FINAL BOX SCORES (PDF): GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3
2021 NCHSAA 4A Baseball Championship Game 1 | Reagan pounds Fuquay-Varina 7-0 behind Boyd’s no-hitter
BURLINGTON – Reagan’s Carter Boyd dominated from the mound, pitching a complete game, no-hitter in Game 1 of the 2021 4A State Championship Series to launch the Raiders to a 7-0 win and a 1-0 series advantage against Fuquay-Varina.
Boyd was nearly flawless in the game, striking out 11 Bengal batters. He did walk four, but Fuquay-Varina only managed to push a runner to third in the sixth inning, and only three total runners reached second in the game. Boyd also drove in a run in the game batting in the cleanup spot in the order.
Reagan jumped on the board in the top of the first with Josh Hartle’s single plating Tommy Hawke from second base to put the Raiders up 1-0. Reagan put the game away in the second plating five runs on four hits with two walks and a hit by pitch opening the door for a big inning, chasing Bengals starter Colbie Howell who only lasted 1.2 innings surrendering six hits and six runs.
The Raiders scored the game’s only other run in the third when Zack Middleton stepped on the plate thanks to a single by Colby Welborn. Welborn’s single stretched the Reagan lead to 7-0 and provided some insurance.
Reagan will try to close out the series with a victory in Game 2 of the Best-of-Three 4A State Championship Series tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at Burlington Athletic Stadium.
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 4A Baseball Sportsmanship Award were Brandon Humphries from Fuquay-Varina and Colby Welborn from Reagan.
2021 NCHSAA 4A Baseball Championship Game 2 | Fuquay-Varina explodes for 13 runs to force decisive Game 3 with Reagan
BURLINGTON – Carter Boyd from Reagan dominated Game 1, but the Fuquay-Varina bats woke up and dominated Game 2, pounding out 17 hits and plating 13 runs on their way to a 13-3 victory over Reagan in Game 2 of the 4A State Championship best-of-three Series.
Rhett James got Fuquay-Varina off to a quick start, scoring the game’s first run in the top of the first. James doubled to lead off the game, coming around to score when Aidan Cannaday singled to right with one out. James scored four times in the game, going three for four at the plate with a walk and an RBI. Cannaday, for his part, was two for five with three RBI’s as the Bengals lineup mashed Reagan pitching.
Senior third baseman Parker McGraw showed his offensive prowess, driving in five runs, including a three-run homer to left in the third. He finished the game three for four with a run scored and a walk.
Cyle Phelan was outstanding for the Bengals, spinning six innings of three-hit ball from the mound. Phelan allowed three runs, two of them earned, while striking out three and walking five. He emptied the tank in the sixth, giving up a run to the Raiders on a single to Noah Quarless that followed two walks and extended the game for another inning.
Fuquay-Varina did turn to Daniel Eagen in the seventh to finish the game off. He struck out one without allowing a baserunner. However, he did use 10 pitches to finish the game.
The decisive Game 3 in the 4A State Championship Series is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. today at Burlington Athletic Stadium. The game will be broadcast live through the NFHS Network and is available for Network subscribers at $10.95 per month.
2021 NCHSAA 4A Baseball Championship Game 3 | Fuquay-Varina bashes its way to 12-1 win over Reagan in series finale
BURLINGTON – Fuquay-Varina claimed the school’s third State Championship in Baseball, their second in the last three playoff seasons, as they routed Reagan 12-1 in Game 3 of the 2021 4A Baseball State Championship Series. After being no-hit in the series opener by Reagan star, Carter Boyd, the Bengals rebounded in the final two games of the series to post 32 hits and score 25 runs.
Ryan McCrystal got things going early in Game 3, pounding a one-out triple in the top of the first to turn the pressure on Reagan pitching right away. He scored on a fielder’s choice, to put the Bengals up 1-0, adding another later in the opening frame and they never looked back. McCrystal finished the series three for nine at the plate with a triple. He scored two runs and was selected as the 4A Series MVP.
The Bengals plated three more runs in the top of the second as Aidan Cannaday slapped a two-run single to left with one out to go up 4-0 before Will Orr drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. They put the game away in the fourth scoring three more runs as E. Giordano drove in one run with an RBI single to center with two outs before R. James slapped a two-run single to right to stretch the Bengals lead to 9-0.
Jackson Humphries got the start for the Bengals, working 4.2 innings and allowing just a single run on a sacrifice fly by Josh Hartle in the fifth that plated Tommy Hawke for the Raiders’ lone run of the game. Humphries allowed just four hits while striking out six and walking three on his way to picking up the victory. Daniel Eagen came in for Humphries, getting the final seven outs for Fuquay-Varina, allowing two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Reagan finished the season 17-4 on the year. They were the champions of the Central Piedmont 4A and won the Western Regional Championship for the first time in program history.
Fuquay-Varina wrapped up the year 16-4, the Bengals were 10-2 in the Southwest Wake 4A where they won the league title. Fuquay-Varina appeared in the program’s fifth State Championship Series and claimed the program’s third State Championship. It was their first title since 2018.
