The Canes completed a bracket play blitzkrieg by winning the Top Gun Summer World Series title with a 14-2 win over the Rivercats. The game lasted just four innings due to the run rule.
The Rivercats had earned the top seed in bracket play with a terrific performance in pool play, and were coming off a pair of impressive victories in bracket competition in which they outscored two opponents 11-0. But the Canes offense broke out with an eight-run second inning and eventually pounded out 15 hits.
Fairly amazingly, the Canes are now the current title holders of what are likely the four biggest tournaments in the state of North Carolina for this age group: Beast of the East fall and spring, Top Gun Summer World Series, and Top Gun Winter World Series.
The Canes went 7-0 in the tournament and outscored opponents 69-26. In bracket play, the cumulative score was an even more dominating 31-6. That's indicative of great pitching and offense, but don't forget about the defense--there was just one error in bracket games and the Canes have made just one error in the last 23 defensive innings. All in all, it was a very fun way to spend Father's Day:
Championship Canes scoring plays
First inning
Chace and Drew singled. Wes hit an RBI single.
Score after one-half inning: Canes 1, Rivercats 0
Second inning
Bennett singled. Andrew and Jake walked. Gavin went the other way for an RBI single. Chace drove home two with a single. Drew singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Wes doubled home two. Macon blasted an RBI triple and then scored on a wild pitch.
Score after one and a half innings: Canes 9, Rivercats 0
Third inning
Chace doubled and stole third. Drew walked and stole second. Macon hit a two-run single and scored on Bennett's double.
Score after two and a half innings: Canes 12, Rivercats 2
Fourth inning
Jake singled. Gavin walked. Drew dropped in a two-run single.
Score after three and a half innings: Canes 14, Rivercats 2
Chace and Drew singled. Wes hit an RBI single.
Score after one-half inning: Canes 1, Rivercats 0
Second inning
Bennett singled. Andrew and Jake walked. Gavin went the other way for an RBI single. Chace drove home two with a single. Drew singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Wes doubled home two. Macon blasted an RBI triple and then scored on a wild pitch.
Score after one and a half innings: Canes 9, Rivercats 0
Third inning
Chace doubled and stole third. Drew walked and stole second. Macon hit a two-run single and scored on Bennett's double.
Score after two and a half innings: Canes 12, Rivercats 2
Fourth inning
Jake singled. Gavin walked. Drew dropped in a two-run single.
Score after three and a half innings: Canes 14, Rivercats 2
Pitching Performances
Bennett didn't allow a run to the top of the order in the first.
Drew entered in the second and mowed through the final three innings.
Dugout Wisdom
The Rivercats had the bases loaded in the second, and the runner on third was drifting down the line with each pitch. Eventually, Macon caught the pitch and whipped a pickoff throw to third, with Wes slapping on the tag. Here's Wes' recap of the play: "I could tell that runner was pissing off Macon, so I knew what was coming."
Drew went to warm up in the bullpen in the middle innings, with Coach Kevin I handling the catching duties. Drew returned alone to the dugout and announced, "I think I might have hit Coach Kevin on the shin." A couple minutes later, Coach Kevin hobbled in, with his shin already swollen where it MIGHT have been hit.
Drew entered in the second and mowed through the final three innings.
Dugout Wisdom
The Rivercats had the bases loaded in the second, and the runner on third was drifting down the line with each pitch. Eventually, Macon caught the pitch and whipped a pickoff throw to third, with Wes slapping on the tag. Here's Wes' recap of the play: "I could tell that runner was pissing off Macon, so I knew what was coming."
Drew went to warm up in the bullpen in the middle innings, with Coach Kevin I handling the catching duties. Drew returned alone to the dugout and announced, "I think I might have hit Coach Kevin on the shin." A couple minutes later, Coach Kevin hobbled in, with his shin already swollen where it MIGHT have been hit.
Championship Web Gems
- With two outs in the first, Bennett knocked down a hard line drive back through the middle, then threw to first to retire the side.
- With the bases loaded, Eli charged in on a would-be hit to center and fired to second to get the force out.
- After the runner danced off third a few too many times in the second, Macon gunned him out, with Wes applying the tag.
Championship line score
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
R
|
H
|
Canes
|
1
|
8
|
3
|
2
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
14
|
15
|
Rivercats
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
2
|
4
|
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