Varsity Baseball Changes

During the off-season, NRCA made a coaching change at the varsity level. Long-time assistant Bill Cook has taken over the program from Coach King, who has coached varsity the last four seasons after coaching middle school for the four previous seasons.

Our thanks go to Coach King for his hard work in laying the foundation for the future success of NRCA baseball. The season before he became varsity coach there were only 11 athletes who came out for baseball. In 2011, there were nearly 20.

Varsity baseball is setting its sights on the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference (TISAC) title for 2012. Last season’s third-place finish (and sweep of rival Ravenscroft) was a start. NRCA graduated four players, including Josh Stott who is currently playing baseball at Methodist College, but is counting on younger players to improve enough in the off-season to replace Stott and three four-year starters.

Coach Cook has indicated that off-season workouts and practices will begin in the winter. Stay tuned to http://nrcabaseball.wordpress.com for the latest information.

It’s a Middle School Three-peat

For the third consecutive season the NRCA Middle School Knights have won the Triangle Middle School Conference championship with a 10-3 besting of Cary Academy.  Earlier in the season CA had beaten the Knights soundly, but three starters were missing for NRCA.  In the rematch, the Knights came out swinging, took a 4-0 lead in the first, and never looked back.

Seventh graders Dean Pulley and Alan Clarke kept the Chargers off balance on the mound.

The Knights barely made it to the championship game.  In the semi-final contest against Kestrel Heights the Knights trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.  The Titans’ closer had shut down NRCA 1-2-3 in the sixth.  With the top of the lineup coming to the plate for the Knights, there remained a chance, however slim, of a come-from-behind victory.

Lachlan McKinion led off the inning by squaring up a two-strike fastball for a single to left center.  McKinion advanced to second on a ground out to the third baseman by Russ Smith, and moved to third on a passed ball.  After a popout, McKinion scored on another passed ball to bring the Knights within striking distance.

With two outs and the bases empty, Aaron Eddins struck out swinging, but the pitch went to the screen, putting the tying runner on first.  Trevor Edge walked, moving pinch runner Blake Johnson to second.  Yet another passed ball put the tying run 90 feet from home.  With two strikes, six-hole hitter Sean Carlin hit a slow roller to third base that the defender misplayed, scoring both the tying and winning runs.

The momentum from that victory carried over into the final game with the Knights confident they could get the win.

Congratulations to all of the Middle School baseball team for the victory, and especially to Trevor Edge, Jeff Gemmell, Lachlan McKinion, and Russ Smith, who are now three-time TMSC Champions!

Also, congratulations to Middle School baseball award winners:

Sean Carlin: First Year Player Award

Trevor Edge: Coach’s Choice Award

Jeff Gemmell: 100% Award

Lachlan McKinion: Clutch Performer Award

Russ Smith: Defensive Player of the Year

With five excellent returning players, the Knights will begin their pursuit of a fourth championship this summer when off-season workouts begin.

Changes

Here are several changes related to NRCA baseball.

The Middle School game against Franklin Academy today will now be played at Knights Field at 4:00 due to damage at Franklin Academy’s home field.

The Middle School game against Kestrel Heights that was postponed will now be played on Monday, May 2, at 4:00, at Knights Field.

The Varsity game against Cary Academy on Monday, May 2, originally scheduled for a 5:00 start, will now begin at 6:15.

MS time change

The Middle School game on Monday, April 11, against Magellan has been changed to a 3:30 start time.

Varsity Opens Conference Play

Beginning Monday, April 4, the Varsity Knights open play in the Triangle Independent School Athletic Conference (TISAC) against Durham Academy. The Knights are chasing a conference championship and state playoff berth. In addition to the game Monday, being played at DA, there is a Thursday game at NRCA and the rubber match on Friday back in Durham.

In the next two weeks North Raleigh Christian Academy will play their two other conference foes, Ravenscroft and Cary Academy. Check the schedule for times and locations.

Don’t miss the exciting week of Knights baseball.

Varsity Tournament

The first game for the Varsity Knights in the Cary Academy Invitational tournament will be Thursday, March 31, at 6:30 PM.  The Knights will play Cannon School.  The remainder of the schedule depends on which teams win.

Before the Thursday night game, come out to Knights Field to see the Varsity Knights take on Wake Christian Academy at 6:00 PM.  Come out and support the Knights as they try to avenge a disappointing loss to the Bulldogs in the season’s first game.

Middle School Schedule Changes

The Middle School Knights game against St. David’s on March 17 will now be a HOME game.  The game on April 21 will be AT St. David’s.

Middle School Continues Winning

The Middle School Knights prevailed against the Magellan Mariners in a mercy-rule shortened match up Friday at Knights Field.  Starting pitcher Jeff Gemmell went four innings and picked up his second win of the season.  Lachlan McKinion pitched the final inning and got the save.

In the top of the first Magellan put two runners on base on consecutive two-out walks, but left them on base on a comebacker to Gemmell.  In their half of the inning the Knights went 1-2-3 on three ground outs to the left side of the infield.

Magellan had two base runners again in the second on a walk and a single, but we unable to push a run across after second baseman Lachan McKinion saved two runs on a superb catch deep behind first base running away.  In the bottom of the inning the Knights broke the game open, scoring four runs.  Jeff Gemmell started the inning with a triple to the right-center field fence.  The next two batters were put out, leaving Gemmell on third.  But third baseman Trevor Edge reached on an error and NRCA took advantage of the opportunity.  Jonathan Imperial singled and Chris Carlin walked to load the bases.  Carlin scored on a Lachlan McKinion infield hit.  Shortstop Russ Smith drove in two runs with a double to deep left field over the fielder’s head.

The Mariners went down 1-2-3 in the top of the third on a comebacker to the mound, an excellent play in right field by Chris Carlin, and a strikeout to end the inning.  NRCA put a two-spot up in the bottom of the third.  With one out, Catcher Aaron Eddins singled to left.  Left fielder Casey Forbes reached on a Mariner error.  Edge singled up the middle.  Chris Carlin singled, and McKinion drew a base on balls.

The fourth inning was another 1-2-3 inning for Gemmell on the mound.  After the lead off batter reached when the umpire ruled the first baseman had been pulled off the bag and advanced to second on a wild pitch, the second batter ground out to McKinion at second.  The next batter drew a walk, but was thrown out by Eddins on a steal attempt.  On the throw the runner from tried to score but was gunned down on a throw back to the plate from Smith to end the inning, and the Magellan threat.

In the bottom of the fourth the Knights scored five runs.  After beginning the inning with a strikeout, Gemmell and Eddins had back-to-back singles.  Edge, Imperial, and C. Carlin all walked.  With two-outs and the bases loaded Lachlan McKinion singled to left and Russ Smith walked to finish the scoring for NRCA.

McKinion relieved Gemmell in the fifth, and what proved to be the final, inning.  The first batter struck out.  McKinion walked the second batter who stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error.  The runner scored on a Mariner single.  McKinion struck out the next batter and drew a ground ball to short to end the game.

On the mound Jeff Gemmell went four innings and held the Mariners scoreless on one hit, four walks and no Knights errors, while striking out three.  McKinion picked up the save going one inning and giving up one unearned run on one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts, with one Knights error.

The win takes the Knights to 3-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Triangle Middle School Conference.  NRCA continues conference play at home on Tuesday, March 15, against the East Wake Academy Eagles.  Make plans now to come enjoy some great middle school baseball at North Raleigh Christian.

Varsity Game Canceled

Today’s Varsity Knights game has been canceled due to field conditions. A makeup date has not yet been announced. Stay tuned here for more info.

Middle School Game Change

The Middle School Knights baseball game against Magellan, originally scheduled for Thursday, March 10, has been rescheduled for Friday, March 11, at the same time and location, due to the threat of inclement weather.

The Varsity game remains at the same time at the present. There has no call made on a rescheduling of the Varsity game, were it to be postponed due to rain.

Stay tuned here for the latest information.