NCHSAA 4-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP–GAME THREE
WEST FORSYTH TAKES 4-A BASEBALL SERIES WITH 6-3 GAME THREE VICTORY
GREENSBORO— Alex Vanderstok had three hits in four trips and Tripp Shelton blasted a big three-run home run as West Forsyth defeated Richmond Senior 6-3 on Saturday in the decisive third game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A baseball championship series at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
West Forsyth took the best of three series two games to one and won its first NCHSAA baseball title, making its second trip to the finals and first visit in 12 years. The Titans finished 29-6 on the year while Richmond wound up 24-9-1.
Vanderstok, with a single, double and triple in the game, was selected as the series Most Valuable Player. In the opening game on Friday night, Vanderstok had three hits and drove home a run to lead West to a 6-4 win as the Titans came back with four runs in the sixth inning to win.
Richmond evened the series at a game apiece earlier on Saturday, as a solo home run by Ethan Baucom tied the game in the seventh and a walk-off single by Cody Leviner won it as the Raiders prevailed, 8-7.
Shelton ripped his homer in the second inning of the decisive game to give the Titans a 4-0 lead, which mushroomed to 6-0 after four before the Raiders rallied. Richmond scored three times in the fifth, with the big blow a two-run single by James Buie, who was two for four in the game. Richmond had a chance to do more damage with three runs in, two on and only one out, but failed to score more in the frame. The Raiders left 10 men on base,including two in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh..
Jake Mayhew was the winning pitcher and Travis Holden came on the sixth to get the save. Buie was charged with the loss. Jarrett Corder had two hits in the nine-hit Titan attack.
This is the 98th year for baseball championships in the NCHSAA.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Class 4-A: Game Three
West Forsyth 1 3 1 1 0 0 0—6 9 1
Richmond Senior 0 0 0 0 3 0 0—3 7 2
WP– Jake Mayhew. LP– James Buie. HR—Tripp Shelton, (West Forsyth), 2nd with two on.
NCHSAA 3-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP–GAME TWO
TOPSAIL HOLDS OFF PIEDMONT 5-4 IN 3-A GAME TWO TO CLINCH TITLE
ZEBULON – Trent Hansley went the distance on the mound and also blasted a two-run homer to lead Topsail to a 5-4 victory over Monroe Piedmont on Saturday afternoon in the second game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A baseball championship series at Five County Stadium.
The victory gave the Pirates a sweep of the best-of three series.Topsail had won the opening game on Friday night by a 5-3 count, with Sam Luchansky getting the pitching win and also driving in two runs.
Hansley, an East Carolina signee, struck out seven and walked four while scattering eight hits, after striking out the side in the seventh to get the save on Friday night. His two-run homer, his ninth of the season, came in the first to get Topsail off to a fast start and he was named the championship Most Valuable Player.
Clark Cota was three for three for the winners and also drove home two runs.
Topsail led 5-1 in the seventh before Piedmont roared back with three runs, keyed by a two-out bases-loaded double by David Nash that cleared the bases, but Hansley got Jack Gamble to fly out to end the game. Aaron Braswell was a perfect four for four for the Panthers.
Topsail, making its third appearance in the last seven years in the NCHSAA championships, wound up 21-8 overall while Piedmont slipped to 21-10.
This is the 98th year for baseball championships in the NCHSAA. The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau serve as host city sponsors for the championship.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Five County Stadium, Zebulon
Class 3-A: Game Two
Monroe Piedmont 0 0 0 0 0 1 3—4 9 0
Hampstead Topsail 2 0 1 0 2 0 x—5 8 2
WP—Trent Hansley. LP—Corey Sikes. HR—Hansley (Topsail), 1st with one on.