Rocky Mount wins state baseball championship
May 31st, 2008 Posted in High School Baseball, High School Playoffs, NCHSAARelated links:
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ROCKY MOUNT WINS NC 3A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Rocky Mount outlasted a gritty East Rowan baseball team by an 8-6 score in the decisive third game of the NCHSAA 3-A baseball championship series on Saturday at Five County Stadium.
Brian Goodwin of the Rocky Mount Gryphons, who tripled, scored three times and was intentionally walked twice in the decisive game, was voted the MVP of the series. Chris Berry had three hits, including two doubles, and four runs batted in to lead the Rocky Mount offense in the game three victory.
Rocky Mount led 2-1 after one inning and then the Gryphons erupted for four runs in the second to take command. Dillon Cockrell started the rally with a double and scored on a single by Gabe Brown. Then after an intentional walk, Chris Berry delivered a two-run double and then Ben Fish, the school’s single-season RBI record holder, doubled home a run to open up a 6-1 lead.
East Rowan though came right back to cut it to 6-3 in the third on a pair of sacrifice flies by Zach Smith and Micah Jarrett. Rocky Mount responded with two runs in the fourth. Goodwin tripled off the center field wall and scored on a single by Berry, and later Berry came around after a hit batter, fielder’s choice and a wild pitch to make it 8-3.
But the Mustangs were not done through, tallying three in the home half of the sixth to slice the margin to 8-6, chasing Gryphon starting pitcher Benton Ross. Austin Shull had a double for an RBI in the inning, which also included runs scoring on an error and a fielder’s choice. Shull had two hits on the day, as did Trey Holmes and Justin Roland. Roland’s hits were a double and triple, after his mound performance earlier in the day had helped East Rowan force the game three championship game.
Rocky Mount opened the series with a 7-4 victory on Friday night, with ace pitcher Jim Leggett going the distance on the mound for the victory for his eighth victory of the year, allowing just three hits. East Rowan came back in game two as Micah Jarrett went three for four at the plate, and Justin Roland throttled the Mustangs offense in a 6-2 game two victory.
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