PREP BASEBALL: Rosewood clinches berth in east 1A regional finals

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on May 21, 2017 1:45 AM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

Four gone, two to hold dear.

That sentiment could very well function as a promotional tag line for Rosewood High's varsity baseball outfit, who inched closer to its goal of competing for a state title on Friday by outlasting sixth-seeded Voyager Academy, 7-6, during fourth-round play of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A state playoffs.

A mixture of old-school patience and heightened Hollywood drama, the triumph earned the Eagles a date in the East Regional finals, which begin next Tuesday versus fifth-seeded Whiteville.

Through two innings, however, such a prospect appeared bleak. 

Rosewood (23-4 overall) starter Max White, a pillar of consistency on the cliff this spring, stumbled out of the gate, walking three of his first six batters and allowing a quartet of Vikings to cross the plate in 1 1/3 innings of work. 

In terms of starts, not exactly ideal -- and eerily reminiscent of Tuesday's third-round matchup with Pinetown-Northside, which saw the Eagles in a dangerous, bases-loaded jam to open the affair. 

"Guys that get paid millions of dollars don't have good nights sometimes," Rosewood skipper Jason King said. "We got in a big hole early, but I never doubted them -- there was no fear."

Specifically in reliever Kolby Harris, who sauntered to the mound from his post at Rosewood's corner office to herd the initial damage and provide much-needed oxygen to a five-deep, standing-room-only aggregate of Eagle enthusiasts.

After wiggling out of the second frame, the junior worked into a controlled rhythm, allowing just three base hits and issuing seven economy-class seating vouchers to Viking batsmen over the next four innings.

From there, designated hitter Will Albert inspired the rest.

The freshman, who began to emerge a month ago at the Golden Leaf Invitational in Wilson, terrorized Voyager starter Michael Jones all night, capping a 2-3 effort at the plate with a fifth-inning rope that broke up Rosewood's lethargy and launched its comeback bid.

After Stalen Massengill reached on a blooper, Albert dug in the box and lined a Jones offering to the gap in left center field. His precision set the stage for Chance Howard, whose textbook at-bat resulted in an RBI single that plated the duo and changed the tide of matters completely.

From there, the purple-and-gold's insurrection continued, complete with an RBI from Harris, scoring Howard, and a blast to the right center field fence by Tucker Chapin, which pushed across two more runs and gave the hosts a lead they would never relinquish.

Rosewood 7, Voyager 4.

The outburst -- a dizzying, out-of-nowhere six-spot -- even created an impression on the usually cool King, who made sure to properly cite its deserving author.

"He doesn't get rattled up there, and he doesn't chase," the skipper said of his freshman. "He has really great plate approaches, and a good portion of his hits have come with two strikes...(just) does a great job of zeroing in, working his count."

Indeed.

Boone Moody finished Voyager (17-6 overall) in the seventh for a taxed Harris, who was credited with the victory after allowing a pair of runs and parting ways with some of the polish that allowed him to settle the contest five frames earlier.

Ultimately, a strikeout -- Rosewood's ninth of the game as a staff -- ended the proceedings, which King had difficulty qualifying in the immediate aftermath.

"I'm just really excited for the opportunity for these guys," the coach said. "They've worked hard, and take this game very seriously -- just real proud of them."

As was a litany of fans, who lingered long into the humid night to celebrate in step with a group that is just a pair of victories away from a jaunt to the state championship series. 

Four gone, two to hold dear.