Game Four Washed Out

A steady rain since about six pm and ever so often  clap of thunder brought an end to any chance of getting game four in at Legion Field tonight.  The real question is does a rainout help a depleted pitching staff or not?  You must remember that Raleigh gets an extra day of rest for a pitching staff that is deeper than Post 58.

Let's talk for a second about the way this season has unfolded.  Remember after the disaster of last season and the Windsors, Albemarles and Edentons having to forfeit so many games Joe Bell Post 58 Athletic officer and Hank Jones didn't want to go through last year again so the moved to the Western Division and I think the answer is yes this was a good move.

The quality of competition is better in fact the only bad team in the league was Roxboro.  As for Post 58 you have to remember that the bulk of our players are Big East 3-A then the Rocky Mount private schools and 2A Roanoke Rapids.  Raleigh simply man for man has better players than P 58 since everyone of their players played in Raleigh or Durham in 4-A leagues. So far this season high school or Legion have not seen a better player than Riverside's Jack Conley as a rising senior has committed to State.

Despite looking better, this series has come down to getting strikes across the plate.  The bats used in high school the last two years just will not fly out of Legion Field. Post 58 takes three singles to score a run.  When you only get seven to nine hits per night that adds up to three runs when the pitching keeps men off base from walks.  Every inning or several innings when P 58 pitching did not allow walks even Raleigh has trouble scoring runs.

This rainout puts Post one in the catbird seat because another rainout and this series is over Raleigh winning because they won game one. Game four  is a Rocky Mount home game so if it was rained out again Friday then game four is a home game for Rocky Mount and Raleigh will not be willing  to play a double header considering they are the home team in game five.

Game four is reset for 7pm Friday with Raleigh leading the series two games to one.  The semi final round ends Saturday with the division finals starting Sunday.  Raleigh advances they will host the first game Sunday at Fleming Stadium in Wilson.  As the top seed they would be the home team for game three and five which would be Tuesday, Thursday and those two would be in Rocky Mount.  If Rocky Mount pulls a rabbit out of the hat they would host games two and four as the four seed.

There was a really nice crowd in the stands Wednesday and hopefully with good weather another big gate.  So far this season Post 58 is 3-0  when facing elimination.

Live To Play Another Day

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The Rocky Mount 9/10 year old American League Allstars beat Greenville North State in Greenville tonight to win the district Tournament and advance to the 9/10 year old  State Tournament in Morganton.  The final was 7-1 which oddly enough is the same score that the 11/12 years old Beat Greenville to advance to the 11/12 year old state tournament in Greenville last night in Elizabeth City.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 gave it all they had tonight and Raleigh Post one found out just how long a nine inning game is when it concerns pitching but nine innings would not be enough to win this one as P 58 survives to play Thursday beating  Raleigh Post one 9-8 in 11 innings.

Blake Helms who pitched the last four innings for P 58 and twice survived Raleigh tying it in the eighth and almost winning it in the ninth stroked a base hit in the top of the 11th that drove home the winning run and then in the 11th set Raleigh down to force a game four in Rocky Mount Thursday night.

David Williams got the ball rolling for P 58 with a bases load double in the first that staked Rocky Mount to a three nothing lead. Corey Smith pitched into the sixth inning and had a 4-1 lead when he turned the game over to Will Edwards and Post 58 grew the lead to 7-1. The seventh Raleigh scored four times and Carson Arthur helped  hold post one to just four.  Blake Helms entered in the bottom of the eighth and saw the lead evaporate but Post 58 scored once in the top of the ninth to take 8-7 lead and almost saw Raleigh win it in the bottom of ninth.
Raleigh Post one Manager Aaron Rich in the ninth brought in reliever Jack Conley and Hank Jones had complained earlier in the season of a balk that Conley had a habit of doing and while warming up Jones made sure the umpire crew was alert and aware and before Conley first pitch to the plate John Haggerty called a balk which at that time gave Rocky Mount 8/7 lead.  This brought Rich out of the dugout only to be tossed by first base umpire Haggerty.

Game four is Thursday night at American Legion Field in Rocky Mount at 7 pm.  CP Post 58 over the last two games has drained their pitching again but Raleigh has found out over the last two nights what nine innings does to your pitching as they now have gone deep into their bench.  There was probably the largest crowd of the year at the ball field tonight and after a 3-2 9-8 scores I would suspect and even larger crowd Thursday. BOY the last two nights have been barn burners and well worth watching.

Pitching Strategy Almost Works

Game two of the Area One Western Division semi finals saw Coleman Pitt one day later than Monday but  still not 100 percent ready to turn any pitcher loose for seven innings or so once again deployed a covey of pitchers but tonight instead of the bottom of the staff more pitchers pitch who would be considered middle to the top of the staff and P 58 played maybe played their best game of the playoffs.

Will Edwards got the start and he pitched the way every fan rooting for Post 58 wanted allowed three hits but the big deal he did not walk a batter and when you don't put freebies on base it is a lot harder to score.  Post one starter walked Forest Bell in the first and David Williams knocked him in to give P58 a 1-0 lead. Raleigh Post one tied it in the bottom of the fourth with fundamental baseball. A lead off hit, a bunt sacrifice and steal of third and a fly to center tied the game.

Coleman Pitt scored their second run in the bottom of the fourth with a lead off walk, a sac bunt and single  by Griffin Parker gave CP 58 a 2-1 after four.  Hank Jones brought Pascal Ammons in to pitch the fifth.  Ammons walked the first two batters in the seventh and M J Jones entered the game and got P 58 out of trouble in the seventh.

The eighth Post one got three hits to tie the score at 2.  Blake Helms came in to pitch the ninth after one out was touched with a single.  The next batter hit a solid shot in the hole at short but Khalil Macklin made a great diving stabb but from one knee threw the ball to right field while trying to get a force at second and that moved the runners to second and third.  A ground ball got the third run home and that was all Post one needed to win game two 3-2.

Any fan that comes to watch a good or great game got one tonight in the end Post 58 just didn't get enough  hits and find themselves on the brink of elimination trailing Raleigh 2-0 in a 3 out of five series.  Game three is Wednesday night at 7pm at American Legion Field.  The Rocky Mount Legion
Will be grilling hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese burgers and Italian Sausage before and during the game.

This could possibly be the last game of the season if Coleman Pitt fails to win Wednesday.  So far during the playoffs  Coleman Pitt Post 58 is 2-0 so far this playoff season when on the brink of elimination.

The 11/12 year old Rocky Mount National Allstars won the losers bracket tonight beating Tar Heel 7-1 to clinch a spot in the little league State championship  to be held in Greenville.  In Greenville the 9/10 year old Rocky Mount American Allstars lost to North State the host Greenville team 12-0 to set up a winner take all game Wednesday at 5pm.  It was the first lost of the tournament for the Rocky Mount team.

Rocky Mount American Plays For District Title

The 9/10 year old American League Allstars have breezed through their first four games in the District Four tournament being played in Greenville.  Four games so far the American all stars have scored 48 runs while giving up only 7.  Tonight as the only team left undefeated they have to lose twice in order to not win the tournament.  They will play North State which is the host team from Greenville.

The scene last night in Elizabeth City saw  Rocky Mount National lose for the first time in the 11/12 year old little league tournament and play tonight at 7:30.  They lost to North State 9-4 and North State has won the district tournament.  Rocky Mount  American plays Tarheel tonight at 5:30 and the winner of that game plays Rocky Mount National at 7:30 and the winner wins the losers bracket and two teams from this district move on to the state tournament.  So the 11/12 year olds one of the two Rocky Mount  teams can still make it to the state tournament.

Take One For The Team

If you read the Telegram coach Hank Jones was quoted as saying he had no idea who would pitch Monday night in the first game of the semi finals of Area One Western Division playoffs. Raleigh the leagues top team had not played since they beat Post 58 in a doubleheader on June 28th.  Coleman Pitt having used all of their top pitching in the first round against Cary had to make a decision tonight.  Do we sacrifice tonight in order to try to win this round starting with the second game?  The answer is David Williams take one for the team.

Williams who drove from Duke University Monday afternoon after attending summer school classes was ask once arriving at the ball park to do the best you can.  Williams had pitch just 2/3 of an inning during legion season so  the strategy we will take our lumps tonight in order to make us rested for rest of the week.

Williams gave all he had the first three innings in fact when he went to the mound in the bottom of the fourth he was leading 2-0.  Williams had only allowed two singles and the big item no walks but the first batter in the fourth was a hit batter then three walks another hit batter and the dreaded error Raleigh scored seven times before Chase Roupp could get the third out.

Raleigh scored twice in the fifth on two hits and three more in the sixth when Forest Bell took his turn on the mound.  Carson Arthur managed to hold Post one scoreless the rest of the way and Post 58 managed a run in the seventh to make the game go nine innings but game one goes to Raleigh 12-3.
All four pitchers sent to the mound between them had not pitched much more than five innings this Legion Season.  The idea of course there are times that you lose a battle but the purpose is to win the war and I would suspect still the top pitching rotation will not be fully rested but will be better prepared in Tuesday second game.

Raleigh collect 10 hits and Post 58 pitchers walked five and hit four others.  Coleman Pitt had five hits scoring their three runs.  Game two is 7pm Tuesday night at Legion field.  Tonight Post 58 sent David to take on Goliath without a bag of rocks but the way the pitching has been the last week these guys were as good as anybody else.

Hard Week To Endure

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Rocky Mount Little league playing in the  Williamsport Little League for the first time began district play this weekend continuing this week.  The Senior Little League Red team or the National Legue All stars won twice in Elizabeth City and are in the championship waiting for what ever team comes from the loser's bracket.    The Blue team or American League Seniors lost Saturday but won Sunday to stay alive in the tournament.

The  9/10 year olds playing in Greenville the Red team was eliminated while the Blue plays in the championship Tuesday.
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Just eight days ago Coleman Pitt Post 58 stood waiting  to Play Post one in a doubleheader in which two wins Post 58 just might win the top seed. The first game was a 2-1 loss where  with an umpire in the field doing his job just might have been a 2-1 win instead of a loss.  Post 58 had their pitching all set up for the doubleheader and yes a 2-1 loss the pitching was all you could ask.  Game two changes had to be made as the intended starter decided to go on vacation and even as late as the fourth inning P 58 lead 5-2.  Since that point they gave up eight runs in three innings, 11 runs in a season ending lost to Apex.  A three game series with Cary P 58 gave up 15-10 and 9 but managed to win two of three against a team with pitching woes just like us.

Here is my theory as to what has happened to Post 58 pitching down the stretch.  Remember according to the Rocky Mount Telegram All Area team two pitchers are pitching elsewhere this summer.  The staff we have there is not a one who can throw over 85 miles and hour so most of this staff relies on curves and change ups so when you have played one team five times and three days in a row hitters understand to wait on the curve because they can't throw a fastball by me with two strikes. So hitters foul off two strikes until they either hit it fair or they get walked.

Then there is the umpires.  Seems to me this year's umps have squeezed pitchers to having to throw the ball down the middle.  The first game of the Cary series  with threatening skies from Hurricane Arthur you would think the umpire would try to move the game along as fast as possible but the game went three hours and forty five minutes with more than 25 walks.  Once the rains started in the sixth pitchers were throwing wet balls on every pitch.  Please Mr umpire let's try to make the hitters go up to the plate swinging the bat.

All of a sudden Post 58 pitching is tire and depleted and yet they win a series despite giving up 34 runs in three games.  The offense scored 36.  There is lots of talk in college baseball about the bat.  Next year they are trying a new ball to improve hitting.  This year I have seen only three home runs hit and one of those was aided by Hurricane Arthur.  There have been many times when it looked like a hit  heading to the wall would just be a lazy fly.

The 14 innings Post 58 played Raleigh they gave up two runs in one and two the first four innings of the second.  Post  one just did not dominate Post 58.  Round two of the Western Division  Area one playoffs begin Monday night at 7pm at American Legion Field.  This is a three out of five series and there will be a game every night at least through Wednesday depending on the outcome of the first three games.  If necessary game four will be in Rocky Mount so there is a possibility  of four straight nights of playoff ball again this week at home.

If you were there last Thursday or Saturday you got your money's worth of excitement.  The second  round the intensity picks up as Post 58 is a step closer.  They must beat the best in the division and then next week beat the 2/3 bracket winner. There have been times this team was on the verge of being good.  They have just finish one of the worse weeks in years and yet they survived and advanced.  Come out and see if Post 58 can continue to score 12 a game or see if they can hold Raleigh under 10.  It could be exciting.

Somehow P 58 Advances

If you came to all three playoff games with Cary then you saw exciting games.  Neither team being able to get the other out.  If you came to watch quality baseball you went to the wrong place.  As far as exciting goes Colemain Pitt  scores two runs after two were out in the bottom of the eighth to take a 10-9 lead.  Then in the ninth Blake Helms got Cary three up and three down which was the only time that happened all night.

Post 58 scored single runs in the first three innings and starter Cody Smith stayed in trouble with walks but heading into the fourth lead 3-0 but 7 walks in three plus innings and an throwing error opened the door for Cary to score 6 times.  MJ Jones put out the fire in the fourth and lasted until the seventh  before he needed help from Blake Helms. By to his time it's 9-6 Cary.

Twice P 58 cut the lead to one at 6-5 and 9-8 but heading to the bottom of the eighth  a strike out started the eighth followed by another but David Williams reached base when his strike three went to the back stop.  Chase Roupp walked another strikeout sent Luke Mills to the plate who hasn't hit it out of the infield on the night. He promptly laces a single to right scoring David Williams who remember reached after a strike out.  Now tied Linwood Jones laces a single scoring  what proves to be the winning run.

Coleman Pitt walked ten batters while Cary put nine freebies on base. CP 58 had eleven hits on the night while Cary had nine.  P 58 committed three errors and all three helped runs score.  Cary only had one but they too help P 58 plate runs.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 advances to take on the number one seed Raleigh Post 1 in the second round of the western division playoffs.  This is a three out of  five series and if necessary the first four games will be in Rocky Mount.  Raleigh will be the home team in games 1 and 3.  If the series goes to a fifth game  Raleigh has rented Fleming Stadium in Wilson should the series go five.  game one is Monday night at 7pm in Rocky Mount.