ZEBULON – A balanced Rocky Mount offensive attack banged out 10 hits and the Gryphons held off East Rowan 7-4 in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A baseball championship series on Friday at Five County Stadium.
East Rowan jumped in front 2-0 in the bottom of the first, but Rocky Mount tied it in the second when a run scored on a double play and then Collins Cuthrell delivered a run-scoring single to tie the game.
The Gryphons took a 5-2 lead with three in the fourth, with Gabe Brown’s two-run single the key blow, but East battled back to slice it 5-4 on Zack Smith’s two-out, two-run double. Rocky Mount then added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth after a two-out error, a triple by William Barringer that scored a run and then an RBI single by Grant Johnson.
Chris Berry was the only Gryphon with two hits. Every RMHS starter collected at least one hit. The bottom of the Gryphons' lineup was very effective - with batters Nos. 7-9 going 3-for-9 with five RBI and two runs scored.
Senior righthander Jim Leggett (8-3) went the route on the mound for the winners, allowing just three hits and getting his 28th career victory, to extend his Rocky Mount school record, while Corbin Shive was charged with the loss (11-2).
Smith provided the offensive punch for East Rowan with two hits in three trips and three runs batted in. The Mustangs dropped to 28-4 overall while Rocky Mount improved to a school record 26-5.
Game two in the best-of-three series is set for Saturday morning at eleven o’clock as Rocky Mount seeks to close out the series and win its first NCHSAA baseball title since 1980. Game three, if necessary, would be played Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 3-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES — GAME ONE
Five County Stadium, Zebulon
Rocky Mount 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 – 7 10 1
East Rowan 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 – 4 3 1
WP—Jim Leggett (8-3)
LP—Corbin Shive (11-2)
Leading hitters: Rocky Mount - Chris Berry 2-4, R; Ben Fish 1-2, R; Jim Leggett 1-2, R; Collins Cuthrell 1-3, 2 RBI, R; Gabe Brown 1-3, 2 RBI, R; Dillon Cockrell 1-3, RBI; Brian Goodwin 1-3; William Barringer 1-4, 3B, RBI, R; Grant Johnson 1-4. East Rowan - Zach Smith 2-3, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI; Ethan Fisher 1-3, 2B.
