After a loss in game one of the state regional series, The Marvin Ridge Mavericks have defeated the Jesse Carson Cougars in the last two games of the series to earn a spot in the NCHSAA 3A varsity baseball state championship game.

Despite earning 12 hits to Jesse Carson’s six in game one, Marvin Ridge found themselves unable to convert hits into runs in time to stop the Cougars, who converted each of their six hits into runs in a fashion that revealed why they won 17 of their last 18 games leading up to this regional series.

The regional number one seed’s winning streak, however, was about to be broken.  The  Cougars were first to score in game two, but singles, walks and an error in the bottom of the first left Marvin Ridge with a 5-1 lead that would remain the same until an important Marvin Ridge run in the bottom of the sixth inning that made the lead 6-1.  Junior Kyle McKernan allowed only one Jesse Carson run on the night until the top of the seventh inning in which a walk with bases loaded stopped the Cougar’s scoring drought.  Relief pitcher Drew Cognac quickly found himself facing a 6-5 game as a double and a single pushed runs through late in the seventh.  An out at second base made for two on the inning.  The final strike was thrown by Cognac to Jesse Carson’s closing pitcher to put an end to the Cougar’s comeback efforts.

Game 3 of the series began with two Maverick singles and a 2RBI double that gave Marvin Ridge an early lead.  Both teams remained scoreless in the second; The Mavericks broke ahead to a 5-2 lead in the third inning.

Following a base loading walk and a wild pitch, the Mavericks found themselves with a 7-2 lead that they would easily maintain until the game took a wild turn in the bottom of the seventh inning.  A single and a walk put two runners on for the Cougars early in the inning. A two run RBI followed by a Cougar home run made the score 7-6 with only one out in the final moments of the semifinal series.  Drew Cognac, with his back against the wall, decided to take the game into his own hands.  Two strikeouts by Cognac finished the series and earned the Marvin Ridge Mavericks the right to play for the NCHSAA state title.

The Mavericks will face the New Hanover Wildcats on Friday May 31 At Five County Stadium in Zebulon, North Carolina for game one of the three game state championship series.  The first pitch will be thrown at 8:00 p.m.