Tournament game 4: Bees 10, Mudcats 7

An incredibly fun season came to an end Thursday night at Nowell Field, as the Bees scored eight runs in the first two innings and held off the Mudcats in the late innings for a 10-7 win. The win advances the Bees to the championship round against the Riverdogs.

The first three innings were fairly uncharacteristic, as the 'Cats picked up just three hits the first time through the order and had some lapses in the field. But trailing 8-0 after three, Coach Sean challenged them to give a quality effort over the final three innings and see what happens. The defense responded by allowing just four hitters to come to the plate in the fourth, and then the offense chipped away at the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the inning. That set the stage for a furious sixth-inning rally, as the All Blacks eventually brought the tying run to the plate, prompting even the Bees head coach, who was very gracious in victory, to tell the 'Cats after the game, "I was trying to tell my team I wasn't worried, but I was worried!"

Several team events remain, including Tuesday's closing ceremonies at 7 p.m. and Wednesday's final team party. In the meantime, tonight marked the final game in the Minor League for the eight-year-olds. They are:

Christopher: As Coach Sean said after Thursday's game, Christopher was always one of the loudest Mudcats in the dugout. Even a midseason wrist injury couldn't slow down his enthusiasm for baseball, and he continued to be a vital part of the team--even when he didn't have to be.

Noah: A two-season Mudcat, Noah showed rapid improvement over his two seasons in the all black uniforms. His bat turned into a weapon in the middle of the order, and he picked up some key hits in the second half of the season. He earned a spot at catcher and usually filled that role in the first two innings, where he was stellar behind the plate.

Donovan: Moved to leadoff midway through the season, his ferocious bat speed and tremendous footspeed on the bases were the primary catalysts for the Mudcat offense. In his first year with the Mudcats, he was among the team leaders in runs scored, hits, and doubles.

Charley: A three-year Mudcat, Charley settled in at third base this season and was very consistent on defense. His experience in the league was invaluable to the younger players--no matter what happened, Charley could always explain the play or provide some insight into what was happening. Charley led the team in RBI and hits this season.

Bryce: In his first year with the Mudcats, Bryce solidified the first base position and made himself into one of the best players in the league at that position. He caught fire offensively over the last month, and reached base in seven of his last nine trips to the plate. He was consistently one of the most vocal Mudcats in the field and always a supportive teammate.

Brady: Originally, I was convinced that Brady was part of Coach Mike's master plan to turn Asher into an NC State fan. It turned out, thought, that Brady was a natural on the diamond. His line drive stroke was essential to the top half of the All Blacks order, and he developed into a solid second baseman with tremendous range. In 18 games of standing in the dugout, I never heard him say one negative word to a teammate.

Gabe: It is hard to imagine the Mudcats without Gabe on the team. Not just because I'm not sure who will keep the field in pristine condition, but because he was always the most eager to be part of everything that was going on at the field. Play pickle? Gabe is there. Play wall ball? Yep. Buying drinks for the whole team? Sure. It sums him up that when the Bees needed to borrow a chest protector during Thursday's game, it was Gabe who wanted to be the one to hand-deliver it to them each inning, and to recover it from them after three outs. He also was one of the 'Cats most consistent hitters all season, finishing among the team leaders in batting average and hits.

We also lose three coaches after this season. They are:

Coach Andy: In his one and only season with the Mudcats, Coach Andy had a Dimaggio-esque record of always being the first person at the field. By the final month of the season, Asher would always scour the parking lot to see if, by chance, we beat Coach Andy and Bryce to the field. It never happened. In addition to his tireless work at practices, before games, and occasionally in the third-base coaching box, Coach Andy was also one of the centerpieces of the rowdy fans down the first base line, where they could safely talk about important issues such as why the coaches kept messing up all the time.

Coach Tom: I think Coach Tom would take this as the highest possible compliment, which is exactly how it is meant--on most nights, I think he may have had more fun at the baseball field than anyone over the age of eight. Good for a positive word for anyone who was feeling a little down, Coach Tom at one time or another called everyone on the roster, "My favorite Mudcat." A little-known fact about Coach Tom: he has a greater collection of baseball tools and toys than anyone in America. No matter what hitting problem you are having, Coach Tom probably has a gadget that can help solve the problem--and he'll likely be even more excited than you are when that work translates to the field in the next game.

Coach Mike: Asher was drafted onto the Mudcats in the fall of 2010. When GM Jenn was telling me about the coaching staff, she said, "One of our coaches is a huge State fan." We live in Chapel Hill, where they have not invented State fans yet, but I grew up in Cary, so I thought I remembered something about State fans. The very first day I met Coach Mike, he said, "Did Marvin Austin give you those blue shorts as a gift?" I was wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. What he taught both Asher and me is that it is possible to hate everything about Carolina (except Woody Durham) and still be a great guy. I secretly think Coach Mike has a little Carolina in him, and I think he secretly thinks I have a little State in me. Maybe that is true on both sides. I just know I feel very lucky that no matter who he cheers for in his spare time, that he coached Asher and all the rest of the Mudcats for two years.

One of Coach Mike's greatest achievements is that he somehow persuaded Team Photographer Tonya to put up with him. We probably take it for granted that after every game, there are going to be terrific photos on the blog. Just so you know, that's not the case for any other team. She somehow managed to juggle taking care of a big kid--not Gabe or Luke, but Coach Mike--with also being at the West Raleigh field virtually every night to watch Gabe and Luke, all while taking great pictures.

Now that the season is over, it's probably OK to reveal some Mudcat secrets. For example, remember those high-level strategy talks held by the 'Cats in the corner of the outfield before each game? You probably thought that was about making defensive plays and getting good swings, right? Well, not exactly. This is how I'm going to remember the 2012 Mudcats, although some of the questionable dancing by a certain #10 makes me question what his mother has been teaching him.


Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fourth inning
The offense awoke in the fourth, as Donovan ignited the rally with a one-out single. After a fielder's choice, the 'Cats put three two-out runs on the board, capped with an RBI single from Brady that scored Bryce.
Score after four innings: Bees 8, Mudcats 3


Sixth inning
With the dugout gaining confidence with every hitter, the Mudcats threw a major scare into the Bees with a sixth-inning rally. Ben started it off with a leadoff single, the second of his two hits on the night. With one out, Channing drove in Ben with a single. Donovan ripped a single to left, then moved to second on Charley's single. With the bases loaded, Bryce picked up two RBI with a hard-hit single to left. Brady completed the scoring with a hard-to-handle drive to the shortstop.
Final score: Bees 10, Mudcats 7

Thursday's Web Gems

• Donovan made a leaping catch in left-center to rub a Bee of extra bases in the second inning.
• Will made a terrific snag of a fly ball in right-center to help the 'Cats hold the Bees scoreless in the third and keep the game within range.
• Noah made a tough play look easy leading off the fifth, snagging a fly ball down the line.
• On the very next hitter, Bryce made a diving stop of a hard line drive that looked headed down the first base line for a double. 

Thursday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bees	4	4	0	0	2	0	10	17
Mudcats	0	0	0	3	0	4	7	12

It's the Bees

The Bees defeated the Lookouts, 10-2, on Tuesday night. That means the Bees advance to face the Mudcats on Wednesday at 5:30. Pregame begins at 4:30. The winner advances to the championship round against the Riverdogs.

Tournament game 3: Riverdogs 11, Mudcats 1

The Mudcats suffered their first loss of the postseason Monday, falling 11-1 to the Riverdogs.

The 'Cats stayed close through two innings, as some solid defense limited the 'Dogs to just three runs in the first two innings. But the Riverdog defense was also making virtually every play--in fact, they played an errorless game, a major factor in holding the Mudcats to just six hits and one run. The big inning was the third, when the Riverdogs smacked a pair of home runs (they finished with three in the game) and plated six runs.

Coach Sean emphasized focus and effort to the team after the game. "Every time you leave the field, I want everyone to feel like they gave their best effort," he told them.

The loss means the next game is Wednesday night at 5:30 against the winner of Tuesday night's Lookouts-Bees game. Pregame on Wednesday begins at 4:30.

As a reminder, the postseason bracket is available here.

Monday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fourth inning
Even on a day when the 'Cats got just one run, it--as usual--came with two outs. With two down, Donovan, Gavin and Brady strung together three straight singles to put the All Blacks on the board. Of the Mudcats' 23 runs in the postseason, 13 have come with two outs.
Score after three and a half innings: Riverdogs 9, Mudcats 1

Monday's Web Gems

• While straddling the foul line, Colin made a nifty catch of a line drive in left field in the first inning and foreshadowed a day that saw Coach Sean describe him as "being all over the place." He also spent time at pitcher, where he helped combine to make six of the game's 15 outs from the pitcher position.
• Brenner cleanly picked up a one-hop rocket to right-center in the fifth and immediately fired it into second, holding the Riverdog leadoff man to a single.
• Charley made a pair of catches of hard line drives in left-center in the fifth, short-circuiting what would have been a very big Riverdog inning.

Monday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	6
Riverdogs	1	2	6	0	2	X	11	15

Tournament game 2: Mudcats 18, Lookouts 9

The Mudcats broke out the most potent offense of the season, smashing a season-high 23 hits and getting at least one hit from every player in the batting order on the way to an 18-9 win over the Lookouts. The victory keeps the All Blacks in the winner's bracket and advances them to a game against the Riverdogs on Monday at 5:30.

The day got off to an inauspicious beginning when Coach Sean took a ball off the spine in pregame BP, then took another one off the skull. You may notice him with some new equipment on Monday. Not surprisingly, he played through it, and may have pitched one of his best games. Do we have any volunteers to hit the ball off him on Monday?

The 'Cats showed some immediate resiliency when the Lookouts scored four quick runs in the top of the first. Undeterred, the Mudcats answered with four of their own, highlighted by Gavin's opposite field two-run home run. That was just the start of a hailstorm of offense, with runs in four of the five offensive innings. And, as Coach Mike pointed out after the game, the hits came from up and down the order. The top half of the order scored nine runs, and the bottom half of the order added an additional nine. Three of the four scoring frames were ignited by a leadoff hitter in the bottom half of the order.

Astute observers may have noticed a suspicious looking man attempting to make a covert cell phone call in the outfield in the late innings. The reason became clear as soon as the two teams shook hands, as Gabe shouted, "See Coach Mike for your Cook-Out milkshake!" That's right, Coach Mike was making good on his previous promise, and the 'Cats were the envy of every team in West Raleigh when a box full of milkshakes were delivered.

Coach Sean has been so busy awarding himself stickers for toughness that he is now totally out of them, so none were handed out on Saturday. However, he promised to try and replenish his supply before Monday night. Pregame for the Riverdogs game starts at 4:30.

As a reminder, the postseason bracket is available here.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Donovan led off by smoking a double, and then Gavin--on his way to a 3-for-3, 3 RBI day--crushed an opposite-field two-run home run. Brady and Charley followed with back-to-back singles. Bryce doubled in Brady, and then Gabe's fielder's choice scored Charley and tied the score.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 4, Lookouts 4


Second inning
Brenner got it started with a one-out single, then moved to second on Will's single. A fielder's choice from Channing put two runners in scoring position for Donovan, who promptly scored both of them with a single up the middle. Gavin's single to left scored Donovan.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 7, Lookouts 4


Fourth inning
Only the 10-run rule stopped the 'Cats from fully batting around. Colin picked up the first of his two hits with a hard-hit single to center. Noah drove in Colin with a double to left. Ben's tough to handle grounder put runners on the corners, and then Brenner picked up an RBI with a fielder's choice. Will singled, putting runners at the corners again, and Channing singled in Ben. With two down, Gavin singled, and then Brady roped a two-run single back up the middle. Charley, Bryce and Gabe strung together three straight RBI singles to activate the 10-run rule. Five of the eight runs in the frame crossed the plate with two outs.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 15, Lookouts 5

Fifth inning
Asher reached on an error, then scored on Colin's line drive to right-center. Noah cracked another hard hit ball to center, and then Brenner and Will picked up RBI singles to complete the Mudcat scoring.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 18, Lookouts 5

Saturday's Web Gems

• Donovan decided to defer his traditional first-inning catch in the outfield to the second inning, racing in to make a grab after the leadoff Lookout had reached in the second.
• Two batters later, with runners on first and second, Charley scooped up a ground ball at third, stepped on third to get the force, and threw to Brady at second to convert the inning-ending double play.
• A huge momentum-building play ended the third. With one run already in, former Mudcat Ben Penchuk picked up the third of his three hits on the day on a bullet to shortstop. Gavin knocked it down and threw to first too late to get the speedy runner. The Lookouts tried to score their runner from third, and Bryce alertly came up firing from first base. Ben threw off his catcher's helmet, got into position in front of the plate, received the throw and made the tag to end the inning.
• Gavin went deep in the hole between short and third in the fourth to pick up a grounder, and then Bryce made a long stretch to nab the runner by a quarter of a step.
• Gavin made two very similar plays in the fifth and the sixth, racing back onto the edge of the outfield grass to haul in a pair of difficult pop flies.
• Brady made back-to-back tough plays in the sixth. Each ball was hit hard, and he had to range to his right at second base. He knocked down both balls and got force outs at second base on each one to thwart a potential Lookouts rally.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Lookouts	4	0	1	0	0	4	9	12
Mudcats	4	3	0	8	3	X	18	23

Tournament game 1: Mudcats 4, Bulls 1

Playing under foreboding skies and dodging raindrops after a one-hour rain delay, the Mudcats won their tournament opener on Thursday night, edging the Bulls 4-1 in a defensive battle. The game featured a series of highlight reel plays from the All Blacks defense that kept the Bulls off the scoreboard until the fifth. The victory avenged an earlier loss to the Bulls and moved the 'Cats into Saturday's 3 p.m. winner's bracket matchup with the Lookouts at 3 p.m.

After a pair of nearly 30-minute delays, during which the Mudcats sat quietly under the shelter, both teams played stellar defense through the first three innings. The Bulls did manage to get three baserunners in the top of the first, and had runners on second and third with two outs, but Bryce caught a pop fly to end the threat. Stellar 'Cat defense resulted in the Bulls getting just one more runner as far as second base for the rest of the game, and that came on a line drive home run in the fifth. The All Blacks very nearly played flawless defense, as even the rare miscue was erased by a solid play from a teammate, as when Ben picked up a wayward throw to first in the fifth and hosed the overaggressive runner at second base.

To keep up with all the tournament possibilities, use the West Raleigh bracket that is being updated after each game. Saturday's pregame begins at 2 p.m.

Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fourth inning
The only Mudcat runs of the game came in the fourth, and they all came with two outs. Donovan legged out a single and moved to second on a fielder's choice. With two down, Brady lofted a fly ball towards first that couldn't be handled, and Donovan hustled all the way around to score. Charley crushed a triple to left, scoring Brady, and then scored on Bryce's double. Gabe finished the scoring with a single to left.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 4, Bulls 0

Thursday's Web Gems

• Donovan continued his pattern of making a big early play in the outfield, snagging a first-inning line drive to hold the Bulls scoreless in the opening frame.
• Brady showed heart by taking a tumble at the bottom of the first and getting up gingerly, but then recovering in time to record the first out of the second inning on a pop fly to second.
• Gavin stayed with a grounder that had been redirected off a glove with two outs in the second, came up with the ball, and fired a good throw to first to end the inning.
• Ben pounced on a ball that was tapped in front of the plate and fired to first to record the rare 2-3 putout. 
• Gabe hustled in from pitcher to make a diving catch of a fly ball with one out in the fourth.
• Ben did a terrific job of backing up first base on the third hitter of the fifth. That put him into position to grab an errant throw and fire a rocket to second, where Brady did a solid job of receiving the throw and then putting the tag on the runner trying to advance from first to second.

Thursday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bulls	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	4
Mudcats	0	0	0	4	0	X	4	7

Tournament opener tomorrow

Today's previously forecast bad weather never materialized in the West Raleigh area, and tonight's tournament game was played as scheduled. That means the Mudcats will indeed play the Bulls on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., with pregame at 4:30.

The Bulls-Mudcats winner plays the Lookouts (8-7 winners over the Bees) on Saturday at 3. The Mudcats-Bulls loser plays the Bees on Saturday at 11.

Hold on just a second

Never mind that earlier post. It looks like West Raleigh has done the sensible thing and simply rescheduled tonight's rainout for Friday rather than shifting all games. That means, at the moment, that the Mudcats are still slated to play at 5:30 on Thursday, with pregame at 4:30.

However, with the weather being uncertain, further rainouts and schedule adjustments are possible. Keep an eye on your email and the blog for more details.

Practice rained out, games impacted

Games at West Raleigh tonight are rained out, which means the scheduled Mudcats practice is also rained out.

Tonight's rainout also has an impact on Thursday's scheduled tournament opener against the Bulls. In all likelihood, that game will be rescheduled for Friday. Stay tuned for further updates and keep in mind that further rainouts this week could have additional scheduling implications.

Game 14: Mudcats 13, Thunder 12

The Mudcats finished the regular season with a 13-12 win over the Thunder. The victory gave the 'Cats sole possession of second place, and completed a regular season sweep of the Thunder, with both wins coming by the same narrow margin and score.

The victory was not exactly a defensive clinic, but the All Blacks brought their best offense, scoring in every inning except the sixth (and they would've scored in the sixth if not for former Mudcat Tyler Key robbing Brenner with a sweet catch in the outfield). The 'Cats piled up 16 hits and had four different players reach base in all three of their at-bats. Alums Drew DiMeo and Ben Penchuk were on hand for the win. You might remember Ben as the 'Cat formerly known as LB. He is now known as "GS" after crushing a grand slam in the Lookouts win on Saturday.

The All Blacks victory marked the unofficial "senior day" for the Mudcat 8-year-olds, who played their final regular season game on Nowell Field. Each player was introduced individually before the game, and Coach Sean presented game balls to Gabe, Charley, Brady, Donovan, Bryce, Christopher and Noah.

Coach Sean and Coach Mike also provided some significant motivation for the tournament, which begins for the Mudcats on Thursday night with a 5:30 matchup against the Bulls. Coach Mike said the first postseason win would mean a candy bar for every 'Cat (parents, sadly, are not included in the offer). The second win will mean a Cook-Out shake for every player, and the third win means a pizza party. Coach Sean then made the somewhat rash declaration that if the Mudcats win the tournament championship, he will take a pie in the face and the players can shave his head.

The 'Cats do have practice before the first tournament game, as they practice at West Raleigh on Monday night from 6:30-8:30.

Final tournament seedings are as follows:

1. Riverdogs
2. Mudcats
3. Lookouts
4. Bats
5. Thunder
6. Bees
7. Bulls
8. Scrappers

As a reminder, the postseason bracket is available here.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Gavin smacked a two-out double, moved to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on Charley's single. Bryce, who hit the ball hard all day, drove home Charley with a two-out double.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 2, Thunder 0


Second inning
Asher led off with a single and moved to second on a one-out fielder's choice from Noah. The Thunder had trouble fielding Ben's single cleanly, and then Brenner added an RBI fielder's choice to stretch the lead.
Score after one and a half innings: Mudcats 4, Thunder 2


Third inning
Channing reached to lead off the inning and set up one of the biggest frames of the day. Donovan doubled, and with two men in scoring position, Gavin laced a two-RBI double the other way. He moved to third on Brady's single, then scored on Charley's hard-hit grounder to the left side. Asher finished the scoring with a two-out single.
Score after two and a half innings: Mudcats 8, Thunder 2

Fourth inning
Ben reached with one out, then hustled all the way to third on Brenner's single. Will plated Ben with an RBI fielder's choice.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 9, Thunder 5

Fifth inning
Donovan led off with a single to left. Gavin finished a 3-for-3 day with an RBI single, then moved to third on Charley's double. Bryce blasted an RBI sacrifice fly, and then Gabe and Asher added two-out RBI singles for a pair of important insurance runs.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 13, Thunder 7 

Saturday's Web Gems

• In the bottom of the first, Donovan made a nice snag of a hard line drive in left-center.
• With one out in the second, Charley made a smooth play on a difficult ground ball at third base and fired to first to easily retire the hitter.
• Bryce made yet another quality scoop at first base to preserve a force-out in the third.
• Gabe hustled after a foul popup near the Thunder dugout and made a sprawling catch with two men on and the Thunder threatening in the fourth.
• Two batters later, Ben grabbed a pop fly at catcher for the inning's second out.
• With the 'Cats still holding on to a one-run lead and the top of the order on deck, Gavin knocked down a hard two-out grounder at shortstop, stayed with it, and fired to first to end the game.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	2	2	4	1	4	0	13	16
Thunder	2	0	3	3	4	0	12	13

Bracketology: One game left

The Thunder and Bulls made up this week's rainout tonight, and with the Thunder victory, we now know a couple more seeds. Here's how the postseason picture looks right now:

1. Riverdogs
2. Mudcats
3. Lookouts/Bats (Lookouts clinch third with win over Bulls or Bats loss to Bees)
4. Bats/Lookouts
5. Thunder
6. Bees
7. Bulls/Scrappers (Bulls clinch 7th with win over Lookouts or Scrappers loss to Riverdogs)
8. Scrappers/Bulls

Bracketology: Mudcats postseason opener is set

The Riverdogs defeated the Bats last night. Based on tiebreakers, no matter what happens on Saturday, that means the Mudcats finish in second place for the regular season. So you can book the All Blacks' postseason opener for Thursday, May 17, at 5:30 p.m. The full bracket is available on the West Raleigh site.

The postseason picture currently looks like this. The most likely team to earn that seed is listed first:

1. Riverdogs
2. Mudcats
3. Lookouts/Bats
4. Bats/Lookouts
5. Thunder/Bees
6. Bees/Thunder
7. Bulls/Scrappers
8. Scrappers/Bulls

Bomb Squad

West Raleigh keeps a list of players hitting home runs known as the "Bomb Squad." The newest edition of the Bomb Squad includes our very own Gavin Gallaher, courtesy of his three-run blast last night against the Bees.

Reminder: someone, we're not saying who but he lives at the same house with someone on the Bomb Squad, may have said after the game that this week's practice is on Thursday. It is actually on Wednesday. The 'Cats will start at 6:30 in the cage at West Raleigh, and then move to the field from 7-8.

Game 13: Mudcats 12, Bees 3

Maybe it was Coach Sean's pregame freestyling. Maybe it was Coach Tom's birthday cupcakes. Maybe it was Coach Mike's "Mudcattitude" as he strode off the field after each defensive inning. Or maybe the Mudcat bats are just too good to stay quiet for two games in a row. Whatever the reason, the 'Cats rebounded from Saturday's tough loss with a 12-3 win over the Bees on Monday night at Nowell Field. 

"Now that," Coach Sean told the team, "was Mudcat baseball."

Even while missing Brenner and Christopher (who once again was one of the loudest voices in the dugout), the 'Cats got hits from eight different players and saw eight different players score a run in leading from wire-to-wire. Six of the 12 runs were scored with two outs, and the victory gave the All Blacks a season sweep of the Bees. Several alums were on hand for the win, including Jacob "Smiley" Mitchell and Coach Rob.

The win means the Mudcats can finish no lower than third in the regular season (the 'Cats have the tiebreaker over the Lookouts). That means they can't play on Tuesday, May 15, and the opening tournament game will be either Wednesday or Thursday.

The next Mudcat event is practice on Wednesday night at West Raleigh at 6:30. The next game is the regular season finale Saturday at 3 against the Thunder.

Monday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Donovan signaled that the Mudcat bats had reawakened by lining a hard single back up the middle and forcing Coach Sean to dodge out of the way in the first at-bat of the game. Gavin followed with a single, putting runners on the corners. Brady singled in Donovan, and then Charley's sacrifice fly plated Gavin.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 2, Bees 0


Third inning
As has happened so often this season, the rally started with two outs. With two down and nobody on, Channing ripped a single through the right side. Donovan's hard grounder was too hot to handle, putting runners on the corners. That set the stage for Gavin to blast the first Mudcat homer of the season, a three-run bomb almost to dead center field that sent his teammates streaming out of the dugout to greet him at home plate. Gavin's biggest concern after crushing the homer: "I wanted to make sure I touched all the bases." That was a legitimate concern considering that his fellow Mudcats barely let him get halfway down the third base line before mobbing him. Suggested station for Wednesday's practice: refining the home run trot.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 5, Bees 0


Fourth inning
The All Blacks put the game out of distance with four more runs, starting with Charley's leadoff single to left. Bryce blasted another single, and after a fielder's choice put runners at the corners, Asher singled to right to drive in Charley. Gabe scored on Colin's rope to left, and then Noah drove in two with a deep blast to left-center.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 9, Bees 1

Fifth inning
The 'Cats tacked on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Scoring began when Channing--on his way to a 2-for-2 day--smacked a single to left. Gavin followed with a double that very nearly cleared the fence, and then Brady and Charley each drove in a run to complete the scoring.


Monday's Web Gems

• Foreshadowing what was to come, Gavin made a highlight reel play to close the top of the first. With the bases loaded, the Bees slashed a hard grounder up the middle. From his second base position, Gavin ranged to his right, dove, knocked the ball down, and then flipped to Charley covering second to retire the side.
• In the second, Bryce made a clean pickup of a difficult short-hop throw at first base to save a run.
• One batter later, Asher made a good heads-up play at pitcher by fielding a ground ball, freezing the runner at third base, then spinning and throwing to retire the hitter at first base.
• In the fourth, Gavin smoothly fielded a sizzling grounder smashed by the Bees' best hitter, then flipped to Brady at second to record the out.
• With two on and two outs in the fourth, Bryce made an inning-ending catch of a fly ball in left field.

Monday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bees	0	0	0	1	0	2	3	7
Mudcats	2	0	3	4	3	X	12	13

Game 12: Riverdogs 7, Mudcats 0

The Riverdogs wrapped up the Minor League regular season crown and earned a split of the season series with a 7-0 shutout of the Mudcats at Nowell Field.

The 'Dogs got all the runs they would need in the first inning on a three-run homer, and the Mudcat offense never got on track against a stingy Riverdogs defense. The All Blacks never advanced a runner to third, and moved just one runner (Channing in the fourth) to second.

The loss did clear up one part of the tournament picture for the Mudcats: they cannot play on Monday, May 14, according to the most recent end of season bracket.The Bats defeated the Lookouts earlier on Saturday, so the 'Cats could still open tournament play on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Looking ahead, the 'Cats can clinch second place (and an opening game on Thursday, May 17) by winning out. The next Mudcat event is practice on Sunday at 1:00 at Method Road, with the next game on Monday night at 5:30 against the Bees.

Saturday's Web Gems

• Gavin started yet another Mudcat double play in the second, grabbing a line drive with one out in the first, then throwing to Bryce to double off the runner and end the inning.
• To end the third, Gavin made a solid play ranging to his right up the middle from shortstop, knocked down the ball and stayed with it to through to first to finish the inning.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
Riverdogs	3	0	0	4	0	X	7	11

Bracketology: May 4

It's time for one of the favorite activities of the Mudcat blog: trying to figure out when we might play in the postseason. Earlier today, Coach Sean emailed out a postseason bracket, which can also be found on the West Raleigh website.

After looking at the Minor League standings, the 'Cats could finish anywhere from first to fourth. That means we could play on...yep...any of the first four days. One thing we do know, though, is that if the Riverdogs happen to defeat the All Blacks tomorrow, that would seal the regular season championship for the 'Dogs. For your scheduling purposes, that means the most important consequence would be that the Mudcats could not play on Monday, May 14. However, a Mudcats win would give the 'Cats the tiebreaker over the Riverdogs and would leave the regular season title still undecided.

For your reference, the remaining games for the top four teams in the standings are:

Riverdogs: Mudcats, at Bats, Scrappers
Mudcats: at Riverdogs, Bees, at Thunder
Lookouts: Bats, at Scrappers, Bulls
Bats: at Lookouts, Riverdogs, at Bees

We'll update this after Saturday to let you know if the weekend's results have clarified any possibilities.

Practice: Missing Coach Sean

The Mudcats returned to the practice field Thursday night, but they were Coach Sean-less, as he tries to juggle the approximately 14 teams for which he is responsible (you think it is tough keeping up with one team, try doing it for more than one). The combined efforts of Coach Tom, Coach Mike, Coach Andy and Coach Matt were almost enough to equal one of Coach Sean. Fortunately, Coach Tom's guns made up the difference.

Practice began in the cage, then moved to the field after the conclusion of the Bees-Thunder game. Third and first basemen worked on throws across the diamond, while the middle infielders focused on making a play on a grounder and making the quick flip to second base. In the outfield, the Mudcats continued to stress keeping the ball in front. With a game against the Riverdogs looming, outfielders are asked to remember to play deeper than normal so that they can make the play moving in rather than having the ball sail over their heads.

The final half-hour was devoted to game situations, as Coach Andy sprayed line drives all over the field. Practice concluded with a relay race that included some questionable strategy by a team that shall remain nameless (but one of the players on that team had a name that rhymes with Smasher), but their sneaky tactics were fruitless, and they still took the loss.

The 'Cats have a game Saturday at 1 on what is supposed to be a warm day, so arrive at noon for pregame and drink plenty of water (oh, and the kids should drink plenty of water, too).

Game 11: Mudcats 11, Bats 11

No, my 11 key isn't broken. It's just that in the eleventh game of the season, the Mudcats and Bats played to an 11-11 tie on Nowell Field. The tie was the first in recent memory for the 'Cats, as the time limit prevented an extra inning--when both sides would have had some of their toughest hitters due up--from being played.

The tie was the second straight game the Mudcats played without the services of Christopher, who despite a wrist injury likely to keep him out for the remainder of the season made the effort to be in the 'Cats dugout during the game. Everyone lined up after the game to sign his Mudcat-red cast and is hopeful that Chris, who is well-known for having one of the best attitudes on the team, will continue to be an important part of the squad whenever his busy schedule allows him to make it to the field.

Tuesday marked the third time in the last four games that the All Blacks have had to battle back from a first-inning deficit. This time, it was a 3-2 Bats lead after the first. But the 'Cats turned in a big five-run third to retake the lead, then flashed some quality defense in the fifth to hold an 11-8 advantage going into the final inning.

That's when the Bats mounted a three-run rally to tie the score and ultimately force the tie. Coach Sean, who had a coaching doubleheader on Tuesday night, told the 'Cats they will reemphasize defense at Thursday night's practice (West Raleigh at 6:30). No stickers were handed out for a tie, but Coach Tom mentioned there could be a potential double-sticker opportunity at Saturday's game.

By the way, a special shout-out to former Mudcat Anthony Alberghina, who checked in on the blog recently. The 'Cats definitely miss him and wish he and his family well in Alabama, where Nick Saban is reportedly already keeping an eye on Anthony.

Tuesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
To begin his 3-for-3 day and lead off the first inning, Donovan smacked a single. With two down, he moved to second on Charley's single, and then back-to-back singles from Bryce and Gabe plated a pair of two-out runs.
Score after one inning: Bats 3, Mudcats 2


Third inning
The 'Cats' biggest inning of the game started with Will's single. Channing reached on a fielder's choice, then moved to second on Donovan's single. With two on, Gavin ripped an RBI single the other way. Brady, who pummeled the ball all night, crushed a double that scored Donovan, and then Charley cleared the bases with a two-RBI single. After some aggressive baserunning allowed him to take second on a throw in the Bat infield, Charley scored on Bryce's hard shot to center.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 7, Bats 6


Fifth inning
Donovan once again led off with a single, then ran hard to advance to third on Brady's single. Charley drove in his third run of the day with a single to left-center, and Bryce and Gabe followed with run-scoring hits to complete the scoring.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 11, Bats 8

Tuesday's Web Gems

• In the first inning, Bryce ranged over almost into the Mudcat dugout to haul in a foul pop fly for the second out of the frame.
• Channing recorded his first career outfield assist by cleanly fielding a hard-hit ball to right, coming up aggressively, and hosing the runner at first base leading off the second.
• Bryce probably saved a run by picking a throw out of the dirt at first base and stayed on the bag long enough to record the force.
• Asher made a good hustle play by grabbing a pop foul at catcher to finish the fifth.
• With the potential go-ahead run at third base with two down in the sixth, Gabe made a steely play at third, fielding a grounder and making a strong throw to first to retire the side.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bats	3	0	3	0	2	3	11	14
Mudcats	2	0	5	0	4	0	11	17