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.
