Perfect Game Championship: Canes 7, Other Canes 5

In a tense championship game, Canes-Gallaher won the Perfect Game Super Qualifier title with a 7-5 win over Canes-Brannon. 

The title victory was marked by multiple incredible plays. Consider this: the Canes were actually outhit 11-7, but ended half of their six defensive innings in the following ways:

A triple play.

Throwing out a runner at the plate.

A double play.

For the weekend, by the way, the Canes defense had five double (or triple) plays.

And if you felt like you were a little more nervous than usual, it's probably because of the fact that the Canes scored all seven of their runs with two outs, batting .444 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

The win earned a slot in the prestigious Super25 tournament in Florida, which...we will worry about later. 

Championship Canes scoring plays

First inning

Jake reached on an error and stole second. Gavin's fielder's choice advanced him, and he scored on a throwing error. Chace drew a two-out walk, stole second, went to third on an error, and scored on Andrew's single.

Score after one-half inning: Canes 2, Other Canes 0

Second inning

Elias reached on an error and went to second on Asher's fielder's choice. He scored on Jake's two-out single.

Score after one and a half innings: Canes 3, Other Canes 0

Fourth inning
Brady and Elias had back-to-back singles. Asher walked. Gavin crushed a two-out, three-run double.
Score after three and a half innings: Canes 6, Other Canes 2

Fifth inning
Ashton picked up a two-out walk and stole second. JT scored him with a rope double.
Score after four and a half innings: Canes 7, Other Canes 4

Pitching Performances

Drew started and went three strong innings.

Chace finished it up with three great innings of relief.

Dugout wisdom
After changing fields yet again, the Canes found lots of props in the first-base dugout. Snipers are always looking for equipment, of course. Start with Ben, who found this pitching rubber and quickly turned it into, as he explained, "a turret gun."

Then it was discovered that the Dirtbags had left their dugout poster in a giant green tube on the ground. This, obviously, was a perfect bazooka, which took anywhere from two to four players to operate:

(Please note that Brian could not be distracted from his texting by all of this tomfoolery.)

Championship Web Gems

• With runners on first and second in the second, Drew bounced off the mound to retrieve a dribbler and fired to Ben to get the lead runner at third.
• Let me set the scene for you: the Other Canes had runners on first and second in the bottom of third with no outs and a one-run game. The number-three hitter was at the plate. On an 0-1 count, he sizzled a liner that was ticketed for the right field corner. But Chace stuck out a big paw and snagged it in the air. He stepped on first to get a huge momentum-changing double play...but then decided he might as well end the inning, so he threw to Gavin covering second for a triple play. Yes, a triple play.
• With two runs in and the tying run on base in the fourth, the batter dropped a sinking liner in front of Jake in right. The runner on second tried to score, but Jake popped up and threw a strike to Ashton at the plate, who chased down the runner for the tag and the third out of the inning.
• With a runner on first in the fifth and one out, Gavin gobbled up a grounder through the middle, stepped on second, and threw to Drew at first for the inning-ending double play.
• Jake got another outfield assist in the sixth, this time throwing from right field to Gavin at second to get the force on a runner who hesitated before going from first to second.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Canes-Gallaher	2	1	0	3	1	0	7	7
Canes-Brannon	0	2	0	2	1	X	5	11

Perfect Game Semifinals: Canes 14, Rubber Arm Rockets 9

In a game that never quite seemed to want to end, the Canes moved into the Perfect Game championship with a 14-9 win over the Rubber Arm Rockets.

The game was the second straight contest in which the Canes had to rally from an early deficit. This time, the Rockets put three on the board in the top of the first. It wasn't until the bottom of the third that the Evoshield offense ignited, and it blew up in a big way--with fourteen batters coming to the plate and nine runs scoring. The big momentum-changing blast was a grand slam from Chace:

And while the game never really felt in question after that nine-run frame, the Canes could never quite reach the elusive run rule, either. In fact, it ended up being the first game this fall that went the full six innings.

The victory moved the Canes into the championship, where they would play the...uh, Canes, making for a very difficult challenge for bloggers everywhere.

Semifinal Canes scoring plays

First inning

Gavin hit a one-out single and went to second on an error. A wild pitch put him on third, and another error scored him.

Score after one inning: Rockets 3, Canes 1

Third inning

JT and Colin singled, and Bryce sacrificed them over. Jake walked. Gavin beat out a fielder's choice that scored JT. Drew hit an RBI single. Chace blasted a grand slam over the 276-foot sign in dead center. Andrew singled and took second on an error. Ashton walked. Andrew stole third. Ben's fielder's choice scored Andrew and put Ashton on third. Ben stole second while Ashton was stealing home. JT walked and stole second. A wild pitch scored Ben.  

Score after three innings: Canes 10, Rockets 3

Fourth inning
Drew smacked a one-out double. Chace scored him with a double. Brady singled, and then an error scored Chace.
Score after four innings: Canes 12, Rockets 6

Fifth inning
Elias hit a two-out single. Gavin singled. Drew drove in both runners with a double.
Score after five innings: Canes 14, Rockets 8

Pitching Performances

Finally freed of the pitching regulations, Ashton started and went three and a third strong innings.

Bryce came in with two and a third good innings of relief, making the eleventh different Canes pitcher of the weekend.

Drew got the final out on four pitches.

Dugout wisdom
After firing three and a third innings of excellent pitching, Ashton came off the mound and back into the dugout while saying, "I was just getting loose in the first game." (The first game didn't go quite as well as this one.)

With the Canes hitting, the Rockets tried to pick off the runner at first base. Coach Kevin might have gently suggested in a very respectful way to the umpire that it was a balk. However, the umpire did not see it and the play continued...only to see the Rocket pitcher chuck the ball over the first baseman's head and down the right field line. Without missing a beat in the dugout, Andrew said, "Ball don't lie." Rasheed would be proud.

Semifinal Web Gems

• Colin made a great play ranging into the hole between first and second in the first inning, then threw out the runner.
• With a runner on second in the third and facing a 3-1 deficit, Andrew made a good play on a sinking liner to center, then threw to second to double off the runner.
• Brady made a terrific backhand, running catch of a long fly ball to right in the fourth.
• Drew made a leaping catch of a liner to short in the sixth, then on the very next hitter ranged over into shallow left to gather in a pop fly.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
RA Rockets	3	0	0	3	2	1	9	13
Canes	1	0	9	2	2	X	14	13

Perfect Game Game 3: Canes 10, Dirtbags 9

The final game of pool play was a big one, as the loser of Canes-Dirtbags had a chance of being eliminated from bracket play. And as it turned into a high-scoring contest, that possibility became even more real, as the runs allowed tiebreaker had a chance of eliminating the loser. But clutch defensive plays and just enough timely hitting gave the Canes a 10-9 win in a game shortened to four innings by both the time limit and by the Dirtbags' apparent homage to Dean Smith's Four Corners offense with their play in the final inning.

Once again, with the Perfect Game pitching rules in effect, Evoshield had to be conservative with the pitching. Five different pitchers threw against the Dirtbags, making it a total of ten hurlers who made at least one appearance in the three pool games.

The victory made the Canes 3-0 in pool play and earned them the right to change fields and play in the tournament semifinals, where a win would give them the right to change fields and play in the finals.

Game 3 Canes scoring plays

First inning

Jake doubled, went to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on an RBI fielder's choice from Drew. Chace and Andrew hit back-to-back singles, then Chace scored on Ashton's single.

Score after one inning: Dirtbags 3, Canes 2

Second inning

Colin singled and stole second. Asher drove him in with a single. Asher went to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Jake walked and stole second. Gavin singled home Asher and took second on the throw. Drew blasted a two-run triple, then scored on a wild pitch. Chace reached on a shot past the second baseman and stole second, then took third on a throwing error. He scored on Andrew's single.

Score after two innings: Canes 8, Dirtbags 3

Third inning
JT walked and stole second. Ben singled him home, then stole second and took third on a throwing error. Asher drove him in with a fielder's choice.
Score after three innings: Canes 10, Dirtbags 6

Pitching Performances

Ashton started and worked through some control issues.

Colin worked out of a big jam in the first and threw an inning and two thirds of shutout relief.

Chace got the last out of the second.

JT fired a solid inning.

Asher came in with runners on base and wriggled out of a big predicament in the fourth.

Dugout wisdom
I don't know if you can quite make out the license plate here, but on the way to the game Sunday morning, I was passed by Coach Kevin and Jennifer:

In case you can't read it--that's right, it says, "BISCT."

Game 3 Web Gems

• Brady made an outstanding running catch crossing into foul territory in right field in the first.
• With the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second in the fourth, Asher was on the mound with one out. The batter slapped a grounder back to him, and the runner on third took a step down the line towards home. Asher threw to JT, who slapped the tag on to get the second out. But why get one out when you could get two? So JT looked at the runner on second, who was also a step too far away from the bag. So JT chased him back to second and tossed to Drew, who applied the tag for the inning-ending and essentially game-sealing double play.

Game 3 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Dirtbags Black	3	0	3	3	X	X	9	6
Canes	2	6	2	X	X	X	10	11

Perfect Game Game 2: Canes 11, TPA Pirates 3

The Canes used four more pitchers to pitch their way to an 11-3 win over the TPA (no, not that TPA) Pirates in a game shortened to four innings by the run rule. The Canes were the only team in the 10-team field not to burn at least one pitcher on Saturday. That means all Evoshield pitching will reset on Sunday. 

That sets up a final pool play game on Sunday against one of the three other 2-0 teams, the Dirtbags. The top four teams advance to bracket play, meaning it could potentially be a three-game day.

Game 2 Canes scoring plays

First inning

Gavin walked and stole second, then took third on a throwing error. Drew hit an RBI three-base skillet. Chace tanked an RBI double, then scored on Andrew's drive through the right side.

Score after one-half inning: Canes 3, Pirates 0

Second inning

Colin reached on a hot shot through the left side. Elias singled, then raced all the way around to score when the ball skidded past the left fielder. Gavin worked a one-out walk and stole second. Drew scored him with a single. 

Score after one and a half innings: Canes 6, Pirates 0

Third inning
Ben led off with a triple, then scored on a balk.
Score after two and a half innings: Canes 7, Pirates 1

Fourth inning
Jake singled and stole second. Gavin singled him home, then advanced on an outfield error. A wild pitch scored Gavin. Drew doubled and scored on Asher's single. Asher took second on the throw, went to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on Ben's single.
Score after three and a half innings: Canes 11, Pirates 3

Pitching Performances

Andrew started and tossed a shutout first inning.

Ben retired all six batters he faced.

Gavin worked two-thirds of an inning.

Colin finished it up in the fourth with three pitches.

Dugout wisdom
As Brady and Andrew sat and watched from the dugout, Brady opined, "You can't ever be too loud" in the dugout. "You know, we're kind of like the two stooges."

Also, it should be noted that Ben's "expelliarmus" stick he was using on Saturday is the same one from Dunn--he actually took the initiative to break it into a smaller piece and then put it in his bat bag. You never know what you might find in a bat bag.

Game 2 Web Gems

• Colin, Gavin and Chace teamed up on a slick 4-6-3 double play on a soft one-hopper in the first inning.
• Elias made a smooth running catch on a drive to left-center in the fourth.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Canes	2	4	1	4	X	X	11	12
Pirates	0	1	0	2	X	X	3	3

Perfect Game Game 1: Canes 9, Kernersville Bulldogs 3

In a Perfect Game tournament designed to see how many pitchers were on each roster, the Canes used five hurlers in a five-inning, 9-2 opening win over the Kernersville Bulldogs. That's right, the same Kernersville Bulldogs they just played in the last game. 

The game had very little rhythm, owing in part to the 832 multiple pitching changes. Any pitcher who threw over 20 pitches was ineligible for Sunday's action, so the Canes conserved arms and kept everyone available for what they hope is a long Sunday.

With a pair of rained-out practices this week, there was a little offensive rust, but the hitters did eventually put together nine hits while taking advantage of five walks.

The victory left the Canes 1-0 in pool play, with a one-game break before the day's second contest.

Game 1 Canes scoring plays

First inning

Jake walked and stole second. Gavin walked. Drew lined a two-run skillet. Chace doubled. Andrew smacked a two-run single. Ashton powered an RBI single. 

Score after one inning: Canes 5, Bulldogs 1

Second inning

Gavin walked and stole second. Chace singled him home.

Score after two innings: Canes 6, Bulldogs 1

Fourth inning
Bryce singled and took second on an error. JT walked. Gavin singled home Bryce. A wild pitch moved up both runners. Drew hit an RBI single. Chace blasted a sacrifice fly.
Score after four innings: Canes 9, Bulldogs 2

Pitching Performances

Chace started and went two-thirds of an inning before being bitten by the pitch count.

Asher retired all five batters he faced.

JT worked a full inning.

Drew contributed another two-thirds of an inning.

Brady finished it up with a full inning in the fifth.

Dugout wisdom
After Colin unleashed a fairly high-pitch sneeze, JT was not impressed. From the opposite end of the dugout, almost as if he was talking to himself, he said, "That was a Hello Kitty sneeze. I have man sneezes."

With the Perfect Game rules being slightly unfamiliar, there was a lot of discussion about the run rule. As the Canes built a 6-1 lead that turned into 6-2, it was like an SAT prep class in the dugout. "So how many do we need now?" someone would ask, and then a broad range of answers--usually with a span of at least four runs--would follow. Then Eli would provide the correct answer. At one point, with an exasperated shake of his head, he turned to me and said, "Man, it's a good thing I'm here."

Game 1 Web Gems

• With a runner on third in the first, Chace leaped to snag a high hopper over the mound, then threw to Drew at third to get the overaggressive runner.
• More good PFP work in the fifth, as Brady fielded a couple of grounders--including a swinging bunt he had to charge--and threw to first to get a pair of outs.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bulldogs	1	0	1	0	1	X	3	3
Canes	5	1	0	3	X	X	9	9

Battle for the Bats championship: Canes 12, Kernersville Bulldogs 4

The Canes claimed a second straight tournament title with a 12-4 win over the Kernersville Bulldogs in the Battle of the Bats championship in Dunn. 

The game was shortened to five innings by the run rule, but was perhaps the best game of the weekend, as it was tied 2-2 after one inning. The Canes took a 3-2 lead after the second, only to see the Bulldogs tie it up in the top of the third. But that's when the Evoshield offense exploded, outscoring Kernersville 9-1 the rest of the way.

One of the keys to the game, in addition to the powerful hitting, clutch pitching and incredible defense, was the timely use of "expelliarmus" by Ben. How do you prefer your expelliarmus? Do you like it close up, in the dugout?

Or far away and artsy? (I was never exactly clear on why Ben moved over by the batting cage, but it seemed like it worked)

After a lengthy awards ceremony put on by the host facility, the Canes departed Dunn for what could be the last time. Please dry your eyes. 

This is why they invented the phrase "to the victor goes the spoils:"

Championship Canes scoring plays

First inning

Drew drew (see what I did there?) a two-out walk and scored on Chace's double. Chace went to third on a throwing error and scored on Andrew's single.

Score after one inning: Canes 2, Bulldogs 2

Second inning

Ashton singled and motored to second on a wild pitch. He scored on Colin's single.

Score after two innings: Canes 3, Bulldogs 2

Third inning
Asher hit a one-out single and went to second on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch moved him to third, and he scored on Gavin's triple. Drew made it back-to-back skillets with another RBI triple. Chace lined an RBI single. Andrew singled. Ashton singled home Chace. JT dropped it into right, scoring Andrew.
Score after three innings: Canes 8, Bulldogs 3

Fourth inning
Bryce coaxed a one-out walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Asher singled. Bryce and Asher worked the first and third play to perfection, scoring Bryce.
Score after four innings: Canes 9, Bulldogs 3

Fifth inning
Drew walked and stole second, then scored on Chace's double. Chace scored third. Andrew scored him with a fielder's choice. Brady walked, went to second on a wild pitch, went to third on Colin's single, and scored the game-winner on Eli's single.
Score after five innings: Canes 12, Bulldogs 4

Pitching Performances

Drew started and worked three tough innings, including getting four straight outs via strikeout at one point through the second and third.

Chace closed it out with two solid innings of relief and retired the final three hitters he faced.

Dugout wisdom
The bases in Dunn were not exactly what might be called "anchored to the ground." They weren't quite pop-up bases...more like flyaway bases. In the third, when Asher went trucking into second and uprooted another base, he then had to do more groundskeeping to put the base in the ground. Bryce immediately broke into the Bob the Builder song, finishing with an emphatic, "YES HE CAN!" Elias then turned into a poet as he watched Asher scoop the dirt, observing, "If you spill it, fill it, and if you drop it, mop it." Not exactly sure what other context he has heard that phrase in, and not sure if I want to know.

In the bottom of the third, the Canes scored five runs. Immediately after that inning was over, the home plate umpire walked over. "What's the score?" he asked.

"8-3," he was told. Keep in mind that five of those runs had just scored for the Canes literally seconds before he asked the question.

"Do y'all have the eight?" he replied.

I thought it was very mature that I did not reply, "EVEN IN A WORLD THAT CONTAINS YOUR STRIKE ZONE HOW COULD WE HAVE THE THREE RUNS IF WE JUST SCORED FIVE?"

Instead, I simply said, "Yes, we have the eight."

Championship Web Gems

• JT continued his Day of Defense in the third. With a runner on third, he charged in to scoop up a grounder, then threw a bullet to Bryce at the plate to get the sliding runner.
• Three batters later, this time with runners on first and second, the Bulldogs made the unwise decision to test JT with a bunt. He sprinted it in and fired a rocket to Ashton at first to get the third out.
• Gavin went in the hole to field a tough grounder in the fifth, then made the long throw to first with Drew making the stretch to get the third out of the inning.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bulldogs	2	0	1	0	1	X	4	7
Canes	2	1	5	1	3	X	12	14

Battle for the Bats semifinals: Canes 12, Dirtbags 4

The Canes met the Dirtbags for the second straight day at The Tart in Dunn, this time coming away with a 12-4 win in a game shortened to five innings. Three different Canes pitchers combined on the mound, and the offense banged out another 14 hits, making it 37 hits in three games. Five of those hits in Sunday's first game went for extra bases, including four triples. 

The win moved the Canes into the Battle for the Bats championship game against the winner of the Kernersville Bulldogs-Durham Indians matchup that apparently was played in the Central time zone or something. Here's what you're missing during the scintillating between-games waiting period:

That's right, a water bottle-flip tournament. The fun never stops.

Semifinal Canes scoring plays

First inning

Drew singled home Jake, who had singled, and stole second. He went to third on an error by the catcher and scored on a wild pitch. Ashton walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Andrew's triple.

Score after one inning: Canes 3, Dirtbags 0

Second inning

Asher singled and scored on Bryce's triple. Jake walked and stole second. Drew singled home a pair.

Score after two innings: Canes 6, Dirtbags 1

Third inning
Ben lined a one-out double, then scored on a pair of wild pitches.
Score after three innings: Canes 7, Dirtbags 2

Fifth inning
Drew and Chace hit back-to-back skillets (see below) that went for three bases apiece. Chace scored on a wild pitch. Brady reached on a shot through the left side. Andrew also went through the left side. Ben singled home a pair. Jake went walkoff by beating out an infield single.
Score after four innings: Canes 12, Dirtbags 4

Pitching Performances

Andrew went three strong innings to start, allowing zero walks.

Colin tossed an inning of relief against the meat of the order.

JT went 1-2-3 in the fifth.

Dugout wisdom
This is the rarest form of wisdom--umpire wisdom. After Drew cracked a single and then took second on the throw in the second, Coach Kevin went out to retrieve Drew's various body armor. After Drew took off about six pieces of equipment, Coach Kevin jokingly asked, "Got anything else I can take for you?"

The base umpire happened to be standing there. "Hey, man," he said to Drew. "Don't let him mess with you. You're hitting skillets."

Semifinal Web Gems

• JT hosed out a runner trying to steal second base in the third, with Chace slapping down the tag.
• Not exactly sure how, other than I think maybe another infielder put the runner in a sleeper hold, but the Canes picked up a double play on a pop fly to Brady at first base. Jake covered first to receive the throw.
• While pitching, JT stayed with a hard grounder that hopped high off the mound, chased it down, and threw to Brady at first for the out.

Semifinal line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Dirtbags	0	1	1	2	0	X	4	6
Canes	3	3	1	0	5	X	12	14

Battle for the Bats Game 2: Canes 10, Carolina Quick Strike 0

I would like to point out that someone told me a lie. After game one, I asked if I had time to go to Sunni Sky's between games. I was told by unnamed sources that I did not. As it turned out, since the game between our games lasted approximately six hours, I could've had a picnic at Sunni Sky's. Not that I am bitter.

Oh yeah, the baseball game. The Canes won, 10-0, in the rare battle with the Carolina Quick Strike that was not a nail-biter. Three Evoshield pitchers combined on the shutout, and the offense finished up a 23-hit day (in nine innings) with a solid performance. The game was shortened to four innings by the run rule and by the fact that even one single additional minute of baseball would have been excruciating.

The games took place at the Clarence Lee Tart Park, or as Dunn locals know it, "The Tart." Check out this shot of The Tart's home squad, the Dixie Darlings, plus an honorary Dixie Darling:

Although games are still ongoing, it seems fairly apparent the Canes will play Sunday at 2:45. Opponents and brackets will be determined later this evening.

Game 2 Canes scoring plays

First inning

Jake walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Gavin walked. Drew walked to load the bases. Chace hit an RBI single. Gavin scored on a wild pitch.

Score after one inning: Canes 2, Quick Strike 0

Second inning

Brady singled. JT was hit by a pitch. Asher turned on an RBI single. Bryce knocked an RBI single.

Score after two innings: Canes 4, Quick Strike 0

Third inning
Chace reached on a shot through the right side, then stole second. A wild pitch put him on third. He scored on Eli's single, and Eli took second when the ball went through the left fielder. Colin's fielder's choice advanced Elias, who scored on JT's double. Asher singled home JT.
Score after three innings: Canes 7, Quick Strike 0

Fourth inning
Ben was hit by a pitch and stole second. Drew singled and stole second. Chace singled home Ben. Elias singled home Drew. Andrew ended it with an RBI single.
Score after four innings: Canes 10, Quick Strike 0

Pitching Performances

Ashton started and fired two shutout innings.

Drew and Gavin each tossed a shutout inning of relief.

Dugout wisdom
This wisdom actually comes from the Quick Strike dugout. According to a highly placed source, at one point, as the Quick Strike watched the Canes warm up, one of their players said, "Man, these guys are good."

"Yeah," said another player. "They remind me of Big Blue."

"Who's that?" the first player asked.

"We used to play them when we were like 10," came the reply. "They were really good."

Yeah, I think I've heard of them before. Those were some good-looking guys.

Game 2 Web Gems

• With a runner on third, great hustle by JT to retrieve a wild pitch before the runner could dash home. JT then chased the runner back and threw to Ben to get the out.
• Drew made a nice jumping play on a high hopper that almost got over the mound in the third.

Game 2 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Quick Strike	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	3
Canes	2	2	3	3	X	X	10	11

Battle for the Bats Game 1: Canes 16, Dirtbags 3

The Canes opened play in the Battle of the Bats in a tournament hosted in beautiful Middle Creek Angier Dunn. Luckily for the other team, this was the Battle for the Bats and not the Battle for the Batter's Box, because it was tiny and Ashton would've won easily.

Solid pitching (two pitchers, zero walks) and a dozen-hit offense eventually powered the Canes to a 16-3 win in a game shortened to five innings. The main drama concerned whether the bases would stay in the ground. With some help, they did (pay no attention to the trouble-maker photo bombing the shot):

The Canes had a break between pool play games, giving them two full hours to enjoy all that Dunn had to offer. Or five minutes to enjoy all that Dunn had to offer and an hour and 55 minutes to kill, depending on how you look at it.

Game 1 Canes scoring plays

First inning

Jake walked and then stole second. Drew singled, and then Jake raced home on a wild pitch. Drew stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Chace doubled home Drew. Chace stole third. Andrew smacked a two-out RBI single and stole second. Ben doubled home Andrew.

Score after one-half inning: Canes 4, Dirtbags 0

Second inning

Bryce singled and stole second. Jake singled and took second on the throw. Gavin singled home Bryce and took second on the throw. Drew tripled home a pair. Drew hustled and tagged up on Chace's sac fly to second base. Ashton was hit by a pitch and stole second, then went to third on a balk. Andrew singled home Ashton. Andrew stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Ben's sacrifice fly. 

Score after one and a half innings: Canes 10, Dirtbags 2

Fifth inning
Ashton reached on a hard-hit shot to the right side. Asher singled. Ben walked to load the bases. Colin singled in a pair and took second on the throw. Elias powered a two-run single and took second on the throw. Wild pitches moved him to third and then scored him. Bryce walked and took second on a wild pitch. He moved up on Jake's fielder's choice, then scored on Gavin's fielder's choice.
Score after four and a half innings: Canes 16, Dirtbags 3

Pitching Performances

Bryce started and threw two strong innings, including retiring the final four batters he faced in order.

Asher entered with three solid innings of relief, at one point sitting down six in a row.

Dugout wisdom
Keeping the time limit is a constant source of difficulty. An unnamed person (OK, it was the umpire), said this in the third inning: "Let's see, we started at 8:30, and the time limit is an hour and 45 minutes. That means the game is over at 10:05." Uh...

Hearing is not a Canes strong suit. At one point, JT looked at the other field and said, "Those umpires have sweet camo shirts."

With a perplexed look, Andrew said, "The umpires have cameras in their shirts?"

And then, just to finish it off, Jake asked, "The umpires have camels in their shirts?"

Game 1 Web Gems

• With a runner on first in the third, JT gobbled up a grounder to third, fired to Colin at second, who then made the turn to Brady for the inning-ending double play.
• Elias made a smooth running catch in left field in the fourth.

Game 1 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Canes	4	6	0	0	6	X	16	12
Dirtbags	2	0	1	0	0	X	3	6