Day Two of The Bright Leaf

Easter tournament baseball gives each team the opportunity to play competition that they might face in the playoffs.  Rocky Mount had one of those such games today as they met CB Aycock 12-5 while the Gryphons were 12-4.

The Falcons started Cody Whaley 4-1 on the year making his eighth start with and ERA of.068 facing David Harrison who has yielded less than a run per game so talking about playoff tensions this game had it.

Neither team did anything until the third.  The first batter bunted causing Harrison  to throw wildly to first and if you have ever seen a game at Fleming Stadium they have 500 acres of foul territory and the runner made it to third.

The next batter hit a grounder to third toward short. The Gryphons came home and the man was safe and runner on first.  A hit batter put runners first and second. A sac bunt moves the runs over.  A wild pitch and passed ball plates two more runs in and 3-0 Aycock lead.

Rocky Mount countered in the bottom of fourth. Isaiah Stewart walked and back to back hits by Josh Pittman and Spencer Ramsey loaded the bases.  A grounder hit to  short scored a Gryphons run on a bobbled ball.  Bases loaded one out an a wild pitch scores another run. 3-2 after 5 innings.

A double play ends the Gryphons 6th.  A single and two outs bring up David Harrison who is intentionally walked. A slow roller loads the bases when it is miss played by the second baseman.  A strike out end the game 3-2 CB Aycock.

Rocky Mount out hit the Falcons 7-3. David Harrison went the distance going over 105 pitches on the last batter of the game.  Whaley pitched 6 innings giving up 6 hits 6 strikeouts  and one walk.  He got help in the 7th from Jordan Gay who gave up one hit an one intentional walk and struck out one. Plenty of opportunities but not enough timely hits for the Gryphons.

Other scores
Nash Central 8 Northern Eastern Wayne 4
Rosewood 10 Southern Nash 9
Cardinal Gibbons 7 Northern Nash 6
Faith Christian  9. Raleigh Home School 1
RMA 9 Wilson Christian Academy 7

RV wins 900th..

Many Rocky Mount and Northern Nash fans have been part of many of the 900 wins  recorded by Greenville Rose coach Ron Vincent who Saturday his Rose Rampants beat Bunn 9-6 .  RV has been a high school coach for 47 years. He has spent the last 44 at Rose where he has won 6 state baseball titles and 868 wins at Rose.

900 is the all time North Carolina record by 166 games 734.  No doubt the 868 is the all time record at one school.  He began coaching in 1974 and I had the privilege to do his 600th win on the radio in a Victory over Rocky Mount I think It was 2003.  Keep on trucking RV!