Inside the Box - State Championship Series

NCHSAA State Championship Series

4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Game 1: Wake Forest - 0 TC Roberson - 10
Game 2: TC Roberson - 1 Wake Forest - 3
Game 3: Wake Forest - 3 TC Roberson - 7

TC Roberson completed a fantastic season by taking two of three games from Wake Forest to win the 4A State Championship.  Game 1 saw the Rams ambush the Cougars, scoring 2 in the 1st and then 5 in the 4th, eventually ending the game via the 10 run rule with a 2 run 5th inning.  

Game 2 saw the Cougars bounce back from the game 1 loss and from an early 1 run deficit.  Wake Forest plated a run in the 2nd to tie the game at 1-1 and then 2 in the 5th to take the lead and the win. Cooper Allen threw 115 pitches in the complete game win..

In Game 3, the story would be big innings.  Wake Forest used a Luke Stevenson 3 run home run to jump out to a 3-0 lead.  Roberson answered with a bases clearing double in the 2nd, by Zeb Swangim to tie the game at 3-3.  In the 4th, a two out double from Micah Simpson would complete a 4 run inning that would prove to be the difference in the game.

Game 1 Stats

Wake Forest:
+ Jimmy Lovelace - Loss, 3IP, 10H, 8R, 8ER, 2BB, 4K
+ Fisher Canaday - 1.2IP, 1H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 1K
+ Ethan Brittain - 1-2, 2B

TC Roberson:
+ Micah Simpson - CG Win, 5IP, 2H, 0R, 3BB, 3K
+ Zeb Swangim - 2-3, 3R
+ Nick Parham - 2-3, 2B, 2R, 3RBI
+ Caden Davidson - 2-2, 2B, 1RBI
+ Reno Jeter - 1-3, 2RBI
+ Micah Simpson - 1-3, 2RBI
+ Nick Moses - 1-1, 2B, 2R
+ JT Gordon - 1-3, 2B, 1R, 2RBI

Game 2 Stats

TC Roberson:
+ Reno Jeter - Loss, 4.1IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 4K
+ Jake Parham - 0.2IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 0K
+ CJ Wallace - 1IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 1K
+ Caden Davidson - 1-2, 2B
+ Reno Jeter - 1-3, 1RBI

Wake Forest:
+ Cooper Allen - CG Win, 7IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 10K
+ Ethan Brittain - 1-3, 2B, 1R, 1RBI
+ Cooper Allen - 2-3, 2B, 1RBI
+ James Bradbury - 1-3, 1RBI

Game 3 Stats

Wake Forest:
+ Carson Crider - Loss, 3.2IP, 6H, 7R, 6ER, 5BB, 4K
+ Jimmy Lovelace - 2.1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
+ Ian Williams - 1-3, 1R
+ Ethan Brittain - 1-3, 1R
+ Luke Stevenson - 2-3, HR, 1R, 3RBI

TC Roberson:
+ Micah Simpson - ND in start, 2IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 0K
+ Nick Parham - Win, 5IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
+ Zeb Swangim - 2-3, 2 2B, 1R, 2RBI
+ Micah Simpson - 1-3, 3RBI
+ JT Gordon - 1-2, 1R
+ Lorenzo Lyles - 1-1, 1R

3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Game 1:  West Henderson - 6 JH Rose - 2
Game 2:  JH Rose - 1 West Henderson - 2

West Henderson swept the two game series from JH Rose with their pitching staff stifling a very talented Rose offense over the two games.  On Friday, the Falcons built a 5-0 lead into the 5th before staff ace Truitt Manuel allowed a run.  Manuel would work a compete game in 108 pitches, striking out 10 as West Henderson won game 1 by a count of 6-2.

Game 2 saw West jump out to an early lead, plating runs in the 1st and 3rd innings to build a 2-0 lead.  Nicky Stanko made that stick, working 6.1 innings, giving up just 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1 in the 2-1 win.  One of the big questions in the series coming in was if the Falcons pitching staff could matchup with the multiple aces JH Rose would run out.  Stanko answered that challenge in the championship clinching game.

Game 1 Stats

West Henderson:
+ Truitt Manuel - CG Win, 7IP, 5H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 10K
+ Alex Anderson - 2-2, HR, 2R, 3RBI
+ Truitt Manuel - 1-4, 3B, 2RBI
+ Jude Lyda - 2-4, 2B

JH Rose:
+ Andrew Wallen - Loss, 5.1IP, 6H, 5R, 4ER, 4BB, 10K
+ Owen Simmons - 1.2IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 2K
+ Ives Howard - 1-2, 1R
+ Alex Popovich - 2-3, 1RBI

Game 2 Stats

JH Rose:

+ Hugh Collins - Loss, 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 7K
+ Mitch Jones - 2-4, HR, 1R, 1RBI
+ Ives Howard - 2-3
+ Alex Popovich - 2-3

West Henderson:
+ Nicky Stanko - Win, 6.1IP, 7H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 1K
+ Grant Putnam - Save, 0.2IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 0K
+ Jackson Lyda - 2-3
+ Alex Anderson - 1-3, 1R, 1RBI
+ Jude Lyda - 2-3

2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Game 1: South Granville - 1 Burns - 6
Game 2: Burns - 9 South Granville - 5

Burns HS won the 2A State Championship with a sweep of South Granville in the Championship Series.  Game won saw each club toss 6 zeroes in the game but in the one inning each team scored, Burns plated 6 with South Granville scoring 1.  The Vikings got on the board in the 3rd, via a Cade Currin solo HR, but that would be all the runs Colby Putnam would allow.  Putnam’s offense would score 6 runs with two outs in the 4th in route to the win.

In game 2, Burns would pound out 15 hits and plated 5 runs in the 3rd to build a 6-0 lead.  South Granville scored in each of their final 4 at-bats, but the Burns staff was able to keep those innings to 2 runs or less and the game was never really in doubt.

Game 1 Stats

South Granville:
+ C Currin - Loss, 3.2IP, 4H, 6R, 5ER, 4BB, 7K
+ B Chamberlain - 2.1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 4K

+ C Currin - 1-3, HR, 1R, 1RBI

Burns:
+ Colby Putnam - CG Win, 7IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 5K
+ Ben Mauney - 1-3, 1R, 2RBI
+ M McGowan - 1-3, 1RBI
+ E Guy - 1-2, 1R
+ R Stroupe - 1-3, 1R, 1RBI

Game 2 Stats

Burns:

+ J Taylor - Win, 4.1IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K
+ M McGowan - 2.2IP, 2H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 2K
+ Ben Mauney - 2-5, 2B, 2R
+ M McGowan - 3-5, 2B, 2R
+ Colby Putnam - 2-4, 2B, 2R, 2RBI
+ E Guy - 2-4, 3RBI
+ J Taylor - 2-3, 1R
+ C Mackall - 2-3, 1RBI
+ N Williams - 2-4

South Granville:
+ C Vacher - Loss, 2IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 1K
+ R Kern - 0.1IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K
+ B Chamberlain - 4.2IP, 7H, 3R, 1ER, 2BB, 3K
+ R Kern - 1-3, 2B, 1R
+ C Wilkins - 1-3, 2R, 1RBI
+ J Morris - 3-4, 2B, 1R, 2RBI
+ R Newton - 1-2, 1RBI

1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Game 1: North Moore - 1 Uwharrie Charter - 2
Game 2: Uwharrie Charter - 8 North Moore - 1

Uwharrie Charter Academy completed its 2023 season as State Champions after sweeping the best of 3 series vs. the eastern champion North Moore.  In game 1, North Moore would score 1 in the 3rd only to see the Eagles answer with 2 runs to take the lead.  Jake Hunter worked a complete game, striking out 4 to make the 1 run lead hold up.

Game 2 saw North Moore jump out quickly again with 1 run in the 2nd.  The Eagles would again answer, plating 4 in the top of the 3rd.  Uwharrie Charter would score in the 3 innings, pounding out a total of 14 hits and building the 8-1 lead into the 7th.

Game 1 Stats

North Moore:
+ E Dunlap - Loss, 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 5K
+ T Allred - 3-3, 1R
+ E Furr - 1-3, 1RBI

Uwharrie Charter:
+ Jake Hunter - CG Win, 7IP, 8H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 4K
+ Peyton McCullom - 1-3, 1R
+ Troy Carver - 1-3, 1RBI
+ Ben Medinger - 1-3, 1RBI

Game 2 Stats

Uwharrie Charter:
+ Brett Smith - CG Win, 7IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 2K
+ Troy Carver - 2-4, 1R
+ Ben Medinger - 1-3, 2R, 2RBI
+ Grat Dalton - 1-3, 1R, 1RBI
+ Walker Wilkins - 2-3, 1RBI
+ Caleb Stickle - 1-4, 2RBI
+ Carter Brown - 3-4, 2B, 2R
+ Jake Hunter - 1-3, 1R, 1RBI
+ Landon Zephir - 1-2, 1R, 1RBI

North Moore:
+ B Mauldin - Loss, 2IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 0K
+ G Purvis - 5IP, 10H, 5R, 5ER, 1BB, 1K
+ T Allred - 1-3, 2B
+ A Patterson - 1-3, 2B
+ W Kennedy - 1-3, 2B
+ E Dunlap - 1-2, 1R
+ B Mauldin - 1-3, 2B, 1RBI