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Long Ball: Gryphons hit six home runs in rout of rival Knights

Posted On: Tuesday, April 24, 2018
By: Student Assistant

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By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer

Thursday, April 12, 2018

It took just one game for the Rocky Mount High baseball team to go from last to first.

The Gryphons still trail Wilson Fike by two games in the 3-A Big East Conference standings, but the Gryphons put together one of their better offensive outputs in team history on Thursday against crosstown rival Northern Nash.

RMH hit six home runs against the host Knights in a 15-0 win. The Gryphons hadn’t hit a single home run all season before Thursday’s outburst, and it now leads the conference in homers hit with six.

“Before the game today we had a really good round of batting practice,” said Austin Luttrell, who went 4-for-4 with a home run. “We felt like we were going to hit good tonight. The energy on the way here was really good, really focused, and I think that helped set the tone.”

Northern Nash (2-15, 1-5) starter Connor Davenport worked around a Luttrell double in the first inning to escape with no harm done. Gryphons junior Victor Ward changed that in the top of the second by putting the first pitch he saw over the fence in right-center field fence, setting the stage for a wild night.

Ward mashed three home runs, all coming in his first three at-bats. His second home run, this time a two-run blast in the third, came with two outs. Northern Nash couldn’t find a way to escape the inning, however, as the Gryphons (8-8, 4-2) would string together three consecutive singles that Garrett Craig cleaned up with a grand slam from the No. 9 spot in the order.

The fourth inning started much like the third, with Luttrell reaching on a double, only to jog home when Ward hit his third home run of the game into the pine trees stationed in the backyard of a home beyond the right-field fence.

“This is my first three homers,” Ward said. “I wasn’t thinking I was going to hit one. I’m just going up there trying to make contact with the ball. That first one I had no idea was going to go out. The last two, though, I knew were out”

Luttrell capped his banner night with a solo home run to lead off the fifth. The next two batters reached, setting up Ward with runners on for a chance at his fourth homer, but the Knights were able to miss his bat with some relief pitching.

Hunter Bailey entered to face Ward, and went right after him. Bailey struck out Ward on four pitches.

“Because he’s already hit three homers, I didn’t want him to hit another one off me,” Bailey said. “I don’t know how he hit them, but I give him congrats on that. I just had to pitch to him. My plan was to keep it outside and low. I’ve known him for a little bit, and he struggles on pitches outside and low, and that’s what he swung at on that last pitch.”

Bailey almost snuck out of the inning without further damage, but an error kept the inning alive long enough for Alandis Trevethan to smack a two-run home run to cap the scoring. Trevethan came off the bench to hit the most impressive homer of the bunch, as he hit the light structure in right-center.

RMH coach Carter Varnell couldn’t think of a time when the Gryphons hit six homers in a game. Varnell does remember a four-homer affair back when Brian Goodwin, now an outfielder for the Washington Nationals, played on the team. But nothing like Thursday’s power surge.

The Gryphons beats Northern Nash on Tuesday behind a strong outing from starter Evan Hart. On Thursday, Kyle Rich’s strong start was overshadowed. Rich lasted 3 ⅓ innings, and struck out five while allowing two hits.

RMH pulled into a tie for second in the conference standings with the win. Next up, RMH hosts Wilson Hunt on Tuesday, while Northern Nash travels to Southern Nash.

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