Pitch Counts Have Already Made A Difference

Last Tuesday nights opening conference game between Rocky Mount and Nash Central has already shown everyone that this pitch count limit will be a make or break for every team this year.  The Gryphons David Harrison wasn't on his pitching game and had several walks and by the middle of the sixth inning he is over a 100 pitches  and by the New Rule cannot pitched the 7th inning.

Any pitch count over 75 must rest four days so Harrison can not pitch again before  Saturday.  That is a good rule.  The problem for Rocky Mount was they played again on Wednesday and who ever relieved Harrison in the 6th could only throw 30 pitches or they could not pitch Wednesday.  The game went 10 innings and the Gryphons used four other pitchers after Harrison. 

Ben Seracki was brought in by Pat Smith with the hopes  that he could get through the 7th and bring home a win.  He wanted him to throw less than 30 so he could be used Wednesday but he wanted to finish out the game which didn't happen.  Zack Keeter was brought in another possible Wednesday starter and because the game got tied he too pitched less than 30 tosses so he was available for Wednesday night.

Extra inning game and you have already used your best three pitchers and you need this game against Nash Central as you don't want to lose to a team that you know will be around the lead in the standings all year and you just can't afford to get behind the leaders.  Enter Joernest Petway as he is now the fourth pitcher used by Pat Smith.  You are now trying to win a very important game with a pitcher  you had no idea would pitch in this game.  He kept the Gryphons in the game and now Josh Pittman has to come in as this game keeps going like the Energizer Bunny into the 10th inning.

So You see Rocky Mount's problem and Nash Central in the other dugout has the same issues.   Starter Zack Patterson threw a lot of pitches and he was pulled in the third inning.  Trey Whitley replaced Patterson kept Nash Central  with in striking distance.  Whitley's pitch count was growing by the 7th inning and Willie Langley decided to go with Chris Godwin during the extra innings.

Each one of these teams has another conference game this week.  Rocky Mount and Nash Central both played Wednesday night.,, The strategy for coaches  now has to be how far can this pitcher go if I hold him to 30 pitches or 50 pitches in order to save a pitcher for another game this week.

Heavens knows if a game goes long distance or more.  Look what ten innings has done to  these teams that still has another game this week.  You see this sometimes in college and Major League baseball.  A team has to play six games in five days and in one of those games you are getting beat 15-0 so the coach brings in the right fielder and says please finish the game we have no more pitchers.

I can see that high school baseball could very well be that you see people on the mount especially if you play three games in a week someone who the coach has out there because the pitch count has depleted his pitchers. The scores of games are going to rise and every high school coach in America will increase their grey hairs just trying to get through this game.

Both Rocky Mount and Nash Central lost their Wednesday games.  Both used lots of energy in a ten inning game the night before.  Did such a long game effect either Wednesday Night?  Probably.

Tonight Southern Nash is proving to beat a team to look out for beating Northern Nash 5-2.  That ties Southern with Hunt at 2-0.  Rocky Mount and Fike are 1-1. Both Northern Nash and Nash Central start the week going 0-2.