2016 NHSI: Topsail Runs On Rice

CARY, N.C.—Payton Rice is an uncommitted senior at Topsail High in Hampstead, N.C. Perhaps that’ll change after Thursday’s game.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound righthander pitched a complete-game six-hitter, getting around five walks thanks to some stellar defense as Topsail beat Rocky Mountain High (Fort Collins, Colo.) 5-2 in a consolation game Thursday.

It was the first tournament win for Topsail, which was blanked 7-0 by Trinity Christian in its opener Wednesday.

Rice, who is slender and not overpowering, worked his fastball in and out but it was the offspeed that was his out pitch.

“I’m a two-pitch guy,” Rice said. “I’ve always had a good fastball. But I worked with my pitching coach the past couple of days since we’ve been here on my changeup, my offspeed. That was my go-to pitch today.”

Sam Hall, a 2017 Clemson commit, had two hits for Topsail, which got some timely hitting to piece together its five runs. But the key might have been the defense, including two stellar throws from right fielder Cameron Kimrey, a uncommitted senior.

After a wild throw to first on a grounder, Kimrey picked up the ball in right and threw the runner out at third, a throw that didn’t go more than five feet above the ground. Then, as Rocky Mountain tried to close the gap in the fifth, Kimrey threw a perfect strike to get a runner out at the plate after a single.

“One of the things I will tell the guys is the key to winning is throwing strikes, getting hits and playing defense,” Topsail coach Chris Blake said. As for Kimrey, Blake said, “He’s got the arm, definitely.”

Blake said they’ve tried Kimrey on the mound, but that “it’s a little more work than we have time for right now.”

Freshman Aidan Smith will start Topsail next’s game on Friday.

Junior John Sorenson, Rocky Mountain’s top prospect, got the start on the mound but struggled (4 IP, 7 H, 3 R) and was 0-for-4 at the plate.