Gryphons Win #1 Seed

I have told you that this Gryphon team has proven that against average pitching they are capable of double digits runs in any game.

Tonight Pat Smith and Eddie Loesner both kept their thoroughbreds in the barn and came out with their #3 pitchers in order to save their star pitchers for playoff action on Friday. Rocky Mount feasted on Northern's pitching.

Tonight Rocky Mount proved to have better pitching depth as Nick Hahula pitch three innings as the starting pitcher as Pat Smith had promised and Benton Moss tossed two inning in what proved to be all the Gryphons needed as they pound Northern Nash in the conference playoff game at Northern 13-1. The game lasted but five innings.

Nick Hahula gets credit for the victory which is his fourth of the season. That is his personal best as a varsity pitcher.

Tyler Joyner provided the only Northern run with a solo homer to right field but only three more hits were all the Knights could muster against Hahula and Moss.

Collins Cuthrell broke the game open with a three run home run and Dillon Cockrell also had a three run shot to provide the left side of the infield with home runs. The Gryphons scored ten runs in the fourth inning to salt the game away.

Rocky Mount had fifteen hits with Cuthrell and Thomas Berry getting three hits each.

The Gryphon pitching has now completed their entire conference season never allowing more than two runs in any game.

Rocky Mount opens defense of their State Championship URGENT-URGENT-URGENT Friday night at Home hosting Southern Wayne.

Due to possible thunderstorms predicted for Friday night the Rocky Mount-Southern Wayne game has been bumped up to Thursday night at Gryphon Stadium. game time 7.00pm

The Saints are 12-14 on the season. Northern also has a home game Friday but at this time I am unsure of their opponent.

If both were to win Friday Northern more than likely would have to hit the road where Rocky Mount would be in line for at least one more home game in the playoffs next week.

Once the playoffs start and as you move through your bracket being home or away is based on a predetermined format. Rocky Mount as the #1 seed is schedule to play Eastern Wayne in the third round at Eastern Wayne if both advance that far.

Luckily for both teams there were no injuries to either team that would effect the playoffs.

I still question whether the game was worth playing considering neither team chose to pitch their aces in what amounted to a championship game but in reality the #1 seed is all that was won. A bonus, a second home game could go to Rocky Mount for the victory if they win this Friday.

As it turns out this becomes a scrimmage game for both team.

Rocky Mount finishes the regular season 19-2 . Not a bad follow up at all to last years 27-6 State championship. The final totals are yet to be scripted for this years Gryphon team.

Last year it took nine playoff games to win the title. Rocky Mount swept the Eastern Finals which could have gone one more game. So whoever wins the title this year technically there is 1/3 of the season left to play. A loss at any time during the first four rounds and the season can end in one game.