Post 58 Clinches

Where do you start when you try to describe this game?  Jeremy Sloop pitches you typical seven inning 13 hitter and wins by ten run rule. Sloop allowed six straight hits  in the second inning and on top of that took two  line drives off his body in which he was able to make outs.   If he hadn't done that there might have been eight straight hits.  He gave up only three runs in the second and only one other Post 13 runner crossed the plate.  Sloop did not walk a batter all night and has two straight seven inning complete games against Post 13 as last Wednesday CP 58 beat Post 13 12-2 at Wilson.

Post 13 sent ten batters to the plate during the game and all ten had at least one hit  and yet they lost by the ten run rule.  Post 58 got only nine hits but were aided by 10 base on balls  and  another four  Post 13 errors.  Coleman-Pitt scored four runs on wild pitches that scored from third.  They scored another run on a first-third steal of second and a wild throw to the outfield.

I talked yesterday about the Berry Factor  for Post 58 and tonight it is front and center as Thomas Berry drove in the first run in the first inning  and after that  CP58 scored  four more and two of those scored on a Khalil Macklin two run homer.  Ahead 13-4 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th inning Matthew Berry who by the way committed just today to play baseball next year at Wilson's Barton College hit a grand slam home run to give Post 58 more than enough than the ten runs needed  as they win 17-4.

Chase Johnson had three hits for CP58 and two rbi.  Jordan Taylor also added two hits and Kyle Pratt supplied a single as CP 58 gets back to their timely hitting . CP58 puts a strangle hold on the top seed in the Northern Division of  Area one East.  They now have a two game lead with two conference games to go but they own the tie breaker having beaten Post 13 tonight.

Post 58 has shown that  they love to be a front runner as tonight they put five on the board in the first and never look back.  They have a solid defense, they are getting steady starting pitching   and are having fun doing it.

Thursday night is the last home regular season game of the year for Post 58 as they host Wayne County who they beat last week at their place 8-4 on a night when Hank Jones pitched the staff .  It would not surprise me if that doesn't happen again Thursday night.

Thursday is cut down day as Post 58 has to turn in their 18 man roster for the playoffs so that leaves coach Hank Jones having to tell a very good baseball player after the game tonight that he can't play in the playoffs.  You might ask why wait this long to let a player continue to play.  The biggest reason is in case someone gets hurt and would be out for the year you still have your 18th player.

I will let you know tomorrow the decision.  Post 58 is now 13-4  7-0 in the Northern Division  and will have a home game in the first round of the playoffs on July 3rd against the #4 seed from the Southern Division who looks like New Bern.  That is a two out of three series.

Friday  CP 58 travels to Edenton and then Sunday they finish up the regular season  with a game at Fleming Stadium in Wilson.

Vanderbilt has beaten Carolina to knock the Heels out of the College World Series.  Once again the SEC has beaten the ACC in a head to head match up

Tonight as I was leaving the game ran into Sam Lilley the Rocky Mount Gryphon pitcher who took the line drive off his face against Wilson Hunt  and it is a miracle what doctors can do.  Looking at Sam there is no visible damage any where on Sam's face.  You would never know he had even been hit.  Praise the Lord for the things he can do.   Oddly enough the player who hit the ball Avery Harper played for Post 13 tonight.