Heels Take Series

Monday night Benton Moss got the start for the Tar Heels playing arch rival North Carolina State in the rubber game of their ACC baseball series and Moss lasted only 2.1 innings but when he left the Heels lead 5-2 and the two came off defensive miscues by the Tar Heel defense.  Moss gave up 2 runs on three hits  struck out three and neither of the two runs were earned so his ERA has dropped to near 2.0 for the Tar Heels.  Carolina beat the Pack 7-4.  Moss did not get the win being relieved in the third.

Down I-95 Monday afternoon UNC-Pembroke was also playing a Monday game but this one was not because of National TV but a Saturday rain out force Flagler and UNCP to finish their series on Monday.  Nash Central grad Alex Pearce took to the mound and nine innings later Pearce pitches UNC-P into the win column with a 16-5 win.  It is a complete game 11 hitter for Alex who now stands 4-3 on the season.  Not bad at all for a catcher his entire college career and now as a senior standing upright on the mound instead of squatting behind the plate.

This Saturday for the first time in 50 years two teams from the same state will square off in the final four.  Kentucky and Louisville will play in the first game followed by Kansas and Ohio State.  You have to go all the way back to the early 60's when Cincinnati played Ohio State  in the final four since the last time two teams from the same state met on the hardwood in the final four.  Kentucky has to have all of the pressure on them as Kentucky the king pin of college basketball, the all time winningest program taking on in State rival Louisville.  They played earlier this year in Kentucky with the Cats winning 69-62 on their home floor.  This game could really be interesting.

Heading to the final four weekend I still have Kentucky as the winner so I can still place in the pool I'm in.  If Carolina could have won Sunday I would have been right there but I think the best I can do is second or third.

Tonight the Gryphons travel to Southern Nash looking for their first conference win.  If they can get a win under their belt they may get some confidence going.  They need it starting only two seniors, two juniors and five Sophomores.

Jumbled Mess

The Big East baseball after this week's two games will have made the first round and there doesn't seem to be a dominating team that is going to take everyone else by the throat when they play them and dominate the league.  Hunt and Nash Central are undefeated at 3-0 while everyone else is 1-2 or worse.

Rocky Mount who is the only team that falls under the worse category could have won all three games with timely hitting.  There doesn't seem to be a pitcher in the league this year that threatens 85 on a speed gun  and because of that there is no pitcher in the league when they get two strikes on a batter that can just throw it by a hitter.

Yes there are some very go curve ball pitchers this year but when you can't throw it by anybody there is always that chance for a bloop single because you were able to get a bat on the ball.  The conference is having an end of the season tournament this year and regardless of how the regular season goes  the way this year seems to be going any team near the bottom finally starts get some hits at the right time could win it.

How Bout those Shaw Ladies Bears.  National Champions of Division ll Women's basketball.

Up until the last two minutes if you didn't like the Kansas/UNC Regional final you just can't like basketball.  The last two minutes got a way from Carolina and there can only be the what if Marshall had played.

Tonight Benton Moss is scheduled to pitch for Carolina in game three of the State Carolina Baseball Series.  This game is on ESPNU and the first pitch is set for 7pm.  The have split the first two games in Chapel Hill with State winning Saturday 3-1 and Carolina winning 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth Sunday.  Gryphon Hobbs Johnson came in for Carolina Sunday down 3-1 in the third inning and pitched four shut innings and when he left it was tied 3-3.

Thinking Out Loud

Steve Kerr WTBS Color Analyst commenting while Carolina was in the timeout before the last shot of the game at the end of regulation.  Maybe they should let Harrison Barnes  who has played better the last few minutes be involved.  After Barnes missed shot to tie, I can't believe Carolina ran an isolation for Barnes after the way he has shot this game.  Don't you just hate a person who get paid a nice sum of money   but can't remember what he just said 30 seconds ago.

Tyler Zeller's 20/20 is the only fourth time since NCAA tournament went to 64 teams that has been done.  Without Marshall in order to beat Kansas Zeller must touch the ball every trip down court.

I have no qualms with the officiating in the State-Kansas game.  My only question is why State after calling time out with 2.9 seconds to go in the game at the foul line had to inbound the ball under the basket.  They should have gotten it out on the side in front of the Kansas bench.

Despite how energized we are all around here about Carolina and State doing well in the tournament the games have been lousy.  Whenever you take more threes than two's and can only score 50 points  something is wrong some where.  The three point shot is an equalizer when you make them but the national average is 32% for all teams.  Too many teams just pass the ball around the three point line never trying to go inside.

I think Shawn Peyton should be banned for life from the NFL along with Greg Williams and any person else in the NFL who will pay a player to hurt someone else.  There is a fine line between hitting hard to win a game and trying to hurt someone.  This sure does put a bad taste in your mouth about the Super Bowl win  three years ago for the Saints.

The New York Jets have one of the worst leaders called a quarterback in the NFL in Mark Sanchez.  How do they try to improve?  Bring in a  truly good leader who is one of  the worse quarterbacks in the NFL.  When you have bad and add more bad that equals out to worse off than before.

I think Peyton Manning will help Denver greatly this year.  Manning also has shown the Lebron James' of the world  when it is time to move on  it can be done in a way that everyone shakes hands and goes away happy.  There is an old saying " Never burn bridges whenever you leave a place.  You may have to come back begging on your knees to come back someday".

Tonight on the ALL New Sports Show we will be showing the Faith Christian-Rocky Mount Academy game recorded last Saturday night at 8pm.