Gryphons Fall

So far on this very young high school baseball season Kent Cox has put any where from six to seven first year players on the field at the start of each game this season.  Until today the Gryphons had not felt the insult of defeat.  Let's get you up to date.  The game today with Bunn was a continuation of the game postponed in the bottom of the first inning last week.

Gryphon sophomore started David Harrison in the rain last week's game up three hits and two runs to the first five batters he faced last week.  Today Rocky Mount came to bat first in the bottom of the first already trailing 2-0.  Harrison proved today to be a better pitcher when the ball is dry over wet.  Harrison would give up only two hits in the four plus innings that he would go today until he tired in the sixth and those two hits became two more runs and at the time gave Bunn a 4-1.  Wesley Drake finished out the fifth and sixth inning giving up one other hit.

Rocky Mount had several chances early to do damage loading the bases with one out and coming up empty. Twice base running miscues stymied possible run scoring innings to no avail.  The Gryphons pushed across their first run on the board in the fifth with a double by Forest Bell and Joshea Carter knocking him home to cut the lead to 2-1.

Rocky Mount score their second run in the sixth after Liki Whitaker walked and Isaiah Stewart knocked him home.  Former Gryphon Luke Cockrell came on in relief in the sixth and got credit for the save as the Gryphons fall to Bunn 4-2.  The Gryphons had seven hits on the day and committed no errors but the Wildcats defense was as good and they also collect seven hits. 

They played a 2-2 game today but those two runs last week were the difference as Rocky Mount falls for the first time .  The Gryphons close out the first segment of the season Friday when they play Tarboro in an Endowment game at 4:30.  They begin conference play next Tuesday at Home against Nash Central who won their first game of the season on Tuesday.

I have three brackets line up and ready to go as the  March Madness begins at noon Thursday. Carolina plays 7:20 Thursday night and State begins at around 9:20.  I have three brackets in play.  When I sit down and look at my first bracket I go with the favorites.   The second bracket I insert my so called upset specials and the third I pick with my heart who I think is going to win.  I have Wisconsin in one bracket and Arizona the second and Kentucky.  I have Duke in the final four in one, Virginia in another, Gonzaga in another.  I think the first top seed to go will be Villanova.

Pitching And Timely Hitting

Who would have thought it.  If you were at the baseball field of Rocky Mount you got to see a quality baseball game in the midst of all this can't get on the field to practice year.  Rocky Mount hosted Corinth Holders from Wendell and what everyone got to see on this 79 degree sunny and windy start was a mid season form baseball game.

Gryphon starter Blake Helms after his opening four innings last week put another strong performance on the mound  as the Gryphons score two in the bottom of the sixth to beat the Pirates 4-2.  Helms goes the distance in a complete game 3 hitter walked one and plunked one and salted down the ninth striking out the side after the Gryphons retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth.  For the night Helms struck out nine.

Neither side can write home bragging about their hit totals but the four the Gryphons got all came in both the fourth innings and sixth when they scored two.  Joshea Carter got the fourth rolling with a single and advanced on an infield error.  Blake Helms helped his own cause by lacing a single driving in the first run.  Forest Bell hit a nuber between the pitcher and third and on the try to get David Harrison at home Bell got an rbi when Harrison  was safe.

The sixth proved to be the Pirates big inning which with one out Helms hit Bobby Beare and Grant Austin followed with a double.  Tate Proctor hit a grounder to second and the Gryphon throw home was late and a 2-1 game. Tyler Barrett then hit a long fly ball which plated Austin and we had a tie game.

Zack Keeter open the bottom of the   6th with a walk.  Liki Whitaker now running for Keeter   reach third When Carter slammed a ball to deep left field on any other day would have easily cleared the score board for a homer but with a brisk breeze never quite got to the wall but over the head of the fielder.  David Harrison then poked a single to center for the game winning run.  The Gryphon score their fourth run of the game when Forest Bell grounded to third and  the Pirates could only get the second out of the inning with Carter scoring.

Starting Pirate pitcher Nick Peach pitched into the fourth before being relieved by Logan Hayes would would be the pitcher of record for the Pirates.

Rocky Mount moves to 3-0 and will be right back in action Wednesday resuming their rained out game which will pick up with Rocky Mount coming to bat in the bottom of the first trailing 2-0.  Believe it or not next Tuesday night conference play begins  and the way this year has gone the team  that begins rounding in to form first will get the better starts when conference play starts.

Bracket Time

A month ago NC State  was on the outside looking in.  This morning the Pack  will head to Pittsburgh as a 8th seed  where they will play LSU a nine on Thursday.  They could lose because they will be playing a team much like them.  They are in the same bracket as Virginia who they lost twice to plus Villanova is  a team just like Virginia is the top seed and could be a second round game.

North Carolina heads to Jacksonville Florida as 4th seed where they run into a Dookie in Tommie Amaker and Harvard.  If Carolina shows up they moved on to round two.  The Tar Heel road to the final four starts in round two if Arkansas is their foe.

Duke will begin in Charlotte as one of the four top seeds and may not have to worry until the final eight.  Duke will not know who they play until one of those play in games has a winner between North Florida plays Robert Morris.

The only other North Carolina team in the tournament is Davidson.  The Cats are a 10 seed and they draw 7 seed Iowa.  If the Hawkeyes sleep in this one the Cats might slip past to the second round.

Virginia drops to a second seed and will play Belmont in Charlotte.  No reason they don't win both games to advance to Sweet 16.  The ACC champ Notre Dame is a three seed and play Northeastern.  I doubt the Irish can shoot their way to an NCAA title six games in a row.  Louisville a four seed gets UC Irvine.  Winning more than once will be a challenge for Cards.

Did any one watch the ESPN 30/30 "I Hate Christian Laettner " was great.  I know you were filling out your bracket but you would be better off waiting 24 hours and do some research before you start filling in teams.  For all of you anybody but Duke haters this gets to when did Duke became Duke?

ACC Tournament Nothing Like It When Played In Carolina

Notre Dame played in the ACC Championship game in only their second season  in the League.  Clemson has tried 61 times and only played in the finals twice,  Only twice in the history of the league has a North Carolina based team not played in the finals.  Carolina play in the big game for the 33rd time.

Notre Dame even though they may represent the Midwest connection the Fighting Irish are a good addition for the ACC in basketball even though they are only here as part of a football deal.  They are loaded with seniors and present a three point shooting attack compared to when Carolina is playing at their best to can go inside first and if they are hitting outside shots can be dominant.

I don't know whether it was three out of four people in the stands cheered for Carolina or was it this newcomer trying to show the world this state of North Carolina ACC dominance is a thing of the past. Just might have been Notre Dame is a great fit for the ACC  because they have the ACC look that the ACC tries to project.  The Thomas Jefferson academic league.  There was a static energy in the building deserving of the past glory of the ACC tournament.

The first half was inside Carolina dominance scoring two points almost at will while the Irish rained threes.  Eight minutes to go in the game Carolina got every rebound and made every three.  Then that four games in four days kicked in.  The final eight minute Notre  Dame looked fresher.  Carolina had turnovers on lazy passes, outside shooting died and Notre Dame got every rebound.

Even though the Irish had the momentum the killer play of the game was when the score was tied at 64 and Carolina got a block  ND got the rebound and every player outside the three point line passed the ball around the horn for the killer three with Carolina defense out of gas.

This game was ACC  playing the game the way it needs to be played no 48-45 game here.  Don't care if any tournament high school or college has any meaning any more because of the playoffs.  There is one thing for sure.  Every league can say all they want about conference tournaments but when the ACC plays their championship every other league wishes they could be like this.

Tournament Basketball Is Want Too

Virginia opens their action in the ACC Tournament by running off to a big first half lead against Florida State and held their own in the second.

Carolina played so so in their opening game against Georgia Tech and continue in their first half against Louisville.  They played super for most of the Virginia  game and head to the finals on a up swing.

Notre Dame had a big start against Miami  and didn't finish  all that great.  Their motivation was they knew from what they saw from Duke they had better be ready at the start.  Didn't hurt their coach had been a Duke assistant.

Duke played a perfect first half against State but they coasted in the second so what happens in the first half against Notre Dame.  Duke was a step slow the whole first half and Notre Dame did what K had done to State, went right after the big men.  Duke even with about four minutes to go in the half showed signs of panic.

Duke was still a step slow in the second half until Notre Dame started protecting the lead and yet their outside shooting wasn't there to win the game.

Either Duke or Carolina have played in the ACC tournament final every year since 1997.   I wish Virginia played offense like Notre Dame.  I wish Notre Dame played defense like Virginia.  I don't see the ACC having a team in the Final Four.

Carolina and Notre Dame have by Far played the last two  days more consistent than any body else.  The luster of all North Carolina team finals gone the Tar Heels  are there representing all of us old time ACC fans.

Good Coaches Take Away Your Strengths

What is the one thing that NFL know it all's say about Bill Bellichek.  He takes away your best player and makes you beat him with everybody else.  So what did coach K do to N C State?  Took Cat Barber out of the game.  Barber didn't do much in the Pack win in January but rest of the crowd got the job done.

I have a theory about ending of games..  If you are losing 40-0 in football but manage to score late you head in to the next game on some what of a positive note.  State's win over Pitt they played great defense in the first half but gave up 47 in the second.  That did not bode well for starting the game with Duke that State played no defense in the second half of the Pitt game.

Duke had four days to prepare for State and do you think they even thought they would play Pitt.  Duke was prepared for State and throw in the  revenge factor and playing on a neutral floor. Duke in the first half played perfect basketball and State wilted under the perfection.  Now the shoe is on the other foot.  Duke just played the second half to get the game over will that hurt them Friday.  I will say this however.  Duke is undefeated since the dismissal from the team.

Carolina is much like State and you don't really know from one game to the next what you are going to get.  One thing is for sure Carolina guards love to shoot and play little defense.  On most nights the Tar heel big men are too soft. 

 Virginia has by far and away the best defense in the country.   I don't understand why they want to run thirty seconds off the time clock when on offense with their players they should be scoring 80 every game and winning 80-55.

Greensboro is a buzz that two North Carolina schools are still alive heading to the semi finals.  You add to it that this is the last time North Carolina will host the ACC Tournament until 2020 either Duke or Carolina need to win this year.  This state would go loopy if both make it to Saturday night and of course Saturday night has always been ACC final night back in the days of the eight team ACC.  We had better hope there is at least is one playing Saturday.

Non-Conference Games Not All About Winning

This weather has everyone on equal footing that nobody has had enough practice time to have any idea what their team will look like two weeks from now.

Northern looked impressive in their shutout of Adam Weavers' Corinth Holders team Tuesday.  Northern played for the second time on Wednesday.  Since I am enjoying the ACC Tournament I know nothing about the Wednesday baseball action  other than scores.

So far Nash Central is 0-2 but they have been against 4-A power Rose a loss 7-6 and a 2-0 shutout loss to 4-A South Central.  I don 't put much in the losses as much as the Bulldogs held their own in both games and they could be dangerous by conference season.

Southern Nash has took it on the chin twice losing 15-3 and 12-0 in their first two games.  We have no idea at this point that once every team has had a chance to get a flow and get pitching established what might happen.

Rocky Mount only put two players in the field that played last year, shortstop Forest Bell and pitcher Blake Helms.  There is no way to have any idea whether a 12-2 win is a sign of good things to come
or  they are too young to be considered a contender.


The Gryphon game on Wednesday was rained out in the second inning and will start where they left off next Wednesday with Bunn leading 2-0.


State and Carolina both advance in the ACC tournament and both are  in action again today.  Carolina takes on Louisville this afternoon  while State and Duke play tonight at 7pm.  Got more exercise yesterday between walking from the parking lot and up and down the steps of the coliseum  than I have had all year.