Randleman’s Jackson Hill heads for the plate to score the winning run in the Tigers’ Class 2A state-playoff victory against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO — Members of the Randleman baseball team were certain they’d figure out a way to win the third-round round game of the Class 2A state playoffs against Trinity.
They just weren’t quite sure how.
“We always had faith that we were going to win the game,” infielder Tate Andrews said. “That helps us not let the pressure get to us.”
The Tigers erased a two-run deficit and then went to the bottom of the seventh inning, pulling out a 3-2 victory to extend their season Tuesday night at McCrary Park.
Jackson Hill doubled to begin the seventh. Kyle Dillow’s bunt was thrown away in foul territory down the right-field line, allowing Hill to score from second base.
“I blacked out,” Hill said of the moment after diving into the third base on the final play and then getting up. “Got up pretty fast. I knew we had it.”
Sixth-seeded Randleman (20-5) next faces seventh-seeded West Stanly (21-6), which avenged two losses to knock off second-seeded North Stanly 8-6 in the third round, on Friday night at home.
The Tigers weren’t rattled despite Trinity pitcher Lincoln Coble keeping them in check.
“You have to always believe you’re going to win,” Randleman right fielder John Kirkpatrick said. “It’s something we always pride ourselves in – expecting to win.”
The neutral-site matchup between Piedmont Athletic Conference teams drew a full grandstand plus spectators lining standing areas.
The Bulldogs (18-8) struck first.
Trinity’s Camden Nelson led off the third with a single and when Gage Griffiths’ sacrifice bunt resulted in a throwing error, the Bulldogs were threatening. They scored when Ethan Willard’s bunt was turned into a single.
With one out, the situation was pretty much repeated when Walker Parrish put down a bunt and Trinity tacked on its second run. Randleman dodged more problems when Walker’s pitch reached the backstop, but it turned into a double play – a strikeout on the pitch and catcher Lincoln Lawson’s tag of Willard, who was trying to score from third.
“Can’t blink,” Randleman starting pitcher Braxton Walker said. “Got to play through it. You got to stay up. It’s not going to change anything (that has already happened).”
Earlier, Trinity’s Gage Griffiths led off the game with a walk and reached third base with one out but didn’t score.
Randleman didn’t have a hit off Coble until Andrews, the second batter in the fourth, drilled a single following a walk to Walker. Lawson roped a run-scoring single and Hill lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly.
“Our kids play with a lot of confidence,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “Just trust the training and roll with it. We executed when we had to.”
It was the third straight one-run game for Trinity, which doubled its win total from 2024.
“We definitely played very, very good baseball all game,” Bulldogs catcher Brody Little said. “It’s hard. It’s just tough.”
Coble threw a three-hitter with four walks and five strikeouts. Trinity didn’t commit an error until the last play.
“I thought we played phenomenal,” coach Ryan Spencer said. “The guys just battled.”
Walker pitched six innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out nine. Jake Riddle threw a scoreless seventh for the victory.
“As long as Braxton is on the mound, I don’t lose faith,” Kirkpatrick said. “It took us a while to get going.”
Since 2008, Randleman is 40-3 against Trinity, including what’s now a seven-game series winning streak that included 10-0 and 8-1 victories late last month.
The game was moved from Randleman because of field conditions and played as the back end of two games in Asheboro. Eastern Randolph defeated Mountain Heritage 4-1 in a Class 1A third-round matchup in the first game, which had also been relocated to McCrary Park.
