Game One Heart Break

The Knights of Northern Nash with the help of faulty Eastern Wayne defense found themselves ahead 5-0 after four innings of play tonight in the opening game of the Eastern 3-A baseball championships in Goldsboro.

Through the first four playoff games and the first four innings tonight Northern pitching had allowed just one run for thirty one innings of playoff pitching.

Tonight a ghost from Rocky Mount high as John Wooten Senior first baseman for the Warriors hit a grand slam home run in the bottom of the fifth inning for Eastern Wayne. Wooten who is headed to Greenville to play for Billy Godwin at East Carolina is the son of former Rocky Mount high Great Sonny Wooten. Wooten was a member of the Rocky Mount American Legion team that won the state baseball championship in the early 70's and after playing pro baseball settle in Goldsboro.

Wooten's slammer made it 5-4 and Northern was able to hold the lead until the bottom of the seventh. After walking the leadoff runner in the seventh Northern's head coach Eddie Loesner Pulled starter Brandon Denton in Favor of senior Mike Williams who had to face John Wooten as his first batter. Wooten hit a shot to second baseman Mike Smith who knocked the ball down tossed to second and Wesley Joyner's throw to first got a double play. Two outs and no one one. The very next batter drills a home run to tie the game. Then the next two batters get back to back doubles and in a matter of a few seconds Northern's opening game victory turns into a stunning loss.

Game two is tomorrow night at Northern where the Knights find themselves in a must win to survive mode. Eddie Loesner is really in a major pickle. Having pitched Tyler Joyner last night just to get to tonight's game he must find someone to help get a win Friday and maybe pitch Joyner Saturday night.

If there was one area that the playoff game against Rocky Mount showed was that Northern had two great pitchers but were very thin looking for a third starter. That third starter must come through for Northern Friday night in order to play back in Goldsboro Saturday night.

Tonight was a good night to have played the game in Goldsboro as thunder storms rolled through Rocky Mount at what would have been about game time in Goldsboro.

If luck has any thing to do with winning right now Northern could use a rain out Friday and then play a double header if necessary at Northern on Saturday. That way they possibly could use Tyler Joyner and Brandon Denton some on Saturday.

Game two is Friday night at Northern at 7.00pm

Joyner pitches gem

Tyler Joyner pitch a two hit shut out as the New-6 will return to the eastern finals in baseball for the third year in a row as Northern Nash Smacks Webb high 6-0. Brandon Denton supplied the muscle hitting a three run homer. Tyler Clark and Tyler Joyner also double for the Knights.

In four playoff games so far this year Northern Pitching has allowed only one run.

Due to last nights rain out Northern will not have any practice time as they travel to Eastern Wayne Thursday night to open a two out of three playoff series against the Warriors. Game two will be Friday night in Red Oak. If necessary a third game will be played Saturday back in Goldsboro.

This is the second time in three years that Northern has played in the eastern finals losing to C B Aycock in three games in 2007.

I think we can all assume that Brandon Denton will pitch Thursday for the Knights and the big question is there any chance that Tyler Joyner can pitch any more this week after pitching seven inning complete game tonight.

Good Luck Knights!

As Northern carries the banner for Nash County and the NEW-6 word comes that Pat Smith has resigned as baseball coach at Rocky Mount.

The seven years that Smith has been in charge of Gryphon baseball he has lead them to four conference titles and a State title.

I am surprised but not shocked at the announcement. In fact I was surprised that he came back this year after winning the title last season.

Looking back at those first two seasons when it looked like the grizzly old veteran coach was not going to get the players to play his way but in the end averaged over twenty wins a season the last four and won the state title.

Good luck on the golf course Pat.

There's No Cardiac Canes

Trying their best to stave off eliminations the Carolina Hurricanes ran into a team that is improving every time they step on the ice.

Eric Staal's early goal gave Cane's fans hope but a relentless offensive push by the Pittsburgh Penguins proved to be too much as the Pens sweep the Canes 4-0 with a 4-1 win tonight in Raleigh.

The Canes played their best game of the series but it was no match for a Pittsburgh team who will be returning to the Stanly Cup Finals for the second year in a row.

Northern Nash never got an opportunity to play round four in the high school baseball playoffs as tonight's game was rained out in Oxford. They will try again Wednesday night at Webb High School.

If Northern can win over Webb they would be forced to start the Eastern Finals Thursday night in Wayne county against Eastern Wayne who was a 6-4 winner of West Brunswick.

Way back during the football playoffs I complained there were too many games in order to win the championship and it is even worse in baseball. There is no reason any team should be forced to play four games in one week for the sake of making money for the NCHSAA.

Ever since they made the eastern finals a two out of three all teams have been forced to play with this format. Last Thursday night at the Rocky Mount sports banquet Pat Smith had a novel idea. Let the eight conference champions play a two out of three each round.

What that would have meant that the playoff game between Northern and Rocky Mount would have meant you are in or out so both would have used their aces to just get in the playoffs.

This format makes a lot of sense to me. It means that you would only play three games per but the negative would be it might take twelve games to win the title if every series took three games to win.

There is no perfect answer but the the format now smells.

Heels, Pirates To Host Regionals

The North Carolina Tar heels will enter the NCAA baseball playoffs as the #4 seed in this years tournament. By being a top 16 team they have earned the right to host three other schools this weekend in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will play Dartmouth while Kansas will play Coastal Carolina. The double elimination tourney start Friday in blue heaven.

The Pirates of East Carolina will host their first regional ever in Greenville Friday when they play host Binghamton. South Carolina and George Mason round out the field in Greenville. This is the fifth time that ECU has ever been the #1 seed in a regional and the second time that they have ever hosted. They hosted in 2004 in Wilson while Clark-LeClair was being remodeled.

Should Carolina and ECU win their regional they would square off in the super regional in Chapel Hill the first weekend in June.

Rocky Mount has major connections to both Mike Fox and Billy Godwin. Fox having coached North Carolina Wesleyan for eleven years before moving to Chapel Hill and Billy Godwin being a Rocky Mount resident now and drives back and forth each day to Greenviile as well as being a Northern Nash graduate.

Speaking of Northern Nash. Round four is Tuesday night in Oxford as the Knights play Webb high school. Regardless of whether you lovem, hatem or could care less the Knight represent us all now that they are the only team left from this area and conference.

I'm pulling for Northern,Carolina and ECU. GO Knights, Heels and Pirates.

The Carolina Hurricanes are on life support tonight as they rest up for their final home game of the season. Regardless of whether they win or lose I doubt they can win game five and get another game in Raleigh should they even win Tuesday night.

I'll be watching.

Canes Down On Their Knees

The last series for the Canes I told you that the Canes were better than Boston even though it went seven games. There is no doubt Pittsburgh is better the the Hurricanes.

The Penguins charge to the net and the Hurricane defenders are on their heels. Cam Ward is under attack practically one on one. Carolina offense is designed to shoot long shots and look for the rebound in close. They might have a big game and score four goals. Pittsburgh charges the net can score four times on a bad night.

The Crosby/Maulkin duo may be the Gretsky/Messier pair of this decade. I hope the Canes can win Tuesday at home. I don't see this going past five games.

The TV networks are still breathing today as Kobe made a three point shot with a hand in his face and Lebron made a miracle shot at the buzzer Friday night to keep both LA and Cleveland alive in the playoffs.

I still have a feeling one of them will not make it. I hope if one doesn't that it is LA.

The Southern Nash boys tennis team has lost the State boys tennis title to Lake Norman. The only local team still alive in any sports is Northern Nash's baseball team.


Northern travels to Webb high school Tuesday. If they win the Eastern Finals start Thursday which is a two out of three. That is a potential four games this week. That is way too much for any team They need to change the schedule where the eastern finals are the only thing this week so three games would be the most.

This is the third year in a row a Nash county team has advance to round four.

The state has a budget crisis and county's are beginning to tell employees of their status for next year. I was in Ahoskie on Saturday and heard that Hertford County has eliminated the PE job of football coach Diego Hasty. His only job will be football coach if he decides to return under those conditions next year.

Unfortunately this only may be the first we hear of many more reductions to a world as we know it.

Knights Move To the Fourth Round

Brandon Denton tried to act like Nolan Ryan and struck out the first six batters. Denton goes the distance and strike out ten and allows only three hits leading the way as Northern Nash advances to round four of the NCHSAA 3-A baseball playoffs with a 7-0 whipping of Western Guilford.

Tyler Clark tried to do his Alex Rodriquez imitation as he went 4-4 including a three run homer and a two run double and added two singles for good measure.

Northern awaits the winner of the Webb/South Granville game and I will let you know when I find out. If Webb wins Northern travels there Tuesday. If South Granville wins Northern will host them on Tuesday.

The news is not good for Fike as they ran into a hornets nest in West Brunswick losing 16-4.

In the you need to know column Eastern Wayne got a walk off home run in the eighth inning to beat South Central 4-3.

I must tell you what I have heard of the sports banquet last night. I told you last night I had to leave early so I was not there for the big awards and the special presentation that was a surprise for everyone.

The booster club presented Grant Wilson's family a framed wrestling Jersey. I hear the tears were flowing by all as his family was there to receive it. Since this was the first dinner that Rocky Mount has had for the sports awards this tribute to Grant made the whole evening very special.

The Male and Female athletes of the year were:

Brian Goodwin and Erika Wesonga.

The Juan Chesson Sportsmanship award was won by:

Chris Pittman.

The scholastic Athletes of the year were:

Erika Wesonga and Richard Deans

I think the sports banquet was a big hit and would love to see it again next year.

Awards Dinner Brings A Full House

Rocky Mount High school held the winter and spring sports award program last night in the gym. Gardner's Barbecue set up their serving line in the hallway in front of the cafeteria and all who ate dined in the gym. The bleachers were pulled out for those who only came to see their kids receive awards could sit while the others ate.

My guess is nearly 400 ate and another 125 watched from the stands. I hope this can become an annual event.

I had a very busy night last night as the Tar River Children's Chorus had their season ending concert and had to leave to watch Morgan sing. Check the Rocky Mount high web site today as Charles Alston will post all of the year end awards handed out last night.

The Carolina Hurricanes when they lose most of the time is turnovers by the defense giving the otherside quick shots. That again last night was a big issue as the Pittsburgh Penquins scored three times in the third period to beat Carolina 7-4.

I hope you were still up to see Evgeni Maulkin's third goal of the game a back handed no look shot that went in the net at the only possible place he could have gotten the shot by Cam Ward. It is the greatest shot I have every seen in my very short hockey watching career.

Game six is Saturday night in Raleigh.

Is it possible that the TV networks executives may be getting ready to jump off a bridge. The two glamor players in the NBA Kobe Bryant and Lebron James the two teams that everyone predicts will play for the NBA title have both lost at home early in their series.

Denver looks better to me than LA. If I was Cleveland I would really be worried. Lebron goes 20 for 30 shooting and they still lose. Lookout Orlando just might play Denver for the title.

That is a TV executive's nightmare when they could get Kobe versus Lebron.

Tonight the Knights of Northern Nash and the Golden Demons of Fike High School try to continue in the baseball playoffs.

How a bout those Firebirds. The boys tennis team from Southern Nash has made it again to the state championship match.

Good luck to all still playing