RMA baseball to play for state title

The Rocky Mount Academy baseball team has advanced to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II Championship Series.

The No. 3 seeded Eagles shook off a slow start and rallied past No. 2 seed Greenfield 6-4 in the state semifinals in Wilson on Monday afternoon.

RMA will face either No. 1 seed Wayne Country Day (25-4) or No. 5 seed Westchester Country Day (12-9) in the best-of-three state championship series, which begins on Friday at McKinley Park in Asheboro.

Greenfield scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and added one in the second for a 3-0 lead, but the Eagles battled back.

RMA scored two runs in the top of the third inning to get within a run. Carson Cross walked, and with one out, advanced to third base following consecutive singles from Dustin Proctor and Jordan Wright. Following an infield fly, Parker Sherrod was hit by a pitch to bring in Cross, and Luke Holloman drew a walk to force in Proctor to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Knights put a runner on in the bottom of the third bit he was thrown out trying to steal by RMA catcher Luke Holloman.

The Eagles then struck for three runs in the top of the fourth inning to take the lead for good.

Kaiden Pulley led off and was hit by a pitch. Cross’s sacrifice bunt and a stolen base by Pulley put runners on first and third. Donaven Wright singled to center to plate Pulley to tie it at 3-all, and Greenfield replaced pitchers.

Proctor continued the frame with a bunt single along the third base line to load the bases. Jordan Wright then singled to center to bring in Cross and Donaven Wright for a 5-3 lead.

Greenfield threatened in the bottom of the fourth on a hit, a fielder’s choice and a throwing error, but Sherrod — RMA’s starting pitcher — got a groundout and strikeout to end the threat.

The Knights did get a run closer on a solo home run by 2 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, slicing the deficit to 5-4. They also put two runners on via walks in the sixth, but one was thrown out trying to steal and Sherrod coaxed a popup to Seth Tickel at third for the final out of the frame.

The Eagles added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Holloman doubled to left with one out and scored on a clutch single by Tickel, pushing the margin back to two (6-4).

Greenfield attempted one last rally in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out walk and a single. Sherrod was lifted for relief pitcher Jordan Wright, who got a grounder to shortstop Gehrig Miller, who retired the lead runner at third on the force play. Miller then fielded a grounder and fired across to Cross at first for the final out.

Sherrod earned the win on the mound for RMA. He allowed six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Wright picked up the save.