More Runs Than Hits

• It was cold, windy.  The Thermometer read 45 degrees but felt like 35.  Got a call from Pat Smith around 11am that today's game had been moved up to 3:30 trying to beat the impending rain due near 6pm.

So a raw day like today the ball doesn't fly very well for the pitcher his curve ball may not break like it would under normal weather so today if you were Pat Smith who would you throw today. The fastest best pitcher you have David Harrison.

Harrison goes the distance giving up five hits three fail to get out of the infield.  He walked two batters and struck out nine Trojans of South Johnston.   His only true hard inning was the 7th and the Gryphons defense made it suspenseful making two errors by putting the tying runs on base.  Harrison ended the threat with a strikeout.

The Gryphons scored their first run after Jake Philbeck was hit by a pitch.  Then Isaiah Stewart, Ben Seracki and Lane Butler walked and Butler got and rbi for his walk.  One run on no hits.

Run number two came in the fourth when Zack Keeter walked advance to second on a ground out.  Advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Ben Seracki to center field.  2-0 Rocky Mount after four innings and the Gryphons have no hits yet.

They would get their only hit in the fifth on a ground ball infield single and it will be their only hit in the game.  GRYPHONS win 2-0 over South Johnston to win their third game in five tries.

Friday will be the last  warm-up before conference play next week.   The Gryphons travel to 4-A  Cleveland in Clayton.  The Gryphons have shown to date they have the pitching to hang in during conference play but as of yet have not shown capable of scoring enough runs to be a threat for the conference crown.

Final Week Of Preparation

One thing about all high school sports when you can play two or more games a week it doesn't take long before it's conference time.  Next week Big East Baseball kicks into high gear so this is the last week to figure who your starters will be.

So far this spring the Firebirds of Southern Nash have been the most impressive as they have won five of six contest.  They have three games on tap this week as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They have home games today with Cleveland, another home game Wednesday and they hit the road Friday at Farmville.

Rocky Mount 2-2 has played the least games to date and only have two more on the schedule this week.  Today they host South Johnston 4pm. They  finish off the week Friday at Cleveland.  So far the strong point for the Gryphons has been pitching and the weak point defense and clutch hitting.

Nash Central 2-3 is off to a somewhat slow start.  They too have a three game week and They are home today to Smithfield Selma. A road trip to SouthWest Edgecombe Tuesday  and back home on Friday with Southwest Edgecombe.

The biggest struggle so far this season is Northern Nash.  They have lost four of their first five.  They have three games scheduled this week.  Still plenty of time to turn things around.  They are on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday week.  They start it off today hosting Corinths Holders.  The Cougars of SouthWest Edgecombe Wednesday and finish the week on the road at Tarboro.

Carolina earned a top seed in the South region of the NCAA basketball tournament and will play Friday in Greenville SC.  They will meet Texas Southern.  Duke jumps to a second seed in the east region but they also start in Greenville SC Friday meeting Troy.

Wake Forest making the tournament for the first time since 2010 has a play in meeting with Kansas St. In Dayton Ohio on Wednesday.  They will be joined in Dayton by North Carolina Central who gets a shot at University of California-Davis.

The final North Carolina team in the Big Dance is UNC Wilmington and they will meet the Virginia Cavaliers.  Fill out those brackets as the games begin Tuesday.