Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Jaxon Mabe was fired up during the Class 1A state finals at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
HOLLY SPRINGS – It was a different route for Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team in the Class 1A state finals.
The Eagles ended up in the same place.
It took two victories on the final day of the season for UCA to secure its third consecutive championship Saturday at Ting Stadium.
“We pitched and played defense so well,” coach Rob Shore said. “These guys decided they wanted it and they came out here and did it.”
UCA won 6-4 in Game 2 to even the series with Perquimans and, a few hours later, rode Jake Hunter’s pitching and big hits from Grat Dalton to a 6-0 title-securing victory.
UCA finished the season with a 20-12 record. Perquimans ended at 26-8.
Dalton doubled and scored the first run in the third inning of the decisive game and later smacked a two-run home run.
“It gave us a lot of momentum there and we just kept our foot on their throat and continued to play our game,” Dalton said.
The sudden power splurge even caught the junior catcher by surprise.
“It’s not something I expected to do,” Dalton said of his homer. “After my double, I was feeling myself a little bit, had confidence and took advantage of it.”
Landon Zephir provided a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 and Dalton’s homer doubled the margin. Jaxon Mabe hammered a run-scoring triple and scored on Daniel Brandon’s single.
Hunter’s six-hitter included one walk and five strikeouts. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series for the second year in a row.
“As soon as that first inning (arrived), I had my stuff and I knew it was going to be over,” Hunter said.
In the day’s afternoon game, UCA racked up six first-inning runs and Logun Wilkins worked his way through some tough spots to register a complete game. Wilkins was largely efficient — aided by Brandon’s diving catch in center field to end Perquimans’ second inning – with the eight-hitter with six strikeouts.
“It’s good we started hitting early,” Wilkins said, suggesting it was his worst out of the season on the mound.
But he was good enough, withstanding a Pirates runner on second base with no outs in the top of the first inning.
Alex Carver drilled a two-run double over center fielder Sean Saunders’ head for a big blow, though Zephir added a two-run single and later scored on a two-out double steal. Ty McAuley followed with an RBI bloop single.
“We’ve never been to a Game 3 before,” Wilkins said. “It’s a lot different.”
Shore said: “I’ll take a win, but we’ve got to play better.”
The Eagles answered that plea.
Until Friday’s 4-1 loss in Game 1, the Eagles had never lost on championship weekend. Their three previous titles, which also includes the 2019 version.
The goal stayed the same even if the method was altered.
“We forced a Game 3 and it is a little bit different,” Shore said. “We’re still playing for it all.”
In Friday’s clash, Brett Smith took the loss on the mound. He gave up a run in the first and three more in the second. Mabe’s run-scoring single had tied the game in the top of the second.
