Plenty Of Pitching

I don't think too many people thought before tonight's game that with Tyler Joyner and Hobbs Johnson pitching that there would be too many runs scored, and there weren't.

Tyler Joyner needed four strikeouts to reach three hundred for his career at Northern. He had that after the first four Gryphons struck out. In all Joyner struck out 15 Gryphons and eight of the first nine batters were strike out victims.

Junior Hobbs Johnson found out early if he wanted to win this game he had to be just as good as Joyner.

Johnson gave three singles, all three never left the infield. The difference in the pitchers tonight was that Johnson while striking out 12 only hit one batter and no Base on Balls while Joyner had four free passes and one of them came home to score the first run.

Goose eggs were across the score board until Carter Varnell walked to leadoff the 6th inning. Brian Goodwin also walked to put men on first and second with no outs. A double steal attempt came up roses for the Gryphons as Tyler Clarks throw to gun down Varnell sail into left field with Varnell scoring.

Nursing a 1-0 lead Johnson Hit the leadoff batter in the bottom of the 6th Tanner Smith. Steven Moore the Knights centerfielder had attempted two bunts to try to get Smith to second but had failed to do so, he slapped a hot grounder to third baseman Collins Cuthrell who was still playing up in case of a bunt with two strikes. Cuthrell made a diving backhand grab got to his feet and made a throw to second to get Smith for the first out. If that ball gets out of the infield it was heading for the wall and a run. It was not to be as Collins made the defensive play of the game.

Hobbs Johnson knew he still needed more runs to be safe belted a Joyner pitch off the right field wall for a double. Two batters later Parker Helms knocked him in from second to give the Gryphons all they would need and more

Johnson pitch a perfect 7th inning in completing his first game as a Gryphon and goes to 4-0 on the season. Johnson line was seven inning 0 runs, three hits, one hit batter and twelve strikeouts. No knight runner got past second base.

Tyler Joyner is the hard luck loser for Northern. His line was 7 innings, three hits, two runs, one unearned fifteen strikeouts and four base on balls

Michael Whitehead, Hobbs Johnson and Parker Helms got the only three hits the Gryphons could muster.

Tonight the little things went right for the Gryphons as pitching and defense get the defending State champs off on the right foot in their quest to repeat as state champions.

Gryphons 2 Northern 0