NCHSAA 1-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—GAME THREE
SOUTH STANLY TAKES 1-A BASEBALL TITLE
WITH 14-12 VICTORY IN DECISIVE THIRD GAME
GREENSBORO – Chase Poplin’s three-run homer in the six-run second inning got South Stanly off and running and the Rowdy Rebel Bulls rolled past Midway 14-12 on Saturday in the third and decisive game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A baseball championship series at NewBridge Bank Park.
Poplin, who was four for five at the plate, drove home four runs and scored three times. He also the winning pitcher, pitching three and one-third innings in relief, and earned championship series Most Valuable Player honors.
South Stanly led 12-2 at one point but Midway refused to quit, scoring five runs in the fourth to make it 12-7, and then closing the gap to two runs in the final frame.
Every starter for South Stanly had at least one hit in an 18-hit assault, Vance Deese was three for four with four RBI.
Designated hitter Tyler Pope led Midway with three hits in three trips, including a double, and Luke Clark was three for four. Heath Smith drove in three runs for the Raiders.
In Friday night’s opener, pitcher Russ Weiker limited Midway to just one hit and went two for four at the plate himself to lead the Rebel Bulls to a 3-0 triumph. But Midway tied the series in Saturday’s earlier game, with Taylor Calcutt hitting a pair of homers and driving in six runs to lead the Raiders to a wild 16-12 triumph, so the two teams combined to score 54 runs on Saturday alone.
South Stanly was in the finals for the fourth in the last five years and earned its second consecutive state 1-A championship, finishing the season with a record of 30-6. Midway, in the championship series for the first time since 1981, wound up 27-5.
This is the 97th year for baseball championships in the NCHSAA.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
NewBridge Bank Park, Greensboro
Class 1-A: Game Three
South Stanly 1 6 5 0 2 0 0—14 18 2
Midway 0 2 0 5 0 2 3—12 14 2
WP—Chase Poplin (9-2). LP—Ryan Lee (5-1). HR-Chase Poplin, South Stanly.
NCHSAA 1-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP—GAME TWO
CALCUTT HAS SIX RBI TO LEAD MIDWAY TO WILD 16-12 WIN
GREENSBORO – Taylor Calcutt opened the game with a home run and Midway pounded out a wild 16-12 victory over South Stanly on Saturday in the second game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A baseball championship series at NewBridge Bank Park.
The decisive third game is now set for this afternoon at 5 pm.
Calcutt went four for six on the day and drove home six runs, including smashing a three-run homer in the second. The Raiders pounded out 13 hits against five different pitchers and took advantage of seven South Stanly errors.
South Stanly had trailed 8-2 and climbed back into it to cut the margin to 9-8 entering the seventh, but Midway exploded for seven runs in the frame. Calcutt had a two-run single in the inning while Cody Baker and Luke Clark also drove home a pair of runs in the rally.
Connor Ford went four for four for South Stanly, with Chase Poplin and Vance Deese each had two hits and three runs batted in for the Rebel Bulls.
Midway is now 27-4 overall while South Stanly is 29-6.
In Friday night’s opener, pitcher Russ Weiker limited Midway to just one hit and went two for four at the plate himself to lead the Rebel Bulls to a 3-0 triumph.
South Stanly is in the finals for the fourth in the last five years and is the defending state champion. Midway is in the championship series for the first time since 1981.
This is the 97th year for baseball championships in the NCHSAA.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
NewBridge Bank Park, Greensboro
Class 1-A: Game Two
Midway 3 3 1 1 1 0 7—16 13 3
South Stanly 0 0 2 3 3 0 4—12 14 7
WP—Heath Smith. Save—Ryan Lee, LP—Easton Horton. HR: Taylor Calcutt, Midway (2).
