Rocky Mount Cary Open Legion Playoffs

The goal is to make it to the state tournament but Rocky Mount and Cary will have the longest road from the which to ride if either makes it through four rounds of playoffs.  Thursday night begins a two out of three series which game one and three if necessary will be played at American Legion Field in Rocky Mount.

Game two will be played at Athens Drive High School Friday.  Cary beat Rocky Mount in Rocky Mount 8-5 and three nights later Post 58 beat Cary at Athens Drive 7-1.  We just might sneak this game in as a Tropical Storm soon to be Hurricane Arthur just might arrive to Far East of us and it might be midnight when it hits then.

We are within a couple of weeks of the major league all star game and just about  this time of year players are promoted to the next level if they are playing at a level that justifies moving up to next level.  Hobbs Johnson I think has the best possibility to being bumped up as any local player.  Johnson playing for Brevard in the Florida State league has a 9-6 record.  The first time this year his ERA has jumped over three at 3.23.

Brian Goodwin is batting 219 in Syracuse and he is in the season far enough now that his batting average will not rise much getting three hits in a game.  Another problem Washington has sent two in recent weeks to the big club bypassing Brian.

Xavier Macklin is hitting 216 in Gate City  Ill.  Xavier is striking out about once in 2.5 at bats which is keeping X man down in the Frontier League.

Interesting  development from a former Rocky Mount player from the Past Bill Merrifield.  Back when the University of South Carolina was winning back to back national titles they were lead by Whit Merrifield Bill's son.  About a month ago Whit was promoted to AAA Omaha the Triple A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.  The 22 games Merrifield had played at Omaha he is hitting 391.
He keeps that pace up and he'll be in the big leagues by years in.

P 58 Clinches 4th Without Playing

Tuesday night Cary played their final division game of the season and it turned into a loss.  Cary finished the regular season with a 3-7 division record and heading into tonight's final division game for Post 58 who at this point has a 4-5 division mark so win or lose tonight Post 58 will host Cary in the first round playoffs starting Thursday at 7pm.

There is a great need to pitch the staff tonight and save those we feel are the pitchers that give us the best chance to win rest until the playoffs start.  Forest Bell starts and is followed by a line of others as Paschal Ammons, David Williams, Chase Roupp, M J Jones all get at least an inning each if not more Apex out scores P 58 11-8 as P 58 gets 17 hits while holding Apex to 11.  Khalil Macklin lead the hitting parade getting a triple and double.

Post 58 ends the regular season on a three game losing streak and have an overall record of 9-6-1 and 4-6 in the western division of Area One.

Because of this possible Tropical Storm Thursday just might be in jeopardy.  Joe Bell tried to see if Cary would move up and start Wednesday but logistics could not be worked out for that to happen.

This season Garner and Raleigh both have had to scurry to find a home field to play their games on.  Should Rocky Mount beat Cary and face  Raleigh as the top seed in the second round all five games if necessary will be played in Rocky Mount.  Should Cary advance Raleigh is going to play all of their home games in Rocky Mount.  Regardless of how far Post 58 advances American Legion Field will be the place to be to see west division playoffs.

Got home from work just in time to watch all of the USA World Cup loss.  Just don't understand why America has gone crazy over watching a team play a prevent defense the entire four games.  The U S played some where near 400 minutes and played about 390 backing up.

I would surely rather lose 5-2 but please there is no way any team can win a basketball game letting the other team stay around your goal for almost the whole game without scoring after a while.

The Pile Gets Deeper For Carolina

The NCAA announced Monday that they were going to reopen the Case against Carolina what started out as a football issue and as time goes forth has reared it ugly head more at basketball.  What is the statue of limitations when the NCAA is concerned?  Two national championships in basketball could be in jeopardy.  It is my opinion that this is really not so much a sports related issue as much as an academic integrity issue.  Carolina is no different than anybody else  when dealing with athletes but to have courses that any student on campus can take without going to class.  I bet they required non athletes to pay for those courses.  Surely Carolina has lost the luster of being THE UNIVERSITY of North Carolina.

Rumors are circulating that LaBron may go after the biggest contract he can get when bargaining begins for NBA free agents July 1.  If that is true you know Miami wants LaBron  so the end of the big three in Miami May be over.  Who would you keep with James.  If I was making the decision it would not be Wade.  The last couple of years his health has not been worthy of Max Money.

I thought it would happen but tonight's game at Wayne County for Coleman Pitt Post 58 was dropped.  Also with the double header loss Saturday against Raleigh doomed P58 to a first round play off  with Cary Thursday-Friday and Saturday.  That also doomed a last game of the season home game with Wilson Post 13.  P 58 needs to save pitchers for the first round series with Cary.

This so called tropical depression heading this way just might effect being able to get the first game in if it is raining.  P 58 finishes their last division game  Tuesday night at Apex.  My guess a win and at 5-5 we would host Thursday and a loss on the road Thursday but I don't know Cary's record right now so I don't know if that is true or not.  The bottom line is we will be playing Thursday and Friday and maybe Saturday.

A reminder for everyone is the second round starts July 7th so any first round series will end Sunday one way or the other.  You might remember it has happened in the past that rained kept some rounds to not go the distance.  This first round series is a two out of three and if weather one team has not won two games by the end of Sunday the winner of the first game is declared the winner.  It is vital to win the first game of any series just for the weather reason.

World Cup Fever

I have only been able to watch one of the USA's soccer matches from start to finish.  Had to see the highlites  for the next two.  I still have a problem seeing any team advance in any tournament going 1-1-1.  I know soccer is a world wide sport  but wouldn't the tournament be more thrilling if it was a double elimination?

The ACC is a bridesmaid again in the college World Series.  You know the world watched from Omaha for 11 days.  I would like to see them go back to the double elimination format.  The problem any team has once they lose a game in the double elimination format is it eats up your pitching.  TV dominating the schedule there is only two games at the most on any day.

Vanderbilt and Virginia both lost two games at the CWS.  Vandy was five and 5-2 while Virginia was 4-2.  Just seems to me when it gets down to the final two and one has a loss the maximum games between the two might be two games.  Colleges  play three straight days on conference weekends and during the tournament the only two teams that played more than two days in a row was UVA and Vandy during the two out of three final.

Post 58 double header loss on Saturday has doomed Post 58 into a two out of three playoff round against Cary on July3-4-5.  Right now don't know who gets fourth or fifth until all the games are finished.  Fourth will host on the third and fifth if needed.  No vacation during this upcoming holiday weekend for Post 58.  Seems there is a possible tropical storm brewing that may be here Thursday.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie cashed another check this weekend in the Futures Tour.  She has made the cut in five of the last six tournaments.  Her problem finishing 30th on the Futures Tour get a check of about $500.  She is in the top 60 on the money list but in order to get her LPGA card back she needs to be top 15 at end of the year.  She needs to win another tournament to get to top 15.

Up In Smoke

After Thursday night's Post 58 non division win over Ahoskie everything seemed set up for the battle with Raleigh Post one double header Saturday.  Hadn't been in the dugout five minutes getting the first game lineup when a rumor was floating that one of today's starters is not here.

Cody Smith takes to the hill for Post 58 and on just about any day making it into the fifth giving up only two Runs would be a really quality start.  However the starter for Post one carries  a no hitter until one out in the seventh and remember a double header is two seven inning games. Korry Behenna gives up two hits in the seventh and Post 58 scores on run but lose 2-1.

Today the infield umpire picked daisys  most of the time and with the score 1-0 and Post 1 runners on first and second Coleman Pitt pulls the hidden ball trick.  The umpire with both is hands on his knees looking toward the pitcher does not see CP second baseman Garrison Vick run over and tags  out the runner taking his lead.  Vick gets the umpires attention and the umpire turns around seeing Vick holding the tag on the runner calls time out.  Hank Jones made his plea but you know it is a losing cause.  That runners scores what proves to be the winning run.

Griffin Parker a single and David Williams a double were the only hits P 58 made. Cody Smith pitched into the fifth and Will Edwards finished the game between them Raleigh collected only four hits.

The night cap Post 58 scored twice in the top of the first but Raleigh added two in the bottom.  Hank Jones sent Blake Helms to the mound and heading into the fifth CP 58 is leading 5-2.  Helms has play right field in the First game and as he tires in the fifth 5 runs score before a change is made.  Will Edwards get out of trouble in the fifth but the sixth P1 scores three more and P58 loses 10-5

The day started with first place in sight but losing two they fall to at least fourth and maybe fifth all in one day.  P58 get only three hits in the night cap while P 1 gets nine hits but had only four until the fifth.

It is really something when you have two people in the family that know everything on FaceBook.  Morgan sent me a text during the Baseball game to tell me that J'Kyra Brown after transferring from ECU has committed to Virginia.  After I got home from the ball game I saw on J's FaceBook page a picture of her wearing an orange Virginia tee.

This Is What You Play For

The modern day high school baseball player has several reasons why they would want to play during the summer at any level.  First of all you love the game.  You have reached the age that your time playing baseball is ending.  There will be no next level college or minor leagues.  This is the last summer you will ever play baseball.

The next player that wants to play Legion has a great desire that there will be a next level.  He is either headed to college to play at the school of his choice or he has already spent a year there and is home for the summer.  He is not a player who can go to college summer leagues like the Cape Cod or even the Coastal Plain and play against other college players.

Then there is the younger player not old enough for senior Legion but his desire to play against older players to make himself a better player.  Regardless of the reason you played Legion there is a desire that if we could win the title it would make this summer worth so much more.  Even as I sit in the pressbox want to do it for a winning team.

So the 2014 addition of Coleman Pitt Post 58 has reached the point where all the practices and games in 90 degree sweltering humidity could pay off in one afternoon.  Saturday at 3pm Coleman Pitt Host Raleigh Post 1 in a double header that could very well lead to a first round bye in the upcoming West Division Area 1 playoffs.  A bye is almost a week off around the Fourth Of July while others fight for the baseball life to continue to the next round.

This group this season has Come together nicely to be a very competitive team.  Hank Jones has deployed two catchers saving their strength as the season has progressed.  Ryan Williams from Roanoke  Rapids and David Williams from Northern and Duke. Williams when not catching has been the third baseman. Over at a First Griffin Parker from Fike has handled most of the work with Chase Roupp his backup Roupp has Been the DH  but has also displayed good innings on the mound.

Second base had fallen to either Forrest a Bell who as a sophomore has proven to be a valuable players for P58 spending time at third and backup at shortstop. Gryphon fans have a solid prospect in the fold for two more years.  Carson Arthur once he got a shot in the lineup has hit the ball well for the player who looks to be the smallest player on the team  who hails from Roanoke Rapids. Khalil Macklin has played a solid shortstop considering he has spent most of his last three years at Nash Central in centerfield.

The center fielder who has covered centerfield In a blanket is Linwood Jones. If it is hit in the air  he
just might catch it.  The RMA product has had several infield hits just on shear speed.  Logon Simonowich from RR had been in right most of the season and left has been by committee.  Lately however Rocky Mount's Blake Helms hitting  has about won the  job except when pitching and like many P 58 pitchers he has been solid.

The pitching staff should be well rested for Saturday 's showdown. Paschal Ammons from East  Wake has been solid,  Cody Smith and Will Edwards Rocky Mount products  have had moments that justify their heading to Chowan next year. RMA's MJ  Jones has pitched much better than I counted on.

So Saturday afternoon CP Post 58 will try to put themselves into position  to advance in the Legion playoffs by playing for time off next weekend.  The weather forecast says it is not going to be sweltering if the rain stays away just might be a great afternoon to watch Legion a Ball.

Coleman Pitt Warms Up For Raleigh

Coleman Pitt Post 58 celebrated one of their own being inducted into the NC Amerian Legion Baseball Hall of Fame and then the team celebrated victory  with a 13-3 win over Ahoskie Post 102.

MJ Jones got the start and pitched the first three innings.  The next three innings Hank Jones sent Chase Roupp to the hill and other than the sixth when he gave up three runs like Jones got the job done.  Blake Helms pitched the seventh  and that is all it took on the night.  Ahoskie collected nine hits but very time they threatened Post 58 made a defensive play to quail any threat.

The first three batters reached base for P58 with hits as Linwood Jones beat out an infield hit reached second on a throwing error.  Blake Helms followed with a hit and Khalil Mackin tripled to give P 58 a two nothing lead.  Macklin scored on a Griffin Parker sac fly.

The game stayed 3-0 until Post 58 put an eight spot on the board in the fifth with a lead off single by Jones and error got him to 3rd and Blake Helms drove him home.  Ryan Williams brought Helms home.  David Williams single produced a run and Carson Arthur single score two more. Linwood Jones got on base three times that Post 102 erred and Blake Helms getting his 2nd hit of the inning knocked in two more runs. David Williams drive in run eight.

Trying to keep the game going Ahoskie scored three in the sixth but P 58 added two in the bottom to finish it off at 13-3.   Coleman Pitt record is now 9-3-1 but a double header Saturday will just about determine Post 58 play off standings when they play Raleigh Post 1.  As far as we can tell Post 1 is 6-1 in division play with three to play.  If they have one lost and we beat them twice we would be tied but two losses would drop P 58 either fourth or fifth

The game scheduled with Wilson July one as of now is off as we will make up our rainout with Apex that night.  If we finish at least third our first playoff game will not happen until July 7th and Wilson already knows they don't play until the seventh we might play them Wednesday or Thursday.  That is pending our standings outcome.

P58 produced 12 hits lead by Blake Helms with four, three others had two hits Linwoood Jones,David Williams and Carson Arthur. Khalil Mackin and Ryan Williams had the other two P 58 hits