Franklin’s 8U Little League teams had a season to remember this year.
When the town’s 8U All-Star teams – both baseball and softball – advanced out of their respective district tournaments last month, the stage was set for the seven- and eight-year-old players to compete in their state Little League Championships. Following the two state championship tournaments, fittingly, both teams earned 5th-place finishes as two of the best little league teams in the state.
Baseball
When head coach Dalton Shuler got a first look at his squad, made up of the best players from Franklin’s seven regular Little League teams, the skipper knew the group of All-Stars would have plenty of talent.
“I knew we had something special the first few weeks of practice, but you just never know until you get over there and start competing because everything is so new,” said Shuler. “We had no scrimmages, no nothing, and in practice, you’re not doing any type of game-style practice. It’s all just trying to get the group to get used to their new positions. Hitting is key in this age, and their bats were just incredible.
Because the best players in younger age groups are generally assigned high-traffic positions like pitcher or first base, Shuler and his coaching staff faced a unique challenge. Although his players were the best in Franklin’s Little League program, many had to learn brand new positions in order to field a team. In last month’s N.C. District 5 Tournament in Henderson County however, Franklin put its defensive concerns to rest in resounding fashion.
“We played North Asheville, Hominy Valley, Jackson County, and Henderson County, so there were a total of five teams in our district,” said Shuler. “We went undefeated through district, and at that point, [we said] ‘We’ve definitely got something here.’”
In dispatching every District 5 challenger largely on the strength of their offense – beating Henderson County in a 15-11 gunfight in the final game – Franklin earned a spot in the state 8U Little League Championship in Wilson beginning July 9. After more than a week of anticipation for the state tournament though, upon arriving Franklin found they would have to wait a bit longer for their first game.
“We were supposed to play at either 7 or 8, but our game got pushed back by a lightning delay,” said Shuler. “We didn’t get started until 10:30 that evening, and I believe we left the park at about 11:45 or 12, but they came out and just played ball like I’ve never seen. We beat them 18-6, and they played up to the stage that we were on.”
Although Friday night’s first pitch came hours behind schedule, Shuler’s players remained unphased.Having collected their first win against Rocky Mount, Franklin needed just one more victory to advance out of double-elimination pool play, with two games scheduled for the next day.
After playing late into the night against Rocky Mount and in muggy mid-90’s temperatures, Franklin lost its first game of the day to Wilson 11-2. Although the team was disappointed having suffered their first defeat, players had only enough time to get a drink of water before their next game, and faced an even bigger challenge against East Chatham just minutes later.
“They put probably 6 or 7 runs up against us in that first inning, and you can imagine how much further the heads hung after just getting defeated,” said Shuler. “But they kept going – they fought through it, and they would put a run or two up every inning. It got down to the last inning, and we had to have either four or five runs to win the game and advance into the tournament. Between the parents and all the coaches, everybody got them pumped up, got them going, and they started hitting the ball like they have been known to do. It was incredible to watch. We came back and scored those runs. It was awesome – it was one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of.”
After left-center fielder and top-of-the-order hitter Cohen Wishon got the inning started with a base hit into the outfield, the hitting bug spread like wildfire throughout the Franklin dugout. One after the other, batters delivered big hits in the clutch until Franklin finally earned a 9-8 walk-off victory. The improbable win secured Franklin a 2-1 record in pool play, keeping their tournament hopes alive and earning them a spot in the next morning’s single-elimination play. Unfortunately, they drew a familiar opponent gunning for revenge after the group stage.
“We played at 9 o’clock on Sunday, and it just so happened that we got to play East Chatham again,” said Shuler. “I talked to their coach, and [they said] that team has been playing together for the past three years, since T-ball. They weren’t new to any of this, but it was the first time they had been beat all year. You can imagine they had had their heads down, but they were ready to come back out and get a victory over us. It was a good game – everybody played well. We hit the ball well and fielded the ball well; they just happened to do it better that day.”
In falling to East Chatham 11-8, Franklin’s Cinderella story came to an abrupt end. Of the teams to advance out of pool play and lose their first single-elimination game, Franklin’s positive run differential throughout the tournament was the highest of the four, earning the team a 5th-place finish as one of the state’s best Little League squads. Although the team’s players returned to the mountains disappointed that they hadn’t advanced further, Shuler said the team has nothing to be ashamed of.
“They did tremendous,” said Shuler of his seven- and eight-year-olds, who played far beyond their years after forming just a month before. “Each and every one of them just stepped up to the plate every time. There were mistakes made, but the way that they just brushed the mistakes off and kept fighting was just a thrill to watch. Our coaches were great, great assets to the team, and it took all of us to do this. I can’t say enough about the parents – there was no complaining or anything out of anybody, they were just encouraging and willing to help in any way they could. It was an awesome experience.”
Softball
While the baseball All-Stars made a name for themselves on the state’s biggest stage, they weren’t the only 8U team to represent Franklin this month. On the same weekend the baseball team was competing in the State Championship in Wilson, Franklin’s 8U softball All-Stars vied for their own state title in Huntersville. Fittingly, both teams earned 5th-place finishes at their respective tournaments, an amazing feat considering the limited time they had to prepare.
“Our girls had 10 practices before our first game, that was all,” said head coach John Hamlin of the team. “Honestly, I think from the very first practice the young ladies were just so excited to be a part of that team and be able to extend their season. We knew the girls wanted to be a part of it, and that they would put in the effort and the time in practice to have the great result that they had.”
Made up of All-Stars nominated by coaches from Franklin’s five 8U Little League teams, Hamlin’s squad wasted little time preparing for postseason play. Following the conclusion of the Franklin Little League season at the end of May, the 8U All-Stars quickly readied to face the best teams from around the state, with District 5 rival Hominy Valley first up on the slate.
“We hosted the district tournament here in Franklin,” said Hamlin. “The Little League program is all of Western North Carolina. There were only two teams in District 5 that competed at the district level, and that was Hominy Valley and Franklin. … In that age group, the top two teams from the district advance to the state tournament, so we knew that both teams would advance no matter what the result was. That’s an 8U regulation.”
Although both teams would have a spot in the state tournament, Hominy Valley made the trek to Franklin to adjudicate the District 5 title and, more importantly, give both sides game experience ahead of the state tournament three weeks later. In the title game against the team from Candler, Franklin fell in a high-scoring shootout.
“Going into the sixth inning it was 15-13, and they went up to 31,” said Hamlin. “We came back and went up to 20, but it was a really close ballgame [until] that last inning. After six innings of playing ball, the girls get tired and make mistakes – that’s just how it goes. Both teams did fantastic, and our girls were so excited. They were just happy to be there.”
After playing Hominy Valley for the District 5 title June 19, Franklin began preparing for the State Little League Championship beginning July 10. The next week, the team competed in a weekend-long travel ball tournament in Hendersonville for some extra practice before state, and left the mountains several days later to face the best teams in the state.
“We were able to go down to the state tournament, and we had two pool play games which are basically scrimmages to kind of [figure] yourselves out,” said Hamlin. “We played against the No. 2 team and the No. 4 team, and then we started the tournament. … On Saturday we had a 12 (p.m.) game; that was the No. 2 seed. We played them and lost by one run, 12-13. That game ended at 1:40, and then we turned around and played again at (2 p.m.), so we literally had a double-header for four hours from 12 to 4. It was a pretty big accomplishment for these young ladies.”
After finishing neck and neck with Lake Norman and staying tied with Hominy Valley until the fourth inning, Franklin played two solid games against the state’s best competition in the span of just a few hours. The next day, the team began the single-elimination play portion of the tournament.
“The first game we played, we won 13-3 in four innings, so that was a great win for the girls,” said Hamlin. “They were super-excited. Then, we turned around and had to play the No. 1 seed. … At 2 [p.m.], we played against the Rowan County All-Stars. It was 3-0 in the third inning, they scored some more runs and it was 8-0 in the fourth, and then they got two runs and beat us 10-0 in the fourth inning. That team went on to win the State Championship, and I think they beat everybody by about the same margin.”
After falling to the eventual state champion Rowan, the 8U All-Stars’ stellar season has finally come to an end. In challenging some of the best teams in the state just weeks after forming their own, Franklin’s 8U players have shown incredible skill, work ethic and resiliency, a combination that bodes well for the Macon Middle School and Franklin High School teams in coming years. More than any tournament or game result however, Hamlin said the team’s goal is to provide a positive experience for Franklin’s young players; a goal they accomplished with room to spare.
“Franklin Little League Softball’s focus is abot the young ladies having fun and growing into young adults,” he said. “It’s not about the coaches, it’s not about the parents, it’s not about anything other than giving them the best that we can. We as a league are very thankful for all the community support – from the parents, from the businesses, from the people that donated to allow these young ladies to have the opportunity to go to the state tournament. … It’s all about them having fun and taking advantage of the opportunities that this wonderful county provides.”