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Post 45 Braylen Hayes swings v Rowan July2023

Hayes backtracks to Post 45, carves new path

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Braylen Hayes takes a swing for Randolph County Post 45 this summer. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Braylen Hayes didn’t anticipate being back with Randolph County Post 45 this summer, but he’s glad that opportunity existed.

It’s turning out to be a good thing for Post 45 despite his unexpected availability.

The former standout outfielder for Randleman didn’t make it to the finish line in his first college season at UNC Greensboro.

“Just having too much fun in college. It went downhill and ended up not having the best grades,” Hayes said. “It was all on me. It’s good, though, I’m going to get back right.

Braylen Hayes will play next year for Guilford Tech. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)

Hayes is the center fielder and bats third in the lineup for Post 45, which will be the host team for the American Legion’s Southeast Regional next week at McCrary Park.

So this is a summer to regroup for Hayes, who has committed to attend Guilford Tech and play a season with that junior college team.

He was lined up to play for the Asheboro ZooKeepers, a summer college team in the Coastal Plain League. But when grades interfered and he dropped off the UNCG roster, he wasn’t eligible for that because he wasn’t in a college program.

“It was pretty hard,” Hayes said. “It was just weird. I had never had to go through anything like that. Had to figure out.”

And he needed a summer baseball destination.

“Would have had a crap summer, no baseball would be rough,” he said.

Fortunately for him, he’s young enough – just turning 19 – for another season of American Legion baseball. He also played for Post 45 last year.

Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said Hayes is a big part of the team.

“We know the things he can do,” Pugh said.

Hayes said he’s a much better player than last summer.

“Making more contact on balls, hard contact,” he said. “Knowing the strike zone a lot better from seeing pitching at the D-I level.”

Things didn’t go as Hayes planned at UNCG.

“I didn’t play the best in the fall. I was struggling a little bit,” he said. “Going from seeing alright arms, to really good arms really fast. It was just a huge jump. At the time, I wasn’t ready for it.”

When the 2023 season began, he was a reserve, gaining more playing time a few weeks into the season. Hayes batted .250 in nine games, including three starts. He was 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.

Yet his time with the Spartans didn’t go for naught. That has been evident with Hayes’ throws from the outfield.

“UNCG, they’ve got a great throwing program,” he said. “My arm has gotten so much stronger.”

Hayes was on three high school state championship teams – one at Uwharrrie Charter Academy and two at Randleman. In 2022, he shared Player of the Year honors in the Piedmont Athletic Conference with teammate future Boston Red Sox draft pick Brooks Brannon.

Now Hayes wants to turn the detour into something good after the Guilford Tech season.

“Go to a bigger D-I, hopefully,” he said.

Brooks Brannon SalemRedSox mug

Brannon blasts off with Class A team

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Brooks Brannon’s rise to Class A baseball came with a bang.

The 2022 draftee of the Boston Red Sox out of Randleman homered in two of his first three games and three of his first five games with Salem Red Sox of the Carolina League.

Brannon, 19, played his first game in the Carolina League on June 29 when Salem played at Fredericksburg. From there, he had a hit in all five games with Salem heading to this week’s break in the schedule. He blasted home runs at Fredericksburg and two at Lynchburg and had nine runs batted in through five games.

Brannon, a catcher, played for Boston’s Florida Complex League team earlier this summer. He homered three times in 11 games this year after last year’s five homers in 15 games with the team.

There’s about two months left on Salem’s schedule. Brannon could make his home debut in a three-game series Friday through Sunday vs. Delmarva.

Salem’s only remaining 2023 games in North Carolina come next week against the Down East Wood Ducks in Kinston. The Red Sox, who play in the North Division, previously played a road series against the Carolina Mudcats in Zebulon, while the team doesn’t have 2023 games against Kannapolis and its home series vs. Fayetteville came in early May.

Brannon had a record-setting career in playing key roles in Randleman’s 2021 and 2022 Class 2-A state championships.

UCA baseball coach Rob Shore from PG game 2023

UCA, Eastern Randolph advance to Class 1-A showdown; Randleman’s reign ends in Class 2-A upset

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Coach Rob Shore has guided Uwharrie Charter Academy deep into the state playoffs in his first season in that role. (Randolph Record)

There will be a Randolph County baseball team in the state finals.

It won’t be Randleman.

Either Uwharrie Charter Academy or Eastern Randolph will be in the Class 1-A state championship series in the first weekend of June. Those teams will meet in a best-of-3 West Regional final.

Two-time defending Class 2-A state champion Randleman was bounced in Friday night’s fourth round by Eden Morehead.

Here’s a recap of how it has shaken out:

Class 1-A

The only two Class 1-A teams in the Piedmont Athletic Conference are the only survivors in the classification in the West Region.

Games 1 and, if necessary, Game 3 will be at UCA.

Second-seeded UCA needed eight innings to top third-seeded Draughn 5-4 in Friday night’s fourth round. Carter Brown’s two-out single drove in Grat Dalton with the winning run.

Logun Wilkins was the winning pitcher in relief by logging two innings. The Eagles (18-10) have played every state-playoff game at home.

No. 21 seed Eastern Randolph won its fourth consecutive road game, upending Union Academy 13-6 on Friday night.

UCA shared second place in the PAC. Eastern Randolph (8-17) was last in the league.

UCA defeated Eastern Randolph 3-0 (on April 11) and 4-3 (on April 13) in the regular season.

In Tuesday’s third round, Eastern Randolph slipped past No. 13 seed Highland Tech 3-1, while UCA toppled No. 10 seed North Stokes 11-4.

For UCA, Dalton had three hits and scored two runs. Brett Smith pitched 5 1/3 innings for the victory.

Class 2-A

Second-seeded Randleman’s run came to a halt with a 5-0 loss to visiting Eden Morehead on Friday night.

Randleman had won 13 consecutive games in the state playoffs dating to a Game 2 loss in the 2021 championship series, a result that was avenged later that same day in a decisive Game 3 against Rutherfordton-Spindale Central.

The Tigers (23-5) had outscored their previous three opponents in this year’s state playoffs by a combined 37-8 tally.

In being eliminated, Randleman managed just two hits – a Hunter Atkins double and a Braxton Walker single.

Anderson Nance struck out 10 batters without issuing a walk for Eden Morehead (23-5), ), which had its first margin of more than two runs in any of its state-playoff games.

It was only the third time that Randleman gave up as many as five runs in a game this season. Austin Lemons was charged with all five runs, though only two were earned, in six innings.

Randleman topped visiting East Davidson 7-3 in Tuesday night’s third round to push its winning streak to seven games.

Randleman baseball photo May 12 2023

Randleman hits at another level in baseball playoff romps

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RANDLEMAN – As the Class 2-A state playoffs began, Randleman’s baseball team cranked it up a notch.

The Tigers know what it takes this time of the year.

“We’ve got to keep up the energy,” senior second baseman Shawn Miller said. “We all know we’re good enough to be on the field.”

For the two-time defending state champions, the bats have awakened. With Friday night’s power display, it was reminiscent of a season ago – with mostly different guys taking the swings.

“More of what I expected throughout the year,” coach Jake Smith said of the offense. “Hopefully, we’re hitting our stride and continue to swing it.”

Five home runs helped in the second-seeded Tigers’ 13-3 victory against 15th-seeded Forbush.

So confidence could be soaring again for Randleman after a shaky stretch late in the regular season. The Tigers (22-4) next meet No. 7 seed East Davidson (20-4) on Tuesday night.

“It’s something about this time of the year,” catcher Caleb Dunn said. “We’re confident and we’re trying to reach our goal.”

The latest power display against Forbush (21-8) began early. Starting pitcher Austin Lemons belted a two-run homer to cap the three-run first inning.

“Every time he gets on the mound, he helps himself,” Smith said.

Lemons worked through five shutout innings, holding Forbush to two hits while striking out seven.

By then, the Tigers held an 8-0 lead.

In the fourth, Dunn’s ground-rule double knocked in one run. Then Hunter Atkins hammered a full-count pitch over the fence in center field off reliever Riley Campbell for a grand slam. It was quite the conclusion to a 13-pitch at-bat.

“The joy came really from fighting with two strikes, not really necessarily the grand slam,” Atkins said. “Really fighting with two strikes, no matter where the ball goes. Two strikes and get a big hit like that, I was definitely excited.”

Forbush produced three runs in the sixth with just one hit off reliever Drake Purvis, leaving the bases loaded.

Then with one out in the bottom of the inning, Randleman got going again. Atkins, Seth Way and Lemons hit back-to-back-to-back long balls.

“Those were no-doubters,” Smith said.

Then, per the script, it was Chesney Welch’s turn and he hammered a two-run double to right field to end the game via the mercy rule. He has had game-ending hits twice in a four-game stretch.

The production is coming throughout the batting order.

“We’re competing even more and getting hits and coming through,” Atkins said. “Anybody can do the job.”

That has been another encouraging sign. John Kirkpatrick had three hits vs. Forbush.

“I think the bottom of the lineup had real good at-bats,” Smith said of Friday night’s effort.

In the first round last Tuesday, Randleman ripped No. 31 seed Reidsville 17-2. Way and Purvis pitched.

The Tigers have allowed less than 2.5 runs per game this year. The pitching has been a staple.

“They work so hard,” Dunn said. “It’s paying off for them.”

Randleman pitcher Austin Lemons May2023

Lemons sours Trinity in eventful PAC Tournament final for Randleman’s baseball team

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Randleman’s Austin Lemons had a big night on the mound and at the plate in the PAC Tournament final. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)

RANDLEMAN – There was so much going on with Randleman’s baseball team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament final.

Everything from Drake Purvis making his much-anticipated season debut to the Tigers racking up their 20th victory of the year.

Yet pretty much nothing could overshadow Austin Lemons.

The senior who mostly waited in the wings behind a stacked roster from a year ago emerged as the pitching and hitting standout in Randleman’s 4-0 victory against visiting Trinity on Thursday night.

“This is the biggest game I’ve probably ever pitched in my life and I feel like I handled it really well out there. I could trust my team. We got some runs. I knew right when we got those runs, I felt good about it.”

Make no mistake, the Tigers got their runs because of Lemons, who hit a two-run homer and later doubled to set up another run,

So he went from having a up-close view of Randleman’s record-setting 2022 season as a reserve to becoming one of the main participants for this year’s conference titlist.

“It definitely feels rewarding after working a lot,” Lemons said. “It’s not just for me. Hunter (Atkins) and Seth (Way) are the two that were in the lineup last year. They’ve been killing it this year. Everybody else had to fill really big roles and I think we’re doing a really good job of that.”

Lemons, a UNC Greensboro signee as a pitcher, must have been paying good attention last year.

“He has worked for this,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “He has seen people being successful in front of him.”

Lemons said he grew as a player last summer and in the fall on the travel ball circuit. Combined with what he learned from watching his former Randleman teammates, he applied it all to his final high school season.

“I feel like I just stuck through the process. I came out here and practiced just the same as everybody else,” Lemons said. “I took a lot of time to learn watching these guys on the field and I think it really carried over to this year.”

So that’s why the Tigers felt good about sending Lemons to the mound for the tournament final after he tossed two shutout innings in relief in Tuesday night’s eight-inning escape against Providence Grove in the semifinals.

“He competed and threw strikes,” Smith said. “His body language, his presence. He’s very focused.”

He gave Randleman six innings vs. Trinity, allowing two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.

Lemons relies mostly on fastballs and sliders. He said his control tended to be a glitch in past years, but that’s an area where he made significant improvement.

“I definitely feel like I’ve always had some of the talent there,” he said. “There’s potential, but I really had to work. I feel the biggest thing that changed for me is my mental approach, just being more confident.”

Randleman (20-4), the two-time defending Class 2-A state champion, will hold a high seed when the state playoffs begin next week.

Perfect inning for Purvis

Now, they’ll have Purvis ready to contribute. He hadn’t pitched in competition in about 10 months because of elbow surgery.

Randleman’s Drake Purvis throws a pitch in the final inning against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

The junior left-hander entered in the seventh – though Lemons stayed loose on the side – and pitched a perfect inning.

“A couple of days ago we knew this would be the night,” Purvis said. “Slowly returning back. This is what you want. The place was packed, a big crowd.”

Second baseman Shawn Miller fielded a grounder toward the hole and snagged a line drive for the first two outs before a called third strike ended the game. Purvis celebrated with an emotion-filled prance toward the dugout.

“Wanted to see some live hitters in game in game situations,” he said. “Have that playoff mode. I’m used to this. It’s not my first rodeo and definitely not my last, either.”

It pretty much went by design for the Tigers. Purvis pitched a no-hitter in last June’s Game 1 of the state championship series vs. Farmville Central.

“We had to get him in and see him, and it was a positive,” Smith said. “He was amped up, for sure. I don’t blame him, I would be, too.”

Some offense, too

In part because of Randleman center fielder Way’s diving catch in right-center field that likely saved a run to end the top of the fourth, neither team had scored. In the bottom of the inning, Atkins drew a lead-off walk and scored on Lemons’ second home run of the season.

Randleman players react to teammate Chesney Welch’s home run. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

The lead grew to 3-0 on Chesney Welch’s first varsity home run when he led off the bottom of the fifth with a blast to right-center field.

“I’m just getting out of my spring training phase,” Welch said of bolstering his production. “Sometimes they feel a certain way, and that (swing) was one of them.”

Soon after, Trinity starter Ethan Willard was gone. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but didn’t score again in the fifth.

Lemons’ lead-off double in the sixth resulted in the game’s final run after a couple of defensive miscues.

Randleman posted its first shutout in an 11-game span.

Trinity (15-10) failed to score in the tournament final for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bulldogs bounced back and reached the fourth round of the state playoffs.

Trinity used Andon Simmons’ two-hitter in a 4-0 semifinal victory against visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy with Landon Mowery and Brody Little both homering. The Bulldogs needed a fifth-run sixth inning to rally past seventh-seeded Eastern Randolph 7-5 in the quarterfinals.

Randleman logo

Tigers take different route, end up in PAC final

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One strike away from a tournament exit, Randleman overcomes Providence Grove

RANDLEMAN – Randleman’s baseball team hadn’t been in many of these situations in recent years.

Trailing by two runs and down to their final strike, the Tigers’ stranglehold on the Piedmont Athletic Conference was in jeopardy Tuesday night.

Providence Grove was on the cusp of pulling off an upset in the PAC Tournament semifinal.

“I haven’t been in that many situations like that.” Randleman junior Seth Way said. “Do what you have to do to win the game.”

So he did. Down 0-2 in the count with runners on second and third with two outs, Way rapped a single to center field on reliever JC Cruz’s knuckleball. That tied the game.

“I saw it coming,” Way said of the knuckler.

The game went to extra innings, where Chesney Welch’s one-out single to left field brought in Shawn Miller from second base. Miller drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Randleman coach Jake Smith, whose two-time reigning Class 2-A state champions often dominated, couldn’t recall the last time the Tigers produced a late-game comeback.

“All that matters is our score is higher than theirs,” Way said.

The Tigers (19-4) will meet visiting Trinity, a 4-0 semifinal winner against Uwharrie Charter Academy, in Thursday night’s tournament final in a rematch from a year ago.

Providence Grove ended Randleman’s 38-game conference winning streak last month with a 3-2 victory and then dropped a 3-2 decision later that week in the regular-season rematch. The Patriots (14-10) needed just one more out to notch another upset.

“It is what it is,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “That’s what they do. We played well three times against them.”

Way and Providence Grove’s Jayten Beasley were locked in a pitchers’ duel until Way’s home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

The Patriots struck back in the fifth, using four singles and an error on the way to three runs. The first run was scored by Brady Collins on a two-out double steal. Logan Fox capped the rally with an RBI single.

From there, the Patriots dodged trouble the next two innings. Cruz entered with two runners on base and two outs to strike out Hunter Atkins to end the fifth. The Tigers stranded two more runners in the sixth after Jake Riddle’s two-out double.

Smith said he was glad Way could overshadow his fifth-inning pitching misfortune with his bat.

“He took it out at the plate,” Smith said.

Then in the eighth, it was Welch’s turn for a clutch hit. He wasn’t on the team last year.

“Sitting in the dugout right before I went out, I was kind of hoping it would get to me,” he said.

Providence Grove, playing for the second night in a row, had to piece together the pitching. Hunt said Beasley excelled in a heightened role.

“He did a real good job keeping them off balance,” Hunt said. “I thought we played a really clean game defensively.”

Austin Lemons pitched two innings of shutout relief for the Tigers. Smith said he’ll be the starting pitcher for the tournament final.

With only two returning starters from a year ago in the Randleman lineup, this group wants to get the job done, too.

“It’s a pride thing,” Smith said. “You’re here at your home field and you’re protecting your home field. They’ve got a lot of pride.”

** In the quarterfinals, Providence Grove upended Southwestern Randolph 10-9 in eight innings. That game was contested at Randleman because of wet field conditions at Providence Grove.

Karson Bowman’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning tied the game. Andrew Canter was the winning pitcher in relief. Tyler Foust homered earlier in the game. Landon Williamson homered and Tyler Parks drove in three runs for Southwestern Randolph (9-14).

ER softball team in dugout spring2023

Prep Roundup: Randleman claims PAC baseball crown

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Eastern Randolph’s softball team has had lots to cheer about this season despite last week’s loss to Southwestern Randolph. (File photo)

RANDLEMAN – Randleman avenged a loss from three nights earlier to defeat visiting Trinity 6-1 on Friday night and secure another Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball championship.

The Tigers (17-4 overall, 10-2 PAC) won their regular-season home finale. They’ll be the top seed for the conference tournament as a prelude to their bid for a third consecutive Class 2-A state championship.

Second-place Trinity won 3-2 earlier last week behind Cade Hill’s complete-game pitching and Landon Mowery’s home run. The Bulldogs went up 3-0 on Randleman starter Seth Way and held on.

Randleman has completed its regular-season conference schedule, while the other six teams all had two games to play entering this week. Trinity, Uwharrie Charter Academy and Providence Grove can all finish in second place.

** Providence topped Eastern Randolph 7-3 at home with Tyler Foust going 3-for-3 and scoring two runs and Lemuel Coltrane driving in two runs. Three nights later on the road, the Patriots upended Eastern Randolph 4-3. Andrew Thomas and Andrew Canter picked up the pitching victories as the Patriots reached the 12-win mark – two more than all of last season.

In between those outcomes, Providence Grove dropped an 8-3 home decision to Burlington Williams in non-league play.

** UCA beat Wheatmore twice last week, winning 1-0 at home behind Jake Hunter’s three-hit pitching.

In the rematch, Carter Brown homered in a 7-2 road victory that included Brett Smith’s complete-game pitching.

In between, UCA’s Ben Medinger hit a two-run, first-inning home run in a 5-2 non-league home triumph against Ledford.

** In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Asheboro lost 1-0 at Ledford and then pulled out a 5-4 home victory against the same opponent. Tanner Marsh and Davis Gore homered in the Asheboro victory, which marked just the team’s second triumph in its last eight outings.

Softball

Southwestern Randolph suffered its first loss of the season with Friday night’s 3-0 home setback to Hickory Ridge.

It was a non-league showdown between teams that both held 16-1 records when the game was finished.

Hickory Ridge scored one run in the third inning and two more in the seventh.

Southwestern Randolph won the previous two days in PAC play to clinch the regular-season crown. The Cougars topped host Eastern Randolph 4-0 and visiting Wheatmore 9-0. Macie Crutchfield struck out 13 Eastern Randolph batters and Alyssa Harris fanned 12 Wheatmore batters.

** Skyler Pugh and Addie Flinchum homered as Eastern Randolph nipped host Uwharrie Charter Academy 9-8.

Also last week, the Wildcats defeated Wheatmore 7-0 with Flinchum hitting a home run and Logan Beaver scoring two runs. Pugh and Flinchum combined to strike out 19 batters.

** UCA had a better result with a 13-8 home victory against Randleman with Kynley Brewer rapping three hits and scoring two runs. Also, UCA drubbed visiting Trinity 24-0 with Brewer homering and driving in three runs. Emory Johnson also homered and Kaitlyn West was credited with a three-inning no-hitter.

** Providence Grove senior pitcher Emma Mazzarone eclipsed the 800-strikeout mark for her career while throwing a no-hitter in a 16-1 road romp against Trinity. She posted 12 strikeouts.

Providence Grove suffered a 5-4, eight-inning loss at Southern Guilford in a non-league game despite Gracie Smith’s two runs batted in.

** Asheboro’s 11-10 non-conference victory against visiting Wheatmore came with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Avery Dykes had four hits and scored two runs for Wheatmore.

Girls’ soccer

A matchup between the PAC first-place and second-place teams didn’t turn out to be much of a showdown as undefeated Wheatmore whipped host Providence Grove 10-1 last week. Summer Bowman scored five goals and Ellie Garrison had four goals.

PG baseball Logan Fox vs UCA 2023

Prep Baseball: Patriots pin streak-halting loss on Randleman

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Logan Fox of Providence Grove had a role in tight baseball games with Randleman last week. (Randolph Record file photo)

Providence Grove did what might have seemed like the unthinkable in Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball last week.

The Patriots knocked off state power Randleman and ended a multi-year streak of domination.

“Probably was unexpected,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “Not a lot of people thought we could go in and win that game.”

Providence Grove’s 3-2 victory halted Randleman’s 38-game winning streak against conference opponents that spread across parts of five seasons.

And two days later, the Patriots nearly did it again.

Providence Grove’s stunning victory came on Lemuel Coltrane’s three-run home run in the fourth inning at Randleman. How unusual was that?

It’s the only home run hit by the Patriots in what’s now 16 games played this year.

That blast off Seth Way followed singles by Andrew Canter and Joe Coltrane, that latter an attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into a single. Lemuel Coltrane, a right-handed batter, drove the ball over the fence in left-center field.

“He got ahold of a fastball and it went out,” Hunt said.

Freshman Andrew Thomas threw a three-hitter with three walks and seven strikeouts to frustrate an often-potent Randleman offense.

“That game really went fast,” Hunt said. “All of a sudden, I looked up and it’s the sixth inning and we’ve still got the lead.”

The Tigers hadn’t lost a game to a conference opponent since April 25, 2019, to Providence Grove. Two days earlier that year, the Patriots also defeated Randleman.

After that week, the Tigers went on their conference domination, including a May 2, 2019, victory against Providence Grove in the league tournament final.

The pandemic limited Randleman to one conference game in 2020 before the rest of that season was cancelled. The Tigers were 8-0 in PAC play this season before the loss.

The outcome ended Randleman’s nine-game overall winning streak this season.

Last Thursday, Randleman avenged that outcome with a 3-2 victory of its own against Providence Grove. Austin Lemons pitched a complete game while allowing one earned run and Hunter Atkins drove in two runs and Shawn Miller scored two runs for the Tigers.

“We played some pretty good defense in that game,” Hunt said.

Logan Fox had two of Providence Grove’s five hits off Lemons. Lemuel Coltrane doubled and scored, but Canter’s 5 2/3 innings on the mound went for naught. The loss means the Patriots can’t catch Randleman in the regular-season standings.

Only Trinity with two conference losses and four league games to go can move to the top. That would require beating the Tigers twice this week.

Providence Grove has split four conference series to hold a 4-4 PAC mark and 10-6 record entering this week.

“Hopefully, the kids realize what they can do,” Hunt said. “Beating a team like Randleman should solidify that.”

** Southwestern Randolph won twice against Wheatmore, posting a 7-3 road victory as Grant Little pitched into the sixth inning without allowing an earned run in the PAC game. Adam Cole and Tyler Parks both had two hits, including a double apiece, and Grant Kirk scored two runs.

Later in the week at Asheboro, Austin Harvell’s grand slam in the sixth inning clicked in the mercy rule in a 12-1 romp. Cole launched a three-run home run, Easton Clapp had three hits and scored three runs and Parks had two runs batted in. Jonah Campbell’s 5 1/3 innings on the mound earned him the victory.

In between those games, Southwestern Randolph hammered visiting Jordan-Matthews 18-6 as Eli Gravely drilled a home run and joined Harvell with three runs batted in.

** Jake Hunter and Brett Smith combined for Uwharrie Charter Academy’s 3-0 shutout of host Eastern Randolph.

In the rematch, UCA won 4-3 at home in 10 innings with Troy Carver and Caleb Brown knocking in runs in the 10th, which began with the score tied 1-1. The winning run scored on a passed ball. Eastern Randolph’s Stratton Barwick struck out 12 in seven innings.

UCA topped host Winston-Salem Atkins 11-2 in non-league play with Walker Wilkins driving in three runs in the Eagles’ first outing of a three-win week.

Asheboro’s Josh Meadows, left, Tanner Marsh and Davis Gore stand during the national anthem Saturday prior to a game at First National Bank Field in Greensboro. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

** At Greensboro, Asheboro finished 1-2 in a three-day tournament at First National Bank Field.

Asheboro salvaged the seventh-place game on Tanner Marsh’s game-winning double in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 2-1 victory against Northern Guilford on Saturday. Marsh struck out 10 in a six-inning pitching performance before Connor Adams worked the seventh for the victory.

Earlier, the Blue Comets lost 13-6 to Southeast Guilford and fell 2-1 to Western Alamance.

ER baseball K Graham makes tag v N Moore April2023

Prep Baseball: Randleman rolls up wins in South Carolina; County teams split in Classic

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Eastern Randolph’s Kahlin Graham reaches to make a tag on North Moore’s Austin Patterson during a game in the ZooKeepers Classic last week at Southwestern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randleman’s baseball team went to the Mingo Bay Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and came away with a 4-0 mark in the event during spring break.

It began with a 4-3 victory against Woodson, Va., as Caleb Dunn drove in two runs in a four-run first inning.

The Tigers rode Seth Way’s bat and arm in a 9-3 victory against Robinson, Va. Way worked six innings on the mound, while he drilled a three-run home run and a double on his way to five runs batted in.

Austin Lemons threw a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts in an 8-1 romp past Buckhannon-Upshur, W. Va. Hunter Atkins had three hits, including a double and triple.

Then came a 4-1 victory against University out of Morgantown, W. Va., as Braxton Walker logged six innings in his first pitching start. Atkins tripled and drove in two runs.

Split decisions

The four Randolph County teams in the ZooKeepers Classic at Southwestern Randolph all split two games last week. The final day of competition in the event, which had pre-determined matchups, was wiped out by Friday’s rain.

Eastern Randolph got off to a good start by defeating North Moore 13-5 with Pierce Leonard providing two triples and four runs batted in. Apex Friendship defeated the Wildcats 11-1/

Southwestern Randolph fell 12-10 to Chapel Hill despite Eli Gravely’s home run. The Cougars then held off North Moore for a 10-9 victory as Kamden Carter drove in three runs.

Providence Grove lost 10-0 to Apex Friendship before pounding Jordan-Matthews 13-0.

Wheatmore began with a 9-0 whipping of Jordan-Matthews. But the Warriors fell short in a 6-4 loss to Chapel Hill.

Asheboro falls twice

In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Asheboro lost by 7-2 at home and 8-3 on the road to North Davidson. Tanner Marsh homered in the home game for the Blue Comets.

This week, the Blue Comets are slated for games Wednesday through Friday as part of a tournament at First National Bank Field, which is home to the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Randleman baseball Hunter Atkins at ER March2023

Randleman Tigers adopt new script, keep on winning in baseball

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Randleman’s Hunter Atkins takes a swing during a game earlier this season at Eastern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – The script looks a bit different, but Randleman’s baseball team has kept the winning formula.

The two-time reigning Class 2-A state champions are cranking out victories on a regular basis.

“We’ve had some tough games that we’ve battled through,” shortstop Hunter Atkins said. “We’ve just been competing. It’s just about competing when it comes down to it. Our team has the grit.”

And Randleman owns an 8-2 overall record. The Tigers have made it halfway through their 12-game Piedmont Athletic Conference schedule with a perfect mark.

“You’re learning all the time,” coach Jake Smith said. “Guys are getting challenged. Just facing adversity. Everything hasn’t gone all hunky-dory. We’ve had to compete and play seven innings.”

The latest success came with Friday night’s 12-5 victory at Southwestern Randolph.

While last year the Tigers frequently had shortened games because of blowouts that resulted in the mercy rule, they’re on the field longer these days.

“It’s something getting used to, playing full seven innings – not going five innings and getting out,” catcher Caleb Dunn said. “Our hard work is going to put us over and we will be able to finish out these games that are longer.”

The past couple of seasons were defined by a roster that included eventual Boston Red Sox draft pick Brooks Brannon at catcher and a roster stacked with college prospects. Now, it’s what Smith calls “back to normal.”

For the Tigers, the good thing is that includes winning games.

“We’ve got the guys this year that need to get the job done,” Atkins said. “Just getting after it. That’s how we roll. We just get after it.”

Randleman’s Austin Lemons threw five innings Friday night. Smith said he liked Lemons’ outing even though the right-hander wasn’t always smooth. He was forced to work out of jams.

“Kind of grew up,” Smith said.

Lemons allowed three runs, but only one was earned. He walked four and struck out seven.

“He had a good night,” Dunn said. “He can do better, though. I know he can.”

Seth Way has been the team’s top starting pitcher. The Tigers are waiting for the return of Drake Purvis, who’s rehabbing from an elbow injury. Purvis said he could be on the mound within a couple of weeks.

Randleman’s results have been nice validation through four weeks of the season.

“We really worked hard in this preseason and I think that really helped us in that way, getting our confidence up,” Dunn said. “Playing great competition as many times as we can a week is really good for us and I think that can really help us out throughout the season.”

The Tigers have remaining PAC series left against Uwharrie Charter Academy, Providence Grove and Trinity.

“Going through the conference undefeated right now is definitely a good feeling,” Atkins said. “Can’t ask for much more.”

Randleman’s five-run first inning came in handy against Southwestern Randolph. Chesney Welch had an RBI double and Seth Way, Shawn Miller and Dunn all drove in runs.

The Cougars scored two runs in the second. Adam Cole’s triple drove in a run in the third, and then Southwestern Randolph loaded the bases with no outs. Lemons struck out the next three batters.

“That was the chance to get back in the game,” Southwestern Randolph coach Ethan Marsh said.

The Tigers were back at it in the fifth, scoring on John Kirkpatrick’s two-out single. Way provided an RBI single in the three-run sixth before Atkins’ two-run home run in the seventh. Atkins scored four runs.

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