Saturday, February 20, 2010

It's Fike's Big East Tournament

Those in attendance Friday night saw why both the Nash Central girls and boys made the tournament championship finals. Terry Cash's Lady Bulldogs lead for much of the game only to succumb late in the third quarter to the Lady Golden Demons. Once Fike got the lead they had all they could do to hold on to the lead and victory as Fike girls beat The Lady Bulldogs 56-51.

In the night cap Nash central stayed in the game with strong board play from Brandon Thomas and Terrell Copeland. Trailing by nine at one point Dominque Holloway found the range in the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs could never quite catch up and fall to Fike 64-60.

Nash Central despite their good tournament only will finish as a #4 seed from the Big East and start the playoffs at C B Aycock. The Bulldog girls think they will start at either Eastern Wayne or Southern Wayne. They will know for sure when the brackets are released Saturday afternoon.

The Monday night double header for Rocky Mount will find West Craven taking on the Lady Gryphons and Jacksonville providing the boys their first round match.

Friday was the opening of the college baseball season and former Gryphon Brian Goodwin started in right field for Mike Fox at UNC. Carolina won 6-5 in ten innings and Goodwin was 0-4 but did have and RBI. He also caught two fly balls in right. Regardless of how Brian's career goes from here on he will always be able to say that he started his first game as a freshman at Carolina and Fox had him hitting fifth in the lineup.

Rumors are hot that freshman Tyler Joyner at ECU will be the starting pitcher for the Pirates on Tuesday. The former Knight of Northern Nash is part of the Babe Ruth dynasty that Nash county had going when Joyner, Goodwin and Ben Fish and many others went to the Babe Ruth World Series twice as 13 and 14 year olds.

Speaking of Ben Fish, Campbell open their baseball season Friday but looks like Ben may find the pine a lot this year as former Knight Bryan Braswell a senior for Campbell is the starting catcher and he opened the season going four for five and had four rbi's.

If you watched Nash County's American legion team last summer you saw former Nash Central Bulldog Xavier Macklin hit a home run about every other game. Friday North Carolina A&T opened their baseball season, you know the X man knocked one out for the Aggies. Also former Bulldog Alex Pearce got a rbi in action at UNC Pembroke this week.

Former Gryphon Jim Leggett after sitting out last season after his shoulder injury his senior season for the Gryphons is pitching for Pitt CC this spring. He is joined by Northern Nash Knights Zack Woodley and Mike Williams.

Boy all of this baseball and we have not said one word about all the locals playing for Wesleyan. We will do that next time we talk baseball which could be everyday between now and end of July.

Boy I'm tire as when I got home from Joining Wes Bradshaw in covering the games of the Big East Tournament basketball for the "Stretchlon Sports Show" I have been surfing the net looking at all these scores from our guys.