Post 58 Qualifies For State Tournament

Coleman-Pitt Post 58 will be heading to Asheboro next weekend but it will not be to visit the State Zoo. They beat Kinston again tonight 9-5 and swept the series and in doing so qualify to return to the state tournament for the second year in a row.

Weekend warrior Hobbs Johnson home for the weekend after this week at summer school at Carolina went the first five innings and left the game leading 6-3. He allowed six hits,walked three batters and struck out six. He picks up the win . Trellis Ashley pitched two scoreless innings and Bill Clark pitched two but he gave up two runs in the ninth.

All Nine starters collect at least one hit with Thomas Berry leading the way with three hits and four rbi's. Spencer Bell, Matthew Berry and Mike Smith had two each. T J Taylor had a hit with an rbi, Kyle Norville a double with two rbi's. Cameron Ramsey, Parker Helms and Tyler Clark reached base at least once with a hit.

Post 58 out hit Post 43 14-12. Post 58 put up three in the first. Scored once in the second and twice in the third to lead six nothing. Post 43 scratched one across in the fourth and two in the fifth to finish the night for Johnson.

Rocky Mount push another run across in the six and scored twice in the eighth to stretch the lead to 9-3 until Kinston scored twice in the ninth.

Rocky Mount even though they have qualified for the state tournament they still have the East title left starting Monday at either Cary or home against Clayton. What it amounts two they are playing for the #1 seed in the East which would throw them against a#2 seed from one of the other areas next weekend in their first game so the series next week is big for seedings in the state tournament.

This marks the second straight year Post 58 has made it to the double elimination State Tournament. Tonights win is number 22 on the season and they have yet to lose in the playoffs which is now at seven games.

Rocky Mount pitching in this series walked only seven batters in three games. Before tonight Kinston had walked 22 in two games and did not walk a batter tonight. Lead off batter Spencer Bell got hit in the bottom of the first was the only free pass tonight.

AsheBoro here we come Rocky Mount 9- Kinston 5

How Good Could They Be?

You hear this all the time from coaches. We need to keep the best players home. The college ranks hate to lose a top player from any North Carolina high school to Georgia or Florida State.

This is also true in local sports. This is the second summer in a row that Post 58 American Legion team from Rocky Mount is putting on a big push to make its second straight trip to the state baseball tournament.

Last season the trip to Greenville was a short one losing two straight one runs games in the double elimination tournament. If Post 58 can win tonight’s game before Kinston wins three they will return to this years tournament in Asheboro.

If you ask yourself the question, is this area a baseball area ? There is no doubt the answer is yes. Little league state titles,Babe Ruth titles and high school titles this area has had it share this last decade.

Whether legion can add a state title is to be seen. Legion has a rule that no player can play for two teams while playing legion. It is ok during the regular season but when the playoffs start you not eligible for legion playoffs.

Looking back at last year and comparing the two legion teams I think last years club was a better hitting team. This years is slightly better pitching. Both years we didn’t have all the best players in the area playing legion. Could we have won the state title last year if we did? Probably! Can we win it all with the team we have this year? Maybe! If we had all the area’s best players could we win it this year? Probably!

It is amazing with all the distraction players have these days that any of them want to spend their summers playing ball. Since sometime around May 25th Post 58 has played 26 games. That is about every other day. An away game puts you on the road by 3.00pm and in some cases midnight before returning home. Theses guys have to love it to want to do it this way during the summer. This doesn’t count practice time on days off.

I wish every player who is good enough to play legion would. Our high schools have talented players. When we put them all on the same team Nash County Legion is as good as it gets. We need them all to play for us not down the road.

Tonight Coleman Pitt Post 58 can punch it’s second straight ticket to the State Tournament. Yes there is one more series to go before the state tournament but both teams are in. Going into tonight Cary the team we beat last year leads Clayton two games to one. That series could end tonight also.

There was a nice crowd on hand Tuesday night. When you win and the games are important more people show up because you are winning and they are curious to see just how good you really are. If Post 58 wins tonight you will only have a chance to see this team once more in Rocky Mount. Who ever they play from the Raleigh area, that is a two out of three to be played in two days. Next weekend is the big show and that is in Asheboro.

Legion Goes For Sweep Friday Night at Home

Yes this year's Legion team has hit the ball and there has been some questions about how far our pitchers could carry the team the farther the playoffs continue. Tonight Parker Helms feeding off the Jeremy Sloop performance Tuesday night goes seven innings and holds Kinston to two runs and only one earned. When he left the game Post 58 lead 3-2.

Spencer Bell had given 58 the lead after three singled loaded the bases in the seventh and Bell's sac fly gave them the lead that they would not surrender.

A couple of walks and a Thomas Berry double gave Post 58 breathing room and brother Matthew drove in Thomas in the top eighth inning to stake Post 58 to a four run lead. Jeremy Trevathan pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Rocky Mount.

The game was tied 1-1 after one as after RM opened with a walk, a double by Collins Cuthrell, Thomas Berry sent a fly ball to left and T J Taylor scored. Kinston scored on a Tyler Potter single.

Mike Smith hit a solo homer for post 58 to give them a short lived 2-1 lead. Kinston came right back in the second on a Brad Hunter Double. The next five innings Parker Helms held Post 43 in check and gets credit for the win.

Rocky Mount can claim their second straight trip to the state tournament if they win game three Friday night at Gryphon Stadium.

Rocky Mount will play Friday's game without Collins Cuthrell who struck out in the sixth and as he was walking back to the dugout home plate umpire Ricky Crumpler rung him up. Michael Whitehead finished the game at shortstop. I would suspect that Parker Helms would play short Friday night.

Rocky Mount one game away from a return to state tournament, Friday night at Gryphon stadium.

Once again thanks to "DJ" Don Johnson for his inning by inning text. Tonight I was at the softball field where we did a double header for the Stretchlon Sports Show. SouthSide Baptist Beat Arlington Baptist two games to win both the regular season and tournament. Lee Gold the third baseman for Southside had 10 rbi's in both games to lead the way for SouthSide.

See at Gryphon Stadium Friday night.

Weather Cools Off Post 58

Game two of the the three out of five third round series game with Kinston has been rained out tonight in Kinston. This will now push game two to Thursday night in Kinston and the series will not return to Rocky Mount until Friday Night. If needed game four would be back in Kinston on Saturday and the deciding game would be Sunday in Rocky Mount. Post 58 only needs two more wins to clinch the series and advance to the state tournament in two weeks.

Sure do hope that the series is over by Sunday night as we are planning a big show Sunday on the Stretchlon Sports show. We will have a live show featuring Lynn Driver of the Rocky Mount Recreation Department and all six coaches to talk about their team that will be participating in the TarHeel Little league State Tournament.

Lynn will talk about Rocky Mount getting the State Tournament and the goings on at the Sports Complex. Both coaches from senior little league from the American and National League. Both of our Midget teams are in and one of the coach pitch teams have made the State. They will discuss their teams up coming chances of winning a state title in their division in front of the home folks in Rocky Mount.

The National league has won an All Star game. In Anaheim Tuesday night the Nationals beat the American league 3-1. It was the National's first win in 14 years.

Robbie Caldwell who has passed through both Carolina and N C State in his college football coaching career was hired today as the new coach at Vanderbilt. Bob Johnson resigned today and rumors are for health reason. Will pray for coach Johnson but am thankful for Robbie getting his shot as a head coach.

Finally there is probably not more known an owner of any sports team than George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees. His death Tuesday at the age of 80 was not of a real surprise. He had been in failing health for some time. Steinbrenner would over pay for players just to keep some one else from getting them. I am sure if the truth be known many a team has put out the rumor that they were going to go after a player just to make George pay more for that player. Baseball will never be the same without him.

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".