Ninth-Inning Magic

Once again tonight, coach Matt Bryan uses mirrors on the mound and gets seven innings-plus from Mike Williams who before tonight had never pitched more than two innings in one stretch in his career.

Trying to give the top three pitchers one more day of rest, Williams like T.J. Taylor last night, had the Cary Post 67 crowd thinking 'man, this Post 58 has got some pitching.' By the way, there was a whole lot of Post 58 fans impressed with the pitching the last two nights.

Post 58 scored two in the first on by to back doubles by T J Taylor and Collins Cuthrell getting a rbi. Cuthrell scored on an error by the Cary third basemen. Post 67 got two right back in the bottom of the inning with a single and homer.

Post 67 scored single runs in the second and fourth inning to lead 4-2 when Post 58 cut the lead to one in the fifth. Taylor's single advanced to third on a double by Xavier Macklin and Taylor scored on a ground out by Ben Fish.

The sixth started with an Alex Pearce base-on balls, a steal of second and Wesley Joyner got him to third on a ground out to second. Mike Smith hit a grounder that the third base mans only play would have been to first base but he booted the ball allowing Pearce to tie the game. Then Mike Williams gave Post 58 the lead with a towering shot that cleared the fence in right center to give 58 a 6-4 lead.

Mike Williams had allowed eight hits through the first four inning and only gave up one in the fifth, sixth and seventh. In the eighth he got one out and then struck out what would have been the second out but the runner reached on a wild pitch to the screen. He then had another wild pitch and a single and left the game with runners on first and third.

Bill Clark gave up a hit to make it 6-5 and another single tied the game after eight.

The ninth started with easy outs to second and shortstop, but with two outs Xavier Macklin singled. On the first pitch Ben Fish slapped a line drive that rolled to the wall and Matt Bryan waved Macklin home to take the lead.

Clark started the bottom of the ninth with a strike out and then gave up a one out single. The next batter struck out on a ball about five feet in front of the plate. The hitter took off for first, but since first base was occupied he was out on a strikeout and the runner on first started for second, whether he thought he could get to second since the ball was out in front of the plate or he thought he had to run since the batter was running whatever the thought was Fish scooped up the ball and threw a strike to Dillon Cockrell who applied the tag for the final out.

Coleman Pitt Post 58- 7, Cary Post 67- 6

Post 58 has won the first two games of this series with pitchers who didn't play major pitching roles up until this series, especially starting pitching.

Cary outhit 58 tonight 13 to 8, but every hit was timely for Post 58. Coleman-Pitt's infield defense came through in the clutch as Collins Cuthrell, Wesley Joyner, Mike Smith and Alex Pearce at first all made defensive plays that if they don't make them, Cary scores runs.

Taylor, Macklin and Fish each had two hits and Fish's ninth-inning double was the game winner. Cuthrell and Williams had a hit with Mike Williams blast being a homer.

Post 58 now has three chances, two at home, to win one game and head to the State Senior Legion State tournament this Saturday.

How good are our hitters? Well, everyone would think that playing at Northern has been a great advantage. No so fast, my friend, look at this . As of tonight, Post 58 has played 23 games. Twelve home games have produced 14.5 runs per game, while on the road 11.66. I believe this team can score anywhere. In 12 home games, our pitchers have have allowed 5.33 runs per game while giving up 5.72 on the road. The short fences have been some advantage to our hitters, but our pitchers have pitched better at Northern. Go figure!

The Rocky Mount Junior Legion team tonight in the winners bracket game lost 4-2 to Mooresville. There are four teams left in that tournament and one is undefeated and three with a lost. Rocky Mount plays at 1 p.m. Monday. If it wins, it would have to win two games Tuesday to win the title.

Post 58 can wrap up its first visit to the State Senior Legion Tournment since 1986 with a win Monday night. The first pitch is 7 p.m.