RMA rallies in late innings to top Rama
• By Jim Green Sports Editor
For three-plus innings on Saturday, the Rocky Mount Academy baseball team struggled at the plate against Franklinton starting pitcher Matthew Ray.
Ray retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and had a 1-0 lead with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
That’s when things started to change in a positive way for the Eagles.
RMA’s bats woke up, the Red Rams’ pitching faded and the Eagles went on for a 10-6 victory in the third game of the Golden Leaf Invitational Tournament at Fleming Stadium in Wilson.
RMA improved to 10-2 overall while Franklinton dropped to 8-9.
Ray kept Eagle batters off balance with a steady diet of offspeed pitches through the first three innings, even striking out the side in the bottom of the second.
Franklinton had a 1-0 advantage on two walks, an error and a hit by Brady Groves in the top of the first, while RMA’s lone baserunner through three frames was Miller Rogers, who was hit by a pitch with two outs but was left stranded.
The Eagles started to get to Ray in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out, Jordan Wright tripled to centerfield for his team’s first hit, and he scored on a wild pitch. Kameron Wright walked but was caught stealing, and a groundout ended the frame with the score tied.
The Red Rams came right back to score three runs against RMA’s second pitcher, Luke Holloman, in the top of the fifth on five walks – two with the bases loaded which forced in runs – and an RBI single from Landon Heller, making it 4-1.
The Eagles’ bats then started to wake up.
In the bottom of the fifth, Seth Tickel led off with a single to left, and he made it all the way to third when the ball was misplayed. Cason Price then ripped a double over the left fielder’s head to plate Tickel.
Sherrod walked, and an errant pickoff throw to second combined with a wild pitch placed runners on second and third. Rogers then smacked a single to center to bring in Sherrod and Price to tie the score at 4-all.
Ray left in favor of Blake Cheatham, who issued a one-out walk to Wells Hutson but was able to get out of the frame without any further damage.
That wasn’t the case in the bottom of the sixth, however.
With one out, Tickel and Price walked and Sherrod was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tickel scored on a wild pitch, and Price followed suit. Rogers walked, and Cheatham left in favor of Tanner Hicks, who promptly surrendered a double to left to Gabe Winham to make it 7-4.
Hutson then smashed a triple into the gap in left centerfield to plate Winham and Rogers. Hutson then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jordan Wright to give RMA a six-run cushion.
Franklinton tried to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh inning when Groves singled and Nick Reiss walked, as Kameron Wright entered as the new RMA pitcher.
Wright got the first two outs on an infield fly and a fly out to left, but the non-save situation became a save situation when Hicks reached on an error to load the bases, Ethan LeBlanc was hit by a pitch to force in a run and Miles Brown singled to center to plate Reiss, making it a four-run deficit.
With the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, Wright struck out the final batter to secure the win.
Sherrod worked the first four innings, struck out two and walked two for RMA. He allowed two hits and one earned run.
Holloman last two-thirds of an inning and gave up one hit and three earned runs with one strikeout and four walks, while Winham toiled 1.1 frames and surrendered one hit and two runs (one earned) with three walks and two strikeouts to pick up the win.
Wright got the save with a strikeout after allowing one hit in the seventh.
• By Jim Green Sports Editor
For three-plus innings on Saturday, the Rocky Mount Academy baseball team struggled at the plate against Franklinton starting pitcher Matthew Ray.
Ray retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and had a 1-0 lead with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
That’s when things started to change in a positive way for the Eagles.
RMA’s bats woke up, the Red Rams’ pitching faded and the Eagles went on for a 10-6 victory in the third game of the Golden Leaf Invitational Tournament at Fleming Stadium in Wilson.
RMA improved to 10-2 overall while Franklinton dropped to 8-9.
Ray kept Eagle batters off balance with a steady diet of offspeed pitches through the first three innings, even striking out the side in the bottom of the second.
Franklinton had a 1-0 advantage on two walks, an error and a hit by Brady Groves in the top of the first, while RMA’s lone baserunner through three frames was Miller Rogers, who was hit by a pitch with two outs but was left stranded.
The Eagles started to get to Ray in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out, Jordan Wright tripled to centerfield for his team’s first hit, and he scored on a wild pitch. Kameron Wright walked but was caught stealing, and a groundout ended the frame with the score tied.
The Red Rams came right back to score three runs against RMA’s second pitcher, Luke Holloman, in the top of the fifth on five walks – two with the bases loaded which forced in runs – and an RBI single from Landon Heller, making it 4-1.
The Eagles’ bats then started to wake up.
In the bottom of the fifth, Seth Tickel led off with a single to left, and he made it all the way to third when the ball was misplayed. Cason Price then ripped a double over the left fielder’s head to plate Tickel.
Sherrod walked, and an errant pickoff throw to second combined with a wild pitch placed runners on second and third. Rogers then smacked a single to center to bring in Sherrod and Price to tie the score at 4-all.
Ray left in favor of Blake Cheatham, who issued a one-out walk to Wells Hutson but was able to get out of the frame without any further damage.
That wasn’t the case in the bottom of the sixth, however.
With one out, Tickel and Price walked and Sherrod was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tickel scored on a wild pitch, and Price followed suit. Rogers walked, and Cheatham left in favor of Tanner Hicks, who promptly surrendered a double to left to Gabe Winham to make it 7-4.
Hutson then smashed a triple into the gap in left centerfield to plate Winham and Rogers. Hutson then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jordan Wright to give RMA a six-run cushion.
Franklinton tried to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh inning when Groves singled and Nick Reiss walked, as Kameron Wright entered as the new RMA pitcher.
Wright got the first two outs on an infield fly and a fly out to left, but the non-save situation became a save situation when Hicks reached on an error to load the bases, Ethan LeBlanc was hit by a pitch to force in a run and Miles Brown singled to center to plate Reiss, making it a four-run deficit.
With the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, Wright struck out the final batter to secure the win.
Sherrod worked the first four innings, struck out two and walked two for RMA. He allowed two hits and one earned run.
Holloman last two-thirds of an inning and gave up one hit and three earned runs with one strikeout and four walks, while Winham toiled 1.1 frames and surrendered one hit and two runs (one earned) with three walks and two strikeouts to pick up the win.
Wright got the save with a strikeout after allowing one hit in the seventh.
