The Midway Raiders are one step closer to competing for a state championship after surviving a tense extra-inning home battle Friday night, edging conference rival Princeton 2-1 to advance to the 3A NCHSAA East Regional Finals.
In a postseason atmosphere packed with intensity and emotion, Midway leaned on clutch pitching, timely hitting and postseason experience to outlast the Bulldogs and continue another deep playoff run. The Raiders improved to 25-26 overall and now move into a best-of-three regional finals series against White Oak with a trip to the state championship round on the line.
“What a game Friday night,” Midway head coach Justin Carroll shared. “It was a great environment. Obviously, with a couple of conference schools playing each other for the third time that year, and they gave us a lot of trouble the first time we played them. It was tight in the dugout at times, but it was tight on their side, too. We just kind of did enough to win the game.”
With both teams already familiar with one another from conference play, runs were difficult to come by all evening.
Princeton broke through first with a run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 1-0 lead, but Midway answered in the bottom half to even the score at 1-1 and keep the momentum from shifting fully toward the visitors.
From there, the Raiders’ pitching staff settled in and delivered under pressure.
Sophomore Carson Register started on the mound and tossed 3.2 shutout innings, allowing five hits while striking out three batters. Wesley Tew followed in relief and worked 3.1 innings, allowing just one run while keeping Midway within striking distance heading into extra innings.
Senior Camden Wilson then stepped in during the eighth inning and slammed the door shut, throwing a perfect inning with two strikeouts before the Raiders secured the walk-off victory in the bottom half.
Carroll credited his team’s postseason experience and composure for helping Midway navigate another high-pressure playoff game.
“Our older guys and even some of our younger guys, with the success we had last year, have been in environments like that before,” Carroll explained. “That certainly helped us out a ton.”
Midway totaled eight hits offensively in the victory.
Luke Peterson and Carson Tew each collected two hits to lead the Raiders at the plate, while Harry Johnson and Wesley Tew each recorded RBIs. Johnson also blasted a home run, while Tanner Williams delivered a triple and crossed the plate for one of Midway’s two runs.
Carroll acknowledged the challenge that comes with facing a conference opponent deep in the postseason, especially when both teams know each other so well.
“I guess it’s kind of nice that you know what you’re getting yourself into,” Carroll noted. “But on the contrary, they know what they’re getting themselves into as well. We were just able to score a couple of runs, and fortunately, that’s all it took.”
The veteran coach added that close playoff games magnify every detail, especially defensive execution and limiting mistakes.
“Mistakes are going to happen,” Carroll said. “You just kind of hope they happen at the right time for you and an unfortunate time for the other team.”
Now, Midway shifts its focus toward Whiteville in the regional finals as the Raiders attempt to earn a spot in the 3A state championship series.
Carroll said the approach moving forward will remain the same despite the increased stakes.
“We’re just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing all year and focus on what we can control,” Carroll stated. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in our hitters, our pitchers and our athleticism as a team. We just want to do the simple things at a high level.”
The Raiders have already proven they can thrive in difficult postseason environments, something Carroll believes will continue benefiting the club moving forward.
“We’ve played in loud environments before,” Carroll added. “Playing in the eastern finals last year in front of a couple thousand people, we’ve been there before and done that before. I’m not super concerned with us being shell-shocked by any means.”
Even with Midway now sitting just one series away from the state championship round, Carroll said his team understands the importance of staying composed and focused.
“I’m never going to lie to them,” Carroll said plainly. “Obviously, it’s not just another game. But we’ve played a lot of really good teams this year, and I feel pretty good about where we are.”