FINAL BOX SCORES (PDF): GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3
2021 NCHSAA 2A Baseball Championship Game 1 | Seven-run third lifts Randleman past R-S Central 9-5
URLINGTON – R-S Central struck first in Game 1 of the 2021 2A Baseball State Championship Series, but Randleman struck back with fury in a seven-run third inning that lifted the Tigers to a 9-5 opening game win over the Hilltoppers at Burlington Athletic Stadium. In a game that saw 20 hits between the two teams, and coaches having to piece together their pitching to get through the game, it was Randleman’s offense that got the most out of their side on their way to victory.
Braylen Hayes led the Tiger offense, slashing a pair of hits in four plate appearances and driving in three runs. Hayes gave Randleman the lead in the bottom of the first with a double to left that plated two runs, putting the Tigers up 2-1. With the game tied at three in the third, Hayes again put the Tigers in front, this time 4-3, when he ripped a single to center with one out driving in Hunter Atkins. Randleman added five more runs in the inning, four of them with two outs.
The Hilltoppers drew first blood in the top of the first when Kael Snethen opened the game with a single and came around to score when Cameron Hill reached on an error with one out. It was Xavier Toms, hitting in the eighth spot in the order, who powered the R-S Central attack, going 3 for 4 and driving in a pair of runs on a pair of RBI singles. Toms trimmed the Randleman lead to 9-5 in the top of the fifth with two outs, but that was as close as the Hilltoppers could get as Freshman Pitcher Jake Purvis shut the door on any hope of a comeback with 1.2 innings of scoreless and hitless baseball, striking out three.
Randleman will try to close out the series with a victory in Game 2 of the Best-of-Three 2A State Championship Series tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at Burlington Athletic Stadium. Should a third game be necessary in the series, it is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at Burlington Athletic Stadium. If the third game of the 4A Series between Fuquay-Varina and Reagan is not needed, Game 3 of the 2A Series would be moved forward to a 5:00 p.m. start.
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 2A Baseball Sportsmanship Award were Andrew Cox from Randleman and Micajah Wall from R-S Central.
2021 NCHSAA 2A Baseball Championship Game 2 | R-S Central forces Game 3, holding off Randleman 2-1
BURLINGTON – R-S Central forced across single runs in the second and third innings and got a phenomenal performance on the mountd from junior Trip Triplett to hold off Randleman 2-1 and push the 2A Baseball State Championship Series to a decisive Game 3 tonight.
Triplett limited the powerful Tiger offense to just one run on six hits while striking out seven. He did not issue a walk during his 6.1 innings of work before passing the baton off to Kael Snethen who got the save by picking up the final two outs.
Snethen also played a key role offensively for the Hilltoppers, going one for three out of the leadoff spot in the order, ripping a homer to left field to lead off the bottom of the third and put R-S Central back in front 2-1 after Randleman had tied the game in the top of the inning.
R-S Central scratched across the first run of the game in the second when Cameron Hill singled to open the inning and scored on an RBI single to center by Gavin Bright. Randleman got their lone run in the third after Kaden Ethier doubled to right and he came home on a two-out, RBI single to right by Trey Way that knotted the game at 1.
The 2A Championship Series will be decided this evening with Game 3 between R-S Central and Randleman at Burlington Athletic Stadium. The final game of the series will take the field approximately 40 minutes following the conclusion of the 4A Series between Fuquay-Varina and Reagan.
2021 NCHSAA 2A Baseball Championship Game 3 | Randleman’s White no-hits R-S Central to bring the Tigers their second state title
BURLINGTON – Ryan White pitched a nearly flawless game, striking out 11 and walking two as he no-hit R-S Central in the final game of the 2A State Baseball Championship Series, winning 4-0. Randleman’s win gives the Tigers their second State Championship in program history, the first since 2011. White was selected as the 2A State Championship Series MVP for his performance in the decisive Game 3.
R-S Central was nearly as good on the mound but could not contain Randleman in the bottom of the third inning. The Tigers struck for all four of their runs in the bottom of the third, doing all their damage with one out in the inning.
Kaden Ethier started the decisive rally with a single to center and Owen Strickland drew a walk before Trey Way singled to load the bases, setting the table for the Tigers. Hunter Atkins drew first blood, singling to center scoring a pair, chasing Hilltoppers’ starting pitcher Hayden Wheeler.
Kael Snethen came in for R-S Central and finished the game on the mound. He was greeted as Brooks Brannon doubled to bring in two more and push the Tigers’ lead to 4-0, both runs charged to Wheeler. For his part, Snethen only allowed three hits and did not walk a batter in the final 3.2 innings, giving R-S Central a chance late, but the Hilltoppers’ bats could not get going against White, as they went down in order in each of the final three innings.
R-S Central finished the season 17-4, they were 11-1 in the Southwestern 2A, winning the conference championship. The Hilltoppers reached the State Championship Series for the second time in program history, winning their second Western Regional Championship, their first since 2017.
Randleman claimed the program’s second State Championship. It was their first since 2011. The Tigers were 19-2 on the season. They were a perfect 12-0 in the PAC 7 2A, claiming the league crown.
