The Canes opened play in the Perfect Game Super25 12U national championship in Fort Myers with a come-from-behind 6-5 win over Line Drive Pro, a team from the Orlando area.
Because of the strict PG pitching rules, the game didn't have much of a rhythm, although the teams did manage to squeeze in six innings before the time limit. Evoshield limited LDP to just three hits, but still trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the sixth (good job on the coin flip, Coach Sean).
It took just three hitters to plate the three runs needed to win the game, as Gavin, Drew and Chace combined to walk it off, with Chace providing the final blow with a game-winning two-run homer.
After two sweltering hours, then it was time for the ride back to the hotel, which is often as entertaining as the game. This is how the Canes disembark the team bus. You should be aware that the song on the soundtrack was actually requested by a player and is one of the most popular songs on the team playlist.
By the way, through some sort of Chaplin wizardry, if you want to go back and watch video of the game, it's available here.
Game 1 Canes scoring plays
Third inning
Jake walked and Gavin clubbed a two-run home run. Drew doubled and scored on Chace's double.
Score after three innings: Canes 3, LDP 0
Sixth inning
Gavin tripled and scored on Drew's single. Chace ended it with a two-run walk-off homer.
Score after six innings: Canes 6, LDP 5
Score after three innings: Canes 3, LDP 0
Sixth inning
Gavin tripled and scored on Drew's single. Chace ended it with a two-run walk-off homer.
Score after six innings: Canes 6, LDP 5
Pitching Performances
Perfect Game pitching rules mean a variety of pitchers toed the rubber. Drew started and struck out four of the eight outs he recorded.
Mason got out of the third and worked into the fourth.
Chace pitched out of a big jam in the fourth.
Colin finished it up by retiring four of the five batters he faced.
Dugout wisdom
After the walk-off win, and after LDP had burned two pitchers for pool play, players were packing their bags when Jake announced, "We killed their pitching and their dreams."
A lot of things happen in the team van that probably shouldn't ever be discussed again. We're going to leave the names out of this story, but on the way back from the field after the game, a certain player exclaimed from the back, "Whoa, look at that van!" The driver and shotgun were completely oblivious, but several others began encouraging the van to catch a red van. So that's what happened, only to pull up beside it and see this (note composition of photo with Canes logo in foreground):
As Coach Kevin said, "They're not eight anymore."
Mason got out of the third and worked into the fourth.
Chace pitched out of a big jam in the fourth.
Colin finished it up by retiring four of the five batters he faced.
Dugout wisdom
After the walk-off win, and after LDP had burned two pitchers for pool play, players were packing their bags when Jake announced, "We killed their pitching and their dreams."
A lot of things happen in the team van that probably shouldn't ever be discussed again. We're going to leave the names out of this story, but on the way back from the field after the game, a certain player exclaimed from the back, "Whoa, look at that van!" The driver and shotgun were completely oblivious, but several others began encouraging the van to catch a red van. So that's what happened, only to pull up beside it and see this (note composition of photo with Canes logo in foreground):
As Coach Kevin said, "They're not eight anymore."
Game 1 Web Gems
- Canes pitchers struck out nine, so not a lot of opportunities for web gems, but Drew and Gavin did team up for a pickoff for the first out of the game.
Game 1 line score
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
R
|
H
|
Line Drive Pro
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
3
|
Canes
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
6
|
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