Lawrence lads win state baseball title

The question going into the final game was could Lawrence Academy’s varsity baseball team rewrite the script.

Twice in a row the Lawrence lads has made the state championship series to be denied a chance to win their first NCISAA baseball title since 2013.

A year ago, the Warriors won Game One of the series only to see Halifax Academy win two straight and walk off with a state title.

This past weekend, the Warriors again won Game One, downing Kerr-Vance Academy 5-4 in eight innings, only to watch the Spartans rally for a 3-2 win in Game Two.

Yet again, it would reach a third and deciding game. This time, the Warriors left no doubt, handily defeating KVA 10-0 in five innings to bring the state title back to Merry Hill.

“I felt like we were in a much better position going into game three this year, as opposed to last year,” second-year Warrior mentor Stacy Mizelle said. “A year ago, we went into the series not hitting very well. This year, we were hitting, but it was right at someone the first two games. I told them to just keep doing what they were doing and the hits would come and they believed in the message and followed it.”

Mizelle said he was pleased to help lead the team back to a state title.

“Obviously, Lawrence has always been successful in baseball and we were back in the championship series the last two years, but it was good to finally break through,” he said. “This team worked hard all year long. I told them from day one, we had three goals — win the Tarheel Independent Conference (TIC), win the TIC tournament and win a state championship. We were able to play together and do all of those things.”

The Warriors wasted little time getting on the board in the deciding contest, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning after Zander Mizelle pitched a scoreless top of the first.

Mari Larry led off and reached on an error before stealing second and taking third on the throw. He scored on a wild pitch to give the Warriors a 1-0 edge.

Nike Wiggins then drew a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. He raced home when Mizelle delivered a triple to right field, giving Lawrence the 2-0 edge.

Patrick Lundy took over on the mound for Lawrence and gave up one walk before shutting down KVA in the visitor’s half of the second.

The Warriors continued their scoring ways in the home half of the second, again plating two runs, this time off three hits.

Lundy started things off with a single to left. Hunter Eason, a courtesy runner for Lundy, went to second when Luke Foster laced a single to left and both advanced on Larry’s single.

Eason scored when Wiggins drew a walk and then Foster scored on a balk to make it 4-0.

Lundy surrendered a pair of hits to open the third inning, but then induced a fly ball for the first out of the inning. After hitting the next batter to load the bases, Lundy again got a fly ball to left field where Carter Wells made the catch and then threw out the runner who tried to tag up on the play, thereby ending the threat.

Kerr-Vance retired Lawrence’s first two batters in the bottom of the third before Lundy singled to left. Easton, again a courtesy runner, scored when Foster delivered a triple to left-center field, giving the Warriors a 5-0 edge.

Lundy continued to cruise in the top of the fourth, retiring the side in order.

Lawrence got two runners on base in the home half of the fourth, but didn’t score.

Lundy again had an easy inning in the top of the fifth, allowing just one base runner via an error, but retiring the side without incident.

The Warriors appeared to be going quietly in the home half of the fifth frame when a strike out and ground out started their at-bat, but that wasn’t to be the case.

Foster got aboard via an infield single and moved all the way to third on a failed pick-off attempt. He then scored when Wells laced a single to left. Wells took second on a passed ball before Larry and Wiggins drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.

Mizelle cleared them when he lined a double to center to make it 9-0.

Conner Ferebee then singled and stole second to put runners on second and third with two outs and Mike Lee at the plate.

Mizelle raced home on a wild pitch and scored, setting off a wild celebration for the Warriors.

“We felt going into the final game that we were in good shape,” Mizelle said. “Our pitching was still solid and we were hitting well. In that third game, we didn’t worry about stats or what happens next, we just went out and played as a team and took care of business.”

Mizelle said his seniors — Ferebee, Wells, Foster and his own son, Zander — were special and he was proud of their work and accomplishments.

“It was extremely special with these seniors,” the Lawrence baseball boss said. “Obviously, with my son being a senior it makes it very special and he and Conner have played together for so long. Then you add Carter and Luke, who are also special kids, it was just great to see them close their careers that way.”

Mizelle was equally complimentary of his entire team.

“This team worked hard and they stayed focused on what we were trying to achieve,” he said. “We had some kids on the bench that would have played every day for a lot of other teams, but they never complained. They practiced hard and when they got their opportunities, they made the most of them.

“Not only have the players been great, but I can’t say enough about the support from their parents,” he continued. “People have supported these kids and this program and that is just amazing.”

In addition to losing the four seniors, the Warriors will also be bidding farewell to assistant coach Tim White, who has been an integral part of the program.

“We know Tim has some other things he wants to do, including watching his grandchildren play and things like that, but we will miss him,” Mizelle said of White’s impending retirement. “He has been so valuable to Lawrence and this program. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

The Warriors finished the season 22-7.