RMH’s Harrison out-duels Knights

Rocky Mount’s David Harrison pitches against Northern Nash Tuesday at Northern Nash High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

Rocky Mount’s Jake Philbeck, right, tags Northern Nash’s Devin Davenport, left, for the out at third Tuesday at Northern Nash High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / SARAH LOUYA

The Northern Nash baseball team has a knack for being in the field for one batter too long. That third out of an inning can be elusive, and it was again on Tuesday against visiting Rocky Mount High.

The third inning started off strong for Knights pitcher Joshua Daniels, who sat down the first two batters of the inning before allowing three straight singles. The next batter, Logan Pearce, reached on an error which allowed David Harrison to bat. He ripped a three-run double and Northern Nash never recovered as RMH earned a 5-2 Big East Conference win.

That early cushion was all the Gryphons (9-3, 4-1) needed as they rode a gem of an outing from Harrison, who blew away hitters and had to weave out of trouble just once.

“David is going to be David,” Northern Nash coach Bard Collins said. “Those early runs feel like 10 runs when he’s on the mound. We had a chance to score with two guys on, get ahead of them, but David took it to another gear.”

The Knights (4-9, 0-5) had runners on second and third with one out in the second inning. Harrison, the left-handed N.C. State commit, looked vulnerable, if only for a moment. He came right back to get Andrew Meade to foul out, then struck out DaShaun Liggins looking. End of threat.

Harrison was sharp, and struck out five in four innings. He allowed two singles and didn’t issue a walk. With a four-run lead, he was replaced by freshman Ben Sieracki in the fifth after throwing just 42 pitches.

“I tried to stay in the strike zone and get quick outs tonight,” Harrison said. “I threw a lot of changeups. That was my out pitch. I’ve been developing it since last summer, and it’s been coming along. It just takes reps. ”

That efficient outing allows Harrison to be available in the Gryphons’ remaining two conference games with week. Meanwhile, Harrison’s three RBIs are a signal that he is becoming more confident at the plate.

He doesn’t bat on his summer travel team, and focused on pitching throughout the offseason. When the high school season approached, he started hitting off a tee, and missed the ball entirely on his first few swings.

He worked on leveling his swing, to cut down on strikeouts that piled up due to his natural uppercut. His double that one-hopped the fence in left-center was validation of his progress. It’s not just Harrison who has started to hit. The Gryphons have been hitting with more consistency throughout the lineup.

Jamar Ellis, who solidified his role as the team’s No. 3 hitter, had two RBIs, and went 3-for-4 with three singles. He didn’t strike out. For Ellis, the key has been recognizing curveballs. He had trouble making contact with that pitch early in the season, and now it’s a pitch he waits for. His RBI single in the seventh to bring home the fifth run was off a curveball.

“I was always out in front of curveballs,” Ellis said. “I spent a lot of time seeing breaking pitches in the cages, and now I feel ready for them.”

Daniels went all seven innings for Northern Nash and took the loss, despite just one of the five runs he allowed was earned. The Knights made three errors, all in the infield. Daniels also slid into the No. 4 slot to give Silas Gonzalez more protection, and Daniels went 1-for-3.

“I like that role,” Daniels said. “Coach wanted to try me hitting behind Silas because teams kept walking him. It’s more pressure, but it’s fun.”

By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Wednesday, April 5, 2017