News Better Today

The Nash County 14U Babe Ruth team won their Thursday afternoon game over Union  County 12-5 to keep their hopes alive in their quest to make the top two in their bracket in order to try to win the Babe Ruth Southeast Regional in Newton NC.

The good news is Union County won their opener yesterday 21-0 so this is a big win in case it gets down to tie breakers to make the top two.  Nash County plays game three in their bracket of the four games they will play in their round Robin bracket Friday as they play at 7pm and play the team on the  losing end of that 0-21 game with Union County McLean-Great Falls VA

If you go by any high school just about any day since school ended in June except for last week when the coaches clinic was in session you will find some team working out waiting for August 1st to roll around and teams could actually say football practice is official.  Now that football practice will be underway for real Friday that doesn't leave much time before the Big East will have their media day which this year will be on August 11th at Fike High School.  Breakfast will be served and each coach will get a few minutes to speak to interested media from around the conference starting at 9am.

The coaches will take a vote among themselves to see who they think will win the football title and I think from what I  think everyone has coming back Fike will probably be the front runner.  We should have learned by now that Hunt regardless of how good they are will be hard to knock too far from the top.  Northern Nash would love to be at the top and there is plenty of talk from Rocky Mount that you had better look out for them.  How can you forget Southern Nash.  Sure does look like one loss on any week could drop any team from the top to near the bottom because as always it looks like the Big East is as always the Big East.  The only team not mentioned so far is Nash Central.  I don't see much difference there this year.  I know they would love to win a conference game this year and if they do they will really make the team they beat suffer in the standings.

Friday marks the beginning of year seven of this blog.  The late Charles Alston set me up and even after six years I only know how to get to the blank page to write what ever I write down.  I am of course of the age that I was past 40 before I ever sat down in front of a computer so I am not savy at all with  FaceBook, Twitter and the likes.  I do see that as a nation we are losing the personal contact with each other as people as people sit at dinner texting back and forth instead of having conversations eye to eye either each other.

Despite all the negatives of this instance world we live in I thank you for your efforts each day when you actually have to search to find me.  I can tell you when ever some sports team in the area is doing well readership picks up over a day when not much is happening or the results were bad and nobody wants to hear about the bad.  We hope that every sport that is in the future we have a team in the area doing well even deep in the playoffs.  You have shown you you want to hear that news.

U 14 Falls In Opening Game

The first day of the Babe Ruth 14U Southeast Regional has ended with Nash County losing to Key West Fl 5-2.  Coach Gold's comments by text message was the team hit the ball well but the at'um ball was hard to overcome.  This lost puts Nash County in an almost can 't lose mode for their final three games in pool play.  They play again at 4:30 Thursday when they meet Union County NC.

Sad news to pass along as heard today that Lance Peck who coached Coleman Pitt Post 58 in 2006 and 2007 died in his hometown of Cherry Hills NJ.  Lance coached Cherry Hills for many years and helped them win a New Jersey State title.  He was a construction contractor by trade and found his way to Rocky Mount some time around 2005 when the  construction business in New Jersey slowed. He found Rocky Mount because his sister lived here.   He was in my Sunday school class at Sunset Avenue Baptist Church.

Bobby English also in that class told Lance that Post 58 was looking for a coach in 2006 and Lance took over the baseball team.  Since he knew I did Radio and TV he asked me if I would do the PA for him. 2006 Legion played at Nash Central and in 07 at Rocky Mount Academy.  Once the economy improve he returned to Jersey before Legion Season of 2008. Lance was an Ordained Minister and a true Christian.  He was 62 years old.

Hobbs Johnson won his 10th game of the season last night playing for the upper single A Brevard Fl in the Florida St League.  To say the least Hobbs first full year of pro baseball has been a good start to his career.

Still have no word on Brian Goodwin  who has not played for Syracuse Chiefs in almost a month.  The minor leagues are more closed mouth  when players are injured unlike the majors when every move made is public.  Any body Know anything?

The X Man Xavier Macklin is down to a 203  batting average playing for Gate City Il in the Frontier League.

I just told you a couple of weeks ago about John Wooten the former Eastern Wayne High and ECU player who's dad was a former Rocky Mount High player Sonny Wooten who this week was promoted by the Washington Nationals to their upper A team Potomac MD .  Good timing if you like.  Potomac  will be playing the MudCats in Zebulon this weekend.

Second Chance For U 14

Almost to a man the entire 14U Nash County Babe Ruth team that as 13 year olds finished second a year again in the 13U Southeast Regional begins the quest to do one better this year in Newton NC.  Nash County is in the five team American Bracket with Monroe Al, Union County NC, McLean-Great Falls VA, and Key West Fl.

The National bracket has Yadkin Co NC, Fernadina Beach Fl, Humboldt TN, Lawrenceburg TN and the host team Newton NC.

Nash County will play Key West Wednesday night at 8pm and will play each team in their bracket through Saturday.  The top two from the American bracket will play the top two from the National Sunday afternoon and the two winners square off late Sunday night for the Southeast title.  LET'S GO NASH COUNTY!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday Shelby beat Gaston twice to win the  State American Legion State title.  As crazy as this tournament has been High Point has appealed their forfeits and wouldn't this really finish off a wild year if they win and are allowed to go to the Regional with Shelby.  By the way Shelby  becomes the first team to ever win the state title with two losses.  They did get one of them back as a forfeit.

Shelby will now head to Asheboro who is hosting the Southeastern  Regional and the winner there heads to the World Series in Shelby.  Shelby could make it to the World Series and never leave North Carolina.

Legion Needs To Update

There are three states that play American Legion Baseball that still goes nine innings per game and North Carolina is still one of them.  It is time to go to seven innings.  Let the next step for a Legion player either college or pro baseball be the nine inning step.

Legion baseball needs to make decisions about how many teams you can play on at one time but is trying for an all star team playing for another  team?  Let's remember when Brian Goodwin was a high school senior he made this Under Armour team and played at Dodger Stadium in an all star game.  Is that playing for another team playing in an all star game?

Legion baseball is being attacked by Select teams, travel teams and the only people benefitting from these teams  are the people running the teams that have brain washed parents into thinking  your son will be scouted by giving us a couple thousand dollars to be on the team and let's go to tournaments all over the country on weekends and your son will pitch one inning.

Legion has to make up their mind  they are either going to do the things to survive all the attacks even coming from high school coaches that want to coach their players all summer in scholastic leagues.  Just think of the clothes pin company who thought we will need clothes pins  and in the 1950 electric dryers put every clothes pin makers out of business but one and then try to find a clothes pin in a store.

Legion has to update and modernize the game instead this is the way we have done it since 1926 when Legion Baseball started.  There has to be changes  or Legion is going to become a clothes pin.

Monday Afternoon the state Legion schedule was changes again.  Wilmington played Wayne County and Wilmington knocked Wayne County back to Wayne County winning 5-3.  The schedule change was since Gaston County was unbeaten why make them play at 12:30 against Shelby so the 12:30 game was scratched and Wilmington will play Shelby at 8:30 tonight.  The winner will play Gaston 12:30 on Tuesday having to beat Gaston twice Tuesday.  Have  you got all of that.

Tuesday  the Babe Ruth 14U team leaves for Newton  NC where they will take part in the opening ceremonies Tuesday night and there will be picnic including players and families afterwards.  Nash County will begin play in the SouthEast Regional pool play Wednesday night when they take on Key West Fl. At 8pm.  They will be in the American League bracket and in order to advance must finish either first or second in their bracket.  The top two from the American Bracket  will play the top two from the National bracket once pool play is completed.

Chaos Strikes Legion State Tourney

The North Carolina State American Legion Tournament ended on Saturday with High Point and Gaston as the only two teams with no losses after everyone had played two games.  That left Wilmington, Shelby, Wayne County and the host team Davidson  as the four teams with a loss a piece heading into Sunday.  Sunday should have two elimination games  and the two unbeatens play the prime time game Sunday night.

Shortly after High Point beat Shelby Saturday night a protest was file by Shelby that High Point was using an ineligible player.  Seems the High Point catcher had tried out earlier this month to make the Under Armour All Star team while by American Legion rules is classified as playing for two teams at once.  Early Sunday morning High Point was ruled to have to forfeit both of their wins and thus that was two losses for them and they are out of the tournament.

What in the world can you do now that both Wayne County and Shelby  have had a loss removed and now they join Gaston with two wins?  We now have three unbeatens and two with one loss each.  Since Gaston is the only true two time winner this weekend on their own they are given the day off. Instead of Shelby playing Wilmington in an elimination game the three game day is reduced to two as the elimination began at 4:30 and Wilmington beat the host team Lexington 7-5 to reduce the field to only four.

Shelby and Wayne County who had won one and been awarded a forfeit in the other will now square off against each other. Shelby scores four in the bottom of the eighth to beat Wayne a County 8-4.

This sets up the two unbeatens Gaston and Shelby square off at 12:30 Monday and Wilmington and Wayne County will play an elimination game at 3:30.  The loser of the 12:30 will meet the winner of the 3:30 game at 7:30 and the survivor of Monday  night's games must beat the Monday winners bracket game twice on Tuesday starting at 12:30.

Day Two Legion Tournament

The first game of day two of the state American Legion state Tournament saw Wayne County taking on Hope Mills and for the loser the end of their summer baseball season.  Wayne County jumped to a 7-0 lead only to watch Hope Mills tie the game up after seven innings.   Wayne County scored a run  in the bottom of the ninth to win and survive 8-7 and play another day.  That other day will be Sunday afternoon.

The second game of the day saw Area One champ Garner fighting for their Legion life taking on the two time defending state champs Wilmington.  Both of these teams didn't expect to be playing early on Saturday and one will end their season.

Wilmington  scored twice in the top of the first only to see Garner tie in the bottom.  Wilmington lead 4-2 going into the top of the seventh when they put 12 runs on the board and Garner scores two in the bottom of the seventh and Wilmington wins in seven innings 16-4.  Garner season ends under the mercy rule.

Needing to have a good day on the golf course Cousin Lauren Doughtie birdie the first two holes she played on the day to push herself at the time within one shot of the lead.  Over the next 16 holes she played the Albany NY golf course in five over to shoot 75 and she is right on the cut line to play Sunday's final round.  Not what she needed today.

Finally today I want to tell you of moment that people who are struggling in life need once in a while.  Friday night daughter Morgan along with her best friend in life Holly Fryer went to the Rascal Flats concert at Walnut Creek in Raleigh.  I know many of you know of Holly's  struggles as she continues to fight cancer that is now approaching five years.  Many of you have those "Fight Holly Strong" stickers on the rear windows of your car.

Holly had made a sign once inside the Creek that said that she had a check list of things in her life.  One said fighting cancer with a check and another wanting to meet Rascal  Flats and of course no check by that one. Their seats were rather good in fact they were so close that a security guard was near keeping people from walking up steps to get on stage.

During one of the songs Holly made eye contact with one of the singers and he saw her sign and he came down off the stage put his arm around Holly and sang her a song.  I know the struggles she has had the last five years there have been more bad days than good.  She has been an example for all of us on how to live life  and make us all feel better.

Just listening to the excitement  in her voice and watching the cell phone video of the moment I am so glad that my wife Pat had bought both tickets to last night's show. Not too many things in life could have worked out better.

Legion State Tournament Underway

The two time defending North Carolina State Champions  Wilmington Post 10 has decided to take the long way to the state title this year by losing opening day in Lexington.  The first day of the tournament found wet grounds at 9:30 am this morning at Lexington must have gotten that same storm we did last night  and the first games were pushed to noon. Gaston beat Wilmington 4-3.

Shelby Post 82 beat Hope Mills by a 3-1 score.  The two teams representing Area one which of course is part of  Rocky Mount's Coleman Pitt Post 58 area.  Tonight High Point knocked off Wayne County 11-8 to put Wayne County in the losers bracket.  Post 58 did play Wayne County the first game of the season and if you remember  they tied 4-4 in ten innings.  That was the game that was called after Adam Bayless went down on the field in the 10th inning.

Post 58 played Garner in a double header in late May.  Garner brought only 9 players with them and Garner won game one but Post 58 won the second 10-0.  Some of you might have seen Garner play Raleigh in Rocky Mount  during the Western Division championship and saw that Garner was a solid team

Tonight in the last game of day one at the state Legion Tournament Garner drew the host team.  Always in the state tournament who ever host gets a spot and most of the time that means an easy win for a Garner tonight right? Through the 7th inning Garner finds themselves down 6-2.  Three runs in the eighth makes the game interesting as Garner trails 6-5.  There will be no comeback tonight as Lexington gets a three run homer in the top of the ninth and Garner now heads to the losers bracket losing 9-5.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie shot her second best round of the year Friday shooting a 68 which is tied for 13th three shots out of the lead after the first round of the SEFCU Tournament in Albany New York.  Lauren is in the top 60  on the Symetra Tour in money earnings but in order to make it back to the LPGA tournament she needs to finish in the top ten or better this week.   This is a good start but she needs to to climb the leader board the next two days.

All Star Game Week

If you are in to counting wins in the East/West All Stars held this week in Greensboro during the North Carolina Coaches Clinic the west is the winner having won three of the five games played.  The West won both basketball games while in soccer the East lone win came in boys soccer.  To top the week off the West kicked a field goal with 14 seconds left to tie the football game at 10.

The State American Legion State Tournament starts Friday in Lexington with the Area  one East winner Wayne County playing at 1:30 and Garner the Area one champs plays at 7:30.

December when it is time for the state football championship Kenan Stadium will be out of the rotation this year.  Construction on the stadium will be going on during the championships.   So N C State will host a game on Friday Dec 12th and three on Saturday the 13th.  Wake Forest will be doing the same at BT&T Field.  Basketball Reynolds is being remodeled so Carolina will have games in the Dean Dome and in Carmichael.

Now that the coaches clinic is over all of the coaches have returned guess what happens next week?  High school football practices starts July 31st.  The summer is almost over.

Our weekly review of how our three baseball players are doing in the minor leagues.  Hobbs Johnson lost his only start since we last reported to drop his record to 9-7 with a 3.13.  Brian Goodwin is out of the lineup with injury.  He hasn't played now in about three weeks.  Anybody know about his injury? Xavier Macklin is struggling in Gate City.  His batting average is down to 206.

I know this is really old news but with LaBron James returning to Cleveland there has been much conversation about how could he return home after the way the Cleveland owner wrote that scathing letter after James left.  People within families fuss and fight among themselves all the time.  Families stick together and LaBron is heading back home to his family.

Now the talking heads yapping of the week.   How could Tony Dungy say that having a gay player on his team would be too much of a distraction.  Remember this guy is  a 7th round pick.  He probably will not make the team anyway.  In our world major companies make decisions everyday about reward over cost.  If that person is a risk for a company they have to decide whether the risk can be over come by the reward of having that person work for them.  Tim Tebow didn't last long after his reward to a team wasn't worth what his playing results showed.  Anybody in the  working world lives with everyday.  Am I worth to my company the  cost they have in me every day.  When I'm not worth it any more I'm gone.

Babe Ruth 14U Following Path From The Past

Last year the exact 13U All Stars won the State title and almost won the Regional.  One year later as a 14U team swept the Eastern State Title and now heads for the second year in a row to the Regional in Newton NC.  They hope to follow the  Babe Ruth path of the Babe Ruth 13 And 14 U team of 2004/2005.  Let's remember from out of the past that team won the state title as 13 year old and almost won the regional in Arkansas.  One year later they won the  Regional in Greenville Tn and played for the World Babe Ruth title in Quincy Mass.

That team had the likes of Brian Goodwin, Tyler Joyner, Ben Fish, Dillion Cockrell, Xavier Macklin, Mike Williams Gabe Brown and Cameron Ramsey.  I apologize to those on that team I can't remember as I write this.

This 14U team this year may very well have players who we will be able to remember ten years from now.  They are Payton Bass who played for the Nash Central Babe Ruth team, Colby Carter also on the Nash Central team.  Dwight Daniels is from the Northern Nash squad along with Matt Dickerson.  Eli Ess the lone player from the Faith Christian team.  A J Floyd Nash Central, Cody Fuller off the SWEdgecombe team.  Silas Gonsalez played this summer for Northern Nash.  Chase Hollowell Minchew roamed the field for Nash Central along with Tyler Sherrod.  Garrett Killebrew another SW Edgecombe player.  Austin Webb  played for Tarboro and Daeone Wilkins for Southern Nash.

These 13 players who seem to have pitching depth and every player can hit travel to Newton next Tuesday and begin play next Wednesday.  If they follow the path of a decade ago and survive to play in the World Series it will be played in Ocala Fl.

Lee Gold is the head coach and gets help from Tim Killebrew and Eddie Sherrod. Those guys just like the players sweat in practice and spend time with in some cases other parents children more than their own.  The Nash County Babe Ruth Now has a major expense lodging this team next week in Newton and if they play right down to the last game could be there until August 3rd.  That's a lot of motel and food for almost a week.

If you can help support this up coming trip you can write a check to Nash County Babe Ruth 1512 West Hills Tarboro, NC 27886 or call Lee Gold at 544-4320.

Nash County 14U Wins Eastern State Title

Tonight playing as the only undefeated team left in the tournament Nash County Babe Ruth 14U  Allstars beat The Outer banks 10-3 to win the Eastern Babe  Ruth State title.  The victory gives Nash County an invitation to the Babe Ruth SouthEast Regional which start July 29th in Marion NC.

The Nash County All Stars took three games over the weekend beating Greene County 7-0.  They followed that knocking off Lumber River East 13-3.  Sunday the 14U All Stars put themselves in the driver seat beating Lumber River West 7-1.  That put Nash County into a 5:30 game Tuesday who had a game to lose if needed but didn't need to play an eight pm game  as the boys from Nash County were the only team standing undefeated and all others had two losses.

Tim Killebrew is the head coach of this team who dominated everyone  scoring 37 runs while giving up only 7.  I will be trying to contact Tim and getting a roster of the Champs.

Recap of last night's East West All Star basketball games in which the west won both games I can tell you Rocky Mount's  two players made us all proud in their performances in each game.  All Star games in which every player gets their chance in the few minutes  each are the game  both Alexus Hill and Dante Battle play more than half the game.  Twelve players dividing up 160 minutes works out to just under 14 minutes each.  Hill in the girl's played 21 minutes while Battle played 20.

Hill in typical fashion scored eight points had three rebounds, one assist and one steal.  She also was part of the play of the game when leading a fast break whipped a behind the back pass which lead to stir the crowd.

Battle who scored thirteen points on 6 for 8 shooting and hauled down 13 rebounds in 20 minutes. He also had two blocks on defense.  Those numbers  were good enough to win the MVP if the East had won the game.  We all should be proud as punch as Alexus Hill  of Northern Nash and Dante Battle from Rocky Mount played like the All Stars they are in representing us in Greensboro.

West Sweeps All Star Basketball Games

The West Girls took the lead for good in the second quarter after a Northern Nash's Alexus Hill had drained a three pointer at the end of the first quarter and gave the East a 17-16 lead.  The West pulled away to win by a score of 82-68.

Jamie Cherry from West Craven lead the East  scoring pouring in 24 points.   Everyone from Pam Gainey at Rocky Mount, Terry Cash at Nash Central and Grover Battle at Northern Nash have in recent years had to face Cherry during the High School playoffs.  Shaylen  Burnette who scored 16 points for the West was named the games MVP.  Northern's Alexus Hill scored 8 points for the East in her last high school basketball game.

The boys games was much like the girls  as the farther the game went the bigger the West lead grew and at one point was 13 points.  Late in the third the East trimmed the lead to three points but the West finished the third leading by 10.  Seven points was a close as the East could get in the final two minutes before Jeremy Hill  24 points from Page High School won the MVP award as the West beats the East 98-86.

Rocky Mount's Dante Battle like Hill playing his last high school game had a double double scoring 13 points and hauled down 13 rebounds in the East's teams losing effort.  Alexus Hill will play basketball at a Gardner Webb while Battle will be in Alabama at Wallace State.

Tuesday during the North Carolina Coaching Association  soccer will be the sport of entertainment  as there will be a boys and girls soccer game played at UNC Greensboro soccer field.  The coaching clinic ends the entertainment portion Wednesday with the All Star football game.


Garner beat Wayne County in game two of the Area One American Legion playoffs 8-3 to win Area One two games to none. Both begin play Thursday in the State American legion playoffs in Lexington.

Babe Ruth Playoffs

I asked for help to give me a source on how the 15U Nash County Babe Ruth Allstars were doing and one of my faithful readers Mike Pearce pulled a rabbit out of his hat for me and gave me a telephone number of fellow UPS worker Brian Marlowe who had a son playing.

I think we would have been better off if I hadn't found out.  Friday the 15U opened up play in 14 team Eastern State Tournament in Red Springs.  This tournament is broken down into two brackets with seven teams for a double elimination.  Then the two winners meet in a two out of three as North Carolina will send a Western and Eastern champ to the Southeast Regional in Richmond.

Nash County beat  Henderson-Vance 10-0 to open in the winners bracket.  Then Saturday they beat Pitt County 5-1 to be in a very good position to advance in the tournament.  Then I get involved and it goes down hill from there.  Nash County Sunday played Roanoke Rapids in a 1pm game which was delayed because of rain.  Nash County took a 3-0 lead into the seventh inning only to lose 4-3.

This put Nash County having to play Pitt County again  around 6pm  and once again Pitt County gives Nash County their second loss of the day 8-4 to knock the Nash County 15U Allstars out of the tournament.

If any one can help with the Babe Ruth 14U and 13U sure would like to report how they are doing.

Sunday afternoon Garner and Wayne County began their two out of three Area One  American a Legion playoff with Garner winning.  Both have already qualified for the state Legion tournament which starts in Lexington on Thursday.  The only thing they are playing for now is to be called Area one champs.

Review Of Baseball Prospects

 Been noticing Brian Goodwin hasn't batted in the last couple of weeks.  Right now Brian has stalled batted at 219 and when you go to the news wires in baseball you worry that he might have been sent back to 2AA but I guess this is good news in that regard.  Brian has been on the 7 day injured list which is better news than being sent back down.  Don't know the extent of his injury though.

Hobbs Johnson is stuck on 9 wins for Brevard of the Florida State League.  No fault of his own by chance as his ERA has dropped back to 2.80 so he is not giving up runs just not getting and run support from his teammates.

Xavier Macklin batting averaged has dipped to 207 for Gateway City in Illinois.  He is tied for the team lead in home runs with 7.  Today's Telegram has a nice story on X man's year in his comeback after missing almost two years with injuries.

There are two former Rocky Mount high baseball players who have sons trying to move up the ladder in baseball.  Whit Merrifield the son of Bill Merrifield  who now lives in Clemmons has played 35 games at AAA Omaha  for the Kansas City Royals and is hitting 364.  I suspect Whit will be a September call up for KC.

John Wooten who's dad is Sonny Wooten who lives in Wayne County  is now playing for Hagerstown in the Washington National organization.  John who played at ECU and Eastern Wayne has had a tough month as he was hit in the face by a pitch and has been in rehab but despite that since returning to Hagerstown has a season batting average of 303.

I think you need to look at Saturday' News and Observer in the sports section as the Observer did an article on Marvin Jarmon Mr Greenville Rose Rampant.  I think it is one of the best articles ever written about someone I know.  I think you will really enjoy it.

This week I have been on line as much as possible while the Rocky Mount Nationals run in the State tournament in a Greenville.  I took time to read the history of Greenville little league and stumbled upon a very interesting fact.  We all know of Ron Vincent the legendary baseball coach at Rose high who has won almost 850 high school games and six state titles.  Did you know even before he was the baseball coach he lead Greenville to one of their many state titles in little league.

Heart Break

The Rocky Mount National league 11/12 year old all stars meet defeat in heartbreaking fashion scoring two run in the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-4 lead over Southern Durham only to see Southern Durham hit a two run homer to tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and before the National's could get them out in the bottom of the sixth Southern Durham won on a wild pitch ending Rocky Mount's first dream of making it to Williamsport Pa and the Little league World Series.

Ever since word came down that Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation was leaving the Tarheels little league  there has been conversation that Rocky Mount was stepping up to big time little league  and as long as we played two equal all star teams Rocky Mount would never advance in the Williamsport little league out of the district.

Just to refresh your memory Rocky Mount plays two divisions at the 9/10 and 11/12 age groups. They are broken down into four teams in the American and four teams in the National.  This means that approximately 25 per cent of all players make the all star team.

There has been a major concern that the only way to advance in the little league tournaments was to have the first team as the pick of the litter players and the second team being the remaining players who would be team B.  Parks and Rec vetoed that idea and have continued to keep the all star teams the best from the American and National.

All teams in little league are finished as the 9/10 finished as district champs and went 1-2 in the state tournament  finishing 5th in the state.  The 11/12 all stars  finished second in the district  and by virtue that Greenville won the district and were automatically in the state tournament as the host team Rocky Mount got in as the second team from district four.  They also finished fifth going 1-2 in the
state tournament.

Here it is there is no way that Rocky Mount can compete in the big bad  Williamsport  little league and yet both of our little league age groups finished fifth in the state in their first efforts traveling into an unknown world.  A great job coaches and players from the 9/10 and the 11/12 year old teams proving that Rocky Mount Little League Baseball can play with any body.

I see on FaceBook that the Nash County 15U Babe Ruth team won today.  If there is anyone who can tell me how to find out more about them please let me know.

Bad Day On Elm Street

Coach Sam Toler's scouting report said he thought they were the best team in the tournament and you have to remember that Rocky Mount National is in the State Tournament after finishing second to North State the Greenville represetative who won the District tournament in Elizabeth City a couple of weeks ago. Today SW Forsyth beats Rocky Mount National 13-3 to throw our team into the losers bracket.

 They will play the winner of a losers bracket game tonight either Canton who lost to SW Forsyth Thursday or Southern Durham who lost to Madowell County 4-3 Thursday. That game will be played tonight at 6:30 in Grenville. The winner plays Rocky Mount at 12:30 Saturday afternoon.  Southern Durham beat Canton 12-2 to advance to play Rocky Mount.

 Thursday night Wayne County defeated Pitt County 9-4 to win the Eastern Division of area One American Legion Baseball. They will join Garner as the Area one Reps in the state American Legion Tournament starting next Thursday. Garner and Wayne County will play each other in a two out of three this weekend to come up with the area One Champion. As far as seedings in the upcoming state tournament this next series has no bearing so whether they play a one game winner take all or a two of three is the coaches agreement.

Rocky Mount National Wins

Today Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation took another step in climbing the ladder after joining Little League  International which is the Little League World Series which we all will watch in August from Williamsport Pa.  The Rocky Mount National league All Stars  11/12  year old team won their opening game in Greenville in state tournament.

They beat Boiling Springs 11-1 in four innings.  Coach Sam Toler used four pitchers pitching one inning each to secure the win.  Woodall Rose pitched the first then Sam Mills in the second and in the third Charlie Rooks gave up the only run to cross the plate against Rocky Mount National.  The final inning the fourth Jonathan Weeks took to the hill and got Boiling Springs out and a ten run lead brought out the mercy rule.

The big sticks for Rocky Mount National were Colin Legaj who hit a grand slam home run driving in four runs and Woodall Rose would hit a two run shot.  No time to celebrate as the Nationals will be in action at 10am Friday as they play SW Forsyth a 10-3 winner over Myers Park Trinity.

The victory today means in Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation both the 9/10 and 11/12 year old teams have one victory in each state tournament  since Rocky Mount departed the Tar Heel State Championship.  Should the Rocky Mount Nationals pull off the state title then there is a southeast regional to go to where the state championship in The Tar Heel was as far as you can go.

A early scouting report from coach Sam Toler who watched SW Forsyth win their game at 10 this morning is SW is a physically a big team and he considers them the team to beat in this tournament.  If you have the ability you can watch the game live by going to gllbaseball.com which is the front page of Greenville Parks and Rec and scroll down until you see live streaming and click and the game is rather good quality considering this is not a national  network broadcast.

Keep going Rocky Mount National!!!!!!!!!!!

11/12 Rocky Mount National Front and Center

Thursday at 12:30 the Rocky Mount National Little League Allstars hit the Elm Street Diamond in Greenville in Rocky Mount's first ever attempt to win in the Little League International state championship.  Sam Toler's team can be seen if you have a computer as the State Tournament is being streamed live at www.ustream.tv/broadcaster page/15274139.

Tonight Garner and Raleigh American Legion teams returned to Rocky Mount and Legion Field in the Western Division Area One finals.  Garner wins tonight and three straight games 9-5 over Raleigh Post 1.  Garner wins the automatic birth in the state  American Legion Tournament  in Lexington that starts next weekend.  There is still one more series to play for Garner as they are suppose to play the Eastern Division winner in a two of three this weekend.

Right now Wayne County leads that series 2-1 but tonight's game was rained out in Greenville.  Garner coach Chris Cooke announce that he wanted to play a one game winner take all for the Eastern State Championship crown.  This year both the east and west winners from Area One are invited so Cooke sees no sense in wearing out pitchers against a team who is in the state title too.

Tonight very well be my last game doing the PA for American Legion baseball.  What I envisioned my life during retirement when I was 30 is no where near how I thought life would be as I near the retirement age.  I expected at 30 years old I would play golf everyday and life would be wonderful?  Now I have no desire to want to exert the energy  needed to bend down and take a ball out of a golf hole.

When you have a daughter who still has two years of college I now see four more years of full time work in order to pay what ever will be owed to college once Morgan Graduates.  I know if you are a regular you have seen me say this in the past.  Even tonight after doing PA for two teams that I have no rooting interest in either team it will be around 1am before  my motor calms down enough to be able to sleep. I will be hyper well past midnight and when you get up every morning at 5am I simply can't recover fast enough.  The Legion playoffs started on July 3rd and tonight was the tenth game during that stretch.

If I continue in the next four years working a full time job I simply can't continue with so many games.
I have already told Mike Gainey that JV football this season we as a family following our daughter's volleyball life that we have too many Thursday night conflicts with football.    

I will continue to do TV when needed.  My hope was once I retired I would do all kinds of PA  work but a full time job stands in the way of me being able to last that long.  I can tell you one worry I have.  You hear all kind of news in press boxes  which I use on this blog all the time.  If I don' t continue to get information for this blog you may lose interest in reading this and this will be something I will need to monitor.

Wilson/Rocky Mount Square Off Again

The opening day of the State 9/10 year old Midget State Tournament  over the weekend saw Rocky Mount and Wilson ride all the way to Morganton to play in the first day against each other.  Rocky Mount won 4-3. Wilson survived two loser bracket games while Rocky Mount lost the next day in the winners bracket game. Then Monday advanced for another day and who do each other play but each other again.  Tonight Wilson gets revenge and is still alive in the state tournament while a Rocky Mount's 9/10 year olds will head home losing to Wilson 11-3.

The Rocky Mount Midgets playing for the first time under the banner of the Williamsport Little League Won their district tournament in Greenville and went 2-2 in the state tournament.  I would like to thank  Thomas Smith one of the assistant coaches who kept me informed of Rocky Mount American's  progress this week.

Next week is the NC Coaches Association Clinic Week.  There are always those coaches especially those who just graduated college will be on the hunt to be at the clinic looking jobs.  The clinics are to go over rules  changes and to listen to other coaches tell others how they do their coaching so others can learn.  The side show of the clinic is the All star games that will be played Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday.

Southern Nash football coach Brian Foster is the head coach of the East football All Stars and that game is Wednesday.  The game will be played at Grimsley High in Greensboro.  Tuesday is both the boys and girls soccer games with Beddingfield girls soccer coach Glenn Griffin  heading up the east team and Tarboro boys coach Matt Edwards in charge of the east boys.  The soccer games will be played at UNC Greensboro.

Monday belongs to basketball and Rocky Mount will have two players taking part who were the Big East players of the year.  Northern Nash's  Alexus Hill will be playing in the girls game at 6:30 in the Greensboro Coliseum and Rocky Mount's Dante a Battle will take the court  in the boys game.  Both are in summer school at their new colleges for Hill Gardner Webb and a Battle Wallace State.

Game three of the Western Division of Area One American Legion finals was rained out tonight in Raleigh at North Raleigh Christian Academy and game three will now be played  Legion Field in Rocky Mount on Wednesday.  Garner holds a two games to none lead over Raleigh.

Both Garner and Raleigh have had to play their entire season at others home field.  After last night's win over Raleigh Garner is 23-5 on the season.  That is outstanding considering  they don't know from one game to the next where they will play.

The Eastern Finals between Pitt County and Wayne County got rain Tuesday night in the top of the Seventh but Wayne County  had a 6-1 lead which was enough to win game three.  Wayne County leads the series 2-1.

Midgets Still Plugging

Monday afternoon the Rocky Mount American 9/10 Midget little league all stars beat Transylvania
County  16-3 to advance in the losers bracket to a Tuesday night 7 pm game against the winner of a game  in progress at this writing.  The highlites of the night was a grand slam home run by Jake Fuller.

Thursday afternoon the Rocky Mount National 11/12 year old Little League team opens play in the state tournament which is being held in Greenville at the Elm Street Park.  They play Boiling Springs in their first game at 12:45.  The ageless Sam Toler is the head coach of this team  with Ivey Powell, Johnny Ramsey and Paul Legaj assistants.

The all stars are Conner Davenport of the Yankees, Colin Legaj from the Athletics. Sam Mills played for the Braves.  Devon Padgett also from the Athletics, Andrew Page who wore a D'Backs Jersey.  Conner Powell of the Braves, Austin Ramsey another D'Backs player.  The Athletics Charlie Rooks and the Braves Woodall Rose are part of this all star contingent.  Daniel Varnell of the Athletics and two Yankees round out this all star team Johnathan Weeks and Griffin Wingfield.

Good luck as our first try in the Williamsport Little League has reached the State title run.  Many thought that playing two four team leagues and having two all star teams would never work in the big bad Williamsport level.  Several state championships  in the Tar Heel league  under that formula is working alright so far for the district Four champions.

Tonight at Legion Field Garner National beat Raleigh Post one 6-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the best of five series with the winner winning a slot in the state tournament in Lexington.  This is for the Area One Western Division title over in the East Pitt County beat Wayne County  9-4 to even that series at 1-1 after Wayne a County won game one 20-6.

I've About Seen It All Now

Game two of the western division finals between Raleigh Post One and Garner National will be played at Legion Field in Rocky Mount tonight at 7:00pm Sunday night I did the PA for the opening game of Area One Western Division Finals.  The winner of this three out of five gets and invite to the State American Legion Tournament in Lexington which starts  late next week.

Garner was the visitor in Fleming Stadium in Wilson and greeted Raleigh Post one with three straight hits in the top of the first.  I have seen a Legion game start out before the first pitch is made under protest but not after five batters.  Raleigh Coach Aaron Rich makes a trip to home plate and umpire Steven Ammons pulls his mask off and calls for Garner coach Chris Cooke.  About a 15 minute delay ensued and Raleigh was saying that a Garner player was playing also for another team which by Legion Rules is against the rules.  The umpires accepted Garners explanation that the player was working out with his college team.  Raleigh protested before the top of the first was over.

Every play off game has a protest committee on site but since no concessions were open at Fleming one of the men on the protest committee had gone to get food.  What could possibly happen in the first inning for a protest to happen?

Garner scores two in the first and two in the second to lead 4-0 with NC State recruit Jordon Bissette on the mound.  Raleigh scored five in the third and another to lead 6-4. Garner struck for three in the fifth to retake the lead but Raleigh cut it to 7-6 before Garner scored three in the seventh to lead 10-6.
Garner had a fan that could be heard all over the park and as a person who didn't have a team I was pulling for he was even annoying to me and I know the parents from Raleigh would have loved to seen a foul ball hit him in the head.  Finally Home plate umpire Ammons stopped the game and walked all the way to the screen and pretty much told the man to shut up but especially for calling out players names on the Raleigh team. Raleigh scores one in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 10-7after eight innings.

The top of the ninth just as the Raleigh pitcher is winding up the lights go out.  There was about a 20 delay waiting for the lights to cool off before they would come back on.  Raleigh scored once in the bottom of the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs but could not score as Garner wins game one 10-8.  There was a meeting at home plate after the game as Bob Figulski the State Legion baseball chairman was in Rocky Mount attending the Junior Legion Qualifying tournament and came to Wilson to help settle the protest. The protest was denied.

Since neither of theses two teams have a home field Chris Cooke the Garner coach told me Game two would be in Rocky Mount Monday night.  I text Joe Bell Post 58 Athletic officer and gave him the score and said game two in Rocky Mount.  Joe was burning my cell phone up calling as of our conversation at 10:45 no one from Garner had called to get the field for Monday.  So as of this writing I think game two in Rocky Mount but who knows.

Boy, I'm tire but there is still news.  This Junior Legion qualifying tournament played at Legion field was won by the Raleigh Bulls and Ahoskie finished second and both made the Junior Legion State Tournament.  Rocky Mount did not field a junior legion team this year.

Finally news is not good at all tonight from Morganton as the Rocky Mount Midget 9/10 year old team lost 16-0 to Winston Salem.  Rocky mount will now play in the losers bracket starting at 4pm Monday.   I've had enough for one day.

Johnson Throws Six Shutout Innings

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The Rocky Mount American 9/10 year old Midget  Little League Allstars beat Wilson 4-3 tonight in Morganton to move up in the winners bracket.  They play again at 4pm Sunday afternoon.

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Rocky Mount's Hobbs Johnson went for his 10th victory of the season pitching for Brevard in the Florida State League tonight and can't pitch any better than tonight but after pitching  six scoreless innings his teammates hadn't scored either and Hobbs fails to win but gets a no Decision.

Brian Goodwin is still lingering around 220 batting average playing the outfield for AAA Syracuse in the International league.  Xavier Macklin is in the top ten in homers in the Frontier league but he like Brian is under 220.  Both need desperately to slow down their strikeout rate.  I told you a week or two about former Rocky Mount player Bill Merrifield who's son Whit continues to tear up AAA pitching for Omaha  for the Royals as he is still hitting 371.  It will not be long now before Whit will be joining the big club.

The story in the Rocky Mount Telegram on Saturday of Post 58 lost to Raleigh  was the last story for Nick Piotrowicz.  Nick has just recently been offer a job with a newspaper in Toledo Ohio which is Nick's native State.  He becomes the second sports reporter lost by the Telegram within a month.

News media whether radio or newspapers in the Rocky Mount area are no longer owned by local people and with corporations looking at the bottom line over what is good for Rocky Mount the Telegram is no longer  the  people's choice for finding out what is happening in Rocky Mount.  WRAL.COM knows more about what is happening here than the home town paper.  Quite frankly the best newspaper in Nash County  is the Nashville Graphic.  Though only a weekly you will see more news and sports in the Graphic in one day than a whole week's worth in the Telegram. I am glad for Nick that he gets to move up to a bigger paper.  During Nick's time in Rocky Mount he has been a pleasure to sit in press boxes with.

We all love to hear someone pat us on the back and tell you what a good job you might be doing.  This week I have been overwhelmed by the out pouring of support given to me by the Raleigh Post 1 fans.  You may know already that Raleigh does not have a home field for their Legion team because the use of Wake and Durham County athletic field are simply too high  for Post 1 to support the team and pay the excessive rent to play games on school fields.

This regular season Raleigh played a double header on  a Saturday in Rocky Mount and not only is the field a very nice field to play on but Raleigh has rented the field as their home field during ever how long their playoff run may last or until the state tournament in Lexington.  Sunday Raleigh will play their first game of a three out of five series with Garner as a home game at Fleming Stadium in Wilson.

They have asked me to be their PA man for all of their remaining home games during the playoffs.  Game three and game five if needed will be in a Rocky Mount.  Should they win this upcoming series with Garner then there is a two out of three series with the Eastern Area one team probably Wayne County so Raleigh would have at least one home game left before the state tournament.

You can see the hardship Raleigh fans have been under as many players are from Durham and they made trips from the triangle five straight nights this week in beating Post 58.  Post one is a very good team and any team that has to endure the hardships this season with no home games deserves a little help from me.

Knock Out Blow

Raleigh Post one came out swinging the bats and never let up tonight as Post one wins their semi final series with Rocky Mount Coleman Pitt Post 58 12-4.  Raleigh scored three in the first and never trailed as Corey Brassington went  eight innings just giving up five hits to Post 58.  Raleigh pounded out 15 hits lead by Derrick Dabney and Sam Duncan with three hits each.  All four games of this series Raleigh scored most of their runs in the 7/8/9 innings.

CP 58 scored twice in the second which would prove to be their best inning of the night as David Williams reached on an error and Griffin Parker double him home. A hit batter and walk P 58 scored their second run on a fielders choice.

P1 put the game away in the top of the third plating five runs and Post 58 would never get closer than 8-4 rest of the way.  Paschal Ammons started for P58 was relieved by Montel Jones and Jones pitched into the ninth inning when Will Edwards pitched last 2/3 of an inning.

Coleman Pitt finished the season 12-10-1 while Raleigh advances to the championship series with Garner.  Garner finished off Apex tonight 5-1 to win their series three one over Apex.  Raleigh will host game one of the western finals Sunday night in Wilson at Fleming Stadium.  They also as top seed will host game three and if necessary game five Tuesday and Thursday nights and both of those games will be played in Rocky Mount.

Since Garner has no home field games two and four are up in the air as where they will be played and who knows just might be in Rocky Mount also.

Saturday the 9/10 year old little leaguers from Rocky Mount American start play in the state Midget tournament in Morganton.  The winner of this state tournament will head to the Southeast Regional which will be held in Greenville NC.  This bunch is coached by Fred  Fuller with assistants Don Whitley and Thomas Smith.

The players on this squad are:  Chandler Cockrell,Stephen  Freeman, Jacob Fuller, Bryson  Jenkins, Brayden Leonard, Brenden Lewis, Mason Pilgreen, Ashton Rhodes, Chris Smith, Conner Whitley and Derrick Wright.

Game Four Washed Out

A steady rain since about six pm and ever so often  clap of thunder brought an end to any chance of getting game four in at Legion Field tonight.  The real question is does a rainout help a depleted pitching staff or not?  You must remember that Raleigh gets an extra day of rest for a pitching staff that is deeper than Post 58.

Let's talk for a second about the way this season has unfolded.  Remember after the disaster of last season and the Windsors, Albemarles and Edentons having to forfeit so many games Joe Bell Post 58 Athletic officer and Hank Jones didn't want to go through last year again so the moved to the Western Division and I think the answer is yes this was a good move.

The quality of competition is better in fact the only bad team in the league was Roxboro.  As for Post 58 you have to remember that the bulk of our players are Big East 3-A then the Rocky Mount private schools and 2A Roanoke Rapids.  Raleigh simply man for man has better players than P 58 since everyone of their players played in Raleigh or Durham in 4-A leagues. So far this season high school or Legion have not seen a better player than Riverside's Jack Conley as a rising senior has committed to State.

Despite looking better, this series has come down to getting strikes across the plate.  The bats used in high school the last two years just will not fly out of Legion Field. Post 58 takes three singles to score a run.  When you only get seven to nine hits per night that adds up to three runs when the pitching keeps men off base from walks.  Every inning or several innings when P 58 pitching did not allow walks even Raleigh has trouble scoring runs.

This rainout puts Post one in the catbird seat because another rainout and this series is over Raleigh winning because they won game one. Game four  is a Rocky Mount home game so if it was rained out again Friday then game four is a home game for Rocky Mount and Raleigh will not be willing  to play a double header considering they are the home team in game five.

Game four is reset for 7pm Friday with Raleigh leading the series two games to one.  The semi final round ends Saturday with the division finals starting Sunday.  Raleigh advances they will host the first game Sunday at Fleming Stadium in Wilson.  As the top seed they would be the home team for game three and five which would be Tuesday, Thursday and those two would be in Rocky Mount.  If Rocky Mount pulls a rabbit out of the hat they would host games two and four as the four seed.

There was a really nice crowd in the stands Wednesday and hopefully with good weather another big gate.  So far this season Post 58 is 3-0  when facing elimination.

Live To Play Another Day

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The Rocky Mount 9/10 year old American League Allstars beat Greenville North State in Greenville tonight to win the district Tournament and advance to the 9/10 year old  State Tournament in Morganton.  The final was 7-1 which oddly enough is the same score that the 11/12 years old Beat Greenville to advance to the 11/12 year old state tournament in Greenville last night in Elizabeth City.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 gave it all they had tonight and Raleigh Post one found out just how long a nine inning game is when it concerns pitching but nine innings would not be enough to win this one as P 58 survives to play Thursday beating  Raleigh Post one 9-8 in 11 innings.

Blake Helms who pitched the last four innings for P 58 and twice survived Raleigh tying it in the eighth and almost winning it in the ninth stroked a base hit in the top of the 11th that drove home the winning run and then in the 11th set Raleigh down to force a game four in Rocky Mount Thursday night.

David Williams got the ball rolling for P 58 with a bases load double in the first that staked Rocky Mount to a three nothing lead. Corey Smith pitched into the sixth inning and had a 4-1 lead when he turned the game over to Will Edwards and Post 58 grew the lead to 7-1. The seventh Raleigh scored four times and Carson Arthur helped  hold post one to just four.  Blake Helms entered in the bottom of the eighth and saw the lead evaporate but Post 58 scored once in the top of the ninth to take 8-7 lead and almost saw Raleigh win it in the bottom of ninth.
Raleigh Post one Manager Aaron Rich in the ninth brought in reliever Jack Conley and Hank Jones had complained earlier in the season of a balk that Conley had a habit of doing and while warming up Jones made sure the umpire crew was alert and aware and before Conley first pitch to the plate John Haggerty called a balk which at that time gave Rocky Mount 8/7 lead.  This brought Rich out of the dugout only to be tossed by first base umpire Haggerty.

Game four is Thursday night at American Legion Field in Rocky Mount at 7 pm.  CP Post 58 over the last two games has drained their pitching again but Raleigh has found out over the last two nights what nine innings does to your pitching as they now have gone deep into their bench.  There was probably the largest crowd of the year at the ball field tonight and after a 3-2 9-8 scores I would suspect and even larger crowd Thursday. BOY the last two nights have been barn burners and well worth watching.

Pitching Strategy Almost Works

Game two of the Area One Western Division semi finals saw Coleman Pitt one day later than Monday but  still not 100 percent ready to turn any pitcher loose for seven innings or so once again deployed a covey of pitchers but tonight instead of the bottom of the staff more pitchers pitch who would be considered middle to the top of the staff and P 58 played maybe played their best game of the playoffs.

Will Edwards got the start and he pitched the way every fan rooting for Post 58 wanted allowed three hits but the big deal he did not walk a batter and when you don't put freebies on base it is a lot harder to score.  Post one starter walked Forest Bell in the first and David Williams knocked him in to give P58 a 1-0 lead. Raleigh Post one tied it in the bottom of the fourth with fundamental baseball. A lead off hit, a bunt sacrifice and steal of third and a fly to center tied the game.

Coleman Pitt scored their second run in the bottom of the fourth with a lead off walk, a sac bunt and single  by Griffin Parker gave CP 58 a 2-1 after four.  Hank Jones brought Pascal Ammons in to pitch the fifth.  Ammons walked the first two batters in the seventh and M J Jones entered the game and got P 58 out of trouble in the seventh.

The eighth Post one got three hits to tie the score at 2.  Blake Helms came in to pitch the ninth after one out was touched with a single.  The next batter hit a solid shot in the hole at short but Khalil Macklin made a great diving stabb but from one knee threw the ball to right field while trying to get a force at second and that moved the runners to second and third.  A ground ball got the third run home and that was all Post one needed to win game two 3-2.

Any fan that comes to watch a good or great game got one tonight in the end Post 58 just didn't get enough  hits and find themselves on the brink of elimination trailing Raleigh 2-0 in a 3 out of five series.  Game three is Wednesday night at 7pm at American Legion Field.  The Rocky Mount Legion
Will be grilling hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese burgers and Italian Sausage before and during the game.

This could possibly be the last game of the season if Coleman Pitt fails to win Wednesday.  So far during the playoffs  Coleman Pitt Post 58 is 2-0 so far this playoff season when on the brink of elimination.

The 11/12 year old Rocky Mount National Allstars won the losers bracket tonight beating Tar Heel 7-1 to clinch a spot in the little league State championship  to be held in Greenville.  In Greenville the 9/10 year old Rocky Mount American Allstars lost to North State the host Greenville team 12-0 to set up a winner take all game Wednesday at 5pm.  It was the first lost of the tournament for the Rocky Mount team.

Rocky Mount American Plays For District Title

The 9/10 year old American League Allstars have breezed through their first four games in the District Four tournament being played in Greenville.  Four games so far the American all stars have scored 48 runs while giving up only 7.  Tonight as the only team left undefeated they have to lose twice in order to not win the tournament.  They will play North State which is the host team from Greenville.

The scene last night in Elizabeth City saw  Rocky Mount National lose for the first time in the 11/12 year old little league tournament and play tonight at 7:30.  They lost to North State 9-4 and North State has won the district tournament.  Rocky Mount  American plays Tarheel tonight at 5:30 and the winner of that game plays Rocky Mount National at 7:30 and the winner wins the losers bracket and two teams from this district move on to the state tournament.  So the 11/12 year olds one of the two Rocky Mount  teams can still make it to the state tournament.

Take One For The Team

If you read the Telegram coach Hank Jones was quoted as saying he had no idea who would pitch Monday night in the first game of the semi finals of Area One Western Division playoffs. Raleigh the leagues top team had not played since they beat Post 58 in a doubleheader on June 28th.  Coleman Pitt having used all of their top pitching in the first round against Cary had to make a decision tonight.  Do we sacrifice tonight in order to try to win this round starting with the second game?  The answer is David Williams take one for the team.

Williams who drove from Duke University Monday afternoon after attending summer school classes was ask once arriving at the ball park to do the best you can.  Williams had pitch just 2/3 of an inning during legion season so  the strategy we will take our lumps tonight in order to make us rested for rest of the week.

Williams gave all he had the first three innings in fact when he went to the mound in the bottom of the fourth he was leading 2-0.  Williams had only allowed two singles and the big item no walks but the first batter in the fourth was a hit batter then three walks another hit batter and the dreaded error Raleigh scored seven times before Chase Roupp could get the third out.

Raleigh scored twice in the fifth on two hits and three more in the sixth when Forest Bell took his turn on the mound.  Carson Arthur managed to hold Post one scoreless the rest of the way and Post 58 managed a run in the seventh to make the game go nine innings but game one goes to Raleigh 12-3.
All four pitchers sent to the mound between them had not pitched much more than five innings this Legion Season.  The idea of course there are times that you lose a battle but the purpose is to win the war and I would suspect still the top pitching rotation will not be fully rested but will be better prepared in Tuesday second game.

Raleigh collect 10 hits and Post 58 pitchers walked five and hit four others.  Coleman Pitt had five hits scoring their three runs.  Game two is 7pm Tuesday night at Legion field.  Tonight Post 58 sent David to take on Goliath without a bag of rocks but the way the pitching has been the last week these guys were as good as anybody else.

Hard Week To Endure

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Rocky Mount Little league playing in the  Williamsport Little League for the first time began district play this weekend continuing this week.  The Senior Little League Red team or the National Legue All stars won twice in Elizabeth City and are in the championship waiting for what ever team comes from the loser's bracket.    The Blue team or American League Seniors lost Saturday but won Sunday to stay alive in the tournament.

The  9/10 year olds playing in Greenville the Red team was eliminated while the Blue plays in the championship Tuesday.
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Just eight days ago Coleman Pitt Post 58 stood waiting  to Play Post one in a doubleheader in which two wins Post 58 just might win the top seed. The first game was a 2-1 loss where  with an umpire in the field doing his job just might have been a 2-1 win instead of a loss.  Post 58 had their pitching all set up for the doubleheader and yes a 2-1 loss the pitching was all you could ask.  Game two changes had to be made as the intended starter decided to go on vacation and even as late as the fourth inning P 58 lead 5-2.  Since that point they gave up eight runs in three innings, 11 runs in a season ending lost to Apex.  A three game series with Cary P 58 gave up 15-10 and 9 but managed to win two of three against a team with pitching woes just like us.

Here is my theory as to what has happened to Post 58 pitching down the stretch.  Remember according to the Rocky Mount Telegram All Area team two pitchers are pitching elsewhere this summer.  The staff we have there is not a one who can throw over 85 miles and hour so most of this staff relies on curves and change ups so when you have played one team five times and three days in a row hitters understand to wait on the curve because they can't throw a fastball by me with two strikes. So hitters foul off two strikes until they either hit it fair or they get walked.

Then there is the umpires.  Seems to me this year's umps have squeezed pitchers to having to throw the ball down the middle.  The first game of the Cary series  with threatening skies from Hurricane Arthur you would think the umpire would try to move the game along as fast as possible but the game went three hours and forty five minutes with more than 25 walks.  Once the rains started in the sixth pitchers were throwing wet balls on every pitch.  Please Mr umpire let's try to make the hitters go up to the plate swinging the bat.

All of a sudden Post 58 pitching is tire and depleted and yet they win a series despite giving up 34 runs in three games.  The offense scored 36.  There is lots of talk in college baseball about the bat.  Next year they are trying a new ball to improve hitting.  This year I have seen only three home runs hit and one of those was aided by Hurricane Arthur.  There have been many times when it looked like a hit  heading to the wall would just be a lazy fly.

The 14 innings Post 58 played Raleigh they gave up two runs in one and two the first four innings of the second.  Post  one just did not dominate Post 58.  Round two of the Western Division  Area one playoffs begin Monday night at 7pm at American Legion Field.  This is a three out of five series and there will be a game every night at least through Wednesday depending on the outcome of the first three games.  If necessary game four will be in Rocky Mount so there is a possibility  of four straight nights of playoff ball again this week at home.

If you were there last Thursday or Saturday you got your money's worth of excitement.  The second  round the intensity picks up as Post 58 is a step closer.  They must beat the best in the division and then next week beat the 2/3 bracket winner. There have been times this team was on the verge of being good.  They have just finish one of the worse weeks in years and yet they survived and advanced.  Come out and see if Post 58 can continue to score 12 a game or see if they can hold Raleigh under 10.  It could be exciting.

Somehow P 58 Advances

If you came to all three playoff games with Cary then you saw exciting games.  Neither team being able to get the other out.  If you came to watch quality baseball you went to the wrong place.  As far as exciting goes Colemain Pitt  scores two runs after two were out in the bottom of the eighth to take a 10-9 lead.  Then in the ninth Blake Helms got Cary three up and three down which was the only time that happened all night.

Post 58 scored single runs in the first three innings and starter Cody Smith stayed in trouble with walks but heading into the fourth lead 3-0 but 7 walks in three plus innings and an throwing error opened the door for Cary to score 6 times.  MJ Jones put out the fire in the fourth and lasted until the seventh  before he needed help from Blake Helms. By to his time it's 9-6 Cary.

Twice P 58 cut the lead to one at 6-5 and 9-8 but heading to the bottom of the eighth  a strike out started the eighth followed by another but David Williams reached base when his strike three went to the back stop.  Chase Roupp walked another strikeout sent Luke Mills to the plate who hasn't hit it out of the infield on the night. He promptly laces a single to right scoring David Williams who remember reached after a strike out.  Now tied Linwood Jones laces a single scoring  what proves to be the winning run.

Coleman Pitt walked ten batters while Cary put nine freebies on base. CP 58 had eleven hits on the night while Cary had nine.  P 58 committed three errors and all three helped runs score.  Cary only had one but they too help P 58 plate runs.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 advances to take on the number one seed Raleigh Post 1 in the second round of the western division playoffs.  This is a three out of  five series and if necessary the first four games will be in Rocky Mount.  Raleigh will be the home team in games 1 and 3.  If the series goes to a fifth game  Raleigh has rented Fleming Stadium in Wilson should the series go five.  game one is Monday night at 7pm in Rocky Mount.

There Will Be A Game Three

Coleman Pitt Post 58 matched  the run total they aquired last night and put 13 on the board but unlike last night 13 was enough to win their first game of the two out of three series to even the series with Cary in the opening round with one win each.

This was another hit fest as P 58 put four on the board in the first.  Rocky Mount added two in the second and one in the third to lead 7-0 before Cary scored four times in the third.  Coleman Pitt added three more in the sixth and another in the seventh before Cary knock P 58 starter Paschal Ammons out of the game scoring thrice. Will Edwards relieved Ammons and got P58 into the ninth inning before Chase Roupp pitched the last two thirds of and inning.  P 58 scored twice in the top of the ninth  so the ninth was almost like last night with Coleman Pitt  leading 13-7 and having to hold on.

Game three of this two out of three will be decided Saturday night at 7pm at American Legion  Field.
The winner Saturday night will meet Raleigh Post One  in a three out of five series starting Monday July  7th.  Should Post 58 win then all five of the Raleigh series will be played in Rocky Mount.  If Cary wins Saturday the games 1-3-5 will be in Rocky Mount as Raleigh has no home field so a Legion Field will serve as their home during the playoffs.

Benton Moss announce on his face book today that he will return to UNC and graduate his senior year for North Carolina.  Moss who was drafted in the 15th round by the San Francisco Giants after negotiations has decided  to return to Carolina.

Moss had a 19-6 career record for the Tar Heels.  Wouldn't you love to have the options he has had to return to Carolina on the Morehead-Cain scholarship.  After next season for the TarHeels  he will be back in the 2915 baseball draft.

They Call This Playoff Baseball?

They both finished in the second division in Area one western division.  Tonight I think I saw the worse played baseball game I have ever seen.  There was the subplot of Hurricane Arthur coming and would we even start the game.  By the third inning can we at least get 4 and a half in to make it official and by the ninth inning would this sloppily played game  ever come to and end.

When it finally did end Coleman Pitt had made the base running blunder of the century and lose game one to Cary 15-13.  Cary scored twice in the first and one in the second to chase P 58  starter Cody Smith.  Rocky Mount managed by the top of fifth to lead 4-3 and with threatening skies there was the possibility that P 58 just might win the game if the rains came and halted the game.

MJ Jones pitched into the sixth inning before Cary took the lead in the top of the sixth 6-4. P58 got one in the sixth and the rains came.  Not drenching by any means but a steady heavy drizzle aided by the wind.  Will Edwards replaced Jones and by the time he was replace the lead had increased to 11-5.  P 58 got  two in the seventh to reduce the Cary lead to 11-7.

By this time no pitcher can get it across the plate And Cary adds two more run in the eighth and got two in the ninth to lead 15-7.  Cary proceeded to walk six batters and P 58 got two timely hits in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to 15-12 with two outs and the bases loaded.  A wild pitch brought home one run but our runner on second tries to keep coming home and was out at home for the last out of the game.  That run was not the tying runner but if on third the bases are still loaded Coleman Pitt still has a shot to win a game they had no business winning.

Coleman Pitt had 14 hits while Cary had 15. P 58 pitchers walked 13 batters and hit two more. Cary walked nine and six in the last inning.  Game two of this series is 2pm Friday July 4th at Athens Drive High.  Coleman Pitt Must will or the season is over.  If they can win game three will be at 7pm Saturday at American Legion Field in Rocky Mount.

Both teams performance had the look of last place teams and there have been many games that I have been to and as I was leaving have either said both teams deserved to win, tonight both deserved to lose but only one did P58.

Rocky Mount Cary Open Legion Playoffs

The goal is to make it to the state tournament but Rocky Mount and Cary will have the longest road from the which to ride if either makes it through four rounds of playoffs.  Thursday night begins a two out of three series which game one and three if necessary will be played at American Legion Field in Rocky Mount.

Game two will be played at Athens Drive High School Friday.  Cary beat Rocky Mount in Rocky Mount 8-5 and three nights later Post 58 beat Cary at Athens Drive 7-1.  We just might sneak this game in as a Tropical Storm soon to be Hurricane Arthur just might arrive to Far East of us and it might be midnight when it hits then.

We are within a couple of weeks of the major league all star game and just about  this time of year players are promoted to the next level if they are playing at a level that justifies moving up to next level.  Hobbs Johnson I think has the best possibility to being bumped up as any local player.  Johnson playing for Brevard in the Florida State league has a 9-6 record.  The first time this year his ERA has jumped over three at 3.23.

Brian Goodwin is batting 219 in Syracuse and he is in the season far enough now that his batting average will not rise much getting three hits in a game.  Another problem Washington has sent two in recent weeks to the big club bypassing Brian.

Xavier Macklin is hitting 216 in Gate City  Ill.  Xavier is striking out about once in 2.5 at bats which is keeping X man down in the Frontier League.

Interesting  development from a former Rocky Mount player from the Past Bill Merrifield.  Back when the University of South Carolina was winning back to back national titles they were lead by Whit Merrifield Bill's son.  About a month ago Whit was promoted to AAA Omaha the Triple A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.  The 22 games Merrifield had played at Omaha he is hitting 391.
He keeps that pace up and he'll be in the big leagues by years in.

P 58 Clinches 4th Without Playing

Tuesday night Cary played their final division game of the season and it turned into a loss.  Cary finished the regular season with a 3-7 division record and heading into tonight's final division game for Post 58 who at this point has a 4-5 division mark so win or lose tonight Post 58 will host Cary in the first round playoffs starting Thursday at 7pm.

There is a great need to pitch the staff tonight and save those we feel are the pitchers that give us the best chance to win rest until the playoffs start.  Forest Bell starts and is followed by a line of others as Paschal Ammons, David Williams, Chase Roupp, M J Jones all get at least an inning each if not more Apex out scores P 58 11-8 as P 58 gets 17 hits while holding Apex to 11.  Khalil Macklin lead the hitting parade getting a triple and double.

Post 58 ends the regular season on a three game losing streak and have an overall record of 9-6-1 and 4-6 in the western division of Area One.

Because of this possible Tropical Storm Thursday just might be in jeopardy.  Joe Bell tried to see if Cary would move up and start Wednesday but logistics could not be worked out for that to happen.

This season Garner and Raleigh both have had to scurry to find a home field to play their games on.  Should Rocky Mount beat Cary and face  Raleigh as the top seed in the second round all five games if necessary will be played in Rocky Mount.  Should Cary advance Raleigh is going to play all of their home games in Rocky Mount.  Regardless of how far Post 58 advances American Legion Field will be the place to be to see west division playoffs.

Got home from work just in time to watch all of the USA World Cup loss.  Just don't understand why America has gone crazy over watching a team play a prevent defense the entire four games.  The U S played some where near 400 minutes and played about 390 backing up.

I would surely rather lose 5-2 but please there is no way any team can win a basketball game letting the other team stay around your goal for almost the whole game without scoring after a while.