Beast of the East Championship: Canes-Gallaher 23, Canes-Haire 15

Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes the championship game of the Beast of the East tournament. After making the drive to Independence High, which was constructed in Alaska by Amish farmers in 1883, Canes-Gallaher met Canes-Haire for the title. This is an actual photo of the outfield wall at the facility that hosted the championship game:

Needless to say, it was not a domed facility. That meant players, coaches and fans had to do the best they could to stay warm. Some chose to snuggle with a heater provided by the Mathis family, who undoubtedly receives the player of the game award.

The game somehow lived up to its somewhat weird surroundings. The two teams combined to score 38 runs and issue 21 walks in five innings. There were a couple of hit by pitches, a balk, and some truly impressive velocity on the HitTrax machine. Canes-Haire seized an early 7-0 lead in the top of the first, but as they'd done all weekend, Canes-Gallaher came back right away, this time posting eight runs to retake the lead. They did it again in the third after falling behind 11-10, immediately coming back to take a 13-11 lead. Then, after a scoreless top of the fourth (the only scoreless half inning in the game), the Canes put it away with a nine-run bottom of the fourth.

For the tournament, opponents tied the score or took the lead in the top of seven different innings. Canes-Gallaher responded by retaking the lead immediately in the bottom half of every single one of those innings, scoring a combined 33 runs in the bottom of the inning in which they had been tied or fallen behind in the top of the frame. That means the Canes never trailed at the completion of any inning in the Beast of the East tournament.

This one eventually ended with a 23-15 victory thanks to the run rule in the bottom of the fifth. Every available player reached base at least once, and every starter scored at least one run. That enabled Canes-Gallaher to outslug a Canes-Haire team that had been dominant in bracket play and had scored 47 runs in the three games leading up to the title matchup. 

Maybe this should've been dugout wisdom, but it seems like it belongs here better. This happened on the spur of the moment during the semifinal Iron Horse game. You can't say the dugout was too tense. They might be really talented baseball players, but they're also great...very good...uh, they're also dancers.

That video probably made you happy. But did it make you as happy as this guy?

There is no practice Tuesday. 

Championship Canes scoring plays

First inning
Elias singled and went to third on an error. Drew singled him home. Chace walked. Bennett singled. Macon drew an RBI walk. Ty and Colin also drew RBI walks. Bryce was hit by a pitch, scoring Macon. Ty scored on a balk. Elias singled home a pair of runs.
Score after one inning: Canes-Gallaher 8, Canes-Haire 7

Second inning
Drew singled and went to second on a passed ball before scoring on Bennett's single. Macon singled, and then Bennett scored on a double steal.
Score after two innings: Canes-Gallaher 10, Canes-Haire 8

Third inning
Bryce singled. Gavin worked a one-out walk. With two outs, Chace doubled home two, then scored on Bennett's single.
Score after three innings: Canes-Gallaher 13, Canes-Haire 11

Fourth inning
Ty walked. Andrew moved him over with a bunt and beat the play at first. Colin singled home Ty. Andrew scored on a double steal. Bryce walked. Elias hit an RBI single. Gavin walked. Drew reached on an error. Chace doubled home two more. Macon singled home two and took second on the throw. Asher dropped down a bunt and Macon raced all the way around to score.
Score after four innings: Canes-Gallaher 22, Canes-Haire 11

Fifth inning
Gavin walked, stole second and scored on Drew's walk-off single.
Score after five innings: Canes-Gallaher 23, Canes-Haire 15

Pitching Performances

It seemed like virtually everyone pitched. It was Colin who came through with the standout relief performance, tossing three and two thirds innings of good work before giving way to Bryce to finish it up.

Dugout wisdom
During one of the many between-inning meetings, Coach Kevin I told the players to take three seconds and soak in that it was Sunday night and they were getting to play in the championship game of a big tournament. This was immediately followed by Drew closing his eyes and counting out loud, "One Mississippi, two Mississippi..."

In the fourth inning, with the Canes needing just one run to end the game on the run rule, Macon was standing beside me while taking off his shin guards. This surprised me, since he had on his shin guards for virtually the entire day. "It's mathematically impossible for you to hit again," I told him. "You don't need to take those off."

"I know," he said. "I'm taking these off so I can run on the field faster when we win."

Now that's good planning.

Championship Web Gems

• For the second time on Sunday, the Canes cut down a runner at the plate. This time it happened in the second, as Andrew came up firing on a single to right, threw to Drew, who relayed it to Macon to nail the potential go-ahead run.
• As you might have guessed by the score, there wasn't a whole lot of defense being played. But special note should be made of Macon, who caught all four games in an over 12-hour day.

Championship line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Canes-Haire	7	1	3	0	4	X	15	8
Canes-Gallaher	8	2	3	9	1	X	23	18