14U D1 Super NIT Game 4: Canes 9, TPA-Mitchell 2

The Canes finished out a terrific Sunday in Knightdale with a 9-2 win over TPA-Mitchell 14U. The victory was the second straight complete performance, with standout performances on the mound, at the plate, on the bases and in the field.

With a few games remaining to be played, the outcome of the tournament isn't yet known. What is known is that the 13U Canes went 3-1 against D1 14U competition, doubling up those four opponents by a 36-18 margin. The offense scored in 15 of its 20 innings. Every player on the roster reached base at least once. Six different players pitched, and those pitchers limited 14U opponents to a .188 batting average. 

On Sunday, in the first time this group has ever played back-to-back seven-inning games, they outscored two 14U opponents 15-6 while walking just three and striking out 16. The defense committed just one error in those 14 innings.

Game 4 Canes scoring plays

First inning
Jake singled. Gavin walked. Drew roped an RBI double. Chace scored a pair with a single.
Score after one-half inning: Canes 3, TPA-Mitchell 14U 0

Third inning

Gavin walked and scored on Chace's triple.
Score after two and a half innings: Canes 4, TPA-Mitchell 0

Fourth inning
Macon led off with a single and took second on an error. He went to third on Andrew's fielder's choice and scored on Bryce's RBI.
Score after three and a half innings: Canes 5, TPA-Mitchell 0

Fifth inning
Gavin singled and went to second on Drew's fielder's choice. Chace singled him home.
Score after four and a half innings: Canes 6, TPA-Mitchell 0

Seventh inning
Asher reached on a ten-footer, then went to second on a wild pitch. He trucked all the way around on Drew's grounder to third, and Drew was safe and hustled to second while the defense was worried about Asher at home. Chace hit a one-legged RBI single and went to second on a wild pitch. Bennett's RBI single scored him.
Score after six and a half innings: Canes 9, TPA-Mitchell 2

Pitching Performances

Chace carried over his strong performance from the first game, tossing four shutout innings and allowing just two hits and one walk.

Bennett finished it with three good relief innings, including retiring the last four hitters in a row.

Dugout wisdom
Ask Coach Kevin I about Chace's feet. That's all I'm willing to say in public about that.

You've probably heard players in the dugout cheering for their teammates by number, as in, "Let's go 26," or, "Come on, 8!" But sometimes they get creative, which is why you might have heard Asher shouting for Jake with, "Come on, 39 minus 13!" and then rooting for Ty with, "Let's go, 100 minus 87!" It's bad when you have to use scratch paper to figure out who they're cheering for.

Game 4 Web Gems

• With a runner on first, Bryce charged in on a blooper to right. He fired to Gavin at second to get the force, with Gavin making the nice scoop to make sure of the out.
• Gavin made a tremendous and athletic play to barehand a slow roller to short, then made the throw across his body to end the inning.
• Chace knocked down a hard-hit ball ticketed for the middle, then recovered to throw to first for the out.
• Asher made a couple nice running plays in left field.
• Elias turned in a MadSports "diving" catch in center.
• Drew charged a slow grounder to third and then threw a rocket across the diamond for the out in the sixth.

Game 4 line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R
Canes	3	0	1	1	1	0	3	9
TPA-Mitchell 14U	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2