Top Gun Pink Out Championship: 919 Nationals 13, Durham Indians 8

Despite the fact that the Durham Indians and 919 both play fairly consistently in and around the Triangle, Sunday's championship game marked the first meeting since the fall of 2012 (the infamous "This is travel ball!" game). This one was a little closer but ended the same way: with a 919 victory, as the Nationals took a 13-8 victory and the Top Gun Pink Out championship. The victory marks the second straight tournament title for 919.

The championship was powered by a huge nine-run fifth inning, which featured a pair of home runs, including a tie breaking grand slam from Elias. In all, the 919 offense generated 13 hits and had a runner in scoring position in every inning, putting constant pressure on the Indians defense.

Here's a happy view of the impending celebration after Eli's grand slam:

As would only be appropriate, the championship was celebrated at the finest establishment in all of Angier:

Championship 919 Nationals scoring plays

First inning

Gavin reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, then scored on Chace's two-out single.

Score after one-half inning: 919 Nationals 1, Durham Indians 0

Fourth inning

Banks worked a leadoff walk. Gavin ripped an RBI double. Chace lifted an RBI sacrifice fly.

Score after three and a half innings: 919 Nationals 3, Durham Indians 3

Fifth inning
Brady reached on a shot to left and stole second. JT doubled him home. Colin singled and took second on the throw. Asher singled to load the bases. Eli went deep to center for a fence-clearing grand slam. Bryce singled. Banks singled and stole second. Gavin crushed a three-run homer to left and then was greeted with the silent treatment in the dugout, prompting him to give air-high fives to imaginary teammates since his actual teammates were pretending to ignore him. Chace reached on a ball to third, then stole second, went to third on a fielder's choice and scored on Andrew's sacrifice fly.
Score after four and a half innings: 919 Nationals 12, Durham Indians 4

Sixth inning
Asher lined a one-out double, went to third on Elias' fielder's choice, then scored when the ball was thrown away.
Score after five and a half innings: 919 Nationals 13, Durham Indians 6

Pitching Performances

Bryce started and went two and a third tough innings, walking just one.

Chace relieved and fired one and two thirds innings of solid relief, working out of a tough spot in the third.

Asher finished it with two good innings of relief, including getting out of a two-on, none-out jam in the fifth.

Dugout Wisdom

There was a fairly extensive conversation led by Coach Fred focusing on the role of the third base coach and the fact that, you know, it's a pretty good idea for the players to actually watch the third base coach and do what he says. Once the players returned to the dugout, they were talking about the role of the coaches, and Brady pointed out, "The first base coach is there to hold your protective gear after you get on base." Keep up the valuable work, Coach Sean!

Championship Web Gems

• After reaching on a single in the second, the runner was gunned down trying to steal second after a solid throw from Asher and a great tag from Colin.
• Chace stayed with a hard two-hopper to third in the second, then threw across for the out.
• Elias ended the all-web gem second inning with a diving catch in center.
• Elias made another web gem play in the third, running down a ball in the gap to get the out.
• The 919 defense end the fourth with a double play, as Colin speared a line drive, then flipped to Gavin at second to double off the runner.
• Bryce picked off a runner getting an aggressive secondary lead from first to end the fifth.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
919 Nationals	1	0	0	2	9	1	13	13
Durham Indians	1	0	2	1	2	2	8	9

Top Gun Pink Out Semifinals: 919 Nationals 6, Rivercats 5

With a heart-stopping four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth, the 919 Nationals came back for a 6-5 win over the Rivercats in the semifinals of the Top Gun Pink Out tournament.

Against a knuckleball-heavy pitcher who was very effective with his control (no walks through the first five innings), the 919 offense struggled to put together a series of hits, managing just five hits in the first five frames. That all changed going into the bottom of the sixth while facing a 5-2 deficit, as the Nats scored four runs with two outs to take the walk-off win, 6-5.

The game was also a nice reminder that we should all be very thankful that our kids play for such a quality organization. I say this because in a pregame conversation with the Rivercats coach, I mentioned our kids always like playing in Angier for obvious reasons. His response: "Is there an ice cream place in Angier?"

COME ON PEOPLE, GET IT TOGETHER. I like the Rivercats coach a lot, but some things are inexcusable. So next time you are ticked off about playing time or wish your kid was hitting somewhere different in the batting order, just remember: you could be playing with a team that goes to Angier and doesn't realize they should stop at Sunni Sky's. WHAT KIND OF WORLD ARE THESE PEOPLE LIVING IN?

Oh yeah, almost forgot: 919 advanced to the championship game.

Semifinal 919 Nationals scoring plays

Fourth inning

Bryce singled and moved to second on Banks' fielder's choice. Gavin tripled home Bryce and scored on Chace's fielder's choice.

Score after four innings: 919 Nationals 2, Rivercats 1

Sixth inning

Colin ignited the rally with a single. Elias was hit by a pitch. A fielder's choice put runners on first and third with two outs and 919 still staring at a 5-2 deficit. Bryce stole second. Banks walked to load the bases. Gavin lined a two-run single. Chace's fly ball to the right side fell safely, scoring Banks and tying the game. A wild pitch moved Gavin to third with the winning run, and then Ben walked it off with a single. 

Score after six innings: 919 Nationals 6, Rivercats 5

Pitching Performances

Andrew started, went three innings, and at one point struck out five batters in a row, all of them looking.

Colin worked through the fourth and pitched into the fifth.

Banks closed it out with two innings of relief, including a 1-2-3 sixth when the ball didn't leave the infield.

Dugout Wisdom

As Andrew mowed down a series of Rivercats in order in the second and third--all five of them looking--the perplexed Rivercats coach would frustratedly announce the latest strikeout count. "That's three!" he barked after three in a row went down looking. "Four!" after the fourth. You get the idea. When 919 returned to the dugout after the third, Bryce said, "It's really nice of their coach to help you keep the stats. He keeps telling you how many strikeouts Andrew has!"

I didn't hear exactly who said this, but with Ben up in the bottom of the sixth and the winning run on third, someone in the dugout said, "Don't worry, Ben is the walk-off king." Looks like they were right.

Semifinal Web Gems

• Andrew flashed a great pickoff move against the leadoff man in the first, and then Banks ran him down to get the out.
• No specific play to single out here, but just a nod to the outfield play all weekend. For the most part, everyone who was in the outfield did a very solid job of taking the right route to balls, getting throws in quickly and to the right place, and limiting hitters to the minimum number of bases possible on any given base hit.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Rivercats	0	0	0	1	4	0	5	9
919 Nationals	0	0	0	2	0	4	6	8

Top Gun Pink Out Game 2: 919 Nationals 20, North Wake Nitro 2

Having reached the 15-TAB goal fairly easily in the first game, Coach Sean raised the goal to 25 TABs in the second game. The Nationals once again made it look easy, putting together 28 TABs on the way to a 20-2 win over the Nitro in a game shortened to three innings.

The 919 offense cranked out 14 hits, getting at least one base hit from everyone in the order. But while the offense was the headliner, the defense once again played an error-free game and also completed another key double play.

The win moved 919 to 2-0 in pool play as they await seedings for tomorrow's bracket competition. After the victory, most of the team adjourned to Sunni Sky's, where they showed off the latest in knickers fashion:

Sometimes people get the wrong idea about the ice cream trips and seem to think they are all fun and games. That's not the case. Getting ice cream is serious business, and can sometimes even test speed and agility, as Gavin shows here by managing to tap the yellow jacket-infested trash can and then dash away without being stung:

Ice cream Game time for tomorrow will be determined later tonight.

Game 2 919 Nationals scoring plays

First inning

Bryce singled and stole second. Gavin walked. Both runners stole a base. Andrew singled home a pair and took second on the throw. An error moved him to third, and then JT singled him home. Colin's fielder's choice put JT on second. A wild pitch moved him to third. Asher walked and stole second. Elias singled. Cameron blasted a two-run double. Bryce and Banks walked. Gavin singled home a run.

Score after one-half inning: 919 Nationals 7, Nitro 0

Second inning

Andrew reached on a ball through the left side and stole second. JT walked. Colin singled. Asher's fielder's choice scored Andrew. Two more scored on a single from Elias, who took second on the throw and stole third. Cameron walked and stole second. Elias scored on a wild pitch. Bryce drove in Cameron, then stole second and third before scoring on Gavin's fly ball. Gavin stole third and scored on Andrew's single. JT singled. Both runners stole a base. Colin walked. Asher lined a two-run single. Elias was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved up both runners, and Cameron ripped a two-run single.

Score after one and a half innings: 919 Nationals 19, Nitro 0

Third inning

Bryce reached on a ball through the left side. Banks singled. JT singled home Bryce.

Score after two and a half innings: 919 Nationals 20, Nitro 2

Pitching Performances

Gavin gave up just one hit in his two innings of work.

Cameron made his 11U pitching debut.

Colin wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam with no runs allowed.

Dugout Wisdom

You have to really stay alert in the dugout to follow the train of thought that sometimes occurs. Early in game two, Coach Kevin was trying to determine how to say "outs" in Spanish. As he pursued this valuable knowledge, JT turned to the closest teammate and said, "I could really go for an enchilada right now." Keep in mind it was barely 11 in the morning.

Game 2 Web Gems

• I was all set to give Asher and Andrew a web gem for their communication on a fly ball to shallow left leading off the second. It appeared that they talked and decided it was an easier play for Asher coming in from left than Andrew going out from short. Then I rode home with Asher, and he said, "We didn't really talk at all." So, nice job by Andrew and Asher with the non-verbal communication.
• With a runner on second in the second, Gavin fielded a grounder back to the mound, then took a look at the runner and realized he had him hung up. He threw to JT covering third, who applied the tag for the out.
• The Nationals ended the game with some flair. With the bases loaded and one out, Colin jumped ahead 0-2 and then got a fly ball to medium center. Eli, of course, caught it. The runner, thinking he was dealing with a mere mortal, tagged up and thought he was going to score...until Eli's one-hop throw came rocketing in from center, with Asher snatching it out of the air and slapping on the tag for an inning-ending double play.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
919 Nationals	7	12	1	X	X	X	20	14
NW Nitro	0	2	0	X	X	X	2	2

Top Gun Pink Out Game 1: 919 Nationals 13, South Wake Storm 4

Play began early Saturday morning in the ice cream mecca of Angier, as 919 broke out the knickers to take on the South Wake Storm in the first game of the day. Always looking to earn his exorbitant reasonable paycheck, Coach Sean arrived with a new invention: TABs. Here's a look at the lineup card from Saturday, along with the TABs listed below:

TABs, as you probably figured out, are Team At Bats--at bats that help the team, in other words. The full list of at-bats that qualify for a TAB are listed in the photo below. Coach Sean, who will be giving a test on each category on Sunday (winner gets a new RV!), challenged the Nationals to have at least 15 TABs in each game. They responded by posting 25 TABs in a four-inning game, winning 13-4 in a game shortened due to the time limit.

It was a big day for the 919 defense, as they played an error-free game and also teamed up on an important double play while giving up just one free base on a wild pitch. The offense, meanwhile, took advantage of seven Storm walks, three errors, a hit by pitch and a balk. 

Game 1 919 Nationals scoring plays

First inning

Bryce started his 4-for-4 day with a single, then stole second. A fielder's choice moved him to third. Gavin walked and stole second. Andrew walked. Brady worked an RBI walk. JT hit an RBI fielder's choice. JT stole second. Colin, Asher and Elias walked. Wild pitches scored Brady and JT.

Score after one-half inning: 919 Nationals 4, SW Storm 0

Second inning

Bryce tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Banks was hit by a pitch, then stole second and third. Gavin smashed an RBI triple. Andrew's fielder's choice scored Gavin. Brady reached on a shot through the left side, then stole second. A wild pitch moved him to third, and he scored on a throwing error. 

Score after one and a half innings: 919 Nationals 8, SW Storm 1

Third inning

Bryce tripled (yes, again). Banks doubled him home.

Score after two and a half innings: 919 Nationals 9, SW Storm 1

Fourth inning

With two outs, Colin dropped a nice bunt and then stole second. Asher reached on a ball through the right side that scored Colin. A balk moved Asher to second. Elias singled him home. Elias stole second and third. Cameron walked. Bryce singled in Elias. Banks singled home Cameron. 

Score after three and a half innings: 919 Nationals 13, SW Storm 4

Pitching Performances

Brady started and went two strong innings.

Elias pitched the third and ended it with a strikeout.

JT struck out two of the three hitters he faced in the fourth.

Dugout Wisdom

These early morning games are tough on the coaches. That can only explain why, with Banks at the plate, Coach Sean cheered him on from the first base coaching box by saying, "Come on, Baker!" Look, we all know Baker is talented, but maybe it's not time for him to play 11U just yet.

That had the lead in the Dugout Wisdom category until midway through the game. Elias asked a question about a scoring detail, and after I replied, he said without hesitation, "Coach Adam, you're like a woman, you're always right." I'm just guessing he has heard that from John at some point

Also, this conversation was had at one point:

Andrew: "Remember during the regular season when our team (the Grasshoppers) would always cheer, 'Good eye, good eye, good eye, ball!'?"

Gavin: "That was SO annoying."

Andrew: "Yeah. It was great." 

Game 1 Web Gems

• Great pickoff by Brady at first base, nabbing the leadoff man in the second to allow Banks to fire to Gavin at second to make the tag and get the first out.
• With a runner on third in the third and nobody out, Elias coaxed a fly ball to medium left field to Banks. Obviously having never seen a 919 practice, the runner tagged up and tried to score. But Banks fired a perfect one-hop strike to Asher, who applied the tag for the double play.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
919 Nationals	4	4	1	4	X	X	13	10
SW Storm	1	0	3	0	X	X	4	4