Got Their Monies Worth

Tonight Southern Nash paid a visit to Rocky Mount sporting and 0-3 record and would face a 1-2 Gryphon team.  Both playing their third conference game of the week and since each has one really good pitcher and they have already pitched this week we might be in for a 16-15 type game but what we got was much more than anyone expected.

First of all let me tell you about the starting pitcher for Southern.  Leroy Edwards while warming up I thought he was a left handed but noticed he threw the ball right handed.  Leroy has a handicap  of only having a partial left hand.  He holds his glove with his left hand throws the ball right handed and quickly switches his glove to the right hand and if he catches a ball on a play then must switch back to his other hand to throw to ball.  He does it so smoothly I doubt many people even noticed. Later when taken out of the game played a splendid first base.  It is a pleasure to see a player who has a handicap play with great heart and passion.

The Gryphons started Liki Whitaker who last season was the number two pitcher on JVs and has tossed very little so far this season.  His teammates did him no favors in the first creating three errors while Southern could get only one hit and one run.  Rocky Mount got three runs on three hits and Southern contributed an error to give  Rocky Mount a 3-1 first inning lead.

Firebird Kendall Parker's double in the third tie the game at three.  The top of the fifth Southern took a five three lead when Kent Cox brought in Short stop Forest Bell and Bell proceeded to give up only three hits and strike out 12 over the next eight innings.  The Gryphons tied the game in the bottom of the sixth at five and had chances to take the lead.  Todd Brewer countered with two outs in the sixth with his ace Lucas Overman who pitched the rest of the way for Southern.  The rest of the way would
be with two outs in the bottom of the 12th.

There was a point when complete control was lost by the umpiring crew.  Rocky Mount had a runner on first with one out and Josh Carter batting and everyone hollering foul ball when Gryphon base runner Battle Shannon was called out stealing.  Southern ran off the field thinking three outs and Kent Cox arguing about a foul ball.  The umpires had no idea how many outs there were  and had to consult a score book to see that the third batter of the inning was at bat.

Rocky Mount started the bottom of the 12th with two easy outs but Blake Helms managed a walk after he had two strikes and the final batter of the game Channing a Green stepped to the plate and the left handed batter lashed a double deep in the left field corner and there was never any doubt that Blake Helms rounding second was heading home with the winning run.  6-5 Rocky Mount with two outs in the bottom of the 12th.

Rocky Mount jumps to 2-2 and Southern drops to 0-4.  There is nobody in this league that will want to play the much improved Firebirds and Rocky Mount found out they have more pitching than they thought.