Round 2 results

SJ

coach 27, SJ is my alma mater way back in '77. what'd you think of their field? it was always nice I thought, except the setting sun in the west is behind home plate which can get testy for 1st base, 2nd base , & rt fielder.

yeah, SJ started out 1-6 then won 16 of next 17 before last night. good baseball tradition at SJ. I read that they have won the baseball conf. championship in 2/3 of the seasons since the school began, which was 1969-70. not bad.

good luck the reminder of playoffs.

 

North Forsyth is good, however, they haven't been tested until they got to the playoffs. Dusty Ackley, who barely pitched at all during the season, has had to throw something like 10 innings already for them to win. He's the one carrying that team. Addison Johnson should return back to form after and off game on Tuesday. Serber didn't throw well at all last night. They're a great team, they just get a little nervous when threatened because they haven't been all year.

 

South Johnston

SJ Has a rich baseball tradition. There field is very nice. The only thing that I did not like about it was the short porch in rcf. But most HS fields have problems with room for many reasons and there is nothing you can do about that. The playing surface was outstanding and it is obvious they take alot of pride in the facility. Most really good programs do if not all. There is alot of history with the SG coaches myself and Coach Ferrell and SJ. Both of us are Southern Durham grads and Coach Ferrell battled SJ three years in a row for the conf championship in his playing days at Southern Durham. People who know HS baseball in NC are well aware of the rich tradition and success that SJ has known in the past and will no doubt have in the future with the outstanding underclassman that they have. They are a class act.

 

North Forsyth (test)

Millhouse and Superjon...

What kind of a test do these guys need to pass? Think about trying to win 28 straight times. It's not done too often. 28 times they've played the game, 28 times they've won the game. Do you really think it's due to an easy schedule? Could it have something to do with being #1 and taking eveyone's best shot because you haven't been beat? Could there be a target on their backs? I don't think the crowd is saying, "Hey, there's North Forsyth...the team that's played an easy schedule and haven't been tested" when they take BP.

How about the longest winning streak in N.C. with wins against teams like:
Watauga twice, NW Guilford 3 times, East Forsyth 3 times (who by the way Finished in 3rd place in the Metro and could have got the wild card), Grimsley 3 times, at Alexander Central, at defending state champ Southern Alamance, West Forsyth in a tournament, and in the play-offs vs. Robbie Bray a pitcher who has won 36 high school games for Independence, Craige Lyerly and Cy Young for East Rowan who are not too shabby. Lyerly with 10 wins on the season and Cy Young with 511 and counting.

Really, do you think teams just show up and go through the motions? I don't think so. I think fans get more excited, teams play a little harder, the focus is more intense, people bring their best when you're undefeated. Players and teams tend to play over their heads against a good team. Watch Duke and Carolina the next couple of years in basketball. They take everyone's best shot and they still win. But...even those powerhouses haven't won 28 in a row now have they?

How about a little credit where it's due...

28/28= 100%.

 

SCORE..


Im not taking anything away for north forsyth dont get me wrong, becasue your right 28 wins no matter who it's against, is impressive. But now that they are in the playoffs against good teams the scores have been alot closer and could easily have gone to the other teams. That undefeated record could come back to haunt them because they dont know what its like to lose and now the pressure is realy on. Ecspecialy now that they will be either playing A.C Renyolds or South caldwell, teams that have played great teams and have proved they can beat them.

 

wow that sounds like one helluva game. I'm not real good on the #s. I think Brandon Phelps ( big kid, third base) is #25.

So Mullins gets win #14 without the start. Next week against SW Guilford will be one intense game.

Thanks for the game report and go TIGERS.Mullins might still get the start - or maybe Brandon Phelps. Probably a committee game - might see Phelps, Rankin and Mullins all three pitch.

 

That was classic...something you see in the movies. For those of you that weren't at the game, a runner for SC was running as hard as he could to score on a misplayed putout at 3rd. He was chuggin...and chuggin...and chuggin..and dove head first to score. It was a great slide and he would have been safe....if only the bases were 88 feet. The dadgum dirt at Ashbrook prevented him from sliding the remaining 2 feet as the catcher tagged him out up the line....it was classic I tell ya

You are right Spartanbaseball, your teammates played with a quiet confidence and showed class throughout the game.

 

more on SJ field

Coach 27, that short rt. field at SJ has a history. when it opened in '69, they did not erect a homerun fence for several yr's. There was a drainage ditch there & I think that the fence had to be put in as is due to the ditch location. anyway, that's just one thing that makes baseball a unique game..... the little nuances of each field.

To the best of my knowledge, SJ has had only 4 coaches in its 37 yr's of baseball. The first was Bruce Coats (a player at UNC-CH back in the 50's?)who enjoyed much success at the old Cleveland HS then later at SJ. The field is named for Coach Coats. Bruce turned over the reins at SJ to his son Steve Coats, a former SJ player as well as Louisburg College & UNC-CH. Next was Pat Smith, now the coach at Rocky Mount HS. One of Pat's SJ teams in the early 90's won a 3A State Championship (the one & only baseball state championship in school history). The current coach is Keith Durham, a former SJ player who is carrying on the tradition.

sorry for the short history lesson. Now it seems weird to me because a new HS (West Johnston) has been built that my daughter attends. SJ & WJ are fierce rivals, although not in the same conference. Oh well. That scene is being repeated in many places across NC as the school growth continues and new HS's are built.

again , best of luck the remainder of the playoffs.

 

Final game of round 2 a classic

I just back home after watching a heck of a game between Western Guilford and Southern Alamance. The game was moved to Saturday night due to one of the WG players having a heart attack at school on Friday. Seems the young man went to the doctor after being hit in the face with a ball and they found an irregular heart beat. Further tests showed he had an enlarged heart. Thank god they had the ems equipment at the school to revive him or I was told he would not have made it. Our prayers are with this young man and his family.

Now on to the game. It went 13 innings with SA scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 13th for the 6-5 win. Cale Rogers started for SA and went five innings before Brent Haynes came in and went the rest of the way. It was a back and forth game with SA leading 4-1 going into the top of the 6th. WG tied the score in the 6th and then took a 1 run lead going into the bottom of the 7th. With one out and no one on Sappelt hit a HR his second of the game to tie the score. In the 9th or 10th I really cant remember WG loaded the bases with no one out and Haynes struck out the side to keep it tied. It was a tough loss for WG especially the way they lost. Lead off hitter in the bottom of the 13th hits a towering pop fly behind first base and the 1b man thinks the rf is going to take it. No one calls it and he reaches first. A pick off attempt goes into rf and the runner goes to 3b. The next batter hits a high one hopper over the drawn in infield to score the runner from third base. It was a heck of a game by both teams.

 

The Sc Boys have seen way more talented teams as far as im concerned. Watauga not that great to brag about...umm we saw ACR and Charlotte Christian and East Rutherfurd....wow we have seen the best and i cant wait till we get to see NF in a 3 game series.