1A Baseball Game 1 – Whiteville and Gore blow past Murphy 10-0 in six
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Whiteville Wolfpack cruised to a 10-0 victory over Murphy as the Gatorade Player of the Year, Mackenzie Gore led his team both at the plate and on the mound in game on of the 1A State Championship Series.
The Wolfpack jumped on the Bulldogs early, as Brooks Baldwin opened the game with a single ahead of Gore’s mammoth shot to right field to give the Whiteville side a 2-0 lead. The Wolfpack added a third run in the first inning as Cameron Cartrette walked followed by a wild pitch and passed ball to move pinch runner Joey Kurtyka to third. Lincoln Ransom’s single plated Kurtyka and Whiteville would not look back.
1A Baseball Game 2 – Whiteville scores five in bottom of the seventh to stun Murphy 9-8 and sweep series
RALEIGH, N.C. – Facing a four-run deficit in their final at bat, the Whiteville Wolfpack went to work, sending nine men to the plate before scoring the game-winning fifth run of the inning on a Jake Harwood single to right field. The Wolfpack stunned Murphy 9-8 to take game two and the 1A State Championship series by a 2-0 count to claim the school’s eighth championship.
The Wolfpack got off to a good start, jumping out to a 3-0 lead posting three runs in the second inning. Dylan Lawson opened the inning with a single, coming around to score on a one-out RBI double by Will Hinson. Dylon Hamilton drew a one-out walk to follow that. Then Brooks Baldwin slashed a triple to right, scoring both runners.
Baldwin finished the game a homer short of the cycle. He was 3 for 5 in the game with five runs batted in, including a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh rally. He also doubled home a run to tie the game in the sixth, scoring Earl Grubbs on the play, tying the game at 4.
2A Baseball Game 1 – Holmes nabs opener 3-1 R-S Central despite only two hits
ZEBULON, N.C. – The John A. Holmes Aces found a way to win the opening game of the 2A State Championship Series against R-S Central, 3-1, despite only mustering two hits in the contest. Dylan Patrick was masterful on the mound for the Aces. Patrick amassed nine strikeouts, holding the Hilltoppers to a single run. He worked around six hits and two walks during his seven innings on the hill.
Holmes got on the board in the fourth inning as Ben Ward drew a one out walk, working his way over to third before scoring on a passed ball by Hilltoppers catcher Wesley Smith. The passed ball also moved Patrick onto third, and he was able to score on an RBI single to right by Harrison Powell. Hoggard was cutdown at the plate on the play to end the inning, but not before the Aces had grabbed a 2-1 advantage.
2A Baseball Game 2 – Holmes sweeps R-S Central with a 7-2 victory in game two
ZEBULON, N.C. – Holmes got a masterful performance from senior Mathew Benfield who spun a complete game, allowing just two runs, both earned, on four hits, striking out six and working around three walks. Benfield’s steady presence on the mound helped Holmes power their way to a 7-2 victory in game two of the 2A State Championship Series, earning the Aces a sweep and their first ever State Championship.
The two teams traded runs in the opening inning. Then in the fifth, Holmes tacked on three more. Patrick Downum was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Hoggard singled to move him up into scoring position and that brought up Powell who ripped an RBI single with one away, making it 4-1 Holmes.
Holmes’ Patrick was named the series MVP for his pitching performance on Friday night and 1 for 3 day at the plate on Saturday with an intentional walk and run scored.
3A Baseball Game 1 – Northern Guilford gets past Crest 4-2 behind strong outing from Cotter
ZEBULON, N.C. – Northern Guilford took game one of the 3A State Championship Series over Crest 4-2 behind a complete game, four-hit performance by Cameron Cotter. Cotter allowed two runs, striking out six with only two walks on the evening. The Nighthawk offense got going early, scoring in the bottom of the second inning with John Clark Ouzts led off the inning with a single ripped to left. Brandon Bledsoe singled to bring him home and give Northern Guilford a 1-0 lead.
The Chargers did not go away quietly as they responded in the third inning. Pitcher Riley Cheek helped his own cause with a one-out double, coming around to score on an RBI single to center field by shortstop Nick Melton. Melton’s single tied the game at 1. J.T. Jarrett delivered single to center field in the fourth inning, sending Reece Brondolo and Logan King racing for home to give the Nighthawks a 3-1 advantage.
3A Baseball Game 2 – Crest forces game 3 with a 4-2 win over Northern Guilford
ZEBULON, N.C. – The Crest Chargers scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and then made a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh to take a 4-2 win over Northern Guilford and force a game three in the 3A Baseball State Championship Series.
Crest got a pair of runs in the sixth inning to take the lead for good. The Chargers got a leadoff single by C.J. Mayhue and Harrill followed drawing a walk. Cash bunted the two runners over. An error on the second baseman allowed both runners to cross the plate and gave Crest a 4-2 lead.
The win by Crest forces a decisive game three in the 3A Championship series. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
3A Baseball Game 3 – Northern Guilford holds off Crest 2-1 to win first state title
ZEBULON, N.C. – Northern Guilford’s Logan King ripped a triple in the second inning that scored Troy Minor, tying the game at 1 before he scored on an RBI groundout by Brandon Bledsoe to give the Nighthawks a 2-1 lead that they made stand up to win the 3A State Championship over Crest. The title was the first in school history for the Nighthawk baseball program.
Crest opened the scoring in the first inning as the Chargers came out of the gates swinging. Game one starting pitcher, Riley Cheek, led off the ball game with a single and crossed the plate on an RBI double by the next Crest batter, Nick Melton. Despite the hot start, the Chargers couldn’t muster any further offense.
4A Baseball Game 1 – Watt 2-run blast lifts T.C. Roberson to 3-1 victory over New Hanover
RALEIGH, N.C. – A pair of lefty starters weaved their way through the opening four frames scoreless between T.C. Roberson and New Hanover in the 4A Baseball State Championship Series Game 1. While the pitching shined early, it was Collin Watt’s bat that won it, as his two-run homer in the fifth lifted T.C. Roberson to a game one win, 3-1 over New Hanover.
Caleb Bishop from New Hanover and Eric Wellington spun scoreless ball through four, with the help of a combined four double plays in the first three innings. However, in the top of the fifth Wellington was touched up as he loaded the bases with one out. Alec Cortner grounded to third base, where Watt stepped on the bag for one, but his throw was in the dirt and the Rams couldn’t complete the game’s fifth double play scoring Blake Walston.
4A Baseball Game 2 – T.C. Roberson bashes way to a 10-4 win and sweep of New Hanover
RALEIGH, N.C. – T.C. Roberson got going early, as the Rams drew three walks in the opening inning off New Hanover starter, Blake Walston, before Will Butcher smashed a shot to left field for a grand slam that put the Rams ahead for good 4-0 in the opening inning. The Rams kept swinging, racking up 10 runs on their way to a 10-4 victory and series sweep of the Wildcats.
T.C. Roberson piled on five more runs in the second inning, as Jacob McCarthy led off with a double before Garrett Blaylock singled him home. Blaylock went 2 for 2 on the afternoon including the RBI and a double, he was named the series MVP for his heroics over the weekend.