The Guilford Patriots picked up a fairly easy round one victory in the Palomino baseball tournament at Stoner-White Stadium on Friday evening. AM 950 radio was there to broadcast the game and greensborosports.com was on hand to bring it to the web.
The Patriots topped Salisbury, Maryland 11-1 with Michael Dimock’s pitching, John Neese’s hitting and run scoring, and overall steady play being the order of the evening. Dimock struck out 8 Salisbury hittters and Neese connected on a lead-off solo home run to get the game started. Neese went on to score three runs and all of the Patriots were in the mix.
Brett Underwood was very reliable at shortstop and Nick Rogers kept things quiet at third base as the Patriots rolled to their round one win. Blaine McCraw came on in relief of Dimock so the thinking is that Dimock may be able to come back and pitch some again on Sunday if needed.
Outfielders Hunter Bennett and Eric Presnell did not have a lot of work to do on Friday night but they made sure that the the LF and RF territories were secure. Chad Hockaday and Jody Calloway held down the right side of the infield and Lawrence McMorrow is always a steadying influence behind the plate.
The big Brewer kid from Sanford came in and delivered a big RBI late in the game and that pretty much breaks down the Patriots squad lest we forget the good work turned in by the erst-while DH Matt Nettesheim.
Our Greensboro Batting Center Shockers fell to Lynnhaven, Virginia 11-6 but they did have message for Lynnhaven with a three-run shot by Grant in the bottom of the 7th to show that Lester Rivenbark’s Shockers will be heard from in this tournament.
Saturday’s schedule shows the Guilford Patriots vs. Lynnhaven, Virginia at noon and then the GBC Shockers vs. Salisbury, Maryland at 2:30.
The Patriots and Lynnhaven are coming at you from the winner’s bracket and the Shockers and Salisbury are trying to stay alive out of the loser’s bracket. The Shockers-Salisbury loser will be eliminated and then the S&S winner will play again at 5:30 and the loser of that game will be eliminated. The winner of the Patriots-Lynnhaven game moves on to the Championship round.
The players are mainly 17 and 18 year-olds with each team allowed to have two 19 year old players. The Patriots get their guys from Northwest Guilford and Southwest Guilford with a few from East Forsyth and NC A&T. The Shockers players come primarily from Grimsley and Southeast Guilford, with a few from NC A&T.
*****Remember action resumes today at 12noon at Stoner-White Stadium in the Jaycee Park off of Pisgah Church Road*****