NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 1-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES–GAME THREE
WEST WILKES OUTLASTS DIXON IN NINE INNINGS
ZEBULON –Jacob Shepherd’s walk-off single in the ninth inning scored Logan Hallock with the winning run as West Wilkes edged Dixon 7-6 at Five County Stadium on Saturday night in extra innings in the third and final game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A baseball championship series.
The dramatic finish gave the Blackhawks the NCHSAA 1-A state championship. West Wilkes had evened the series in a 14-10 slugfest earlier on Saturday, as the Blackhawks banged out 15 hits, four each by Tyler Stotler and Grafton Church. The first game of the series on Friday night was also a wild one, as Dixon’s Rookie Davis pitched a no-hitter but walked 13 as the Bulldogs took an 8-3 decision.
Scott Gambill of West was selected as the championship Most Valuable Player. He was one for three with an RBI in the decisive game, but went three for nine for the series with four RBI and also walked four times.
West Wilkes had opened up a 6-1 lead before the Bulldogs came storming back to tie the game. The Blackhawks scored four in the first, with the big blow a bases-loaded double by Ethan Absher that cleared the bases. West made it 6-2 in the third on a single by Shepherd, a walk and a couple of infield outs.
Dixon countered with a run-scoring single in the fifth by Rodman Young, who was three for three on the night, scoring T.J. Johnson, who had doubled. Then the Bulldogs knotted the score with four in the sixth, the key blow a two-run single by Young. Matt Rouse and Caleb Lanier also had RBI hits in the frame.
The Blackhawks appeared poised to win it when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with no outs. Davis retired the next three hitters, however, to force extra innings with the score 6-6.
Hallock earned the win in relief while Davis got the loss. Stotler, Shepherd and Absher each had two hits for West while Matt Rouse added a pair of hits for Dixon.
Both teams were making appearances in the NCHSAA finals after long absences. Dixon hadn’t been to the championships since 1977 and West Wilkes last played for a baseball state crown in 1987. West finished its season at 23-12 while Dixon wound up 25-7.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau served as host city sponsors for this championship series. Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 1-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES–GAME THREE
Five County Stadium, Zebulon
Dixon 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0– 6 11 1
West Wilkes 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1– 7 9 2
WP–Logan Hallock. LP–Rookie Davis.
