field. Not as deep, as it turned out, as the original Huntington, which went 635 (!!!) feet to center:

The 919 offense, which had slept through the semifinal win, came alive for the championship. The Nats pounded out 15 hits to tally at least one run in every inning, eventually ending the game in five innings because of the run rule.

The compressed schedule meant 919 played four games over approximately the past 24 hours, getting wins over teams from two countries and two different states in outscoring four opponents by a combined 50-18 margin. Unofficially, they also took the title for most golf cart rides taken (wait until the rumor mill finds out West Raleigh buys golf carts for all the players so they don’t have to walk to the fields):

No wonder people like going to Myrtle Beach…the scenery sure is nice:

Championship 919 Nationals scoring plays

First inning

Gavin walked and stole second. Chace brought him home for a two-out RBI, then took second on the throw. Ben blasted an RBI double.

Score after one-half inning: 919 Nationals 2, Augusta Braves 0

Second inning

Brady reached on an error and stole second. JT singled and stole second. Brady scored on a wild pitch. Colin’s RBI fielder’s choice allowed him to reach safely, and then he stole second and third. Elias dropped a perfect RBI bunt, then stole second. Bryce singled. The Braves tried to throw him out stealing second (they failed), and when the throw went through, Elias raced home. Banks singled. Chace doubled home a pair.

Score after one and a half innings: 919 Nationals 8, Augusta Braves 4

Third inning

Andrew blasted a leadoff home run.

Score after four innings: 919 Nationals 9, Augusta Braves 5

Fourth inning

Elias collected a single and stole second. Banks worked a one-out walk, and so did Gavin. A wild pitch moved up both runners. Chace picked up an RBI walk. Banks scored on a wild pitch. Ben lined an RBI single. Chace scored on a wild pitch. JT and Colin lined RBI singles.

Score after four and a half innings: 919 Nationals 15, Augusta Braves 5

Fifth inning

Bryce cracked a one-out single and stole second. Banks doubled him home.

Score after four and a half innigs: 919 Nationals 16, Augusta Braves 5

Pitching Performances

JT threw strikes very effectively in the first, but had some bad luck with balls finding holes.

Asher pitched four innings of two-hit relief, including a stretch of retiring seven in a row.

Dugout wisdom

Ben lifted a foul ball that clanged off the top of the 919 dugout, waking up scorebook keepers and even startling a couple players. After the loud rattling, it got very quiet in the dugout, until JT solemnly declared, “That was the shot heard round the world.”

Championship Web Gems

•   Ben fired a rocket to retire a runner attempting to steal second in the first.

•   On the first batter he faced, Asher made a diving stop off the mound, then, with Coach Sean yelling, “Plenty of time!” decided he did not in fact have plenty of time and threw the ball to first from his knees to get the out.

•   Nice job by Asher to cover third on a confusing play in the second, but unfortunately, according to the base umpire, who had a delightful personality in addition to being an excellent arbiter, he did not tag the runner.

•   Gavin made a sparkling running catch over on the third base line of a pop up to shallow left.

•   Banks, or as they like to call him in Myrtle Beach, “Double-Deuce,” made a nice scoop of a low throw leading off the fourth to get the leadoff man.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
919 Nationals	2	6	1	6	1	X	16	15
Braves	4	1	0	0	0	X	5	8