The Playoffs Begin

Tonight the North Carolina area semi finals got underway all across North Carolina in American Legion baseball.  Rocky Mount Post 58 who earned a third seed in Area One Western division semi finals traveled to Apex the team that was number two in the division.  Both teams have been off since they both earned byes in the first round for a week now.

Now that we are in the playoff we must note that Coleman Pitt had a winning record 8-6 this season with one of the youngest teams in the state.  We have on our roster three rising juniors who should be junior legion and not one returning from college on our roster.  Apex our host tonight has five returning college player.  In essence we are a team of 16 and 17 year olds for the most part taking on 17 and 18 year olds.

Cameron Taylor took to hill for Coleman Pitt and got into the sixth inning before he ran into serious trouble.  He goes 5 2/3 innings giving up six runs all earned and eight hits.  Noah Shrock pitch 1 2/3 giving up one hit and Forest Bell pitched the ninth.

Post 58 took a 1-0 lead in the second on a lead off Noah Shrock single, a Forest Bell single a wild pitch and an error at second.  The lead was short lived as Apex scored twice on a walk,double and sac fly. P 58 retook the lead in the third when Colby Carter Walked, Logan Pearce line a double across the third base bag and a ground out by Tyler Barrett scored one and the second came home on a Shrock single.

The score stood 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth when Apex scored four times on four hits.  Nothing crossed home after that but  post 58 had their shot.  The eighth they had runners on first and second when John Michael Kelly sent what looked like a hit toward second but the defensive play of the game by their second Baseman knocked the ball down and scooped a throw to second and 58 was denied.   Final Apex 6 Rocky Mount three.

Noah Shrock had three hits and Logan Pearce two led the night.    Jake Isbell pitched 8 innings for Apex giving up the nine hits but only two earned runs.  Game two is Saturday night in Rocky Mount at 7pm.  From about the fourth inning on the skies threaten rain but it was two outs  in the ninth before there was even lightening in the distance.  Never one drop of rain all night.  Got back home and the lights were out coming in by the Community College and looked like a rough night here.

Other Area One day playoff action Friday night
Garner 3. Cary 0  Garner leads 1-0 in games
Apex 6 Rocky Mount 3 Apex 1-0 in games
Wayne Co 11 Wilson 5 Wayne Co leads 1-0 in game
Pitt Co 6 Kinston 3. Game suspended by rain

Legion Starts Round Two

Coleman Pitt Post 58 baseball team will start round two tonight after having a bye in the opening round as Cary beat Durham 10-0  Thursday after beating Durham 2-1 Wednesday in round one to advance to play the top seed Garner tonight.  While Garner #one will host Cary#four Rocky Mount will be heading to Apex to take on Post 124 in the 2/3 match up.

Coleman Pitt and Apex split during their two regular season games with each winning at home.  It was more difficult for Post 58 to win at home as both teams struggled for 12 innings until Logan Pearce hit brought home the winning run 3-2.

Apex had little trouble with the Post 58 pitching in Apex scoring 16 runs in seven innings.  The good news was Rocky Mount hitting did get six runs on their own so they did show ability to score runs.  Both teams will be fully rested as play begins at 7pm in Apex.

Game two will be played Saturday night at Legion Field and a third game for sure will be necessary as this is a 3 out of 5 series.  Back to Apex Sunday and if needed back in Rocky Mount on Monday.  If it goes five games a third trip will be required on Tuesday afternoon.  This schedule is of course pending the weather.

The Eastern Division also begins tonight as the top team Pitt County will host Kinston who this week beat Ahoskie twice to secure the four seed .  The 2/3 match up will have Wilson traveling to Wayne County as the east division will be playing their 3 out of five at the same time as the Western a Division.

I think the baseball game Sunday night might be the best thing that has ever happened to Major League Baseball.  ESPN coverage was excellent with all the tid bits of information about the base and those that defend our country there.

There are rumors after seeing the success that baseball had that the NBA all star game may be moved to Fort Bragg. This would punish Charlotte and North Carolina for the non action by the general assembly to change HB2. Now that the NBA has dug themselves in a hole telling a state what they needed to do.  A business telling a state what their laws should be.

The NBA can move the game to Fort Bragg Federal Property and if course the U S military has no such rule as HB2.  I think it is funny where we all do what we want that is convenient to us.  As you know the military has a no God in the military these days and yet in the seventh inning of the baseball game everyone in the stadium sang God Bless America.  I don't think the NBA can build a building big enough to have such an extravaganza in such short time.  They will lose millions of dollars.  We all know that money will win out in the end.