Throughout the summer of 2020 many players across North Carolina did not play their expected schedule.   This is on the back of a spring season that was cancelled very early on for high school players.  As August rolled around, it became clear that individual sessions through high school teams, and the fall season, would continue to be impacted by COVID-19.  These issues brought some solutions as the sport of baseball, and the people involved, continued to work to impact the growth of young players.

The Old North State League was one group that stepped up to see if it could help players.  Coming off a successful 1^st summer of their Collegiate League, the ONSL setup a high school fall league.  The leagues features players representing teams from area high schools, for the most part.  The league is meant to be a developmental platform, giving players reps Mondays through Thursday beginning in September and running through mid-August.

 

Week 2 – ONSL Fall League

 

Each week, PBR will recap games and player performances based on games PBR was able to attend, as well as information from box scores and live stream feeds.  The week 2 schedule featured 7 scheduled games.  Rain washed out the Thursday schedule, leaving just 5 games from the week.  Below we recap a couple of games from the week.

 

Tuesday September 15, 2020 – Swepsonville Park

ONSL Futures  4               Hillsborough Hogs  14

The Hillsborough Hogs used an explosive lineup, scoring in each of their at-bats, to slug their way to a 14-4 win over the ONSL Futures.  Ryan Hench (3B/RHP, Orange HS, 2023) led the way for the Hogs with 3 hits, including a double, and 4 RBIs on the night.  On the mound Marco Valazquez and Jaren Sikes (OF/RHP, Orange HS, 2021) limited the ONSL Futures to just 1 inning of scoring opportunities.  The Final was declared after 5 innings, 14-4.

Hillsborough jumped out to a quick 5 run lead at the end of the first.  The Hogs were powered by doubles from Will Walker (1B, Orange HS, 2021) and Hench. 

The game would not get out of hand too early though as the ONSL Futures used RBI singles from Garrett Arnold and Cameron Turner to eventually plate 4 runs in the 2^nd, closing the game to a 5-4 score.

In the 2^nd, the Hogs would pull away for good.  A one out triple from Jackson Berini (SS, Orange HS, 2023) was followed by a single from Bryson Clark.   Clark would score on a Walker double.  Two runs later and the Hogs were back out to a 9-4 lead. 

In the 4^th, the Hogs would push the lead to 10 with an RBI single from Sylas Boris (SS/RHP, Northwest Guilford HS, 2023).  Sikes worked the final 2 innings for Hillsborough, surrendering just 1 hit, while striking out 3.

 

ONSL Futures Notes:
Loss:  Garrett Arnold – 1IP, 4H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 1K
Brett Freeland – 2.2IP, 7H, 9R, 4ER, 4BB, 5K
Cameron Turner – 1-3, 1RBI
Mason Lynch – 2-3, 2RBI
Sylas Boris – 1-3, 1R
Garrett Arnold – 1-1, 1R, 1RBI

Hillsborough Hogs Notes:
Win: Marco Velazquez – 3IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 0K
Jaren Sikes – 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
Will Walker – 2-3, 2 2B, 2R, 1RBI
Ryan Hench – 3-3, 2B, 1R, 4RBI
Conner Funk – 2-3, 3R
Jaren Sikes – 1-2, 2R, 1RBI

 

Wednesday September 16, 2020 – Swepsonville Park

ONSL Futures 0                Hillsborough Wolves 3

Matt Hughes and Will Berger teamed up on a 6 inning shutout, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks, while combining to strikeout 10 in the Wolves 3-0 win over the ONSL Futures.  The Wolves were paced by Sam Garbee offensively, with 2 hits and an RBI.

The lefty, Hughes was good from the beginning, striking out three in the first and two more in the 2^nd.  The quick start was needed as the ONSL Futures starter, Mason Lynch (OF/P, Rockingham County HS, 2022) was equally dominate in his 1^st inning of work.

In the 2^nd, the Wolves would strike, getting to Lynch with a 1 out walk, followed by a hit-by-pitch.  An error would lead to the first run for the Wolves, the only run they would need on the night.

In total, Hughes would work 3 innings, striking out 7, allowing 2 hits.  He turned the game over in the 4^th to Berger who would only yield 1 walk, while striking out 3 for the save.

The Wolves added a run in the 4^th.  Trenton Kirby would walk to leadoff the inning and advance to 2B on a wild pitch.  Garbee lined a single to right, scoring Kirby, pushing the lead to 2-0.

For the Futures, Lynch worked 3.2 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs and striking out 8.  Matt Keller (LHP, Fuquay-Varina HS, 2023) worked the final 2.1 innings, giving up 1 unearned run and striking out 6.

 

ONSL Futures Notes:
Loss:  Mason Lynch – 3.2IP, 2H, 2R, 1ER, 4BB, 8K
Matt Keller – 2.1IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 6K

Hillsborough Wolves Notes:
Win:  Matt Hughes – 3IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 7K
Save: Will Berger – 3IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3K
Aidan McAllister – 1-2
Sam Garbee – 2-2, 1RBI, 1SB