Regionals Game 1: WR 9U Blue 8, Porter Ridge 3

The first day of regionals dawned in the breakfast room at the team hotel. When Chace was questioned about this particular ensemble, he responded, "It's a party hat. Duh." Well, duh.

Coach Bruce has many jobs, one of which is organizing the equipment truck. Yes, West Raleigh is the rare 9U baseball team that travels with a prison team bus and an equipment van:

Game faces (some more intimidating than others) in the team bus:

There were really two parts to game one, in which the opponent was western North Carolina runner-up Porter Ridge (the same team that won the western state title when this team was 7U). There were the first five innings, when West Raleigh built a respectable 4-3 lead on the back of single runs in four separate frames.

Then there was a monsoon, which prompted all kinds of rain delay shenanigans.

And then there was the sixth inning, which resumed almost six hours after the original start time of the game, which featured a four-run explosion on three hits and provided some cushion for 9U Blue to close out an 8-3 victory.

It wasn't an especially dominating performance, but it was a victory, which was essential to being in good position in pool play, with only the top two teams advancing to the eight-team championship bracket. The key might have been a couple big defensive plays in the early innings, as Porter Ridge pounded out six hits in the second and third innings, but never picked up the big backbreaking hit and was able to turn that offense into only two runs.

With the weather having juggled the schedule, there was only a relatively short break before the second game of pool play was due up at 5 p.m.

Game 1 Blue scoring plays

First inning

Bryce singled. With one out, Gavin clobbered a shot deep to the outfield that scored him.

Score after one-half inning: WR 9U Blue 1, Porter Ridge 0

Third inning
With one out, Asher battled back from 0-2 and put together a 10-pitch at-bat that ended in a walk. He moved to second on a passed ball, went to third on Bryce's grounder, and scored on a wild pitch.
Score after two and a half innings: WR 9U Blue 2, Porter Ridge 1

Fourth inning
Gavin ripped a leadoff single and scored on Brady's one-out double.
Score after three and a half innings: WR 9U Blue 3, Porter Ridge 2

Fifth inning
With one out, Elias singled and stole second. Asher crushed a deep fly to the right field corner that was caught, but Eli's hustle enabled him to sprint all the way around to score from second on the play, capping it with a perfect slide to give West Raleigh back the lead.
Score after four and a half innings: WR 9U Blue 4, Porter Ridge 3

Sixth inning
Gavin led off with a single and moved to second and third on wild pitches. Brady drew a one-out walk, as did Jake. Banks drove a two-run single through the infield. With two outs, Andrew singled, loading the bases for Asher, who unselfishly decided to get hit by the pitch to drive in a run. Bryce picked up a bases loaded walk to plate another run.
Score after five and a half innings: WR 9U Blue 8, Porter Ridge 3

Pitching Performances
Banks threw three impressive innings to start the game.

Joey needed just 15 pitches in the fourth.

Chace closed it out with two shutout innings.

Game 1 Web Gems

• With a runner on third and one out in the first, Banks made a nice play to field a chopper to the mound, hold the runner at third, and then fire to first for the out.
• With a runner on second and two outs in the second, the Porter Ridge hitter laced a single to center. Elias came up throwing, hit Banks as the cut, who then turned and fired to Asher at the plate, who held on despite an interesting shoulder-first "slide" for the final out of the inning.
• Big play leading off the fifth, as JT ranged to his left to get a glove on a ball that looked ticketed for left field, deflected it to Gavin, who then made a strong throw to first to get the out.

Wednesday line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
WR 9U Blue	1	0	1	1	1	4	8	8
Porter Ridge	0	1	1	1	0	0	3	8