By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer
Saturday, May 11, 2019
The Rocky Mount Academy lineup made plenty of contact over the first four innings of Saturday’s game, the only problem was that just about every ball found a Gaston Day School fielder.
Yet by the fifth inning the Eagles hits began to fall, and soon RMA would break open the game over the next two innings en route to an 12-1 run-rule win in six innings. RMA advances to Tuesday’s semifinals.
“It was good to see them not get tight,” Eagles coach Cameron Ramsey said. “We have so much firepower, we’re always going to be in a baseball game.”
Isaiah Thomas started for the Eagles (16-6) and worked the first four innings. He was efficient, needing just 57 pitches, allowing him to be available for Tuesday’s semifinal. If Thomas had thrown 61 pitches or more, three calendar days of rest would have been required before he could pitch again.
“He’s eligible to come back Tuesday and that was the plan,” Ramsey said of Thomas. “I told him before the game that if he could get me three that would be amazing, and he came out and gave us four quality innings and set us up to get a win.”
Will Stewart pitched the final two innings, and kept the Spartans off the scoreboard while the Eagles mounted their comeback.
The Spartans scored one run in the top of the first, and held onto that lead until a bases-loaded wild pitch allowed RMA to score the tying run in the bottom of the fifth.
Stewart was intentionally walked to load the bases, bringing up Thomas who smacked a two-run single to left to give RMA a 3-1 lead. Jacob Braddy dropped in a hit behind the shortstop for an RBI single to make it 4-1, and Colin Legaj made it 5-1 with an RBI double to center.
“We didn’t panic because we know how to hit the baseball,” Thomas said. “If we just play our game and stick to what we know how to do, we just know that that ball is going to find its way in there for a hit somewhere.”
A five-run fifth inning was just the start. The Eagles, who had byes through the first two rounds, poured on seven more runs in the bottom of the sixth. A Stewart tripled scored the first run of the sixth, two wild pitches plated another two runs, and a Legaj single added another.
Three more would come around to score to end the game an inning early.
Sports Writer
Saturday, May 11, 2019
The Rocky Mount Academy lineup made plenty of contact over the first four innings of Saturday’s game, the only problem was that just about every ball found a Gaston Day School fielder.
Yet by the fifth inning the Eagles hits began to fall, and soon RMA would break open the game over the next two innings en route to an 12-1 run-rule win in six innings. RMA advances to Tuesday’s semifinals.
“It was good to see them not get tight,” Eagles coach Cameron Ramsey said. “We have so much firepower, we’re always going to be in a baseball game.”
Isaiah Thomas started for the Eagles (16-6) and worked the first four innings. He was efficient, needing just 57 pitches, allowing him to be available for Tuesday’s semifinal. If Thomas had thrown 61 pitches or more, three calendar days of rest would have been required before he could pitch again.
“He’s eligible to come back Tuesday and that was the plan,” Ramsey said of Thomas. “I told him before the game that if he could get me three that would be amazing, and he came out and gave us four quality innings and set us up to get a win.”
Will Stewart pitched the final two innings, and kept the Spartans off the scoreboard while the Eagles mounted their comeback.
The Spartans scored one run in the top of the first, and held onto that lead until a bases-loaded wild pitch allowed RMA to score the tying run in the bottom of the fifth.
Stewart was intentionally walked to load the bases, bringing up Thomas who smacked a two-run single to left to give RMA a 3-1 lead. Jacob Braddy dropped in a hit behind the shortstop for an RBI single to make it 4-1, and Colin Legaj made it 5-1 with an RBI double to center.
“We didn’t panic because we know how to hit the baseball,” Thomas said. “If we just play our game and stick to what we know how to do, we just know that that ball is going to find its way in there for a hit somewhere.”
A five-run fifth inning was just the start. The Eagles, who had byes through the first two rounds, poured on seven more runs in the bottom of the sixth. A Stewart tripled scored the first run of the sixth, two wild pitches plated another two runs, and a Legaj single added another.
Three more would come around to score to end the game an inning early.
