Miracle On Howell Street

For eight innings tonight, Edenton Post 40's Chad Whitehead, who during the high school season pitched for NCISAA !-A state champion Lawrence Academy in Merry Hill, sat Post 58 batters down with all types of off-speed pitches.

He struck out only five, but through eight innings, he had Rocky Mount hitters popping up and hitting simple ground balls. He yielded only three hits.

Whitehead joined teammate Daniel Oliver, who hit a three-run homer, with a two-run shot and Post 58 was dead in the water heading to the bottom of the ninth.

Hobbs Johnson started for Post 58, but allowed five runs on five hits in just three and one-third innings.

Despite what happen in the ninth, the real hero for Rocky Mount was Parker Helms as he came in to pitch in the fourth inning and was still around at the end - shutting out Post 40 rest of the way. His five and two-thirds of three-hit pitching kept Post 58 from completely being out of this game.

Now back to the bottom of the ninth.

T.J. Taylor opened with a single - the second time all night Post 58 had a runner on without an out. Collins Cuthrell singled with one out. Thomas Berry doubled driving in Taylor and Cuthrell. The play promped Post 40's coach to send Whitehead to play first base and bring Oliver to the mound.

Matthew Berry hit a hot shot to the third baseman who made a terrific stop, but like I use to tell my Little Leaguers back in my coaching days, the play is not over until you make a good throw. The throw was a one-hopper to the new first baseman Whitehead who could not dig it out. The error got Berry to second. A groundout to second sent Post 58 to its last out.

Spencer Bell laced a single to score number four as he represented the tying run. Mike Smith (Peace) hit a seeing-eye single past the first and second basemen putting the winning run on base.
Cameron Ramsey coaxed a walk out of Oliver to load the bases and up steps Taylor, who already had a single in the ninth, delivers a single to right and Bell scores the tying run and Smith steps on home plate before the throw can get anywhere near home plate.

A team held to three hits through eight innings got six in the ninth to win game one of the area one semifinals 6-5 over Edenton.

There will be a quick turn-a-round as game two had been scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday in Manteo but has now been moved to noon at Hicks Field in Edenton. The reason the game is not being played at 7 is that the CPL's Edenton Steamers have a home game there Saturday night.

Parker Helms' great pitching gets the win for Post 58 and Oliver was the loser.

From the Senior Little League District Tournament in Zebulon, the American League All-Stars from Rocky Mount beat Zebulon in the nightcap of a doubleheader 11-1 to win the district tournament. Rocky Mount, which was unbeaten going into tonight's game, watched Zebulon beat Wendell in an earlier game and then Zebulon had to beat Rocky Mount twice in order to win the district.

The American League All-Stars join the National League from Rocky Mount in the state Tar Heel tournament which will be held in Rocky Mount July 22 -25. Rocky Mount has a good shot of defending the title it won last year as it will have two chances to win it again.

Both the Midgets (9/10) year-olds and the coach pitch (7/8) year-olds started their district tournament tonight also.

Rocky Mount Little League Flexing Muscles

The Rocky Mount Recreation all stars are playing this weekend with hopes of making it to the State championships which will be held at the Sports Complex in Rocky Mount starting July 22nd through the 25th. Hosting the state tournament gives Rocky Mount at least one team in each age group.

Senior little league: The National league team coached by Sam Toler beat the American league coached by Joe Bell last week in a two out of three to win the spot guaranteed to host in Rocky Mount and is just relaxing by the pool waiting for the state tournament. Joe Bell’s squad is playing in the district tournament in Wendell as we speak and has already made it to the championship game on Saturday and is waiting for the loser’s bracket winner tonight to find out who they will play for the district title. The American League have won three games already 6-2,13-1, and last night won 9-6 to put them in the championship game Friday night at 8.00pm. Just by finishing second Joe’s team has already qualified for the state tournament so both our all star senior little league teams are in the state tournament and will play in front of the home folks starting July 22nd.

The Midget all stars 9/10 are in the same situation as the seniors. Last week Tim Killebrew’s National Leaguers beat Jeremy Stewart’s American League team and Tim’s team is practicing getting ready for the state tournament. Stewart’s team starts the district tournament in Zebulon tonight and if they can get to the finals they would also make it back to the state tournament in Rocky Mount July 22nd.

The coach pitch 7/8 year old National League team is in the state tournament coached by Chad Fluno and Brad Bazemore. Ivey Powell and Johnny Ramsey’s team the American leaguers have to finish second or better at the district to make it back to Rocky Mount. Their tournament starts tonight in Rolesville.

We know for sure that we have four teams in the state tournament. Whether we have six playing we might not know until Monday. Every weekend the sports complex is alive with tournament ball. There will be no bigger tournament all year than the Tar Heel Little league which actually there will be a 13/14 year old tournament here that weekend also but Rocky Mount does not have that age group. All four tournaments will be going on at the same time. The defending State champions in the senior little league will be back to defend their title. That’s Sam Toler’s National league team.

Don’t forget Rocky Mount Legion Post 58 begins round two of their playoffs tonight hosting Edenton. First pitch is scheduled for 7.00pm at Gryphon Stadium.