Walk-off single gives HP Wesleyan state title over Metrolina Christian
The emotion of pursuing a state high school baseball title played out in predictable ways Saturday at Michael T. Whitson Athletic Complex in Indian Trail.
For victorious High Point Wesleyan, head coach Maurice “Mo” Blakeney said there couldn’t be a more storybook ending than having a player whose ACC scholarship offer was pulled a month ago cap his team’s 5-4 victory over host Metrolina Christian with a walk-off hit.
On the other side, there was frustration with an umpire’s foul ball call that negated a potential grand slam that would’ve given the Warriors a 5-3 advantage in the top of the seventh inning.
Yet, no matter the emotions, both agreed that it was quite the finale of the best-of-three N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 4A championship series.
Both games featured late Metrolina Christian rallies.
“My guys have battled and fought and always believed,” said Metrolina Christian coach Darren Adams, whose team finished 28-3. “So I’m super proud of them for that.”
On Friday night in the series opener, Adams’ team trailed 4-0, tied the score to force extra innings, before losing 9-4 in nine innings.
On Saturday afternoon in the second game, the Warriors were the designated road team and trailed 1-0 and 3-1 before rallying to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
However, Adams and Metrolina Christian fans were convinced that the Warriors had been shorted at least one run when Caleb Hunter’s long fly ball that would’ve been a grand slam for a 5-3 lead with no outs in the top of the seventh was ruled foul.
“I had a great angle on it and saw that it hooked around the pole,” said Adams, who serves as Metrolina Christian’s third-base coach. “When it crossed the fence, I had no doubt in my mind that it was fair. But (the umpire) didn’t see it that way.”
When the foul was called, the Warriors trailed 3-1. Hunter would later hit a sacrifice fly for the first out, pinch-hitter Gavin Ulrich would tie the score with an RBI single and Alex Lerch drew a bases-loaded walk for a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
High Point Wesleyan’s (18-11) Cole Bowman rapped a double to lead off the frame and Blake Goff had an infield hit before a walk loaded the bases and Domaine Vann ended the contest with a two-run walk-off single to left to score Bowman and Goff.
“You can’t write a better story than him getting that hit,” High Point Wesleyan coach Maurice “Mo” Blakeney said of Vann, whose scholarship offer to Miami (Fla.) was pulled a month ago. He’s now committed to play at Presbyterian.
Three who made a difference
Domaine Vann, High Point Wesleyan: He and Cole Bowman had a game-high three hits apiece with Vann driving in the final two runs of the game with a walk-off, one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Alex Lerch, Metrolina Christian: Senior second baseman had a team-high two hits and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk.
Josh Hammond, High Point Wesleyan: One of the highest-rated players in the state and nation, the Wake Forest commit started and threw five innings with four strikeouts while yielding one hit and one walk. He had one hit and drew three walks (two intentional) in his four plate appearances.
Notable
▪ High Point Wesleyan’s sixth-year head coach, Maurice “Mo” Blakeney, guided his No. 5-seeded team to a 5-0 record against Charlotte metro teams in this year’s playoffs. The Trojans beat Charlotte Country Day 5-4, Charlotte Latin 6-0, Charlotte Christian 2-0 and Metrolina Christian 9-4 in nine innings and 5-4 to win the school’s seventh state title and second in three years.
▪ Blakeney’s team also played its last three opponents on the road to give the former Kannapolis A.L. Brown star a mini-homecoming. A 1991 A.L. Brown graduate, Blakeney quarterbacked the Wonders to the 1989 N.C. 3A football title, was later a two-sport star at Elon (he’s a 2007 Elon Sports Hall of Fame inductee) and played five years of pro baseball, including four seasons in the old Montreal Expos organization.
▪ Metrolina Christian had at least five future collegians on its roster — seniors Case Gibbs (Maryland), Alex Lerch (Belmont Abbey) and Landon Nichols (Presbyterian) and juniors Mylo White (N.C. State) and Chase Kiker (Clemson).
Kiker, who was team MVP in 2024 for the Warriors when they won their first state title, has been out with an injury since April 5.
They said it
“I can’t think of a worse way to lose and this is a tough pill to swallow. Our guys battled so hard and fought back in Game 1 and Game 2. We lost 10 seniors and our player of the year (Kiker) has been out since April 5.” — Metrolina Christian coach Darren Adams.
GAME SUMMARY
Metrolina Christian 000 100 3 - 4 4 1
High Point Wesleyan 001 020 2 - 5 9 0
W - Nick Papciack. L - Case Gibbs. Leading hitters: MC- Alex Lerch (2-3, 1 RBI), Jacob Seamon (1-2, double); HPW- Cole Bowman (3-4, double, 1 RBI), Domaine Vann (3-4, 2 RBIs), Thompson Holloway (1-3, double, 2 RBIs).