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.
