T.C. Roberson overcomes early deficit to beat Wake Forest for NCHSAA 4-A baseball state championship
BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA--T.C. Roberson overcame an early hole to beat the Wake Forest Cougars 7-3 in Game 3 of the NCHSAA 4-A baseball state championship series at Burlington Athletic Stadium on Saturday, giving the Cougars their fifth state baseball title.
The Cougars jumped out strong as Luke Stevenson hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. In the second, Lorenzo Lyles laid a bunt down the third base line that prompted an error and allowed Jake Parham to score the Rams’ first run of the game. In the next at-bat, Zeb Swangim doubled to center to score both Lyles and JT Gordon and tie the score.
In the fourth, the Rams loaded up the bases and Caden Davidson singled to score Carson Heath and give T.C. Roberson the lead. Two batters later, Micah Simpson hit a pinch-hit double that cleared the bases and put the Rams in front 7-3.
Simpson’s five RBI in the series and tossing a complete game shutout on Friday night earned him MVP honors.
Micah Simpson allowed two hits and struck out three in Roberson's Game 1 win Friday night. He finished with five RBIs at the plate and was named the MVP of the NCHSAA 4-A baseball championship series.
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For the Cougars, Stevenson finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Wake Forest players gather on the mound during Friday's game.
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Wake Forest forced a decisive third game by bouncing back with a 3-1 win in Game 2 earlier on Saturday.
Roberson struck first as Reno Jeter doubled home courtesy runner Zeke Adwaters in the top of the first inning but Wake Forest’s Jackson Allen did not allow another run the rest of the game. Allen tossed a complete game and gave up the lone run on five hits while striking out 10 batters.
Offensively for the Cougars, Allen helped his own cause as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI. RF James Bradbury also added an RBI for Wake Forest.
In Game 1 on Friday night, Roberson's bats were hot as they took the first game of the best-of-three series with a 10-0 win in five innings.
Roberson Coach Eric Filipek talks to his team in the dugout during Game 1 Friday night.
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Simpson worked all five innings and allowed just two hits while walking three and striking out three. He needed just 73 pitches to finish off the Cougars, 42 of which went for strikes.
Offensively for the Rams, SS Nick Parham went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. 3B Zeb Swangim also went 2-for-3 and scored three times and Simpson helped his own cause with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a pair of RBIs.
A Roberson baserunner beats the tag to score a run during Friday night's 10-0 win in Game 1.
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For the Cougars, SS Ethan Brittain went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk and Stephen Crater had the team’s only other hit.
The Rams finished the season 26-8 and head back to Asheville with their fifth NCHSAA baseball championship. The Cougars wrapped the 2023 season at 26-7.
The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing and promoting good sportsmanship and has partnered with the NC Farm Bureau to honor two student-athletes at each of this year’s championships with Sportsmanship Awards for excellence throughout the season. The 4A Baseball Sportsmanship Award winners were Tyler Kytta from T.C. Roberson and Cooper Allen from Wake Forest.
