Post 58 Sloops Kinston

Let's get the bad new out of the way first. Jeremy Sloop walked the first batter of the game on four pitches. The second got a hit to left center where the throw coming to third the batter advanced to second. It would be 11 batters before Kinston got another runner on base. The first of the 11 straight outs was a fielders choice that scored the runner who walked. Then a sac fly score the only hit in the first inning. In the bottom of the first Post 58 left the bases loaded without scoring. That's it for the bad news.

Post 58 hitters got the leadoff Runner on in the first six innings. By the seventh the game was well in hand and Post 58 wins game one of the best three of five series with Kinston 10-2. Game two of this series is Wednesday night at Kinston High School at 7.00pm.

Jeremy Sloop pitched the best game of the season pitched by a Post 58 pitcher going eight innings allowing four hits , walked only that lead off batter and struck out five. Sloop probably could have pitched the ninth but there was no need and Hank Jones brought on Bill Clark who retired Kinston in order in the ninth. Taking Sloop out after eight did allow the crowd to show their appreciation for his effort when I announced his line score at the top of the ninth once Clark came in the game.

I said that Sloop retired 11 batters in a row after the first two got on base by that time Post 58 batters had retaken the lead in the bottom of the second. Spencer Bell lead off the second with a single, Mike Smith Walked and Cameron Ramsey knocked a double to drive in two. Ramsey would score on a sac fly by Collins Cuthrell.

Post 43 pitching helped Post 58 out by walking 12 batters and uncorked seven wild pitches. Thomas Berry opened the fifth with a double and scored on a single by Spencer Bell who was the only Post 58 hitter to get two hits in the game.

Post 58 blew the game open in the fifth after Tyler Clark drove in two runs with a single and Collins Cuthrell with an rbi single. Two other Runs crossed home on pitches that traveled until they hit the backstop. 58 closed out their scoring in the sixth after Kyle Norville lead off with a double and scored on a sac fly by Spencer Bell.

Tyler Clark, Collins Cuthrell, Spencer Bell and Cameron Ramsey had two rbi's a piece. Post 58 had only nine hits but 12 others reached by by free passes. Jeremy Sloop only had to pitch out of the stretch for six batters reached base, but after the first Sloop was in complete control for Hank Jones's Post 58.

Post 58 had an 11 game winning streak during the regular season. Since that streak was broken they have reeled off eight wins in a row including 5-0 in the playoffs. It is their 20th win on the season with just five losses.

This win put Post 58 two wins from returning the the State American Legion State Tournament this year being played in Asheboro. The winner of this series still plays one more series before the state tournament but both teams will be already qualified for the State Tournament.

Midget's Still Alive In District Play

The American league Midgets league all stars coached Jeremy Stewart from Rocky Mount are still alive to win the district tournament and play tonight in Wendell. The American league is hoping to join the National league coached by Tim Killebrew which won a playoff series two weeks ago with the American league to play in the state tournament being hosted by Rocky Mount July 22nd through 25th.

There will only be one coach pitch team from Rocky Mount in the state tournament as the Ivey Powell and Johnny Ramsey's American league team lost twice this weekend in Rolesville to be knock out of the state. Chad Fluno and Brad Bazemore team the National league will represent Rocky Mount in the tournament next week.

The senior little league has both teams in the state tournament as the American league coached by Joe Bell swept through their tournament in Knightdale undefeated. They Join the National league coach by Sam Toler and will be in the state tournament next week in Rocky Mount.

Kinston beat Wilson last night in Legion baseball and that puts Kinston in Rocky Mount Tuesday night to play Post 58 in the third round of the American Legion playoffs. Tuesday and Thursday are in Rocky Mount and Wednesday in Kinston. Game four if needed would be Friday in Kinston and the final game of the three of five series would be Saturday night in Rocky Mount. The winner of this series qualifies for the state tournament. State tournament start July 25th in Asheboro.

Finally it is over this over rated World Cup. The final game just like all the others produce one score after 115 minutes of action. What I see in world cup is too much one on one in the attack zone instead of passing to someone who should be open. In order for American to go bonkers over soccer they have to figure out how to make the score 4-3 every game. I like soccer but the World Cup was more hype that quality offense.

He's No Longer "King James"

We all in life do what we feel is best for our families and those of us who work by the hour would move to a new job for fifty cents an hour more in a heart beat. Business owners would sell out in a minute if someone came along and offered you double the value of your company.

I have no problem when pro athletes signing with another team because someone else offered more money. They did the same thing we would do. I like everyone else was sucked in to watching LeBron's "Big Decision" on Thursday night.

His first seven years in the NBA James is on the path be have some of the greatest numbers in the history of the game. "King James" wilted before our eyes and told the world that he is not the player that we thought he was.

Michael, Kobe,Shack,Magic, Bird, Kareem, Russell, we can argue all day who is the best ever . All of those players have something that LeBron doesn't have. The most obvious is they all won multiple titles. Kobe has it. He thinks he the best and there is no way you are going to beat him.

LeBron Thursday night told the world he didn't have that.

I can't win a title by myself. I need help to do it. Michael said put me on a team with a group of good players an I will win you titles and he did. He made Scottie Pippen into a top 50 all time player who couldn't win squat without Michael. Those players like Magic or Bird made those around them better. Name one player on Cleveland that LeBron has helped make better.

LeBron is Allen Iverson of this generation great stats no titles. Iverson never played with any body that he made a better player, thats why he hasn't won.

Why in the world if LeBron is all world like he wants us to believe that he could not find somebody to come to Cleveland and help him win titles.

Instead, LeBron is going to go play for D Wade's team not the other way around. You see D Wade thinks like Kobe. I can win titles if you give me good players. You didn't see Wade run to Cleveland to play for LeBron.

That reason right there you can no longer call him "King James" He is now "Prince" James. Second fiddle not the first. He's this generations Scottie Pippen.

Next year during the playoffs wouldn't it be something if Cleveland somehow made the playoffs with out the"Prince". If Miami doesn't win it all they will be called the biggest losers and they got the "Prince".

Post 58 Advances to Third Round

After the devastating lost Post 40 took in Rocky Mount Friday night, if I were a betting man I would have laid my money of Coleman Pitt Post 58 in today's second game of the Area one Semi finals baseball playoffs. Their fans mostly parents of the players were crushed just like the team after Post 58 snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Riding the crest of momentum Rocky Mount Legion Post 58 rips Edenton Post 40 to sweep the second round of the Legion playoffs 17-3.

Post 40 scored once in the first of a ground out fielders choice by Thomas Berry. Brandon Denton who took to the mound for Post 58 gave up two base on balls, a fielding error and a double and Post 40 lead 2-1 after two. That would be the last time Edenton saw the upper side of the score board.

Cameron Ramsey singled and Tyler Clark has a double to drive in Ramsey. Collins Cuthrell hit a two run homer. Spencer Bell had an RBI single. Edenton got a solo homer from last night's losing pitcher Daniel Oliver to make it 5-3 after three.

Tyler Clark had a two run single in the fourth, Collins Cuthrell hit his second two run homer and Spencer Bell a sac fly to get the score to ten three after four.

One thing that playoffs bring on is your pitchers need work, but you don't want to over work any body so after four innings Hank Jones brought on Trellis Ashley to pitch. Brandon Denton in four innings gave up three hits but walked seven batters but only allowed the three runs to pick up the win.

In the back of Post 58's mind is the fact that they lead Edenton 11-1 during the regular season and Post 40 tied the game so if there was any thought of letting up it didn't happen today. Certainly it was fresh on their minds what they did to Edenton last night scoring six in the bottom of the ninth to win.

Post 58 added three runs in the fifth, a Kyle Norville two run Double and a run scored on a wild pitch. 13-3 after five.

Tyler Clark singled home a run in the sixth, Fuller Weatherly scored on a wild pitch, Collins Cuthrell had a fielders choice RBI and Thomas Berry hit Post 58's third homer to up the lead to 17-3 after six. Jeremy Trevathan pitched th sixth for 58.

Putting the final touches on Post 40 Bill Clark pitch the seventh. It started with an error but was wiped out on a 1-5-3 double play and a foul out to end game.

Post 58 had twelve hits against only five for Post 40. The five games against Edenton this season Post 58 has at least ten runs in four games and in the one they didn't score ten scored six in the ninth to win that one too.

Coleman Pitt will now waits for the winner of the Wilson-Kinston series' Kinston Won game one Friday and Wilson won 7-6 Saturday night. Game three of that series is Sunday night in Kinston. We believe the series regardless of who it is against starts Tuesday night in Rocky Mount.

The next series is a three out of five and the winner of the next series automatically qualifies for the state tournament regardless of the outcome of round four.

Many thanks once again to DJ( Don Johnson) for his texting updates after every inning.

Miracle On Howell Street

For eight innings tonight, Edenton Post 40's Chad Whitehead, who during the high school season pitched for NCISAA !-A state champion Lawrence Academy in Merry Hill, sat Post 58 batters down with all types of off-speed pitches.

He struck out only five, but through eight innings, he had Rocky Mount hitters popping up and hitting simple ground balls. He yielded only three hits.

Whitehead joined teammate Daniel Oliver, who hit a three-run homer, with a two-run shot and Post 58 was dead in the water heading to the bottom of the ninth.

Hobbs Johnson started for Post 58, but allowed five runs on five hits in just three and one-third innings.

Despite what happen in the ninth, the real hero for Rocky Mount was Parker Helms as he came in to pitch in the fourth inning and was still around at the end - shutting out Post 40 rest of the way. His five and two-thirds of three-hit pitching kept Post 58 from completely being out of this game.

Now back to the bottom of the ninth.

T.J. Taylor opened with a single - the second time all night Post 58 had a runner on without an out. Collins Cuthrell singled with one out. Thomas Berry doubled driving in Taylor and Cuthrell. The play promped Post 40's coach to send Whitehead to play first base and bring Oliver to the mound.

Matthew Berry hit a hot shot to the third baseman who made a terrific stop, but like I use to tell my Little Leaguers back in my coaching days, the play is not over until you make a good throw. The throw was a one-hopper to the new first baseman Whitehead who could not dig it out. The error got Berry to second. A groundout to second sent Post 58 to its last out.

Spencer Bell laced a single to score number four as he represented the tying run. Mike Smith (Peace) hit a seeing-eye single past the first and second basemen putting the winning run on base.
Cameron Ramsey coaxed a walk out of Oliver to load the bases and up steps Taylor, who already had a single in the ninth, delivers a single to right and Bell scores the tying run and Smith steps on home plate before the throw can get anywhere near home plate.

A team held to three hits through eight innings got six in the ninth to win game one of the area one semifinals 6-5 over Edenton.

There will be a quick turn-a-round as game two had been scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday in Manteo but has now been moved to noon at Hicks Field in Edenton. The reason the game is not being played at 7 is that the CPL's Edenton Steamers have a home game there Saturday night.

Parker Helms' great pitching gets the win for Post 58 and Oliver was the loser.

From the Senior Little League District Tournament in Zebulon, the American League All-Stars from Rocky Mount beat Zebulon in the nightcap of a doubleheader 11-1 to win the district tournament. Rocky Mount, which was unbeaten going into tonight's game, watched Zebulon beat Wendell in an earlier game and then Zebulon had to beat Rocky Mount twice in order to win the district.

The American League All-Stars join the National League from Rocky Mount in the state Tar Heel tournament which will be held in Rocky Mount July 22 -25. Rocky Mount has a good shot of defending the title it won last year as it will have two chances to win it again.

Both the Midgets (9/10) year-olds and the coach pitch (7/8) year-olds started their district tournament tonight also.

Rocky Mount Little League Flexing Muscles

The Rocky Mount Recreation all stars are playing this weekend with hopes of making it to the State championships which will be held at the Sports Complex in Rocky Mount starting July 22nd through the 25th. Hosting the state tournament gives Rocky Mount at least one team in each age group.

Senior little league: The National league team coached by Sam Toler beat the American league coached by Joe Bell last week in a two out of three to win the spot guaranteed to host in Rocky Mount and is just relaxing by the pool waiting for the state tournament. Joe Bell’s squad is playing in the district tournament in Wendell as we speak and has already made it to the championship game on Saturday and is waiting for the loser’s bracket winner tonight to find out who they will play for the district title. The American League have won three games already 6-2,13-1, and last night won 9-6 to put them in the championship game Friday night at 8.00pm. Just by finishing second Joe’s team has already qualified for the state tournament so both our all star senior little league teams are in the state tournament and will play in front of the home folks starting July 22nd.

The Midget all stars 9/10 are in the same situation as the seniors. Last week Tim Killebrew’s National Leaguers beat Jeremy Stewart’s American League team and Tim’s team is practicing getting ready for the state tournament. Stewart’s team starts the district tournament in Zebulon tonight and if they can get to the finals they would also make it back to the state tournament in Rocky Mount July 22nd.

The coach pitch 7/8 year old National League team is in the state tournament coached by Chad Fluno and Brad Bazemore. Ivey Powell and Johnny Ramsey’s team the American leaguers have to finish second or better at the district to make it back to Rocky Mount. Their tournament starts tonight in Rolesville.

We know for sure that we have four teams in the state tournament. Whether we have six playing we might not know until Monday. Every weekend the sports complex is alive with tournament ball. There will be no bigger tournament all year than the Tar Heel Little league which actually there will be a 13/14 year old tournament here that weekend also but Rocky Mount does not have that age group. All four tournaments will be going on at the same time. The defending State champions in the senior little league will be back to defend their title. That’s Sam Toler’s National league team.

Don’t forget Rocky Mount Legion Post 58 begins round two of their playoffs tonight hosting Edenton. First pitch is scheduled for 7.00pm at Gryphon Stadium.

Edenton Beats Pitt County

Post 58’s sweep of New Bern sends them on to the second round of the playoffs just like last year. Is this team as good as or better than last year’s team that put Post 58 in the State tournament for the first time since Legion went to a state tournament format?

Just as last year this is a year of only what if all the quality pitching played legion? Last year Tyler Joyner went to summer school at ECU and Hobbs Johnson played travel league. This year the top pitcher Benton Moss elected to play travel league and Hobbs Johnson is a part time pitcher when not in summer school at Carolina.

When you compare this year’s pitching to last it is just about a wash. Bill Clark who finished last year as the closer has held that job again this season. This season Hank Jones has used nine pitchers who have more than twelve innings but not more than twentyinnings pitched . Bill Clark, Parker Helms, Jeremy Trevathan, Spencer Bell, Jeremy Sloop, Trellis Ashley, Brandon Denton, Kyle Norville and Hobbs Johnson.

This team might be a typical playoff game is the starter goes four innings, the first reliever gets three and Bill Clark gets two. Hobbs Johnson could be a wild card as he is the only proven starter who could go seven if needed but with his summer school you wonder about his throwing during the week whether he will be able to be effective if he pitches just on weekends. Remember this also, Legion plays nine inning games.

There is no doubt that this team can hit. A team batting average of 325 during the regular season. We can win a lot of games by just out scoring the other side but like last year in the state tournament you are going to face someone who is only going to let you score two or three runs and the pitching needs to win some big games. Last year in the state tournament the pitching was good only giving up four runs in one game and two in the other. We lost both of those games.

T J Taylor is a good leadoff hitter getting on base during half his at bats. Spencer Bell is a good #2 hitter when he plays third base. Jeremy Sloop has played third when Spencer pitches giving Post 58 a third base/pitcher combo.

Collins Cuthrell has become the best baseball player in the area with a solid high school season and he has not slacked up one bit in Legion. The Berry twins, Thomas hit 444 during the regular season and Matthew 458. What a combo hitting fourth and fifth in your lineup.

Kyle Norville just plain knows how to get on base. If he needs to poke one through the infield or slap a line drive down the line he to me has been my surprise of the summer. Michael Whitehead and Mike Smith have shared second base and between them have twelve rbi. Fuller Weatherly and Cameron Ramsey have shared right field and seem to get timely hits.

This year’s Xavier Macklin is Tyler Clark. Tyler was going to take the summer off but found out there is no better place to be than at the ball field and joined the team mid season. He has only hit 425 and gives us one of the best catchers in the league. If there is one thing he got from his dad Greg was to be kind of tall and a catcher, Tyler can run and since he has grown up to be a man with his speed by the time he is through at NC Wesleyan he just could be a top pro prospect.

The Northern Division once again this year has dominated the southern division in the opening round. Last night Edenton Post 40 beat Pitt County Post 39 3-2 to win that series which will put Edenton in Rocky Mount Friday night. that's how it was last year. Wilson will start round two at Kinston.

Due to the college team the Edenton Steamers having a home game in Edenton on Saturday the second game in this series will be played in Manteo at Manteo High School. If a third game is needed game three will be back in Rocky Mount Sunday Night.

The next three weeks could be full of baseball or a sudden exit might end it all. Whether this team is better than last year will soon be known. Friday night starts round two and the teams we face will get better and better.