State champs 2.0

July 19--KERNERSVILLE -- Much of the same group that produced a North Carolina Little League state championship on home soil last year in the Ages 9-10 division reconvened at Kernersville'sSwaim Complex this week to take their shot at state supremacy once more, this time as Ages 10-11 entrants.

All they did was win again.

Chase Waddell clubbed two home runs, and the Wilson bats came alive in the sixth and final inning, pushing across four runs in the top of the inning en route to a 7-3 win Friday evening over Greenville Tar Heel.

The state title in the 10-11 ranks is the first in program history as 10 of the 12 players were members of the 9-10 state championship team. Thomas Lane and Cody Mercer are the two new faces.

Wilson, also the District 6 champion, completed an unbeaten run in the tournament. Dating back to last year in the 9-10 ranks, 10 players on the roster are now a combined 14-0 in district and state tournament play over the last two seasons.

Now, their reward is much closer. Instead of venturing to West Virginia, the scene shifts this year to Greenville for the 10-11 Tournament of State Champions, to be held inside Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park.

"These kids are something special," Wilson head coach Chris Bass said in a telephone interview after the clinching win. "They're undefeated in two years (district and state). They haven't lost a game -- the only time they lost was went we went to West Virginia last year (for the Tournament of State Champions). That's pretty unbelievable. They step up and do whatever it takes."

Waddell, who continued his monster state tournament showing at the plate, finished 3 for 4 with two home runs and four runs batted in. Over the course of Wilson's time in Kernersville, he compiled a 10 for 13 showing for a robust .769 batting average.

Chad Bean earned the win in relief of Christian Dougherty, entering in the fifth and recording four strikeouts.

In the top of the sixth, Dylan Pollock coaxed out a nine-pitch walk before Waddell strolled to the plate with one out. He stared at an 0-2 count, but it hardly mattered as Waddell steered a Wade Jarman offering out of the ballpark to give Wilson the lead for good at 5-3.

Serving as the visiting team, Wilson, purveyor of eight hits, proceeded to tack on two more insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Tyson Bass reached on a dropped third strike, and Bean singled into left field. Once Jacob Dienes walked to load the bases, Blake Daniels bounced into a fielder's choice to give Wilson a three-run lead.

Colton Moats' run-scoring single completed the scoring.

With Greenville down to its last three outs, Bean encountered no resistance. He struck out the first two batters he faced and induced a popup to Waddell to end it.

Bean's efforts helped Wilson limit the damage against it in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff single from Greenville and a hit by pitch ended Dougherty's night. Bean then surrendered his only base hit to load the bases with no one out. Although Greenville got a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3, Wilson was granted a huge second out when Bean fielded a ball and flipped to Pollock at the plate. After a wild pitch, Bean recorded a strikeout for the final out.

Waddell's first homer of the game, a solo shot in the fifth, staked Wilson to a 3-2 lead.

Greenville took an early 1-0 lead on a solo homer of its own in the bottom of the first, but Wilson capitalized on two Greenville errors for a 2-1 lead in the third. Waddell doubled, and a walk to Tyson Bass put runners on the corners after a passed ball.

A ball off the bat of Bean produced an error that scored Waddell, and a Dienes single turned into another run once the ball meandered behind Greenville's centerfielder.

Connor Jinks and Eli Pope also populate the part of the roster that will make its return to a Tournament of State Champions.

Coach Bass was appreciative of the idea of his players sleeping in their own beds.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed. "This is eight days in Kernersville right here. We're going home in the morning. But it's worth every mile."

Score by innings:

Wilson 002 014 -- 7

G. Tar Heel 100 110 -- 3

WP-Chad Bean 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

LEADING HITTERS -- Chad Bean 3-4, 2B, Chase Waddell 3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, Blake Daniels 1-3, Colton Moats 1-3, RBI.

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