FINAL GAME BOX SCORES (PDF): GAME 1 | GAME 2 

2021 NCHSAA 3A Baseball Championship Game 1 | J.H. Rose races to 8-1 series opening win over Cox Mill

FAYETTEVILLE – Lee Watson went the distance for J.H. Rose, pitching a complete game against Cox Mill to lead the Rampants to an 8-1 victory in Game 1 of the 3A State Championship Series. The Rampants only managed five hits but capitalized on eight walks and five Charger errors to walk away a win away from a State Championship.

Rose opened the scoring with three in the bottom of the second. The Rampants got going with a leadoff single by Cam Greenway followed by an RBI double by Caleb May. May later scored on a wild pitch before Jayden Grimes reached on a dropped third strike which allowed another run home. Rose tacked on a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to give themselves some cushion heading to the late innings. 

Grimes went one for three for the Rampants but drove in a pair of runs and scored another, as the offensive star for J.H. Rose. Watson did his part on the mound, striking out seven while allowing seven hits and a single earned run. 

The Rampants can close out the 3A Championship Series with a win in Game 2. Game 2 has been moved to Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville due to field conditions at J.P. Riddle Stadium. Game 2 is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and, if necessary, Game 3 would be played approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2.

Sportsmanship is an integral part of education-based athletics and the NCHSAA has partnered with NC Farm Bureau to highlight one individual from each participating team in the State Championship Series who has demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship. The winners of the 2021 3A Baseball Sportsmanship Award were Harrison Gray from J.H. Rose and Connor Welker from Cox Mill.

2021 NCHSAA 3A Baseball Championship Game 2 | J.H. Rose sweeps Cox Mill with 9-4 victory

FAYETTEVILLE – It took a little longer than expected but returning to Fayetteville for Sunday’s Game 2 after rain pushed the schedule back proved worth the trip for J.H. Rose. The Rampants pushed past Cox Mill 9-4 in Game 2 of the series to earn a sweep and the program’s sixth Baseball State Championship. The victory gave the Rampants their first title since 2008. 

Cox Mill jumped out to an early 3-0 lead but could not hold off the powerful Rose attack, which pounded out 11 hits and nine runs in the game. The Chargers opened the scoring in the second inning Kyle Cassell homered to left with two outs in the innings. It was a solo shot, giving the Chargers a 1-0 advantage. They added another two runs in the third as Cale Oehler drove in a run with a two-out single to center before Nick Alderfer came around to make it 3-0 when Joe Javier grounded out to first and Marty Gair was caught in a rundown.

Rose responded immediately in the top of the fourth, scoring five runs to surge in front 5-3. After a pair of walks to lead off the inning, Wade Jarman singled in the first Rampant run ahead of an RBI double by Cam Greenway that made it 3-2. Caleb May powered a sacrifice fly to center to bring Jarman home and knot the game at three. Cole Watkins then singled home the go-ahead run before Danny Sadler tripled to bring him in completing the five-run rally. 

Cox Mill scratched one run across in the fourth, trimming the Rose lead to 5-4. Jack Brandle drove in a run on a fly-out to center field, but that would be the closest the Chargers could get. In the top of the fifth, Ryker Galaska reached on an error, the sixth of the series for Cox Mill, to lead off the inning. That set the table for Grayson Myrick, who made no mistake in driving an 0-1 pitch out of the park to left to put Rose up 7-4. 

The Rampants added insurance runs, one in the sixth and the other in the seventh. Galaska drove in the run in the sixth on a fielder’s choice that brought Danny Saddler home. Sadler got the RBI in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center that brought May home and made it 9-4. 

Danny Sadler was named the 3A Baseball State Championship Series MVP going two for six in the series with a triple, two walks, three runs scored, and two RBI to help J.H. Rose past Cox Mill.