Double plays are typically a rare sight in Little League baseball.
That has not been the case in recent days for the Mullens 8-10 year old All-Stars.
Using a twin killing to secure the District 2 championship over Logan, Mullens turned a pair of double-dips Saturday in a 4-3 win over Beckley in the opening round of the 8-10 All-Stars Baseball State Tournament played at Sophia Little League.
It is also believed that the youngsters made a little bit of history with the win.
“As far as I can remember, and I have asked everybody, I can’t remember when Mullens has won a state tournament game,” Mullens manager Kent McBride said. “As far as I know that is the first. Somebody could (read) this and come and tell me different. It is also the first time a boys team has won a district that we can remember.”
The start of the game was ideal for Beckley which took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Grayson Yoke and Jacoby Shea opened with back-to-back singles for Beckley. When the throw to first got away on Grayson Avancini’s infield single with two outs, Yoke and Shea crossed for the early advantage.
Mullens answered in the bottom of the inning when Cam McBride manufactured a run after a one-out single Using a pair of passed balls and a ground out , the speedy McBride was able to score, cutting the deficit in half.
With runs clearly at a premium in the contest, each time Beckley threatened, the Wyoming County youngsters had the answer to stay in the game.
An error and a single gave Beckley a threat in the second, but a pair of strikeouts by McBride and a ground out stopped the momentum in its tracks.
One-out singles from Jacoby Shea and Daniel G an inning later gave Beckley hope only to see it fade in a 6-4-3 double play.
“We played a good game today. A lot of what we are trying to do is make routine plays look routine,” McBride said. “When you have eight, nine and ten year old’s you are going to have some hiccups. You are not going to make every play. We made some really good plays today.”
While Mullens was working magic in the field, Beckley was not so fortunate becoming its own worst enemy in the bottom of the third.
A pair of two-out errors brought Noah Boothe home and set the table for Tayson Perry who ripped a shot to the left-field fence for a two-run double and a 4-2 lead.
“We have been going through a heat wave, but this group has practiced almost every day and they haven’t complained,” McBride said. “When you practice like that, when you get in these moments you are not nervous.”
Beckley scored its final run in the fifth inning and once again had a threat brewing with two aboard, but the golden opportunity faded when Mullens executed another double play at a crucial time in the game.
McBride and Gavin McKinney combined for the win, striking out eight batters, but as good as the Mullens duo was, Yoke was equally as good on the opposite side for Beckley.
Yoke allowed only five hits in the tough-luck loss.
“The name of the game in Little League is throwing strikes. We knew going in that Grayson Yoke was a strike thrower,” McBride said. “Cam is a strike thrower and that make the game fun. The ball was put in play and we had to make plays. I thought our pitchers did a really good job.”
While Mullens and Beckley were doing battle on Field 2, District 4 champion Shady Spring was dispatching Summersville 20-7 on Field 1.
While the win was convincing in the end, it was not the most crisp performance for the District 4 champs.
“Faster pitchers, we are usually on that speed. We worked on it all morning in the cage,” Shady Spring manager John Winkler said. “The first pitcher threw it a little bit, but they pulled him after 20 pitches. They brought in a little slower Pitcher and for whatever reason, those are the ones we struggle with. A little sloppy, but we got the win.”
Never trailing in the game, Shady Spring took a 7-0 lead through three at-bats before Summersville answered with four runs in the bottom of the third.
Undaunted by the outburst, Shady Spring scored seven runs in the fourth inning and six more in the fifth for the win.
Coming off of a strong performance in District 4 play, Grayson Walls was solid again going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, a triple and two RBI.
Jude Bailey and Ryder Hall also recorded a double and a triple in the win with Hall driving in four runs and Bailey three.
Park Winkler had two doubles, while Cash Boggs and Case Meador had two hits each.
“We have do a little better job of staying focused and finishing the game when we have the upper hand,” Winkler said. “The good thing is we will have every pitcher except one available to pitch tomorrow. We are really deep at pitching and that is what you have to have in this tournament.”
Shady Spring will now play Shinnston Sunday at 4 p.m. on Field 2, while Mullens will square off with Barboursville at the same time on Field 1.
Beckley will play Tygarts Valley in an elimination game on Field 2 at 7 p.m. Summersville will play Ceredo-Kenova in a win-or-go-home tilt on Field 1, also at 7 p.m.
