McCrary Park - Randolph Record

12 Aug

Alabama team prevails in Southeast Regional against North Carolina champion

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, McCrary Park, Southeast Regional

ASHEBORO – Troy (Ala.) Post 70 needed a full day of baseball to win American Legion’s Southeast Regional on Sunday at McCrary Park. Troy recovered from a loss to edge North Carolina champion Wayne County Post 11 by 5-4 in nine innings on Cody Walsh’s two-out single. Troy will be in the American Legion World Series, which begins this week in Shelby, for the third year in a row. Wayne County, which was a first-time North Carolina state champion, won its third consecutive game after a loss by topping Troy 4-1 earlier Sunday. That was Troy’s first loss, so it…

09 Aug

Post 45’s season ends with quick ouster in regional

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Southeast Regional

Randolph County Post 45 second baseman Pierce Leonard makes a play during the team’s opening game of the Southeast Regional earlier this week. Center fielder Cade Hill and pitcher Connor Adams look on. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The host team is out of the Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball. Randolph County Post 45 lost for the second time in as many nights, falling 11-2 to Camden (S.C.) Post 17 in a weather-delayed elimination game Thursday at McCrary Park. Camden scored three first-inning runs and led 9-2 through four innings. Starting pitcher Parker Kines took the loss…

08 Aug

Post 45 hit by flood of runs in losing Southeast Regional opener

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Connor Adams, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Samuel Asbill, Southeast Regional

Randolph County Post 45’s Samuel Asbill pitches in relief in the American Legion’s Southeast Regional on Wednesday night. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The beginning of the Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball didn’t go well for host Randolph County Post 45. Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 routed Post 45 by 16-2 on Wednesday night at McCrary Park. It was the final game of the opening day. Post 45 will try to keep its season alive when facing Camden (S.C.) Post 17 in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Chesapeake drilled Randolph County for eight first-inning runs as…

06 Aug

Pitching depth could be focus for Post 45 in regional

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Asheboro, Drew Harmon, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional

Drew Harmon throws a pitch for Randolph County Post 45 earlier this season in American Legion baseball. (Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Randolph County Post 45 needs pitching depth to challenge for the American Legion’s Southeast Regional title. Despite a regular season that didn’t pan out well, Post 45 enters this week with a chance to make things right as the host team at McCrary Park. In order to advance as far as Sunday’s title game, Randolph County will rely on pitching. That’s where Drew Harmon and others can make a difference. Harmon emerged as among the key pitchers this year.…

03 Aug

After long break, Post 45 set for Southeast Regional

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional

Randolph County Post 45’s Caleb Stickle passes manager Ronnie Pugh while on a home run trot during a game in June at McCrary Park. (Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The first part of the American Legion baseball season was too short for Randolph County Post 45. There’s still a chance for Post 45 to make it a long season. The team’s month-long layoff will end next week in the Southeast Regional at McCrary Park. As host, Post 45 has an automatic spot in the eight-team, double-elimination bracket. “We’ve had some times when we had a week to 10 days off, but…

31 Jul

Asheboro ZooKeepers end season with flourish

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Hunter Atkins, Korey Dunbar, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

Nick Capozzi of the Asheboro ZooKeepers takes a swing. (Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – At the beginning of the final week of the Coastal Plain League baseball season, the Asheboro ZooKeepers rallied from a four-run deficit and used a bunch of late-game dramatics to pull out a victory. Perhaps it was a fitting scenario for the team, which showed resiliency on that night at McCrary Park and for the rest of the week. “Big wins, it feels nice,” said outfielder Owen Blackledge. “Baseball is a whole lot more fun when you’re winning.” Blackledge smashed a seventh-inning grand slam in that uprising…

10 Jul

Close games prove costly for ZooKeepers

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Lenoir-Rhyne, McCrary Park, Owen Blackledge, summer college baseball, Zach Evans

Zach Evans takes a swing during a recent game for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (P.J. Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers were involved in a bunch of close games heading into the Coastal Plain League’s all-star break. Not all of those outcomes worked out well for the ZooKeepers. So when play resumed this week, the ZooKeepers were in sixth place in the eight-team West Division with a 5-6 second-half record in the split season. The ZooKeepers ended last week with a pair of games with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms. Asheboro outfielder Owen Blackledge was dubbed the top hitter…

28 Jun

Asheboro hires baseball coach from Bunker Hill

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brad Rudisell, McCrary Park, Mid-Piedmont Conference, Prep baseball

Brad Rudisell (Courtesy photo) ASHEBORO – Brad Rudisill has been hired as the next baseball coach at Asheboro High School, anxious to reap the benefits of the area’s rich youth baseball environment. Rudisill has been on the Bunker Hill baseball staff for the past three seasons, including the past two as head coach. He said he’s impressed with the commitment and facilities, both on campus and at McCrary Park, connected to Asheboro’s baseball program. “They didn’t leave any stone unturned,” he said. “Just a lot of commitment to excellence. The people were really passionate about Asheboro.” He fills the vacancy…

13 Jun

Results vary for American Legion teams as season heats up

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Jayten Beasley, Liberty Post 81, McCrary Park, Post 45, Post 81, Randolph County Post 45, Samuel Asbill

Post 45 and Post 81 are scheduled to meet twice across a five-night period ASHEBORO – There has been a sampling of results for Liberty Post 81 and Randolph County Post 45 through the first few weeks of the American Legion baseball series. It’s about to get serious for these teams with league play picking up after a layoff. Post 81 racked up a 9-3 record through last week. Randolph County checked in at 3-5, though its roster of available players had been limited because of the high school postseason. Randolph County and Liberty meet for the first time since…

11 Jun

ZooKeepers experience early ups, downs in CPL

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

Asheboro ZooKeepers teammates greet Alex Kean after his home run Saturday night against the Boone Bigfoots. (Asheboro ZooKeepers) ASHEBORO – A mix of results has been the norm for the Asheboro ZooKeepers in the opening weeks of the Coastal Plain League baseball season. So with a two-game winning streak, the ZooKeepers held a 6-7 record through Monday. On Sunday in Boone, Ryan Kennell and Zach Evans each had three hits as the ZooKeepers upended the Boone Bigfoots 9-8 in 10 innings. Davis Germann provided the go-ahead single in the four-run final inning. Owen Simmons and Mason Manriquez handled the pitching…