The Rocky Mount Gryphons opened their 2017 baseball season at home hosting the Yellow Jackets of Roanoke Rapids. Pat Smith needs to find pitching to go along with NC State signee David Harrison. For one game at least he May have found one.
Freshman Ben Sieracki got the start went four innings allowed only two hits bunts with no one covering first. The top of the third was his only stress and it was from no cause from Sieracki. A leadoff error followed by a bunt with no one on first put runners on first and second with no outs. Another bunt fielders choice was out at third. Another bunt left open first base to load the bases. A ground ball to third and a force play at the plate for out number two and a strike out ended the only Yellow Jacket threat all day.
Sieracki went four innings giving up two hits walking only one striking out six. David Harrison pitched the final three innings going nine up and nine down striking out five.
Rocky Mount plated a single run in the second after one out Jake Philbeck singled to left and made it to third after the ball went though the legs of the fielder. The next batter Jamar Ellis floated a single that dropped in front of the left fielder but a super throw by the left fielder Tommy Bradley cut down Philbeck at the plate. The next batter Zack Keeter cracked a single who drove in Ellis who was on second on the throw that nailed Philbeck at home.
The Gryphons struck for their second run in the third after a single by Josh Pittman and a double by David Harrison. Isaiah Stewart deliver a sac fly to left to score Pittman. The Gryphons got 7 hits. Two by Pittman, double by Harrison, singles by Jake Philbeck, Zack Keeter, Jamar Ellis and Lane Butler.
The Gryphons win their opener 2-0
Now the basketball playoffs.
The Knights of Northern Nash have won three times at home by very close scores. They have won despite nagging injuries. The idea by not playing Darius Spradley in the Big East Tournament has paid off for Henry Drake. I hope all those nagging injuries have healed because now only the strong survive.
Eastern Guilford 27-3 and winners of 20 games in a row and sport a team that has ten players over six feet tall. EG averages 69 points per game while Northern counters at 71. This game has all the ingredients of a run and gun high scoring game.
Eastern Guilford 27-3 @ Northern Nash 25-3. Eastern Guilford is the third seed from the East while Northern Nash is the top seed. The home crowd was Great Saturday night and the Knight support team needs to be louder Tuesday.
The Lady Gryphons have enjoyed three homes games and in all three their second half defense has led to comfortable wins. Now on the road for the first time they will face a huge height disadvantage as the Nighthawks star player stands six feet five and they have seven players on the roster least as tall as the tallest Gryphons.
This will be a game of can the Gryphons pressing defense stop the Nighthawks even before they get near the foul line. If they can get it inside it will be a long night for the Gryphons. Rocky Mount must have their best defensive game of the year
Rocky Mount 22-3 @ Northern Guilford 28-1: The Nighthawks leading scorer is Elissa Cunane who banks in 20.4 points per night and hauls down 11.9 rebounds. She stands 6' 5". The only other double digit scorer comes from Kassie Robakiewicz at 11.4. They score 65 points a game and that averages that they have won every game by 29 points holding the other side to 36.
The Gryphons score 56 on average and rely on their defense holding their foes to 33. Keyanna Spivey at 5' 9" scores 21.1 and grabs 9.2 missed shots per game. Michelle Gainey scores at 10.2. Spivey must stay out of foul trouble and the Gryphons outside shooters must be hot. The defense must cause 20 turnover or more to stay in this game.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Springs Sports Start Today
High school baseball fans are in for a major change when the high school baseball season gets under way today. A much asked question over the years is how much should any one pitcher pitch in any one game and for that matter each week?
The answer for North Carolina High Schools is if a pitcher throws less than 30 pitches in a game he can pitch again tomorrow. If he throws from 31-45 he must rest for a full day. A good question to ask if your team plays Monday at 10am and a pitcher pitches 44 pitches and your team plays a 7pm game on Tuesday has he rested for a full day?
If a pitcher throws 46-60 pitches he must rest for two full days. 61-75 pitches three days. If your team has a pitcher capable of pitching a complete game seldom in a seven inning games does a pitcher pitch less than 75 pitches. The days of hearing a pitcher throw 125 pitches are over. The maximum any pitcher can throw are 105 pitches. I think what you will see is teams will hold their aces for the most important games regardless of what day they play because four days rest pretty much means pitch one time a week.
Every team will be required to report pitch counts of pitchers just like when they report scores. Every coach will have to have someone in the dugout to record every pitch inning by inning and turn that form in after every Game. The team you play next will be able to know before the game how many pitches your ace pitcher can throw against them.
There is also a rule where the pitcher in his windup has to have his front foot on the rubber and the second has to be straight behind the rubber when his windup starts. Many pitchers have their second foot beside the rubber so for many pitchers this will be a major adjustment.
So in order to prevent large pitch counts on pitchers it would be nice that umpires who are known for calling a strike only when the ball is right down the middle call strikes the way the rule books calls for. I have always been a pitchers umpire. I want to see batters go to the plate to hit not walk so let's call the edges strikes like it is suppose to be and let's swing the bat at strikes. Fewer pitches are thrown and the games are quicker when one team hasn't walked 14 runs in.
I can assure you the teams that like this rule will be the teams that have three or four good pitchers. Any team with one really good thrower and a bunch I hope we can get through this inning with him on the mound are in for trouble. Once teams hit the playoffs only those team that have bunches of pitchers will win the state championships. So as the second and third games of the week come around look for higher scores. Some teams may have to tell pitchers just to lop it up to the plate, don't walk anybody and use up pitch count. We will start seeing today how this rule works out.
One issue still ignored by this rule is this applies to high school baseball. Those of you parents who think that the only way to a college scholarship is travel ball and play on weekends during the high school season all you are doing is setting your kid up for Tommy John Surgery.
Games on tap today:
Tarboro @ Fike 7pm
Southern Wayne @ Hunt 4pm
Nash Central @ Smithfield Selma 7pm
Roanoke Rapids @ Rocky Mount 4:30
Tuesday games:
Roanoke Rapids @ Northern Nash 4:30
SouthWest Edgecombe @ Southern Nash 4:30
Wednesday:
Goldsboro @ Rocky Mount Prep 4:30
The answer for North Carolina High Schools is if a pitcher throws less than 30 pitches in a game he can pitch again tomorrow. If he throws from 31-45 he must rest for a full day. A good question to ask if your team plays Monday at 10am and a pitcher pitches 44 pitches and your team plays a 7pm game on Tuesday has he rested for a full day?
If a pitcher throws 46-60 pitches he must rest for two full days. 61-75 pitches three days. If your team has a pitcher capable of pitching a complete game seldom in a seven inning games does a pitcher pitch less than 75 pitches. The days of hearing a pitcher throw 125 pitches are over. The maximum any pitcher can throw are 105 pitches. I think what you will see is teams will hold their aces for the most important games regardless of what day they play because four days rest pretty much means pitch one time a week.
Every team will be required to report pitch counts of pitchers just like when they report scores. Every coach will have to have someone in the dugout to record every pitch inning by inning and turn that form in after every Game. The team you play next will be able to know before the game how many pitches your ace pitcher can throw against them.
There is also a rule where the pitcher in his windup has to have his front foot on the rubber and the second has to be straight behind the rubber when his windup starts. Many pitchers have their second foot beside the rubber so for many pitchers this will be a major adjustment.
So in order to prevent large pitch counts on pitchers it would be nice that umpires who are known for calling a strike only when the ball is right down the middle call strikes the way the rule books calls for. I have always been a pitchers umpire. I want to see batters go to the plate to hit not walk so let's call the edges strikes like it is suppose to be and let's swing the bat at strikes. Fewer pitches are thrown and the games are quicker when one team hasn't walked 14 runs in.
I can assure you the teams that like this rule will be the teams that have three or four good pitchers. Any team with one really good thrower and a bunch I hope we can get through this inning with him on the mound are in for trouble. Once teams hit the playoffs only those team that have bunches of pitchers will win the state championships. So as the second and third games of the week come around look for higher scores. Some teams may have to tell pitchers just to lop it up to the plate, don't walk anybody and use up pitch count. We will start seeing today how this rule works out.
One issue still ignored by this rule is this applies to high school baseball. Those of you parents who think that the only way to a college scholarship is travel ball and play on weekends during the high school season all you are doing is setting your kid up for Tommy John Surgery.
Games on tap today:
Tarboro @ Fike 7pm
Southern Wayne @ Hunt 4pm
Nash Central @ Smithfield Selma 7pm
Roanoke Rapids @ Rocky Mount 4:30
Tuesday games:
Roanoke Rapids @ Northern Nash 4:30
SouthWest Edgecombe @ Southern Nash 4:30
Wednesday:
Goldsboro @ Rocky Mount Prep 4:30
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