Gryphons Slide Into Third

Just two short weeks ago those skinny legged sophomore baseball players for Rocky Mount couldn't hit a lick, made errors at the wrong time and most of the time had good pitching but that was hard to tell when you don't score runs.

Now the Gryphons still don't hit that well but they have finally figured out how to get a timely hit when it counts and tonight the Gryphons take out the team that use to be a top of the conference by themselves but not any more as sophomore Will Edwards pitches the game of his life as the Gryphons shutout Hunt 2-0.

This is four victories in a row for the Gryphons in conference play and by virtue of Southern Nash's 6-2 win over Northern Nash Rocky Mount takes sole possession of third place in the Big East and now stand at 4-4.  This lost drops Hunt to 6-2 tied with Nash Central who tonight beat Fike 10-0.

The Gryphons scratched a run home in the second when Micah Varnell walked with one out.  He reached second when a ball rolled away from the catcher and Varnell just did make it to second.  Two outs the number eight hitter in the lineup Damien Smith hit a line drive over the third baseman's head and Varnell scored.

The Gryphons added an insurance run in the fourth  when Varnell walked again.  This time Jerrell Hunter the Gryphon first baseman sacrificed him to second.  Hunter started tonight at first for the first time as he was a member of the Gryphon basketball team and is now getting his baseball legs under him. Two outs and the ninth hitter in the Gryphon lineup Ben Yates  hit a liner over the second baseman's head and Varnell scored again.

Will Edwards allowed two hits walked two and hit one batter while striking out two. He allowed only one batter to reach second base.  There were some almost hits but the Gryphon defense did their job including a spectacular catch by Damien Smith  in left in the top of the six with the lead off runner on from a walk.You know when it is 2-0 in the sixth and you are playing the top team in the league you are weary that a big hit brings them back in the game and the Warriors almost got it.  Zach Williams laced a fly ball that was heading over the head of Damien Smith in left and on a dead  run Smith stuck his glove over his head.  Smith's momentum carrier him toward the wall and nobody behind home plate knew he had caught the ball until he turned to run to the dugout as that was out number three.

Gryphons winners of four straight conference games head to Fike Tuesday and they only need one victory next week to clinch a home first round Big East Tournament game.  One win and the only team that could catch them for third is Northern Nash and the Gryphons swept the season series with the Knights.

Top Two In Big East Tumble

There is no doubt that what happened the first time in the Big East Conference baseball race will not happen again.  Tuesday night at Northern unbeaten Hunt lost 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th on a wild pitch. That loss is the first of the conference season for Hunt as they now stand at 6-1.  The Knights climb up to 3-4 and at this point they have not been knocked out of winning first in the league.

This afternoon the Bulldogs buoyed by knowing they lead 3-0 in the third when the rains came at Rocky Mount last night and if they finish off the Gryphons today then they would be tied for the lead in the Big East.  Right off the bat the Bulldogs  score the two runners that were on base when the rains came and heading to the bottom of the 5th the lead  had grown the lead to 8-1.

The young Gryphons who have had a hard time coming up with big hits when they needed them found three runs in the fifth, four in the bottom of the seventh and a winning run in the ninth.  The wins drops Nash Central  to 5-2 in league while Rocky Mount now winners of three straight conference games are 3-4.  Fike beat Southern Nash on Tuesday making both of those teams 2-5 in conference play.

Spencer Ramsey lead off the ninth for the Gryphons with a double and after much maneuvering found himself on third  and scored on a wild pitch.  Ramsey had a double in the fifth that produced two runs, a single in the seventh driving in two more and to top it all off came in relief  to pitch the Gryphons last six and one third inning to be the winning pitcher.

The play of the game came in the top of the seventh after Jalen Hendricks had reached base on an error and was heading home for the leading run when Christian Perry lashed a deep line drive to the left center gap that Gryphon center fielder Jeremy Johnson went into an all out dive for a ball that was going to go to the wall without a catch and Johnson made the defensive play of the year for the Gryphons.  No time off for a great come back as Thursday night the Gryphons host Hunt who still remains in first.

Speaking of Jalen Hendricks  Rocky Mount native Tom Suiter was at the game doing his EXTRA EFFORT Award feature on Jalen Hendricks.  WRAL had to film today because they were scheduled to be at Nash Central's practice but last night's rain delay brought Suiter to watch about half the game as they filmed Hendricks.  It will be featured next Tuesday night at at 6.20 on WRAL-TV.

Lady Gryphon soccer clinched the Big East regular season today with a 2-1 victory over Hunt.  The Lady Gryphons still have two conference games and a  non-conference game left before the regular season ends next week.

Basketball news to report as Gryphon Terrell Hilliard has committed to play basketball at Wingate.  He will be a diamond in the rough for Wingate.