Defense Fantastic

Sunday afternoon Zebulon had to make that 35mile trek back to Rocky Mount to meet the Rocky Mount National All Stars for the third straight day.  The won a classic 4-3 Friday night.  Saturday in the all we got to do is win this game  Zebulon lost to Rocky Mount 12-9.

Today it was the winner gets a trip to Hickory in the State Tournament to represent this Tar Heel Midget district.  Both teams had plenty of innings left in their pitchers as Zebulon tosses Jackson Anderson and he did a find job of six innings six hits two walks. The National League all Stars countered with Trevor Mills and Mills allowed only four hits walked a couple.  It was what happened to those runners on base or those that didn't get on base that tells the tale of this game.

RM scored in the first on a hit by Andrew Meade and a rbi double by Chase Hollowell.  Rocky Mount scored twice in the third as Payton Bass had a rbi and another run scored on a wild pitch.  The sixth inning still winning 3-0 and as the visitors you always have to get three outs in the bottom of the sixth to win RM added a fourth run when Gates Harrell had  fielders choice with runners on 1st and third and the run came home to give Rocky Mount a 4-0 lead going to the bottom of the 6th inning.

Trevor Mills had pitch well but the player of the game was shortstop Andrew Meade in the 4th made all three outs on ground balls and two were hits in the hole that he threw the runners outs  to keep men off base.  The lead off batter got on with a hit.  Their second batter Gavin Pearce hit a ball about five feet from the batters box that started out foul but rolled fair.  The National Leaguers made their only error of the game when the throw to first went  down the right field line with the runner on first scoring and the batter on second with no outs.

Andrew Meade made another play at short stop as he threw a runner out at first and held the runner at second.  In a call I don't know whether I would have done that  Johnny Ramsey intentionally walked their clean up hitter to bring the tying run to the plate.  Now runners are on 1st and second one out and a 4-1 game.  The next batter hit a one hopper back to Mills at the pitchers mount with everyone hollering throw to third Mills calmly threw to second for the force out and the relay throw to first got a double play to end the game.

The Rocky Mount National League All Stars  join the Senior Rocky Mount Little League All Stars in Hickory and both had to beat the undefeated team twice to get to the district titles.

Andrew Meade had two hits for RM along with Chase Hollowell.  Payton Bass  and Hunter Robinson collected singles.   Hollowell Bass and Harrell had rbi 's for the district champs.  They begin State title play July 28th.