Monday, July 14, 2014

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.