NC Leadership baseball takes G1 of the 1A championship series over Bear Grass Charter

HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. — It’s now 20 straight wins for the North Carolina Leadership Academy.

They need just one more for their first baseball state championship.

Junior James Reynolds threw a three-hitter as the Falcons defeated Bear Grass Charter 7-2 in the opening game of the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A State Championship Series at the North Main Athletic Complex in Holly Springs on Friday night.

Reynolds, a junior, struck out five to improve to 10-0 on the season. Out of 84 pitches, he threw 55 strikes.

"He's a stud," said N.C. Leadership Academy head coach David Sellers, now in his third season with the Falcons. "I've coached 26 years in American Legion and other levels, but James is the best high school junior I've ever coached. He's a competitor. He doesn't like to hit, but we only have 12 players. I just tell him to go up there and swing three times and hope the best happens."

N.C. Leadership, based out of Kannapolis, took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

Game two will be Saturday at 11AM.

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Bear Grass Charter (23-6), the Western Regional Champion based out of Williamston, dropped its first-ever game in a state championship series.

While the Falcons were held to two hits, they took advantage of eight walks issued by the five Bear Grass pitchers. Four Falcons batters were hit by pitches. Of the seven runs scored by the Falcons, three were unearned courtesy of four Bears errors. A balk in the sixth, called against Bears reliever Hunter Best, brought in Hank Gaston for the final tally.

"We like to run," Sellers said. "We're not a strong, big, powerful hitting team. We have two guys who hit it hard. Other than that, we spray it around and create havoc on the bases."

• View Photos: NC Leadership Academy vs. Bear Grass Charter (May 29, 2026). HSOT Insiders can download championship photos for free. Here's how.

N.C. Leadership (22-2), the top-seeded Eastern Regional champions, broke it open with four runs in the fourth inning, sending nine batters to the plate. Clay Smith delivered a perfectly executed hit-and-run with a line drive to centerfield to score Eli Gaston. After Dillion Ketron walked and Jafet Rodriguez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Smith scored off a wild pitch thrown by reliever Bret Clark. Brayden Hatfield knocked in Ketron after a ground ball was booted by the Bears' shortstop. With runners at the corners, Hatfield attempted to steal second and baited catcher Hunter Best with a throw that wound up in centerfield, which led to Rodriguez coming in to make it 5-0.

"These are the dumbest smart kids I've ever had in my life," Sellers said. "They all probably have a 4.2 GPA. Every one of them have offers for college for wherever they want to go. They're just happy go lucky. That's how teams win. You have to enjoy each other. They enjoy practice. They enjoy games. They even enjoy the bus ride down here."

After Reynolds tossed four scoreless innings with ease, the Bears put two across in the fifth. Hunter Best scored off an RBI groundout to Hatfield, the second baseman, struck by Ty Scott. Brayden Perry sent a worm burner up the middle to plate Jamison Stalls and reduce the Falcons.

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The Falcons’ Clay Smith broke a scoreless tie after he scored off a passed ball in the third. With Rodriguez at the plate, a curveball by Bears’ starting pitcher Ty Scott popped off the mitt of catcher Hunter Best and rolled to the sizable backstop at Dick Sears Field, allowing Smith to score with ease.

Scott, playing third base, triggered two 5-4-3 double plays to end the first and fifth innings.

N.C. Leadership hasn’t lost a game since March 9.

The defensive highlight of the game for Bear Grass came from reserve Ryan Martin, who dove headlong and made a gorgeous grab in the right field foul territory to retire Trent Bryant and end the third.

Before the game, Bret Clark of Bear Grass Charter and Rodriguez of N.C. Leadership Academy were honored with the NCHSAA Sportsmanship Awards.

Box Score

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