Gryphons Open Conference With Win

Jeremy Johnson gave the Rocky Mount Gryphons six strong innings of pitching allowing only one run  on five hits while striking out ten Wilson Fike batters as Rocky Mount opens conference play with a 3-1 victory over Fike.

Andy Morris open up the game getting a triple in the right center gap and Johnson's sac fly gave the Gryphons a 1-0 lead in the first.  Starting Fike pitcher Charlie Vaughn held the Gryphons in check for four inning giving up only one hit.  Tyler Poythress pitched the fifth and sixth innings for Fike.  Fike was quiet until the fifth when Tyler Poythress singled advance to third on a sac infield single by Sam Ellis.  Poythress scored on a fly ball sac by Richard Hinton.

The bottom of the sixth inning  Johnson started off with a single, Trevor Hayworth reach on an error.  Ben Winstead's fly ball drove in Johnson to give the Gryphons the lead at 2-1. Jerrell Hunter drove in run #3 with a hit over second to give the Gryphons their three runs.

In somewhat of a gamble with several pitching injuries still plaguing the Gryphons coach Kent Cox brought on Cody Smith to pitch the seventh.  So far this season Smith either strikes you out or walks you and Smith acted like a closer should in striking out one batter and got a three up and three down top of the seventh to record the save.

Andy Morris, Jeremy Johnson and Jerrell Hunter had the three Gryphon hits while Tyler Pouthress had two singles and he had help  with a hit from Sam Ellis, a double by Charlie Vaughn and a Jordan Crumpler hit .  Jeremy Johnson got the win and Tyler Poythress took the loss.

Rocky Mount record expands to 4-3 but 1-0 in Big East play while Fike suffered their first loss of the season as they stand 6-1 and 0-1 in the Big East.

Former Rocky Mount Gryphon Benton Moss was named Monday as the ACC pitcher of the week after he pitch a seven inning gem Saturday night for North Carolina.  Moss allowed two hits and struck out seven batters and picked up his fifth win of the year and stands at 5-0 which is the most wins any pitcher in the ACC has.  His five starts this year for the Tar Heels he has struck out at least seven in every game and 39 on the season which is fourth in the ACC.

I hope you had a chance to see ESPN's 30-30 Series Survive and Advance Sunday night.  It featured the 1983 N C State WolfPack and their journey having to win nine games in a row  to either get into the NCAA tournament and then survive trailing in the second in seven of them.  It is not only about that team but the death of coach Jim Valvano and the spirit he gave that 83 team to never give up and even as he died from cancer he lived the spirit until his death.  It was an awesome show and I hope you catch a rerun that they will show a million times in the next two weeks until the next 30-30 hits the air ways.