Not All Rocky Mount Final

There is no doubt when quality teams meet up in the most important game of the year and the game is not decided until the last batter then you have a game to remember forever. Especially when the winning run scores in a way you can say you have never seen before.

Faith Christian met  Westchester Country Day  in a pitchers duel where the first run did not cross the plate until the bottom sixth and a sac fly by the Patriots gave them a 1-0 lead.

Landen Roupp carried a shutout into the 7th only to be rocked by a solo homerun to tie the score heading to the bottom of the 7th.  The Patriots loaded the bases with less than two outs when a pop up was ruled an infield fly rule which means the batter is out and runners advance at their own risk.   Since the batter is out there is no force play so no runner has to run.  The ball is dropped allowing the runner on third to score when the batter was already out and no need to catch the ball.

Faith earns the right to play in in the championship series starting Friday oddly enough being hosted by Westchester Country Day of High Point the team they Beat today.

There was hope for an all Rocky Mount final as Rocky Mount Academy made a long ride to Charlotte to play North side  Christian  and the results will leave the Eagles short of their 2nd state finals in four years.  The Eagles lose 15-6.  It will be a long ride home for RMA.

Faith will face North side Christian starting Friday at 4pm in High Point.  Game Two is set at noon Saturday and if needed game three will follow at 3:30.

The Rocky Mount Gryphons girls soccer team will host A third round 3A soccer match at 5pm Wednesday hosting Jacksonville.

The ACC baseball race  has reached the final weekend of the season with Louisville and North Carolina clinching top seeds in two of the four pods that the tournament is taking on this year.  Even if both teams lost all three games this weekend the Tar Heels and Cardinals are far enough ahead in their division to stay top seed.

Next Tuesday when the tournament gets underway in Louisville the teams will be bracketed with three teams in a bracket so this year the number of teams in the tournament will be 12 and as it stands now Boston College and Pittsburgh will not head to Louisville.  Neither is totally out but probably.

So the three teams in each pod will play round robin in their pod with the winner of each pod moving on the  Semi's on Saturday.  Starting Tuesday you will play two games in four days, if you advance to Saturday Semi final is your third game and the championship game on Sunday.  The biggest idea playing only two games to reach the semi is how do you go with your pitching rotation.  Some where your so call mid week starter will have to get a start if you get all the way to Sunday.  Even with this format the team with the best four starting pitchers will win.

If the tournament started today the pods would be. A Louisville, Florida State and Virginia Tech.  Pod B  North Carolina, Miami and Georgia Tech.  Pod C  Wake Forest, NC State and Notre Dame.  Pod D Virginia, Clemson and Duke.  Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Duke need to win two out of three this weekend to keep Pitt and BC sitting home next week.

Now the funny business:  What happens if your bracket all three teams go 1-1.  It would take 12 Philadelphia lawyers to say keep Carolina out of the semi finals  With their overall record compared to others in their Pod.  Just hope the teams that are suppose to win do or lose both to take all the what if's out of play.