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Post 45 player Alex Martinez in Aug2022

Post 45 could have core of roster back next year

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Alex Martinez, shown here batting for Randolph County Post 45 during the Southeast Regional earlier this month in Asheboro, could be among the team’s returning players for 2023. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

 

ASHEBORO – When the season ended for Randolph County Post 45 earlier this month, it was a downer.

The team lost back-to-back games to be eliminated from the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball in its home ballpark.

Yet there might have been a ray of hope regarding the future that day at McCrary Park.

“Only three of our 17 players are gone,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh said. “We could have a lot of these guys back.”
Post 45 ended up with a 31-13 record this year. It was an automatic regional entrant based on its role as the host team.

Given the experience on Randolph County’s team, it might have seemed strange that only three of the players will age out. Pugh said that trio is right fielder Blake Marsh, second baseman Tatum Marsh and catcher/utility player Trey Way. All three of them were pitchers as well.

Granted, those are significant losses because all three usually occupied spots within the top five pegs in the batting order.

Blake Marsh (Catawba) and Tatum Marsh (Brunswick Community College) spent the 2021-22 school year at post-secondary school stops, while Way was a 2022 senior on Randleman’s second consecutive Class 2-A state championship team. Way is beginning his freshman year at Virginia Tech.

Several other Post 45 players will be heading to post-high school programs during the school year that’s just starting. That includes center fielder Braylen Hayes at UNC Greensboro, catcher Alex Martinez at Brunswick Community College and pitcher Robert Garner at Wake Tech.

Other Post 45 starters are rising high school seniors. That list includes left fielder Adam Cole (Southwestern Randolph), third baseman Tyler Parks (Southwestern Randolph), shortstop Tanner Marsh (Asheboro) and first baseman Josh Meadows (Asheboro). Several other players still in high school – such as Grant Little (Uwharrie Charter Academy), Drew Harmon (Montgomery Central) and Connor Adams — were part of this year’s postseason contributors.

In some cases, the 2023 college players or high school seniors might opt for other summer destinations rather than American Legion baseball.

After losing the Area 3 title game to Rowan County, Post 45 went 2-2 in both the state tournament and the Southeast Regional.

“We’ll get back out there and start recruiting,” Pugh said of encouraging eligible players to participate in American Legion baseball.

So there would be a strong quest for Post 45 to contend for a spot in the 2023 American Legion World Series in Shelby.

Earlier this month in Shelby, Troy Post 70 became the first Alabama entry two win the American Legion World Series since 1967 by defeating two-time defending champion Idaho Falls (Idaho) Post 56 in the championship game.

Camden (S.C.) Post 17, which won the Southeast Regional in Asheboro, went 1-2 in World Series bracket play and failed to advance to the semifinal round. Camden’s lone victory came against eventual champion Troy.

Post 45 final handshake

Season fizzles on Post 45 in elimination loss

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Randolph County Post 45 team members go through their final postgame handshake line of the season Saturday at McCrary Park.

ASHEBORO – This Randolph County Post 45 baseball team seemed built for big things.

Too many big innings for opponents became the undoing for the host team in the American Legion’s Southeast Regional.

“I definitely think we could have had a better season than this,” left fielder Adam Cole said.

The end came with a 15-5 loss to Wilmington Post 10 in an elimination game Saturday at McCrary Park. The game was reduced to five innings by the mercy rule, with Wilmington racking up the final 15 runs.

With back-to-back losses, Post 45 (31-13) was finished. That left three other teams from the original eight-team field left to determine the qualifier for next week’s American Legion World Series.

“I thought we were going to run through this,” Randolph County center fielder/pitcher Braylen Hayes said. “It’s all about how you play as a team.”

Just like the state tournament a week earlier, Post 45 began with two victories and then exited with losses in its next two games.

“A tough two weeks,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said. “With all the injuries, it’s pretty remarkable really that we were able to come out and win a couple games (in each tournament).”

The ailments had piled up, with a pitching staff reduced by injuries, shortstop Tanner Marsh limping around all week, Blake Marsh dealing with a sore wrist and catcher Alex Martinez hampered by a bashed finger.

Yet the most unpredictable development involved Post 45’s Trey Way, who had played five positions in the field across the first three days of the regional and was slated to be the catcher Saturday. Hours before the game, Way became ill because of an allergic reaction. He was held out of the lineup and then departed during the second rain delay for additional care.

Even with that, it started well for Post 45. Randolph County scored two runs before the first out, beginning the game with three singles and notching the first run on a wild pitch. Cole drove in a run with a single, but Hayes was thrown out at the plate on the play. Martinez roped a two-out, two-run single and Tyler Parks followed with an RBI single.

A 9-minute rain delay preceded starting pitcher Robert Garner throwing his first pitch in the bottom of the inning. Wilmington’s Logan Ponnett hammered a two-run homer in the bottom of the first before an out was recorded. After five Post 10 batters took their turns, there was a 53-minute halt.

The frame ended with a 5-3 score and Wilmington leaving the bases loaded.

Connor Kane’s grand slam on an 0-2 pitch from Garner with two outs in the bottom of the second inning gave Wilmington its first lead. Post 10 scored in every inning, with Post 45 using three pitchers but none could slow down Wilmington’s 14-hit barrage.

“We came in here lacking pitching,” Hayes said.

Still, Post 45 was stacked. There were veteran players along with newcomers Hayes and Way, who were standouts on Randleman’s second consecutive Class 2-A state championship team from the high school season. North Carolina recruit Tyler Parks was available for the postseason, Blake Marsh and Tatum Marsh had been in college programs, and Pugh could field a team with all-star credentials at about every position.

“We won 30-some games,” Pugh said. “Stuff hit at times. Maybe we were a couple of arms short.”

Blake Marsh and Cole both had two hits in the finale.

Much of the core of the team is eligible to return. Players have called it a positive experience.

“I loved it,” Hayes said of American Legion baseball. “Every second was fun for me.”

Saturday’s results

Wilmington 15, Randolph County 5 (Randolph County eliminated)

Rock Hill, S.C. vs. Camden, S.C., delayed

Post 45 coaches at states

Problems pile up on Post 45 in first regional loss

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Randolph County Post 45 coaches Ryan Hill, left, Ronnie Pugh and Andrew Conner will need a plan to win three more games in the Southeast Regional. (File photo)

Randolph County needs turnaround to extend season

ASHEBORO — It didn’t start well for Randolph County Post 45. Then it got worse Friday night.

Yet if there’s a good omen for the host team in Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball, things are bound to get better this weekend.

Or else the season will come to a disheartening conclusion.

“It’s an eye-opener,” Post 45 catcher Alex Martinez said after the 12-7 loss to Camden (S.C.) Post 17 at McCrary Park. “We have to come play and play harder. Need a lot more energy.”

The eight-team field in the double-elimination tournament has been cut in half, with only Camden with an unblemished mark.

Post 45 (31-12) meets North Carolina state champion Wilmington Post 10 in Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. elimination game. Camden, which is guaranteed of advancing to Sunday, takes on South Carolina state champion Rock Hill Post 34 in Saturday night’s nightcap.

Randolph County pitchers gave up 15 hits and five walks and were dinged by the team’s three fielding errors.

“A couple errors lead to more errors,” Martinez said. “Things started to fall apart. Not a lot of energy going on.”

The miscues extended to offense. Three Randolph County innings ended with base-running blunders.

“I don’t think I want to really replay that one,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said of the game. “When we’re on, we’re good. But we were sure bad (in this game).”

Camden scored two unearned first-inning runs. By the time Post 17 put on a third-inning hitting clinic to score five runs, it was 8-1.

“I felt they swung the bats really well and they were hitting it,” starting pitcher Tatum Marsh said. “We’ll learn from it.”

Trey Way, Connor Adams, Drew Harmon and Braylen Hayes were also used on the mound, with only Adams, who worked one inning, going unscored upon.

Yet Post 45 racked up 11 hits, with Tatum Marsh, Blake Marsh, Adam Cole and Josh Meadows all recording two.

Randolph County got on the board on Tatum Marsh’s two-out single in the second. Cole stroked an RBI double in the third.

Post 45 closed within 10-5 on Tyler Parks’ two-out, two-run single in the fifth. A wild pitch resulted in another run.

Adams worked into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth without yielding a run.

In the bottom of the inning, Tanner Marsh’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded made it 10-7, but that’s all Post 45 got when Cole lined out to right end to end the threat.

Randolph County and Wilmington didn’t meet in last week’s state tournament.

Friday’s results

Rock Hill, S.C. 7, Belleview, Fla. 3 (Belleview eliminated)

Wilmington 18, Evans, Ga. 0 (Evans eliminated)

Camden, S.C. 12, Randolph County 7

Grant Little photo Post 45 file photo

Little comes up big as Post 45 pulls out victory in Southeast Regional opener

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Grant Little’s return to action turned out to be timely for Randolph County Post 45. (File photo)

ASHEBORO – The game barely started and Randolph County Post 45 needed big help in the Southeast Regional.

That came from Grant Little, who hadn’t pitched in more than a month.

Little calmed things down for Post 45 before the offense caused commotion in what became a 14-8 victory against Rock Hill (S.C.) Post 34 in the nightcap of the first day of the American Legion regional Wednesday night at McCrary Park.

“We realize what we’re playing for,” Post 45 shortstop Tanner Marsh said.

Little gave up one run across 3 2/3 innings – until a misplayed pop-up on the first batter after he was lifted resulted in two more runs. But what Little accomplished was big by putting a halt to Rock Hill’s momentum and allowing the Post 45 bats to finally get going.

Post 45 (30-11), which rallied from a five-run deficit, plays again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Evans (Ga.) Post 192 in a winners bracket game of the five-day, double-elimination event.

The offensive highlights were numerous. Josh Meadows drove in four runs, Blake Marsh and Tanner Marsh both rapped three hits and Adam Cole was on base five times and scored three runs – just to list a few.

Little, though, turned out to supply perhaps the most clutch performance. The Uwharrie Charter Academy player had been nursing a sore labrum that put him on the sideline.

“I didn’t know how long I was going to be out,” he said. “I wasn’t even expecting to pitch (in this game).”

Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said Little threw in the bullpen a couple of times in last week’s state tournament.

“You just think the opportunity might come for him,” Pugh said. “That opportunity came and look what he did with it.”

A seven-run fifth inning gave Post 45 a lead for the first time.

“We kept the faith,” Tanner Marsh said. “The coaches kept telling us we just need base runners.”

Randolph County went ahead on Meadows’ two-run single with one out. Tyler Parks followed with a two-run triple. By the time the uprising was complete, Post 45 held a 9-5 lead.

“We just didn’t give up,” said Meadows, who broke out of a slump. “I was told once you find it, it’s going to feel amazing. I was just missing the pitches I wanted and (Wednesday night) I finally fulfilled it. It felt amazing.”

Trey Way had two singles in the fifth.

Randolph County kept going in the sixth. Cole sliced an RBI single and Meadows knocked in a run with a ground-rule double before Tatum Marsh’s groundout resulted in another run.

With a run in the seventh, Post 45 scored in the final five innings.

“We wait until later to turn it on at the offensive end,” Little said.

There was a different tone set earlier when Rock Hill, the South Carolina state champion, poured on four first-inning runs against Robert Garner. Josh Wimmer’s lead-off homer in the second against Little made it 5-0 before – from Post 45’s perspective – order was restored.

The offense had quite a bit to do with it as well. In the state tournament, Post 45 managed a total of 16 runs in four games before nearly matching that in the regional opener.

“We had clutch base hits,” Pugh said. “We finally got people on with no outs or one out. I thought we showed a lot of discipline.”

Wednesday’s scores

Camden, S.C. 10, Owensboro, Ky. 0

Evans, Ga. 5, Columbia, Tenn. 0

Belleview, Fla. 8, Wilmington 5

Randolph County 14, Rock Hill, S.C. 8

Post 45 Tyler Parks catch in states

Post 45 fades away in state tournament

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Third baseman Tyler Parks of Randolph County Post 45 makes a catch on a popup during the first day of the American Legion state tournament. Shortstop Tanner Marsh, right, and left fielder Adam Cole, back, also pursue the play. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County’s season will continue in Southeast Regional on home field

BUIES CREEK – It started swell and ended with a thud for Randolph County Post 45 in the American Legion baseball state tournament this week.

Post 45 was the lone undefeated team in the eight-team tournament through the first two days. By the time the first semifinal ended Friday, Randolph County had been eliminated.

Queen City topped Post 45 by 6-1 at Campbell University.

But unlike other teams that fail to win the tournament, Post 45 has more games to play.

Randolph County (29-11), as the host team, will play in the eight-team Southeast Regional that begins Wednesday at McCrary Park in Asheboro. Post 45 has a 6:30 p.m. game against the South Carolina state champion on the opening night of that five-day event.

Wilmington Post 10, which drubbed Fuquay-Varina 14-4 in the second semifinal in the North Carolina tournament, is slated to take on Queen City (24-8) in Saturday afternoon’s title game with a berth in the multi-state Southeast Regional at stake.

Following a 12-game winning streak, Randolph County lost three of five games during an eight-day stretch.

In the state tournament, Post 45 was tied with Fuquay-Varina and Cherryville after the pool play, all with 2-1 records. Only two could advance to the semifinal round, with Randolph County dubbed the No. 1 seed from the pool based on the fewest runs allowed in the first three games. Fuquay-Varina also advanced.

It turned out to be back-to-back losses for Post 45, which fell 7-3 to Cherryville on Thursday. Starting pitcher Trey Way took the loss. He also provided a run-scoring double, while Alex Martinez had an RBI single for Post 45.

Randolph County began the tournament with Tuesday’s late-night triumph against host Fuquay-Varina. The 6-0 result came behind Robert Garner’s 6 1/3 innings of pitching combined with Tanner Marsh’s two RBI, Josh Meadows’ triple and Adam Cole’s two hits.

Post 45 kept the momentum going Wednesday afternoon by defeating Hope Mills 6-1 behind solid pitching from Blake Marsh, Parks and Connor Adams. Parks and Cole both drove in two runs during a five-run third inning.

Post 45 in final at Newman Park

Post 45 falls in Area 3 final, but lessons could turn fruitful

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SALISBURY – Something good might have come out of the Area 3 championship game for Randolph County Post 45, the losing part aside.

“It’s just a reality check that we can lose,” left fielder Adam Cole said.

Post 45 hadn’t been in a competitive game in more than three weeks, then didn’t execute well in numerous tight spots in Friday night’s game at Newman Park. Rowan County never trailed in a 6-4 decision.

The outcome halted a 12-game winning streak, but there’s plenty still ahead for Randolph County.

“It’s good for us to get the opportunity to see some of the pitching and go against some hitters like we’re going to see,” said Trey Way, who started on the mound. “Now we know what we need to do.”

Post 45 (27-9) is set to open pool play in the state tournament Tuesday night against host Fuquay-Varina Post 116, which is the defending champion. The tournament concludes July 30.

Regardless of the outcome in the states, Randolph County has a spot reserved for the Southeast Regional, which will be contested Aug. 3-7 at McCrary Park in Asheboro. The state champion – or runner-up if Post 45 wins – also heads to the regional.

Rowan County (34-7) repeated as Area 3 champion.

“You can’t go out there and go through the motions,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said, “We had every opportunity. Those things come back to bite you.”

Rowan County provided an upgrade in competition, something that Randolph County is bound to encounter on a regular basis the rest of the way.

“Seeing better pitching is probably a plus for us going into the state tournament,” Post 45 right fielder Blake Marsh said. “That’s something we might need.”

Rowan County touched Way for two runs in the first inning and two more in the third. He was lifted after 2 1/3 innings.

“That’s the first game I had my stuff and they just overmatched it sometimes and got barrels on it,” Way said.

Tanner Marsh moved from shortstop to pitch the rest of the way for Post 45.

But the real strife for Randolph County came with botched opportunities.

Still, with loading the bases with no outs in the seventh, there was a chance they could pull it out. Instead, Blake Marsh popped out before Way’s walk forced in a run. On the next pitch, Tyler Parks’ dribbler back toward the mound resulted in a game-ending 1-2-3 double play.

That capped the frustration for what Blake Marsh called a “very winnable” game on the Catawba College campus, where he attends.

The offensive frustrations began earlier for Randolph County. Way led off the second inning by smashing a ball off the left-field wall, reaching third base in time but called out when he popped off the bag after his slide.

Post 45 got on the board when Parks beat out a two-out infield single in the fourth. Randolph County closed within 4-3 in the fifth, with Tanner Marsh’s double and a fielding blunder resulting in runs. Then there were runners at second and third with no outs, but reliever Casey Gouge struck out Blake Marsh, Way and Parks to douse the threat.

Tatum Marsh racked up three hits and Braylen Hayes was credited with two hits for Randolph County.

While winning the 12 games in a row, there wasn’t a result closer than a 9-0 score for Post 45. This ought to get the players’ attention.

“For (states and) regionals, I think it’s not a terrible thing,” Cole said.

Post 45 came off three routs shortened by the mercy rule in the best-of-5 semifinals against Kannapolis after sweeping a best-of-3 quarterfinals series against Mooresville. It might be time to tune-up with more at-bats with game pressure and additional time on the mound for fine tuning.

“We’ve got a lot of people who needs a little bit of work,” Pugh said.

Randolph County lost to Fuquay-Varina twice in the regular season, so being in that pool figures to be a challenge. Hope Mills and Cherryville are also in Post 45’s pool among the eight-team field.

Post 45 Tanner Marsh pitching

Right on time: Post 45 hits stride

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Tanner Marsh has been a key factor as a shortstop and pitcher for Randolph County Post 45. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County roars into postseason on hot streak

ASHEBORO — It took a little time for Randolph County Post 45 to figure it out.

The timing, though, is ideal.

The American Legion baseball team has been riding a hot streak that began with the second part of the regular season and has extended into the postseason.

“We’re coming together as a team and understanding how to play with each other,” outfielder Adam Cole said.

That tends to be the sentiment.

“We started connecting,” said shortstop Tanner Marsh. “Really got to know each other. Just being around each other and getting to know each other makes baseball more fun.”

Randolph County is 27-8 and secured a spot in the North Carolina state tournament by sweeping Kannapolis Post 115 in a best-of-5 Area 3 semifinal series, capped with Monday night’s 15-2 road victory. 

Post 45 has won 17 of 19 games after a rather mundane start to the season.

There’s a winner-take-all Area 3 title game vs. Rowan County at 7 p.m. Friday at Catawba College in Salisbury. The state tournament is next week in Buies Creek.

Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh has finally had roster stability, something that has taken time.

Outfielder Braylen Hayes and utility player Trey Way arrived from Randleman’s Class 2-A state championship team. First baseman Josh Meadows is on board after a broken hand during the high school season with Asheboro. Third baseman Tyler Parks out of Southwestern Randolph missed the Area 3 quarterfinal series last week because he was with a travel ball team, but he’s on board the rest of the way with Post 45.

“Our team chemistry is there,” said Parks, who missed about 10 of Randolph County’s games. “The more we play together, the more we learn about each other.”

Way had been with the High Point Hushpuppies in the Old North State League, a college summer circuit, last month. But the rising Virginia Tech freshman said his college coaches wanted him to get more plate appearances, so switching to Post 45 made sense.

“We have a lot of good players,” Way said. “It just took a couple of games to learn to play together. I think it’s clicking now, so I can’t wait to watch what this team can do.”

Pitcher Grant Little out of Trinity has been dealing with a shoulder ailment, but the pitching staff otherwise looks rather stocked.

Pugh said he hopes a challenging schedule has prepared Post 45 along the way.

“We played probably our best schedule we’ve ever had, and that might have played into it,” he said of some of the early defeats.

Cole, a returning player with Post 45, said it was a bit startling with how the opening weeks of the season went.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” he said, then noting the turnaround. “This is Post 45 baseball right here.”

Now it’s a matter of keeping it going.

“I don’t want to get our heads too big,” Tanner Marsh said.

 In cruise control

Randolph County won three games shortened by the mercy rule in the best-of-5 semifinals, topping Kannapolis by 11-1 and 12-0 at McCrary Park on the weekend.

In Monday’s series clincher, Blake Marsh was the winning pitcher in his first start on the mound this season. Marsh also drove in two runs along with Hayes, Drew Harmon, and Tatum Marsh.

In Saturday night’s Game 1, Hayes went 3-for-4, and Tanner Marsh, who pitched five innings, homered. 

On Sunday night, Hayes smashed a grand slam in a 10-run third inning, drilling the first pitch from Kannapolis reliever Jack Brandle. Starting pitcher Robert Garner allowed one base runner in four innings. Hayes and Harmon each had two hits.

In the quarterfinals, Post 45 rolled to 14-0 and 9-0 victories against Mooresville Post 66 in the best-of-3 series. Due to field availability in Asheboro, Game 1 was played at Mooresville, with Post 45 using Way’s 3-for-4 effort at the plate along with four runs batted in from both Harmon and Tanner Marsh. Garner threw four innings, and Hayes worked the fifth to complete the five-inning romp.

In Game 2 at McCrary Park, Randolph County rode the pitching of Way, Blake Marsh, and Connor Adams to secure another shutout and clinch the series. Blake Marsh supplied a three-run triple in the second inning after Post 45 scored twice in the first inning on Tanner Marsh’s run-scoring double and Way’s RBI single. Cole and Tatum Marsh had two-out singles in the third to stretch the gap to 8-0. Carson Whitehead’s single drove in a fifth-inning run.

Post 45 Blake Marsh batting

Post 45, Post 81 move on in Area 3 playoffs in different fashions

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Blake Marsh has been a factor for Randolph County Post 45 in the American Legion baseball playoffs. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County Post 45 and Eastern Randolph Post 81 took different paths to reach the Area 3 playoff semifinals for American Legion baseball.

Both ways worked out.

Post 45 rolled to 14-0 and 9-0 victories against Mooresville Post 66 in the best-of-3 quarterfinals.

Post 81 lost its series opener against Stanley County, then recovered to win twice Thursday night to keep its season alive.

Due to field availability issues in Asheboro, Game 1 was played at Mooresville, with Post 45 using Trey Way’s 3-for-4 effort at the plate along with four runs batted in from both Drew Harmon and Tanner Marsh. Robert Garner threw four innings and Braylen Hayes worked the fifth to complete the mercy-shortened five-inning romp.

In Game 2 at McCrary Park, Randolph County rode the pitching of Way, Blake Marsh and Connor Adams to secure another shutout and clinch the series.

Blake Marsh supplied a three-run triple in the second inning after Post 45 scored twice in the first inning on Tanner Marsh’s run-scoring double and Way’s RBI single. Adam Cole and Tatum Marsh had two-out singles in the third to stretch the gap to 8-0. Carson Whitehead’s single drove in a fifth-inning run.

Next for Randolph County (24-8) is the best-of-5 series against Kannapolis, with Games 1 and 2 at home Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (8 p.m.)

Eastern Randolph had to wait a day to qualify for the next round after Wednesday night’s Game 2 was postponed because of weather. As it turned out, all three games were played at Craven Stadium in Ramseur because Stanly County’s field was deemed unplayable after Wednesday’s storms.

Post 81 needed to win twice Thursday, doing so by 13-3 and 13-4 scores. In Game 2, Luke Thomas struck out 10 in five innings. Samuel Asbill was the winning pitcher in Game 3.

Chance Terry, who drove in six runs, and Carson Rickman each had five hits in the two games combined. Thomas was 4-for-8 at the plate.

In Tuesday night’s Game 1, Post 81 rallied from a 6-0 deficit to tie the game only to fall 7-6 when visiting Stanly County scored a run in the top of the seventh. Parker Evans drove in two runs and Thomas notched two hits.

Post 81 (16-11) takes on Rowan County in the semifinal round, set to begin Saturday at Catawba College in Salisbury.

Coming in the next Randolph Record edition:

** Find out how Randolph County Post 45 turned around its season after a slow start.

** It has been a breakthrough season for Eastern Randolph Post 81.

Trey Way HR trot May20 2022 - Crop

Finding the Way: Randleman takes normal path to another rout

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Trey Way and his teammates react to his game-sealing home run Friday night against East Surry. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

Tigers ruin showdown, head to regional final

RANDLEMAN – The fourth round of the Class 2-A state playoffs shaped up as an epic showdown between two one-loss baseball teams.

As the national anthem played, the line at the entrance gate had dozens of fans waiting to get in – and stayed that way for quite a while.

The scene at Joe Brookshire Field had all the makings of a classic.

Then Randleman did its thing – again.

The Tigers took down another opponent with authority, its fourth consecutive run-rule victory in the state playoffs. This time, it was a 10-0 decision against fourth-seeded East Surry.

“We’re not surprised,” sophomore left fielder Seth Way said. “We’re just having fun for now.”

Older brother Trey Way, a senior shortstop, hammered two home runs, including the game-clinching blast to the opposite field over the right-field fence on the second pitch of the bottom of the fifth.

“They’re a great team,” Trey Way said. “We just came out and we just swung it. We threw it. We threw strikes. And we took care of business.”

As usual, because it all seemed familiar.

“A great atmosphere,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “Our guys just love coming out here and playing when it’s like this. We just go into games trying to compete the best we can.”

Top-seeded Randleman (29-1) takes on No. 15 seed Community School of Davidson (17-6), which rallied to top visiting Trinity 6-5 on Friday night, in a best-of-3 regional final. Game 1 is set for Tuesday night at Randleman, while the Tigers go on the road for Thursday’s Game 2. If a third game is needed, it will be Friday or Saturday at Randleman.

The Tigers didn’t score in the first inning of the East Surry game, then went to work with Seth Way’s solo homer – his fourth long ball of the season – and Trey Way’s three-run shot in the second.

“Keep the gas pedal down,” right fielder Bryson Sweatt said. “That’s the difference between the good teams and the great teams. I don’t see anybody coming close to us if we play our baseball.”

Randleman knows the deal on ending games early.

A two-out throwing error provided two more runs in the third. Gus Shelton’s fly into shallow right field with two outs in the fourth plated two more when miscommunication from the Cardinals (24-2) resulted in a double, followed by Ryan White’s RBI single. Sweatt’s double was another key hit earlier in the inning.

Trey Way capped it in the next inning, marking his second two-homer, four-RBI outing of the week. That was the Tigers’ single-season state record 56th home run.

“When we stick to our approach and our pitchers get out there and throw strikes and do what they do, it’s never out of the possibility of run-ruling any team we play,” Trey Way said. “If we just do what we do and play how we play, we can get it done.”

Drake Purvis notched a five-inning shutout for the third week in a row despite giving up a game-opening single to Luke Bowman. In the fourth, a hit batter and double allowed East Surry to threaten, but Purvis struck out the next three batters.

Randleman is unscored upon in the state playoffs and for the last five games overall.

The Tigers began the week with a 17-0 trouncing of No. 25 seed Mount Pleasant in the third round with Seth Way providing four of the team’s 16 hits. Hunter Atkins, who knocked in four runs, Brooks Brannon, who drove in three, and Braylen Hayes all homered. Trey Way scored four times, while Atkins and Shelton both scored three runs. White pitched the first four innings without allowing a hit and striking out eight before Seth Way worked the last inning.