Red Devils Make Statement

  With a majority of the team sporting new hairstyles, including mohawks and baseballs, Graham looked to make a statement last night against visiting North Pitt in the opening round of the state 2-A playoffs.

  Unfortunately, hair style was not the statement the Red Devils intended to send. An uncharacteristic sup-par performance allowed the Red Devils to escape with a 5-1 win to advance to next week's 2nd round.

  The Red Devils (21-1) had some shaky hands in the field, committing 3 errors, two by second baseman Tyler Wiles.  The pitching from starter Cody Dix appeared to be less than stellar.  Dix, while only allowing one run, gave up four hits, while striking out 7 Panther batters.  Dix only had two innings where the Panthers failed to reach base.  In three innings, North Pitt got the first batter on base, but good defense by the Red Devils kept the Panthers at bay.

  The bats of the Red Devils were strangely silent. Graham was handcuffed by Panther pitcher Zach Stull, who held the Red Devils to 5 total hits while striking out 6.

  But Graham had another weapon they unleashed, which was lightening in a bottle. Graham opened that bottle in the 2nd inning, when Rigeberto Mendoza led off with a double to right field. Tyler Wiles followed with a triple to left field, scoring Mendoza.  Shannon Watkins followed Wiles with a double to right center field, scoring Wiles.  Ty Osborne halted the extra-base hits briefly by striking out, but #9 batter Blake Throneburg came up and blasted a 2-0 pitch high in the pines in right field for a 2-run home run and a 4-0 Graham lead.  

  "He threw me a fastball right over the plate" Throneburg said.  "it was a pipe shot.  I thought it was going to be a foul ball and wasn't expecting it to go out.  I was just trying to hit the ball"

  North Pitt (15-9) scored it's only run in the 6th inning, where pitcher Zach Stull reached on an error, advanced to 2nd on a single by Octavius Andrews, and scored on a single by Wesley Warren.

  Graham's coach Chad Holland had some concerns followind the game.  "I told the kids we were fortunate to get out of here with a victory. It seems like my guys spent more time fixing their hair than concentrating on this game. So, we are going to fix that."

  Holland added, "If we want to advance, we don't need to see another game like we played (in this one).  You didn't see Graham baseball out there on the field.  All those errors and so-so pitching, that's not Graham baseball. We got to get better."

  The Red Devils will host North Lenoir (15-8) Tuesday May 19th. North Lenoir beat  Reidsville 14-3 in the 2-A State playoffs 1st round.