CHATHAM CENTRAL EXPLODES FOR 20 HITS

TO CLINCH NCHSAA STATE 1- A BASEBALL SERIES

RALEIGH – Second baseman Spencer Andrews rapped out four hits Sunday afternoon in a 20-hit assault as Chatham Central rolled to a 13-3 decision over West Columbus in the third and decisive game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A baseball championship series at Doak Field on the N.C. State campus.

Andrews was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series. He hit .545 for the three games, drove in five runs, had a homer and a couple of spectacular defensive plays.

Chatham Central exploded for six runs in the seventh to put the game away, stringing together six hits and a walk in the inning.

The Bears opened the scoring with a run in the second and then erupted for four in the third. Aubrey Johnson and Matthew Brown delivered run-scoring singles in the frame and Andrews drove in two with a base hit.

Both teams scored twice in the fourth and then West Columbus threatened to get back in the game in the sixth. The Vikings had scored one to cut it to 7-3 and had the bases loaded with two outs, but Andrews made a great diving catch of a line drive to halt the threat.

The Bears got three hits in four trips from D.J. Dean while Johnson had two hits, three RBI and three runs scored and Seth Kivett had a pair of hits and two RBI. Keith Josey, who worked the first five innings on the mound for Chatham Central, was credited with the win, allowing three hits and fanning five while walking two.

Daniel Britt, who was the losing pitcher in game one, got the loss for West Columbus but led his team at the plate with two hits in three trips and had three RBI.

The two teams had split games on Saturday. Chatham Central won the opening game 9-8 which was actually the continuation of a suspended game which began Friday night, Then later on Saturday West Columbus came back to tie the series as John David White got the pitching victory and Zach Andrews had a bases-loaded double in West’s four-run first inning.

Chatham Central, the state 1-A runners-up a year ago, finished the year with a 27-7 record. West Columbus, in its first trip to the finals in 36 years, wound up 28-4.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATON

STATE 1-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Game Three, Doak Field, N.C. State University

Chatham Central 0 1 4 2 0 0 6 –13 20 2

West Columbus 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 — 3 4 0

WP- Keith Josey (10-1). LP—Daniel Britt (9-4).