Game 16: Scrappers 8, Mudcats 2

The 2013 season came to an untimely end on Nowell Field, as the Scrappers pulled off an 8-2 victory over the Mudcats to eliminate the 'Cats from the postseason.

The tone was set early, as the Scrappers put three quick runs on the board in the top of the first. That was a lead they never relinquished, as the All Black offense just never kicked into gear--continuing a trend that began in the final game of the regular season.

The 'Cats finished the year with 12 scoreless innings in the final three games (all losses). Compare that to the six-game winning streak just before that, when the Mudcats totaled just 10 scoreless innings in those half-dozen games. The two runs in Saturday's loss were a season low, as were the seven hits. It was the third straight game that the 'Cats were held to single-digit hits--the only three games all season that they didn't notch at least ten.

It doesn't seem possible, but the defeat ends the Minor League season for the Mudcats, even though it seems like it just started a couple days ago. When Asher started playing West Raleigh baseball way back in the fall of 2010, Andrew and Jenn DiMeo--who were essentially the Godfathers of our Minor League experience--told us that the three years on Nowell Field were by far the best baseball-playing years we would get to watch. On the Rookie League field, it starts to feel more like "real" baseball, but in the Minor League you can still spot a dad tying his son's shoe, and they're still kids.

That was probably the best piece of advice we received (even better than, "Always vote for black pants for the team uniform because they are much easier to keep clean"). But there are a few other things I think I'd want to know if I was the parent of a West Raleigh six-year-old:

1. These are the best years of your kid's baseball-playing life. Go to practice. Go to games. Let your kid hang around and play wall ball if he wants.
2. No one ever wins the raffle.
3. No matter how good you think your six-year-old is, he could have the absolute perfect at-bat, do everything completely perfectly, have a textbook swing...and still hit a routine grounder to the second baseman. This is not because you are a bad parent or have given him bad instruction. This is because he is six years old.
4. The chemistry of the team and how much fun they have in the dugout is largely dependent on the attitude of the eight-year-olds on the team.
5. I don't care what anyone says, I think blue shorts look just fine with black-and-red jerseys. Now decide if you think it's a good idea to take fashion advice from some guy who writes a blog.
6. Your team's best draft pick will unquestionably be the kid whose mom takes great pictures.
7. At some point in your son's baseball career, it will be better to be the home team. But at this age, it's better to be the visiting team, put runs on the board early, and let momentum carry you the rest of the way.
8. There will be innings and games and days when you think your kid is not very good. Keep in mind that you are comparing him to the very best 6-8 year-old baseball players in this area and maybe in this state. If you put your kid on the field in any other league, you would instantly see how good he is and have a renewed appreciation for the level of play in West Raleigh.
9. No matter how much you think you are going to make it through the last postgame speech of your kid's Minor League career, the head coach is almost certain to say or do something that turns you into mush.
10. That moment when you are hugging your son in the parking lot after his last game in the Minor League is going to be here way faster than you think, and it'll hurt when it gets here.

The game ended the career for a handful of Mudcat players and coaches. They are as follows:

Coach Matt: A two-year All Black coach who was indispensable this year in the first-base coaching box and in the outfield defensively. Also the unquestioned Czar of the Soft Toss.
Coach Sean: At our first team meeting last year, we were interrupted by someone--I have no idea who he was--who had apparently been coached by Coach Sean in a previous year and happened to be passing by the concession stand, where we were meeting. I don't remember the exact connection, but I do remember that before he walked away, he turned to the team and said, "You are lucky to have this guy as your coach." He was right. Every player on the Mudcats over the last two years improved over the course of the season. You're not supposed to get this kind of coaching--or this type of commitment and time devoted to the team--in 6-8 year-old baseball.
Luke: In his first year as a Mudcat, Luke was always positive and was extremely flexible defensively, playing a variety of positions. His bat was a big part of the 'Cat offense that was so potent throughout most of the season.
Hayden: Also a one-year Mudcat, Hayden became a valuable defensive cog behind the plate and caught fire offensively in the second half of the season.
Quenten: Burst onto the scene in his first season in West Raleigh. Quenten became one of the Mudcats' most consistent outfielders, where you could count on him for at least one web gem per game in center field.
Colin: Played two years as a Mudcat, spending significant time both at third base and in the outfield. A dangerous hitter who sprayed line drives all over the field. In two years, I don't think I ever heard Colin say anything negative about anybody.
Brenner: One of the three three-year Mudcats. After the draft in 2011, I remember Coach Andrew telling me, "I think I picked your shortstop (Gavin), second baseman (Brenner) and first baseman (Asher) for 2013." That's exactly how it worked out. Brenner was a fixture at the top of the order this year and keyed several big innings with his line drive stroke. A great teammate who you knew was always on your side.
Gavin: I have watched Gavin play a lot of baseball games over the past three years. In some ways, I think I take him for granted. Just know that an eight-year-old is not supposed to do what he does on the baseball field. I pretty much expected him to have the kind of offensive and defensive season that he had this year--which was, of course, phenomenal. But I wasn't sure if he could play that way without becoming too impressed with himself, because sometimes that happens. For Gavin, it never did. He was a great influence in the dugout and a solid leader on the field.
Asher: Probably the shortest first baseman in baseball history. Maybe also the toughest. And cutest. And best...oh, sorry, looks like Stephanie grabbed control of the keyboard for just a second. I don't know why Asher has such a great attitude and plays so hard in every second of every game. I just know that he didn't get it from his jerk dad. But I do know that I've had so much fun watching him play these last three years, I miss it already, and I think I'm going to wear my Mudcats shirt tomorrow.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Gavin hit a solo homer to center.
Score after one inning: Scrappers 3, Mudcats 1

Second inning
Quenten tagged a homer to center leading off the inning.
Score after two innings: Scrappers 3, Mudcats 2

Saturday's Web Gems

• In the first inning, Asher made a somersaulting catch of a pop foul behind first in shallow right.
• Brayden ended the first by snagging a hard-hit fly ball to right-center. 
• Colin stabbed a hard line drive to third, then snapped a throw to Brenner at second to double off the runner. 
• Jackson made a pair of nice back-to-back plays at pitcher, knocking down two consecutive ground balls--the first ending the fourth and the second leading the fifth--and then keeping his head, gathering the ball and firing to first to record the pair of outs.
• Cameron had to go back to the fence to retrieve a leadoff hit in the first, and when the runner got too aggressive, threw a strike to Gavin covering second, who made the catch and applied the tag to get the out.
• Will made a terrific catch on a ball that was crushed to left in the sixth. 

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Scrappers	3	0	4	1	0	0	8	8
Mudcats	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7

Game 15: Bats 5, Mudcats 3

The hitting woes from Saturday carried over to Tuesday, and the Bats played stellar defense while taking advantage of a handful of Mudcat miscues, propelling the Bats to a 5-3 win in the first game of the Minor League tournament.

The Bats jumped on the scoreboard early with a pair of quick runs, and seemed to ride that momentum throughout the rest of the game. Their defense--which finished second in the league to the Mudcats in fewest number of runs allowed--changed several innings, including quality plays in the third, fourth and fifth that limited the All Blacks to just three runs over that stretch despite a handful of hard-hit balls.

Offensively, the 'Cats were only marginally able to improve on Saturday's eight-hit performance, as they mustered nine against the Bats. The 17 hits over the last two games are fewer than the Mudcats had in five individual games this season. And while the late-game defense was stellar, there were too many errors in the early going, as the 'Cats committed six errors in the first four innings alone, leading directly to four of the five Bats runs.

The loss puts the Mudcats in the losers' bracket, and means the schedule going forward gets a little complicated. The next game will be Saturday at 1 p.m. against the loser of tomorrow night's Scrappers-Lookouts tilt. A win in that game would make it a two-game weekend, because the 'Cats would turn around and play Sunday at 3 p.m. The full tournament bracket can be found online here.

Tuesday's Mudcat scoring plays
Third inning
Channing swatted a perfectly placed triple with one-out in the third, then scored on Hayden's RBI single.
Score after three innings: Bats 3, Mudcats 1

Fourth inning
The Mudcats picked up a couple of two-out runs, as Asher reached on a grounder to the left side, and then Gavin lifted a home run to right field.
Score after four innings: Bats 5, Mudcats 3

Tuesday's Web Gems

• With a runner in scoring position and two outs in the first, Brenner stopped a hard shot to second and threw to first for the out.
• With a runner on first in the third, Jay cut off a ball deep in the left field corner and did an excellent job of holding the runner to just two bases and preventing a run from scoring. That turned out to be a run-saving play...
• ...Because on the next hitter, with two runners in scoring position and two down, Quenten stabbed a line drive in center to hold the Bats scoreless in the third.
• With a runner on second and one out in the sixth, Asher made a diving catch of a pop fly hit over his head at first base.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bats	2	1	0	2	0	0	5	11
Mudcats	0	0	1	2	0	0	3	9

Game 14: Bees 11, Mudcats 3

The Bees gave the Mudcats a taste of their own medicine on Saturday evening, playing airtight defense and cruising to an 11-3 win. The victory gave the Bees the top seed in the postseason tournament, which begins Monday, and sent the Mudcats to the second seed. The All Blacks will open tournament play on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. against the Bats.

The tone for a defensive battle was set early, as the Mudcats 1, 2 and 3 hitters were retired in order for the first time this season. The 'Cats also went scoreless in three straight innings for the first time this season, a streak that eventually stretched to four straight innings (the first four of the game) before the All Blacks broke through in the fifth with a pair of runs. By then, though, the hard-hitting Bees had already built a six-run lead, and the Mudcats--who mustered a season-low eight hits--could never get any closer.

Stay tuned for more information on tournament week practices. The next game will be Tuesday at 5:30 against the Bats, with pregame at 4:30. For the purposes of your Minor League tournament bracket projections, the final seedings are as follows:

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

The full tournament bracket can be found online here.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fifth inning
Gavin led off with a single, moved to second on Quenten's single, and scored on Colin's RBI single. Cameron drove in Quenten with a hard shot to third.
Score after four and a half innings: Bees 6, Mudcats 2

Sixth inning
Will led off with a double, and Hayden came through with an opposite-field RBI single.
Score after five and a half innings: Bees 11, Mudcats 2

Saturday's Web Gems

• Channing made a nice play in right-center in the first inning, running under a deep fly ball to make the catch.
• On the first batter of the second, Quenten glided to a hard liner and snagged it on the fly in center.
• Gavin made what was probably the defensive play of the year in the third, throwing his body completely horizontal to the ground to spear a sinking liner a breath before it hit the ground, then hopping up and firing to first to double off the runner. Thanks to Nacole, we even have video of this play, which was taken--as you will soon see--in the middle of a rainstorm:

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	0	0	2	1	3	8
Bees	0	1	3	2	5	X	11	14

Game 13: Mudcats 20, Riverdogs 1

Sensational Mudcat defense paved the way again, as the 'Cats captured their sixth straight victory with a 20-1 win over the Riverdogs on Wednesday night. The 19-run margin of victory was by far the biggest in the Minor League this season.

And despite all that offense--every Mudcat scored at least one run and ten different batters had a hit--it might have been the defense that was the story of the game. The 'Cats have now allowed just four runs in the past 21 innings. Again on Wednesday, they did it against a hot offensive team, as the Riverdogs had scored 33 runs in their past two games and were riding a two-game winning streak. But they did not have a runner reach second base until the fifth inning and did not score until the sixth.

At the plate, the All Blacks had one of their most complete efforts in the season, as the win marked the first time this year that the Mudcats scored in every inning. The 22 hits were a season-high for a five-inning performance and the second-most in any game this year--and that's with two of the five offensive innings being limited by the run rule.

Stickers galore were handed out, as there was a backlog from the previous game. Unfortunately for Coach Sean, several Mudcats have already caught on to the idea of earning interest and are regularly compounding interest on their stickers. Unfortunately, Coach Regan became the first Mudcat ever to have a sticker deducted for her flagrant disregard for the baseball gods in the sixth inning (her transgression was so egregious that it cannot be repeated here). As penance, she will have to join the pregame dance party with Asher on Saturday.

With the win, the Mudcats are assured of finishing no worse than second, which means they will open tournament play on either Monday, May 13, against the 8 seed, or on Tuesday, May 14, against the 7 seed. The next game will determine that seeding, as the winner of Saturday's 5 p.m. start against the Bees (4 p.m. pregame) will claim the Minor League regular season title and earn the top seed for the tournament.

Wednesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
It started with the top of the order, which had a phenomenal night, as Brenner, Asher and Gavin combined to go 10-for-10. Brenner led off with a single but was thrown out at second due to Coach Adam making the first of a boatload of mistakes for the game. Asher singled and stayed anchored to first base while ignoring Coach Adam. Gavin doubled, putting runners on second and third for Quenten. His grounder to short scored Asher, and then Luke's hard-hit ball to the right side scored a pair.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 3, Riverdogs 0

Second inning
Brayden roped a leadoff single and moved to second when Channing hustled out a ball up the middle. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners, and then Hayden singled in Brayden. With two outs, the Mudcat offense kicked into gear. Jackson singled in two with a line drive to left and hustled all the way to second. Brenner singled in Jackson. Asher singled to center, putting runners at the corners for Gavin, who doubled in Brenner.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 8, Riverdogs 0

Third inning
Colin led off with an opposite-field single and moved to second on Luke's single. Cameron blasted an RBI double, and Channing recorded a one-out RBI single.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 10, Riverdogs 0

Fourth inning
Jay led off and rumbled all the way to second, flashing great wheels and incredible hustle. Jackson singled to the left side. With runners on first and second, Brenner and Asher ripped back-to-back RBI singles, and Gavin clubbed a two-run single to deep left. Colin's grounder to short scored Gavin and invoked the five-run rule.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 15, Riverdogs 0

Fifth inning
The first four 'Cat hitters reached base, with Luke going all the way to second as the leadoff man, Cameron singling him to third, Brayden driving in a run with a hard-hit single, and Channing smacking a run-scoring single to left. Hayden collected an RBI single and then Brenner finished the game's scoring with a two-run single to center.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 20, Riverdogs 0

Wednesday's Web Gems

• With a runner on first and one out in the top of the first, the most dangerous Riverdogs hitter lined a would-be single to center. But Quenten charged in, scooped it up, and fired a laser to Brenner covering second, who fielded the short hop and stayed on the bag to get the force.
• With a runner on first and one away in the second, Gavin smoothly gobbled up a grounder up the middle, stepped on second, and fired to Asher stretching at first for the inning-ending double play--the Mudcats' third inning-ending double play in the last four innings.
• That play started a stretch of eight straight outs retired by the Mudcat defense, including a series of solid plays all around the infield, featuring two straight good plays by Jackson at pitcher.
• Channing stepped in at pitcher in the fifth and made a nice backhanded stop up the middle.
• Cameron made a nice catch of a fly ball at third base in the sixth inning. The play itself was nice, but what made it even nicer was that Cameron hauled in the fly ball while absorbing a solid form tackle from Channing, who was trying to force a fumble. 

Wednesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Riverdogs	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	5
Mudcats	3	5	2	5	5	X	20	22

Game 12: Mudcats 9, Lookouts 3

Coming off Friday's shutout, the Mudcats turned around and once again pulled off a season first on Saturday: they beat the Lookouts, 9-3, and had a defensive web gem in every single inning--the first time that has happened this year. Of course, it shouldn't have been a surprise, because in the pregame huddle, when Coach Sean asked the team who was going to get a web gem, he was greeted with a chorus of "ME!"

One other thing he was greeted with was an American Bandstand wannabe:

Note Jackson and Cameron getting into it and showing some sweet moves of their own.

Unfortunately, the Lookouts wanted to settle the game with baseball rather than dance moves. However, that turned out to play right into the 'Cats' hands, as they played one of the most complete games of the season and earned a regular season split with the Lookouts.

In front of a sellout crowd that included Coach Andy (who was secretly hoping Coach Sean would tire out so he could pitch), the 'Cats continued their solid defensive play and have now allowed just three runs in the last 15 innings of play. Not coincidentally, the defense has led to a season-high five-game winning streak.

After allowing two first-inning runs to the hard-hitting Lookouts (who came into the game averaging a dozen runs per game and had scored at least seven in every game this year), the 'Cats locked down the defense and allowed just three runners as far as second base in the final five innings. The Mudcats also benefited from two double plays, bringing the double play total to four in the past two games.

Because Official Sticker Kingpin Regan was sadly not in attendance (perhaps trying to avoid Coach Andy), stickers were not handed out. This is either because Official Sticker Kingpin Regan rules with an iron hand with the stickers...or because Coach Sean was too tired to walk to his car to get them. Whatever the reason, when the stickers are handed out, everyone will get one for the win, and Coach Matt awarded a special hustle sticker to Jay for backing up every play at first base from right field.

The 'Cats hit the practice field Sunday at 5 p.m. The next game is Wednesday at 5:30 against the red-hot Riverdogs.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Asher slapped a one-out single up the middle, raced to third on Gavin's long single, and then scored on Quenten's sacrifice fly.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 1, Lookouts 0

Fourth inning
Asher lined a leadoff single to center and moved to third on Gavin's deep single. Quenten smoked an RBI single. Colin lifted an RBI double to left-center. Luke scored a pair with an opposite-field RBI single. After Cameron put runners on first and second with a hard shot to the outfield, Brayden finished the scoring with an RBI single the other way.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 6, Lookouts 2

Fifth inning
In a prototypical two-out Mudcat rally, Brenner reached on a fielder's choice. Asher singled to right-center. Coach Sean tried to throw off Gavin by narrowly avoiding a balk, but then grooved a fastball that Gavin smashed onto the batting cage in center field for a three-run home run.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 9, Lookouts 1

Saturday's Web Gems

• Will set the defensive tone early by grabbing a sinking liner in left field in the first inning.
• Channing caught a hard-hit liner in right-center in the second that helped turn what could've been a Lookout threat into a scoreless inning.
• Asher fielded a ground ball on the first base line in the third, applied the tag, and then brought the pain to the unsuspecting baserunner. 
• With a runner on second in the fourth, Luke made a leaping one-handed catch of a line drive in left-center.
• Later that same inning, Brenner made a nice play backing up on a pop fly in shallow right, ranging far behind his second base position to make the catch.
• Brenner started a trend with an inning-ending double play in the fifth. With a runner on first, he snagged a line drive back to pitcher, then threw to first to double off the runner.
• Suitably inspired by Brenner, the 'Cats decided to raise the ante in the next inning, turning a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. It started with Luke smoothly scooping up a grounder, then flipping to Gavin at second, who fired a rocket throw to Asher at first to nab the runner by half a step and end the game.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	1	0	0	5	3	0	9	15
Lookouts	2	0	0	1	0	0	3	9

Game 11: Mudcats 9, Bats 0

The Mudcats did something historic on Friday night--they posted a 9-0 shutout win of the Bats. The stellar defensive performance forced us into the team record books. After consultation with Mudcat Historian and former general manager Jenn, we have determined it's the first Mudcat shutout since May 16, 2009--when the current eight-year-olds were four years old and when even Coach Sean was a little younger. The shutout was the first in the Minor League this year and just the eighth shutout at West Raleigh this year in any age group.

"That was a great defensive game," Coach Sean told the team. He also mentioned it was the first shutout he had ever seen in the Minor League, but unfortunately, Minor League records are not quite as complete as Mudcat records, so we have no way of knowing for sure--other than Coach Sean's memory, which of course is infallible.

The defense began early, as the 'Cats held the Bats without a hit over the first three innings. That gave the offense time to chug into gear. Perhaps limited by the lack of pregame dancing, the All Blacks scored just one run in the first two innings. But after getting an energy boost from a few eight-year-olds, the Mudcats exploded for seven runs in the third. Atypically, the big inning was not powered by big hits, but instead was a succession of singles. That enabled the Mudcats to show off their hustling on the basepaths, as six different 'Cats scored all the way from second on a single.

That was more than enough offense, but the All Blacks made sure it would hold up by turning another sweet defensive trick in the fourth: the Bats loaded the bases with no outs but got zero runs, as Quenten's unassisted play at third base snuffed out the threat. The runner he doubled off at third base was the only Bat who reached third all game.

Everyone received a sticker for the win, and then everyone also received a sticker for the solid team-wide defensive effort. Coach Jamie awarded Brenner an extra sticker for his hustle on the bases that got him all the way to third and put him in position to score one of the three runs Brenner plated on the day.

There's not much time to savor the historic performance, as the 'Cats play again on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against the Lookouts, with pregame at 2 p.m.

Friday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Brenner led off with a single, then hustled to third on Asher's single, where he scored on Gavin's rocket that was knocked down by the pitcher.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 1, Bats 0

Third inning
For the third time this season, the 'Cats scored seven runs in a single inning. The inning was ignited at the bottom of the order, where Will, Jay and Jackson all reached to lead off the frame. With the bases loaded, Brenner's grounder to third scored the first run. Asher's single scored Jackson all the way from second. Gavin's single plated Brenner, and then Quenten singled in Asher. The parade of singles continued with Luke's two-out hit up the middle, and Cameron and Brayden also came through with two-out hits to complete the scoring.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 8, Bats 0

Fifth inning
Brenner led off by smoking a ball down the third base line and hustled all the way to third. Asher's sacrifice fly to center scored Brenner.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 9, Bats 0

Friday's Web Gems

• The standout defensive plays began early. With a runner on first and one out in the first, Gavin ranged across the middle to spear a line drive.
• The very next hitter hit a line drive bullet to center, but Quenten grabbed it on one hop and fired to second for the force to end the inning.
• Gavin backed up Brenner, picked up a hot shot, and threw to first for the first out of the second.
• Will ranged to his right to snag a line drive at pitcher on the next play.
• Quenten turned an unassisted double play in the fourth. With the bases loaded, he gloved a hard line drive, then stepped on third to double off the runner.
• The leadoff Bat in the fifth smoked a hard drive to right-center, but Cameron limited him to a single by firing the ball in from the outfield.
• Brenner started the second double play of the game. With runners on first and second, he caught a line drive at pitcher, then threw to Asher at first to double off the runner.

Friday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bats	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Mudcats	1	0	7	0	1	X	9	15

Game 10: Mudcats 16, Scrappers 6

Clearly tired of waiting all day to play, Saturday's pregame dance party had a little extra intensity, as Asher threw in a handstand to go with the usual funky moves.

The handstand happened too quickly for a mere mortal like me to capture, but Erin was on the scene and got the whole thing on video, which we will be showing at Asher's wedding when Stephanie allows him to get married in about 40 years. As usual, Erin also had some great game action shots.

Evidently, dances=runs. In what Coach Sean called "the best all around game all year," the Mudcats pounded out 19 hits and cruised to a 16-6 win over the Scrappers. The win gave the visitors their second three-game winning streak of the season and completed a regular season sweep of the Scrappers.

Last time against the Scrappers, the 'Cats needed a furious rally to get the win. This time, it wasn't as close. Nine different players scored runs and 10 different players had hits. Most impressively, after three quick runs early, the All Blacks watched the Scrappers come back and tie the game in the bottom of the second. But that simply led to a seven-run outburst in the top of the third, and the 'Cats ended the game outscoring their opponent 13-3 over the final four innings. "I was very proud of you, because you made mistakes, but you came back from them," Coach Sean said. "You picked each other up."

There were stickers all over the place after the game, once Coach Sean retrieved them from his secret hiding place, which evidently is located in Kernersville based on how long it takes to get them after the game. Everyone got a sticker for the win, and bonus stickers went to Jackson (nice play at pitcher),  Quenten (defensive toughness), the catcher trio of Brayden/Cameron/Hayden, Channing (deep double), Colin (both offense and defense), and Gavin (just two home runs, 4-for-4 and six RBI).

Coach Sean might have even been a little stingy with the stickers. He probably should've given one to Regan "The Fox Hunter" Gallaher, who braved the dangerous woods behind left field to retrieve Gavin's home run balls.

The next Mudcat event is practice Sunday at 5 p.m. at Kentwood. The next game is Monday night at 5:30 against the Bats.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
For the second straight game, the Mudcats posted three runs in the top of the first. Brenner led off with a single, and then Asher singled, with both runners moving up a base after a misplay in the outfield. That put runners on second and third for Gavin, who knew exactly what to do--line a single to left, scoring both. Gavin moved up to second on another outfield miscue, putting him in position to score on Colin's one-out RBI single.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 3, Scrappers 0

Third inning
The 'Cats put together a seven-run third, which tied for the biggest single inning of the season so far (the offense also scored seven in the first against the Riverdogs). Ten hitters came to the plate, starting with Brenner, who blasted a double to left to start the inning. Asher doubled in Brenner, and then Gavin hit a titanic home run to deep left. Colin reached first on a one-out fielder's choice and moved to second on Cameron's single to the left side of the infield. Luke peppered the right side on a shot that scored Colin. With runners on first and second and two outs, Channing crushed perhaps the hardest-hit ball of his Mudcat career, which turned into a two-run, two-out double, and then scored on Hayden's grounder to the right side.
Score after two and a half innings: Mudcats 10, Scrappers 3

Fourth inning
Jackson singled to lead it off, and moved to second on Brenner's ball up the middle. A fielder's choice allowed Jackson to come all the way around. Quenten's hot shot to the left side scored Asher, and then Colin ripped a two-out, RBI double.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 13, Scrappers 6

Fifth inning
Luke led off with a double. Brayden's grass shot put runners on first and third, and Hayden's RBI single plated Luke.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 14, Scrappers 6

Sixth inning
As you might've guessed, it happened with two outs (for the day, eight of the 16 'Cat runs crossed with two outs). Asher doubled the other way, putting him on second once again for a great view of a Gavin home run.
Score after five and a half innings: Mudcats 16, Scrappers 6

Saturday's Web Gems

• Gavin made a nice play going up the middle in the first inning, and flipped to Brenner--who did a nice job covering second for several force outs--at second for the out.
• Colin speared a hot shot down the third base line in the third, limiting the hitter to just one base, which ultimately saved a run.
• In the fourth, Quenten made two straight good stops at third, then fired to Brenner, who was alertly covering on both of them, for force outs at second.
• Jackson completed a very solid defensive fourth by bouncing off his pitcher position, knocking down a hard shot, and throwing to first for the out.
• Luke and Asher combined on some good communication in the fifth on a hard-hit ball to the right side. Luke ranged far to his left to scoop up the one-hopper, and Asher hustled back to the bag to receive the throw.
• Quenten took a hard line drive off his side in the fifth inning, but showed impressive toughness by coming back to play the rest of the inning, even hauling in a pop fly for the final out of the frame.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	3	0	7	3	1	2	16	19
Scrappers	0	3	3	0	0	0	6	10

Game 9: Mudcats 11, Bulls 10

In one of the most intense wins of the season, the Mudcats played a terrific final two innings in coming back to beat the Bulls, 11-10, to split the season series.

As per occasional Mudcat tradition, the game began with some funky dance moves in the deep corner during the pregame talk:

If anyone knows who that kid's parents are, please ask them why he is so crazy.

The pregame hijinks must have inspired the 'Cats, who jumped out to a quick three runs in the top of the first to give them their first lead of the season over the Bulls. But some midgame defensive lulls and big hits by the opposition allowed the Bulls to storm back and take an 8-6 lead halfway through the game.

It was after that bottom of the third inning that Coach Sean reminded the All Blacks how much they had improved since the first practice back in February. "You're better than you just showed," he said. "Now let's go out and pound the baseball."

That's exactly what they did. Because the first two innings were very lengthy, the game was creeping towards the 90-minute West Raleigh time limit. That meant the fourth and the fifth were the final two innings of the game, and the 'Cats controlled those frames, outscoring the Bulls 5-2 and getting hits from seven different players in the final two innings alone.

Combined with the late-game heroics last time out against the Thunder, the Mudcats have now outscored the opponents by a combined 10-3 in the last two innings of the last two games. They also have been incredibly proficient with two outs, as 26 of the last 29 'Cat runs have come with two outs.

Stickers went to everyone for the win, plus bonus stickers for Will (double bonus stickers for the triple and for the game-ending defensive play!), Gavin (3-for-3), Asher (3-for-3), Luke (great defense in left field to set the tone early in the game), Jackson (ignited the rally in the top of the fifth) and Colin (finished off the rally with a two-run single).

Special thanks to the rally monkey, who made an appearance on the Mudcat dugout fence and also deserved a sticker:

The next Mudcat game is Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Scrappers. Please be at West Raleigh, wearing your fox repellant, by 4 p.m.

Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Asher stroked a one-out double to left and scored on Gavin's single. Gavin moved up to second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, which put him in position to score on Quenten's RBI single. Colin singled, took second on the throw to third as the Bulls tried to cut down the runner in front of him, and then scored on Cameron's RBI single.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 3, Bulls 0

Third inning
Jackson got it started by hustling out a grounder in the infield. Then, as usual, the All Black two-out attack kicked in. Asher singled, putting runners at the corners. Gavin singled in Jackson. Quenten powered a single between shortstop and third that loaded the bases. Colin singled to drive in Asher, and Gavin ran the bases like a rabid fox to come all the way around and score when the defense didn't pay enough attention to him.
Score after two and a half innings: Mudcats 6, Bulls 5

Fourth inning
Stop me if this sounds familiar: the Mudcats did it with two outs. The rally started with two outs and none on. Channing motored down the line to beat out a grounder to short. That set up Hayden, who lined a shot directly down the first-base line that whizzed past the chalk on the way to deep right field. Channing came all the way around to score, and when the Bulls had an overthrow trying to get Hayden at third, he popped up and hustled home for the second run of the inning.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 8, Bulls 8

Fifth inning
Jackson started the eventual game-winning rally by lining a single. With one out, Asher singled back through the middle, putting runners on first and second. Gavin smoked a double to deep left that scored Jackson. Then, with two down in a clutch at-bat, Colin went the other way for a two-run single that provided just enough cushion to the Mudcat defense.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 11, Bulls 9

Thursday's Web Gems

• Luke made two big run-saving catches in the first two innings in left field.
• Colin showed lightning-fast reflexes at third base by snagging a ball that appeared ready to whistle right by his ear for a double.
• With two outs in the fifth (and final) inning, the tying run on second base and the time limit expired, Will made a game-saving play by staying down on a grounder at second and firing to Asher at first for the game's final out. 

Thursday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	3	0	3	2	3	X	11	16
Bulls	1	4	3	1	1	X	10	16

Game 8: Mudcats 14, Thunder 8

The Mudcats got the second half of the season off to a rousing start with one of their most complete team efforts of the year on Saturday afternoon, besting the Thunder 14-8. The Mud Blacks, as they were christened in the postgame huddle, scored all 14 of their runs with two outs.

Playing with just 10 players, the 'Cats made just enough plays in the field to keep the game close. During the key stretch of the game, through the middle innings, they retired seven out of eight Thunder hitters. That allowed the offense time to kick into gear. The Mudcats were outscored 7-4 through the first three innings, but went on a 10-1 onslaught over the final three innings, outhitting the Thunder 10-3 in that span.

You might think that the rally was prompted by sparkling defense or a hard-hitting offense. You might even think that perhaps it was Gavin, who announced before his fourth inning at-bat, "I've still got some tricks up my sleeve, I just need to find them." It turned out that the trick up his sleeve was a home run. Nice trick.

And all of those things were nice. But I now present to you the true source of the rally:

Look carefully on the far right of the photo, attached to the fence. That, folks, is a bonsai tree. It was planted there by Coach Sean before the fourth inning. Shortly thereafter, the Mudcats began to play with incredible poise and flair. As you can see from the photo, it also enabled Coach Sean to reach a zen-like state on the field; he began grooving pitches (two Mudcat homers, 10 Mudcat hits post-bonsai planting) and reached a higher state of enlightenment with his defensive strategy. I later snapped this photo of Coach Sean preparing to pitch the sixth inning.

Stickers were presented to everyone for the victory. In addition, bonus stickers were presented to the following players: Quenten (bomb), Gavin (bomb), Colin (nearly knocked Coach Sean's bonsai clippers off), Cameron (timely RBIs yet again), Brenner (key offense from the leadoff spot), Will (good defense at pitcher), Hayden (big-time hustle on the bases and a key hit), Asher (4-for-4 and a couple nice scoops), Jay (aggressive baserunning to score from second on a single) and Jackson (a line-drive hit, plus he picked up a force out from the outfield). In other words, everybody got a bonus sticker--told you it was a team effort.

The Mudcats will hit the practice field on Sunday at 1:30. The next Mudcat game is Thursday at 5:30.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
Third inning
After going scoreless in the first two innings for the first time all season, the offense ignited in the third. Asher laced a one-out single and moved to second on Gavin's single. With two down, Quenten ripped an RBI single to get the 'Cats on the board. Cameron blasted an RBI double and Hayden's shot back through the middle couldn't be fielded, scoring Cameron all the way from second.
Score after two and a half innings: Mudcats 4, Thunder 3

Fourth inning
Once again, it happened with two outs. Brenner singled. Asher singled and stretched it to two bases when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, scoring Brenner. Gavin crushed a home run to left that scored a pair. Colin got the rally going again with a line drive single. Quenten drove a hard-hit ball to the left side that put two runners on, and Cameron's single plated two.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 9, Thunder 7

Fifth inning
Jay reached on a one-out fielder's choice. He moved up to second on Brenner's fielder's choice to the right side. Asher finished off a 4-for-4 day with an RBI single and moved to second on some fielding issues. Gavin swatted a triple to deep left, and scored when Colin ripped an RBI single right past Coach Sean's ear. Quenten finished the scoring by blasting a two-run home run over the scoreboard in left-center.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 14, Thunder 7

Saturday's Web Gems

• Gavin and Colin hooked up on a nice shortstop-to-third force in the first to retire the lead Thunder runner.
• Asher made a pair of nice scoops at first base to preserve outs in the infield, with one coming in the second inning and one in the fifth.
• Jackson came up firing on a single to right field in the sixth inning and hosed a runner at second to get the force.
• Coach Regan foraged deep into a dangerous underbrush to retrieve Gavin's home run ball.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	4	5	5	0	14	17
Thunder	3	0	4	0	0	1	8	9

Game 7: Bees 16, Mudcats 9

The Bees got the better of a game of two-out rallies on Thursday night, putting up eight runs in the fifth and riding that outburst to a 16-9 victory.

Both teams played a solid first four innings, as the offenses landed back-and-forth haymakers. The Bees struck for three runs immediately in the top of the first, but the Mudcats came right back with four runs of their own. After a scoreless second, the same thing happened in the third--the Bees scored three runs, but the 'Cats answered with four, as the rally started with two outs and no one on base. And after a scoreless fourth, it looked like the pattern might continue in the fifth...but then the wheels came off.

The Bees plated eight runs total and five runs with two outs in the fifth, as the All Blacks were unable to make that last defensive play to get off the field. The hard-hitting Bees, on their way to 21 hits, pounded out line drive after line drive, and outscored the homestanding All Blacks 10-1 over the final two innings while outhitting them 12-3 in that same span. Even Coach Jamie's attempt to class up the 'Cats a little by coming straight from the airport and coaching third base in khaki pants wasn't enough to reverse the mojo.

The loss completes the first half of the season, with the Mudcats standing at 4-3 overall. Second-half play begins on Saturday, with a 3 p.m. scheduled first pitch against the Thunder.

Thursday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Asher singled to left and moved up to second when the ball was kicked around in left field. Gavin reached on a miscue in the infield, and then Colin smoked a single to center that scored Asher. Quenten crushed a double to left that scored Gavin, and then Cameron scored a pair with a two-RBI single.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 4, Bees 3

Third inning
It all happened with two outs and none on. Gavin started it with a single, then moved to second on Colin's single. Quenten smashed another double, scoring Gavin. Cameron picked up two more RBI on a double down the line in left. Brenner's line drive to the right side couldn't be fielded, and Cameron raced all the way around to score.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 8, Bees 6

Sixth inning
Quenten completed his 3-for-3 day with a single, moved to second on a fielder's choice, and scored on Brenner's deep single to center.
Score after six innings: Bees 16, Mudcats 9

Thursday's Web Gems

• Quenten made a pair of solid catches in the outfield, including an impressive play when he charged in from center and took control of a shallow pop-up, calling off the infielders to make the catch.
• In a 1-2-3 top of the second, Gavin got the second out by ranging far to his left, scooping up a grounder that was threatening to scoot through the middle, and firing to Asher at first for the second out.
• Asher used some kind of wizard trick to make a batted ball hit the Bee baserunner in the fourth, getting a free out for the Mudcats.
• Will made an aggressive play in left field in the fifth, keeping a hard-hit line drive in front of him on one hop and firing to the cutoff man to limit the Bee leadoff man to a single.
• Brenner and Brayden teamed up to get a 1-2 forceout at the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Thursday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bees	3	0	3	0	8	2	16	21
Mudcats	4	0	4	0	0	1	9	13

Game 6: Mudcats 18, Riverdogs 7

The Mudcats brought the bats to Saturday's nightcap at Nowell Field, exploding for seven runs in the top of the first inning and cruising to an 18-7 win over the Riverdogs. The seven first-inning runs were a season high for a single inning, and were also as many or more than the 'Cats had scored in three of the team's previous five games. The 18 runs were a season high, as were the 24 hits that were pounded out by 12 different hitters.

The day's outburst was perhaps best described by Jay, who stroked a sweet single to left leading off the second. Upon entering the dugout after scoring on Asher's single, Jay was told, "Jay, you crushed that ball!"

Jay's response: "OK!"

OK, indeed. The 'Cats also quietly played solid defense after some early hiccups, holding the homestanding Riverdogs scoreless over the final three innings and marking just the second time this season that the Mudcats have put together back-to-back-to-back scoreless defensive innings (the other was against the Thunder). The Riverdogs advanced just one runner to third during that stretch.

There were stickers galore after the game. Everyone got one for the win. Other recipients included Will (sweet catch in left), Jay (OK!), Hayden (ripped a pair of singles), Quenten (playing a great center field and made another catch out there), Gavin (bombed a homer to center and went 4-for-4) and Asher (4-for-4).

The next Mudcat event is practice Sunday afternoon from noon until 2-ish at West Raleigh. Fans will have to wait all the way until Thursday for the next game.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
The Mudcat bats thundered in the first. Luke and Asher reached to set up Gavin, who blasted a three-run homer to center to get the All Blacks on the board early. But that wasn't the end of the scoring. Colin got it started again with a single, and then Quenten ripped an RBI double. Cameron's hot shot to short couldn't be fielded. With two on, Brenner laced a single to center, and Quenten came all the way around to score. Channing hustled out an RBI single to the right side, and then Will completed the scoring with an RBI fielder's choice to short.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 7, Riverdogs 0

Second inning
Jay got it started by roping a leadoff single to left. He moved all the way to third on Luke's single. Asher's single scored Jay, and then Gavin's deep single scored Luke. Colin's single loaded the bases, and then some aggressive baserunning forced a Riverdog miscue, allowing Asher to score on a throwing error after Quenten's pop fly to the pitcher. Cameron picked up two RBI with a single through the left side.
Score after one and a half innings: Mudcats 12, Riverdogs 3

Fourth inning
Leading off let again, Luke singled, and Asher singled for the third of his four hits. Gavin, who was also on his way to a four-hit day, singled home Luke. With one out, Quenten doubled home Asher and Gavin. Brenner drove an RBI fielder's choice to the right side to plate Quenten.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 16, Riverdogs 7

Fifth inning
Will singled and moved to second on Hayden's grounder to the middle. Brayden singled in Will for the lone run of the inning.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 17, Riverdogs 7

Sixth inning
Gavin singled to left and moved to second on some defensive issues. Quenten earned his fourth RBI of the day with a two-out single to left.
Score after five and a half innings: Mudcats 18, Riverdogs 7

Saturday's Web Gems

• Luke was part of another double play in the third. With runners on first and second and nobody out, the batter smoked a line drive to second. Luke grabbed it in the air, then fired to Asher at first to snuff out what could have been a big inning.
• The Mudcats got solid outfield play, including two great catches on fly balls. The first came from Will, who snagged a liner in left to end the fourth.
• The All Black outfield did it again in the fifth. This time it was Quenten who ran under a fly ball to center and ended the inning with a smooth catch.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	7	5	0	4	1	1	18	24
Riverdogs	3	1	3	0	0	0	7	8

Game 5: Lookouts 11, Mudcats 9

On an odd night at Nowell Field, the Mudcats outhit the Lookouts but were undone by a pair of Lookout homers and one bad defensive inning, falling 11-9 to snap a three-game winning streak.

The offensive highlight was the first career home run for Quenten, who blasted a fourth-inning pitch over the center field fence and effectively knocked Coach Jamie out of the game.

Quenten's homer drew the Mudcats within 6-5, but a five-run Lookout fifth put the 'Cats back in a hole. That's when they began to play some of their best baseball, scratching across a run in the bottom of the fifth, turning in a 1-2-3 defensive inning in the top of the sixth, then rallying for three runs in the bottom of the sixth and very nearly coming all the way back.

Special recognition--in the form of Coach Sean and Coach Adam wrestling to see who would award him the first of his double stickers--was given to Jackson after the game, as the rookie Mudcat showed incredible hustle and awareness in right field, and also found time to hit a missile in the fifth. Colin also earned a sticker for his defensive play, and Quenten collected a sticker for his home run. Cameron received a sticker for his long double in the sixth that drove in a run and prolonged the 'Cat rally.

The next Mudcat event is Wednesday's practice at Kentwood (directions are here) at 5 p.m. The next game is Saturday against the Riverdogs, also at 5 p.m.

Tuesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Luke, Asher and Gavin went back-to-back-to-back on three singles that produced an early run.
Score after one inning: Lookouts 3, Mudcats 1

Second inning
Brenner led off with a single and then put on an aggressive baserunning clinic, going to second on a defensive misplay, then hustling to third on a fielder's choice, which put him in position to score on Jackson's RBI groundout.
Score after two innings: Lookouts 3, Mudcats 2

Fourth inning
Luke and Asher led off with singles. With two on and one out, Colin reached on a fielder's choice that put runners on first and third. That meant the Mudcats needed a big two-out hit...and Quenten provided a BIIIIIIG two-out hit, slamming it over the center field fence for a two-out, three-run home run.
Score after four innings: Lookouts 6, Mudcats 5

Fifth inning
Channing reached on a grounder to the left side. He moved to second on Jackson's rocket single back through the middle. Will's fielder's choice put runners on the corners, and then Brayden smacked a single to center to score Channing.
Score after five innings: Lookouts 11, Mudcats 6

Sixth inning
Luke singled through the middle and hustled all the way to third on Gavin's single. Colin drove in a pair with an opposite field single, then advanced to second on the throw home. Quenten's fielder's choice advanced the runner, and then Cameron's long fly ball double to left scored Colin.
Score after six innings: Lookouts 11, Mudcats 9

Tuesday's Web Gems

• Luke made a nice play on a line drive in the first inning, ranging to his left to spear it.
• Channing ran under a long fly ball to left-center and made it look easy in the fifth inning.
• The All Blacks turned in two 1-2-3 innings, getting solid play from Gavin, Colin and Asher in the infield in both of those frames.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Lookouts	3	0	0	3	5	0	11	11
Mudcats	1	1	0	3	1	3	9	13

Game 4: Mudcats 6, Bats 5

With a pregame dance party like the above, it's not hard to see how the Mudcats once again rallied for a big win, pushing the winning run across in the top of the sixth to beat the Bats, 6-5, on Saturday morning.

Before we get to the game description, a couple notes on the above photos, in which you will notice that Asher has to take his batting helmet off in order to really break it down. First, if you'll remember Coach Sean's postgame description to the parents, he said they should all want to see "Asher's dance." If you look at the top picture, it sure looks like there is someone other than Asher--a big guy who kind of looks like a coach--dancing also. And second, the best part of the second picture is the look on Colin's face, as he wonders if it's too late to go back into the draft and find a team that is slightly less crazy.

Fortunately, he decided to stay with the All Blacks, because the Mudcats needed contributions from up and down the lineup to get Saturday's win. It was the third straight game in which the 'Cats have had to come back to get the win, and the second straight game when the winning run crossed the plate in the sixth.

"That," Coach Sean told the team afterwards, "was a really good baseball game."

This time, the solid Mudcat play was largely attributable to defense, as the 'Cats have gotten more confident in the field and have made almost the same amount of errors in the last three games combined (all wins) that they made in the first game alone (a loss). In three different innings on Saturday, the All Black defense allowed just four Bats hitters to come to the plate. Even on plays when the Bats picked up a hit, the Mudcat outfield was able to limit them to just one base, instead of allowing the ball to get by and turn into extra bases.

Everyone received stickers for the win, and offensive stickers went to Gavin (who casually just happened to hit a game-tying home run right after Coach Sean had urged the team to get the runs back they'd just handed the Bats) and Brayden (who had a game-tying RBI single in the fifth). Defensive stickers went to Gavin for his solid play at short and to Quenten for his terrific sixth-inning catch that preserved the Mudcat win.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning

Luke led off with a single. Asher reached on a fielder's choice, then moved to second on Gavin's single. Colin blasted a double deep to left-center that scored both runners. Quenten capped the scoring with a double down the right-field line that scored Colin.

Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 3, Bats 0

Fourth inning

The scoring description won't take long on this one: down 4-3, Gavin stepped to the plate as the leadoff man and bombed a home run deeeeeeeeep to center for the first Mudcat homer of the season.

Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 4, Bats 4

Fifth inning

Jackson reached on a grounder to the left side, then moved to second on Will's infield single. The Bats picked up two straight fielder's choices at third to get two outs, but then Brayden lined a single to center that scored Will.

Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 5, Bats 4

Sixth inning

Asher led off with a double to right-center. With two outs, he was still on second base, but then some adventurous base-running advanced him to third on Quenten's grounder. With runners on the corners, Cameron smacked a hot shot to the left side that scored Asher with the eventual game-winning run.

Score after five and a half innings: Mudcats 6, Bats 5

Saturday’s Web Gems

• On the first Bats hitter of the game, Luke made a nice play backing up and hauling in a popup behind second.
• With the Bats cleanup man at the plate and a runner in scoring position in the first, Luke knocked down a hot grounder at second. He threw a little wide of first, but Asher came off the bag and then got back to the bag for the force that retired the side.
• Gavin made a leaping play of a line drive at shortstop in the fifth that robbed the Bats leadoff hitter of at least a single.
• Coach Rob made a sweet play on Asher's foul ball in the sixth, casually reaching up to snag it over the fence down the left-field line...with a baby in the fan's arms right next to him.
• Quenten made a potential game-saving play in the sixth, running in to catch a hard drive by the Bats cleanup hitter that looked ticketed for extra bases.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	3	0	0	1	1	1	6	10
Bats	0	0	4	0	1	0	5	9

Game 3: Mudcats 11, Scrappers 10

• Game photos from the win

In what is certain to be one of the most thrilling games of the season, the Mudcats scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to get a walk-off win, 11-10, over the Scrappers.

The victory turned Coach Sean into a prophet, as he had gathered the team in the middle of the sixth and asked, “What are we about to do?”

“Get four runs!!!” they shouted back, eager to tie the score and go into extra innings.

“No,” Coach Sean said. “Let’s get five runs and go ahead and win the game.” That, folks, is a coaching genius, made even more incredible by the fact that he was working with an inept third base coach who took a scorebook out to the third-base coaching box to write down such helpful notes as, “Call Coach Jamie and make sure he gets back from Disney World in time for Saturday’s game.”

The Mudcat offense was keyed by production up and down the order, as ten of the 11 hitters reached base and eight different players drove in at least one run. Aware that they were dealing with some questionable third-base coaching, the once-tentative Mudcat baserunners ran very aggressively in the final two innings, making some big hustle plays that contributed to the rally.

A very happy All Black postgame huddle included stickers for everyone, plus a rally-starting sticker for Jackson, a game-winning hit sticker for Colin and a defensive sticker for Gavin.

The Mudcats were almost certainly propelled to the win by the vast amount of All Black alumni in the stands at various points during the game, including Brady’s family and even Coach Andy, who did what he does best in starting the mojo—by leaving the stands.

The 'Cats will practice Wednesday night at Kentwood, and play again in the Saturday morning 9 a.m. special against the Bats.

Monday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning

Keep in mind that all of these scoring recaps were written while standing in the third-base coaching box and my attention may not have been completely devoted to the scorebook. From what I can tell, Luke lined a leadoff single and moved to second on Asher’s single. Quenten singled, and then Channing picked up a clutch two-run single.

Score after one inning: Scrappers 3, Mudcats 2

Second inning

The bottom of the order set up the rally, as Will and Brayden reached with two outs. Luke loaded the bases with a shot to the right side, and then Asher singled in the game-tying run.

Score after two innings: Mudcats 3, Scrappers 3

Third inning

Colin and Quenten reached to start the inning, and then Channing moved the runners to second and third with a fielder’s choice. Cameron gave the ‘Cats their first lead of the day with a grounder to the right side that scored Colin.

Score after three innings: Mudcats 4, Scrappers 3

Fifth inning

With one out, Gavin blasted a double to deep right. Colin immediately drove Gavin home and advanced all the way to third, putting him in perfect position to score on Quenten’s single.

Score after three innings: Scrappers 9, Mudcats 6

Sixth inning

For some reason, all I have written down for this inning is, “Just get out of their way and keep waving them home!!!” I have no idea what that means.

Jackson led off with a single that seemed to ignite the Mudcat dugout. Will reached on a grounder to short. With two on and none out, Hayden grounded it to right and legged it out, while Jackson raced all the way around to score, drawing the Mudcats within 10-7. Brayden singled Will home, making it 10-8 and turning the batting order over. Luke singled back through the middle, scoring Brayden and bringing up Asher. I think I blacked out at that point because suddenly Asher was standing at third and Luke had scored to make it 10-10. After the Scrappers shortstop made a great play on Gavin’s line drive, leaving Asher at third with two outs, Colin rapped it back through the middle and hustled down the line to beat the throw and allow the winning run to score.

And then we all started breathing again.

Score after six heart-pounding innings: Mudcats 11, Scrappers 10

Monday’s Web Gems

• With two on and two out in the first, the Mudcats executed a textbook rundown…by not throwing the ball at all. Gavin caught a throw at second, then ran down the runner between first and second to end the threat.
• Gavin’s play started a string of seven straight outs by the Mudcat defense. Several players made plays during that stretch, including Colin snagging a pop fly and fielding a grounder, Will scooping up a pair of grounders and Asher and Gavin each grabbing a grounder.
• In what seemed like an inconsequential play at the time but ended up being big, Gavin ranged back into the edge of the outfield to spear a sinking liner in the top of the sixth. That play limited what could have been a potentially big Scrapper inning to just one run .

Monday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Scrappers	3	0	0	6	0	1	10	10
Mudcats	2	1	1	0	2	5	11	15