Rocky Mount celebrates their win against Northeast Guilford Tuesday during the first round of the NCHSAA 3-A state playoffs at Rocky Mount High School.
©Telegram photo / Abbi O’Leary
Rocky Mount’s Logan Pearce, left, completes the force out at second base on Northeast Guilford’s De’Andre Lesane Tuesday during the first round of the NCHSAA 3-A state playoffs at Rocky Mount High School.
©Telegram photo / Abbi O’Leary
Zack Keeter was mad at himself, and he could feel Pat Smith’s eyes staring holes through him from down the third-base line, after Keeter swung at a first-pitch fastball near his eyes with the bases loaded and Tuesday’s first round state playoffs game on the line.
Keeter likes to swing at pitches up and out of the strike zone, usually to little avail and always to Smith’s chagrin. Keeter fell behind 0-2 in the count on the next pitch, an inside fastball that hit him on the hands and the handle of the bat and was ruled a foul ball, but the Gryphons’ catcher fought back to a 2-2 count.
Then, with Rocky Mount High’s pitching resources running low, Keeter laced a one-out single to left center, scoring Forrest Bell from third as the Gryphons walked off Northeast Guilford, 4-3, in nine innings to advance to the second round of the 3-A state playoffs, where Rocky Mount High will face No. 24 seed Erwin Triton.
“I couldn’t believe myself for swinging at that first pitch,” Keeter said. “But, I was able to just stay patient and find a way to put something in play. I’ve been swinging the bat pretty well lately, so that felt good.”
Bell ripped a one-out single to left in the bottom of the ninth, a sinking line drive that landed just in front of Northeast Guilford left fielder Mason Brady and bounded all the way to the fence. Bell, with Smith trying to hold him at second, ran all the way to third.
Northeast Guilford then intentionally walked David Harrison and Jake Philbeck to load the bases and set up force-outs with Keeter stepping to the plate, but Keeter ruined the Rams’ best-laid plans with his walk-off single.
“Doing a lot better than I was about five minutes ago,” Smith said. “We ain’t scored runs all year, but these boys had their backs to the wall tonight and they responded, best they could, so I’m proud of ‘em for that.”
Harrison pitched 7 1/3 innings for Rocky Mount High, allowing five hits and three runs (all earned). He walked one and struck out eight, but that one walk, plus two hit batsmen and one grooved fastball, meant he didn’t get a chance to earn a victory.
The Gryphons’ junior lefty walked the first batter he faced Tuesday, Northeast Guilford right fielder Kobey Loman-Badeau, and Loman-Badeau came around to score on a double to the left-field corner by shortstop Carter Williams for a quick 1-0 lead.
Rocky Mount High answered right back in the bottom of the first, though, courtesy of some sloppiness from the Rams. Logan Pearce drew a one-out walk, then advanced to third on a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Northeast Guilford pitcher Jacob Brown.
Brown hit Bell with a pitch, and Harrison plated Pearce with a single to left-center. With two outs, Will Hedgepeth chopped a ground ball to third, but Rams third baseman Jake Chrismon booted it off the heel of his glove, allowing Bell to score for a 2-1 Gryphons lead, though Jamar Ellis left the bases loaded by striking out looking one batter later.
Harrison appeared to settle in in the second, striking out the side in quick succession. In the third, though, Harrison made one bad pitch to Northeast Guilford designated hitter Bryce Mericka, who mashed a solo home run to left to tie the game at 2-2.
“Fastball right down the middle,” Harrison said. “I mean, right down the middle. He crushed it. I had been getting behind guys, and I was behind him (2-1), so I didn’t want to go to another three-ball count. That shook me a little.”
The Rams’ Brown helped his own cause in the top of the sixth, lofting a high fly ball to right-center that landed and one-hopped the fence for a double that scored Williams from first, putting the Rams back in front, 3-2, with six outs left to get.
Brown got through the sixth unscathed, but Josh Pittman’s leadoff single set the Gryphons’ rally in motion in the bottom of the seventh. Pearce then drew a walk, and Bell laid down a sacrifice bunt that put runners on second and third with one out. The Rams intentionally walked Harrison to load the bases, and Jake Philbeck then drove home the tying run with a groundout to second base, though the Gryphons missed a chance to win it in regulation as Hedgepeth struck out looking on a 3-2 count with the bases full.
“We’re learning how to be fighters and to get back up when things don’t go our way,” Harrison said. “I’d say, yeah, we might not have won this type of game earlier in the year. But we were able to get back up when they took that lead on us.”
Harrison came back out to pitch the eighth and retired the one batter he faced. Bell relieved Harrison and walked the one batter he saw, before Smith turned to Hedgepeth, and he delivered with 1 2/3 innings of shutout baseball.
“Sometimes Hedgepeth’s slow stuff is real effective, especially after they’ve seen David all night throwing up near 90,” Smith said. “Will’s been working real hard in the bullpen and he’s been in some big spots for us that had him ready to pitch like that tonight.”
Rocky Mount High advanced to host Erwin Triton later this week in the second round. Smith, who used to live in south Johnston County, near Erwin, said he had already gathered information on Triton. The 24th-seeded Hawks went on the road to beat No. 9 seed Lee County, 3-0, on Tuesday night behind a no-hitter from pitcher Logan Bender.
“Triton has another boy just like him, who throws 88 or 89, so it’s gonna be real tough,” Smith said. “I don’t know who we’re going to pitch. I’ve got to go down to Venezuela or Puerto Rico this winter to find another boy who can pitch for us.”
By Foster Lander
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Processing your request, Please wait....
.jpg?v=1714320388){kind=logo}
