With high school in the rear view, summer baseball takes center stage

Mike Duprez

Randolph Hub

With high school sports finished following a week of state championship play, the focus last week began to zero in on the Coastal Plain League’s Asheboro Zookeepers and American Legion action with Randolph County Post 45 and Liberty Post 81. Here’s a look back at some of those highlights:

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

*Caleb Dunn smacked a three-run double in the top of the eighth inning as Randolph County rallied past Liberty 6-4. 

Chance Holdaway’s RBI single brought home Shane Immel, who had tripled, in the bottom of the eighth inning for Liberty. Brett Smith struck out the next two batters as Randolph County held on for the win.

Liberty had taken a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a bases-loaded walk to Bauer Bowling and Logan Fox’s two-run single.

Pearce Leonard and Dunn each had two hits for Randolph County. Both of Dunn’s hits were doubles. 

Cade McCallum had two hits for Liberty.

Smith got the win with four innings of relief. Austin Lemons pitched the first four innings.

*Grat Dalton had two hits and an RBI in Randolph County’s 5-3 victory over Chatham County. Clay Hill and Leonard each had a run-scoring single. Drew Harmon allowed two earned runs in five innings to get the win. Tate Andrews pitched two perfect innings for the save while getting a hit. 

ZOOKEEPERS BASEBALL

*Chase Heath went 3-for-3, including a home run and double, with four RBIs in the Zookeepers’ 8-4 win over the Florence Flamingos. Owen Blackledge and RJ Jimerson each had two hits. Caleb Cockerham hurled three innings of hitless relief to get the win. Danny Thompson finished up with two innings of scoreless relief.

*Jimerson went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the Zookeepers’ 8-5 loss to the Martinsville Mustangs. Alex Kean had two hits and an RBI.

*Jimerson was 2-for-4 and drove in one run as the Zookeepers fell 8-2 to the Martinsville Mustangs.

*Davis Germann and Kean both had two hits and two RBIs in the Zookeepers’ 9-5 victory over the Boone Bigfoots. Zach Evans had three hits and an RBI while Evan Harding was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hunter Atkins was 2-for-5. Mason Manriquez pitched three innings of hitless relief to get the win.

BROOKS BRANNON UPDATE    

*The former Randleman star smashed a solo home run in the Salem Red Sox’s 3-1 win over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

Brannon was 1-for-4 with an RBI in Salem’s 12-6 loss to Fayetteville. He had the same numbers in a 5-2 win over the Down East Wood Ducks.

As of June 14, the 2022 ninth-round pick of the Boston Red Sox was hitting .207 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs. He started the season with an eight-game rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Red Sox.

GENERAL

*Allie Popp of Southwestern Randolph received a Pat Gainey Student Scholarship from the NCHSAA. Award recipients have at least a 3.2 GPA, a strong work ethic, successful career and respect for teammates and coaches.

Popp was a four-year tennis player for the Cougars. As a senior, she was team MVP and one half of the Piedmont Athletic Conference doubles champions.