RM's junior and senior girls, come to the baseball game in your prom gown!

For the dates of Rocky Mount's baseball team members who are headed to this year's prom, be prepared to have your pre-prom meal at Gryphon Stadium, to take your couple pictures on the field's infield and sitting in your prom dresses on aluminum bleachers.

Instead of a steak at Outback, or a lobster platter at the Red Lobster for that meal, the bill of fare will likely include a hot dog all the way and nachos.

For the first time that I can remember, Rocky Mount will be playing an athletic event as the prelude to its annual Junior-Senior Prom.

Rocky Mount (18-8) will host North Lenoir (18-7) Friday at 6 p.m. at Gryphon Stadium in a NCHSAA 3-A state playoff baseball third-round matchup. Neither team has ever faced each other before. 

Rocky Mount officials, wanting to stay away from a Thursday meeting, were hoping to play the contest Saturday evening. But North Lenoir claimed it didn't want to play Saturday because should it rain, the two would be forced to play on Monday - a day before round 4 begins.

With both Berrys, Thomas and Matthew, now suffering from hamstring pulls, an extra day of rest would have helped them as RM's bench is wearing thin. For example, Matthew's pitching efforts are out and freshman Sam Lilley is recovering from facial surgery earlier in the week.

So an unhappy medium was struck. We are stuck with playing the Hawks on Prom Night. A 10-run mercy-rule Gryphon win would be in order and God help them if it goes into extra innings!

And when was the last time RMHS played an extra-inning playoff game?

The year was 1996 in a 6-5 eight-inning win over Anson County at Gryphon Stadium.