The North Moore baseball team made their first appearance in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A championship series and finished the season 22-10 at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs.
They lost the best of three series against Uwharrie Charter Eagles.
In game one on Friday, the Mustangs broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third as Ty Allred, who went 2-for-2, reached with a lead-off single and then came around to score on a single from Elliot Furr.
In the bottom of the inning, Caleb McDaniel drew a lead-off walk, and Peyton McCullom followed with a single. Both would touch the plate as Troy Carver and Ben Medinger followed suit with their own singles in the next two at-bats.
Those would be the game’s final runs, but the Mustangs threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Dawson Futrell hit a lead-off single and reached third base after Allred was intentionally walked. The Eagles turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and seal the win at 2-1.
In game two on Saturday, the Eagles topped the Mustangs, 8-1, to earn the program’s second 1A NCHSAA baseball championship.
North Moore broke the ice as Bradley Mauldin hit an RBI double that scored Ethan Dunlap in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles took control of the game in the third inning as each of the first three batters — Carter Brown, Jake Hunter and Landen Zephir — had a base hit and came around to score. Ben Medinger also singled later in the inning and scored when Walker Wilkins doubled.
Brown, who was named MVP for the championship series, scored again in the fourth inning to push the lead to 5-1.
Medinger scored again in the fifth, as well as Grat Dalton, to give the Eagles a 7-1 lead, and Troy Carver scored the final run of the game in the sixth.
Eagles pitcher Brett Smith tossed a complete game and gave up just four hits in the championship-sealing win. The Eagles wrapped 2023 at 22-10.
1A Baseball Sportsmanship Award winner Will Kennedy.
The 1A Baseball Sportsmanship Award winners were Will Kennedy from North Moore and Chris Wheat from Uwharrie Charter.
Photos by Lynn Pennington.
Contributed.
