Nash Central wanted badly to not only spoil Rocky Mount High's chances of earning a share of the NEW 6 Conference baseball title, but the Bulldogs also craved something for themselves Thursday night – a playoffs berth.

The victory eluded the Bulldogs because they could not finish off a rally. Now, the Gryphons have a chance to reach a goal they could not achieve last season – the NEW 6 Conference's No. 1 seed in the NCHSAA 3-A state playoffs.

Jim Leggett finished 4-for-4 with three RBI, including the go-ahead single in the fifth inning. The Gryphons added five unearned runs in the sixth in beating Nash Central, 9-3, at Gryphon Stadium. Rocky Mount High finished the regular season as NEW 6 Conference co-champions with Wilson Fike. The two squads will play at 7 tonight at Gryphon Stadium to determine the league's No. 1 seed in the playoffs. It is the second consecutive year that Rocky Mount has played such a game. The Gryphons lost to Northern Nash, 2-1, last season in the extra contest.

"We want to be able to finish the job," Leggett said of tonight's contest. "We've worked too hard not to finish."

Despite the final score, a Gryphons' victory was no guarantee on this night. Nash Central chipped away at a 3-0 deficit, scoring two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth. The scoreboard read 3-3 with Bulldogs on first and second base and no outs. Dillon Cockrell relieved Gryphons starter Nick Hahula as Gryphons public address announcer Wes Bradshaw gave the home fans an update of Wilson Fike's eventual 6-0 victory over Southern Nash.

The news was not good for the Gryphons at that time and a conference championship hung in the balance as Nash Central sent the middle of its lineup to the plate.

But Cockrell held his ground. He struck out Blake Gosselin with a 3-2 pitch, then retired Alex Pearce on a fly ball to right. Cockrell finished the inning by inducing Tyler Mizelle to ground out to shortstop.

Leggett singled home the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth and the Gryphons were not challenged thereafter.

"We played hard, but we did not make the big play or get the big hit when we needed," said Nash Central coach Chris Huffman, whose team tied with Southern Nash for fourth place in the conference, but lost the tiebreaker due to a defeat to the Firebirds in the Rocky Mount Invitational Baseball Tournament. "We have to learn to make those plays."

Rocky Mount coach Pat Smith said his team is not throwing and catching the ball particularly well, but there is solace in earning another opportunity for a No. 1 seed.

"I'm glad we won, but I'm not satisfied," Smith said. "I hope our boys aren't."

Jessie H. Nunery can be reached at 407-9951 or jhnunery@coxnc.com

Rocky Mount High 9

Nash Central 3

NC 000 210 0 – 3 6 4

RMH 030 015 x – 9 9 2

WP: Dillon Cockrell (3IP, 0R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB, 3K); LP: Xavier Macklin (5 2-3IP, 9R, 4ER, 9H, 3BB, 6K).

2B: Ben Fish (RMH); Brad Scott (NC); T.J. Taylor (NC).