Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Messy Spring

The Rocky Mount Gryphons finished second this spring in the Big East with a 7-3 conference record.  Hunt went undefeated in conference play  and they never once faced Benton Moss.  Both weeks when Rocky Mount play Hunt the Hunt game was the third game of the week and Moss had already tossed in another conference game.

The reality is that Moss the winningest pitcher in Gryphon history only pitched in four of the Gryphon conference games.  It is no body's  fault that it happened that way other than a screwy schedule.  If things work like they should there are five weeks of conference games and a week of Easter where most teams play Easter tournaments.  If that was the way the schedule had of come down then Moss would have pitch in five conference games and just maybe caught the schedule just right where he might of pitch against  Hunt twice instead of none.

Was Hunt good enough to have beaten Moss?  The only way to find out will be if Hunt and Rocky Mount would survive far enough in the playoffs to meet each other down the line which is not likely but possible.

Rocky Mount's seven conference wins they scored 55 runs which is not quite eight a game.  They gave up only four runs in those seven wins.  Just a tad more than a half run a game.  Benton was 4-0.  Jeremy Johnson won the other three.

The three losses the Gryphons scored 14 runs but gave up a whopping 32.  The Gryphons feasted on the bottom two teams winning by a combined score of 43-1.  The upper crust of the conference  or the teams that made the playoffs the going was tougher as the Gryphons were 3-3 and score 28 runs and gave up 35.

The Gryphons start the State playoffs Thursday night.  You can best bet believe that Benton Moss will toe the rubber for the Gryphons.  We are to the point where there is no guarantee so there is no saving anybody for the next game.  The playoff teams from the Big East the Gryphons scored and average of 4.5 runs a game.  Why should we expect any more than that in the playoffs.  If you remember last year they only scored two in the second round and lost.

Every team has at least one good pitcher and the first game of the playoffs you can best bet believe that Hertford County will throw the best they have.  Look for a low scoring game.  Should the Gryphons make it to the second round I don't see any other way but to pitch Moss again next Tuesday.  Should the Gryphons make it to the third round worry about that one if they get there.



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