Gryphons Hope For Muddled Mess

All they needed to do was win one game this week and they were headed to the playoffs.  Tuesday they lost at Fike 7-6 and were faced with a must win tonight to insure a 3rd place playoff spot.  Southern Nash was at Gryphon Stadium to play in the last regular season game in the history of stadium as far as high school games go.

Southern scored their first run on what would have been the third out of the second inning on a Gryphon throwing error.  Run #2 scored when a Southern base hit advance to third on a wild throw on a pick off attempt and a followup base hit. The third run scored on the third hit of the fifth which gave Souther a 3-0.  Rocky Mount scattered three hits until the seventh.

Collin Watson drew a one out walk followed by a single  from Micah Varnell.  Ben Winstead slapped a double over the head of the left fielder scoring two runs and the tying run on second.  Damien Smith walk with still one out.  A grounder to short got a force at third base making two outs and the tying run still on second who is now Damien Smith.  Andy Morris hit a floating single to right field where the right fielder Kenny Rogister threw home and the Southern catcher Marques Taylor made a beautiful snap tag on a bang bang play at the plate Smith was call out when it looked as if he had clearly scored but it was close and just like that the game was over 3-2 Southern Nash.

Ryan Shearin pitched a complete game five hitter for the Firebirds and Will Edwards took the lost.  Northern Nash's game with Fike was rained out and they will play Friday night.  If Northern Wins and they get the 3rd seed in the conference tournament next week.  If Fike wins then there is a four was tie for third and how are they going to see who is #3 through 6 who knows.  What it comes down to is that Northern must lose in order for the Gryphons to have any chance to win any kind of draw it it winds up in a four way tie.

If Northern wins Friday night there will never be another game for the Gryphons at Gryphon Stadium unless Fike wins and then they will have to bring in three Philadelphia Lawyers and a Russian Scientist to figure out this mess if it comes to that.

Northern can solve the whole thing by winning and they claim 3rd, Southern get 4th Rocky Mount 5th  and Fike 6th.  Sure are a lot of chips stacked up against the Gryphons making the playoffs but all they had to do was win one game this week.