CARY, NC—The finals of the National High School Invitational are set with Green Hope HS, NC, continuing its Cinderella run and Orange Lutheran HS, CA, getting a chance to defend its 2017 title. Both semifinal match-ups were tight games filled with drama.

Green Hope and John Curtis Christian HS, LA, faced off first and needed 11 innings to determine a winner. The game was scoreless until then, though each team had its share of threats. In the bottom of the 11th for Green Hope, 1B Connor Knapp singled back up the middle. He moved up to second on a bunt by C P.J. Heintz, bringing up DH Liam Norris. One of the stars from Green Hope’s first-round win, Norris hadn’t been putting good swings on the ball in the game and had two strikeouts, but came through with a base hit back up the middle, bringing Knapp around from second to claim the victory. RHP Joey Hegeman pitched 7.1 innings of relief, needing just 77 pitches, and allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three. OF Jordyn Adams, who has been on fire this week, didn’t collect a hit, but all of his outs were loud.

The second semifinal match-up was between to powerhouses in Orange Lutheran and Calvary Christian Academy, FL, who is currently No. 3 in the PBR Florida Power 25 rankings. The Lancers opened the scoring in the second innings with two runs on a series of hits and a misplayed bunt. 2020 RHP Christian Rodriguez started for Orange Lutheran and was perfect through three innings, but Calvary Christian answered in the fourth. C Ben Rozenblum homered to lead off the inning and after a couple walks, OF Daley Weppner singled to bring SS Raynel Delgado home and tie the game at 2-2.

Both teams traded zeros in the fifth and sixth innings before Orange Lutheran broke the tie in the top of the seventh. 2020 OF Chad Born led off with a double to left field and advanced on a slow tapper back to the pitcher. SS Zach Lew, who had been outstanding defensively the whole game, came through with a base hit past a drawn in infield and Born scored the go-ahead run. Calvary threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs, but RHP/OF Evan Adolphus got 2B Dante Girardi to fly out to right field to end the game.

Here are some notes from Friday’s action…