The Midway Raiders saw another strong postseason run come to a close Saturday night as the Whiteville Wolfpack pulled away for a 14-8 victory in Game 3 of the NCHSAA 3A East Regional Finals.
Midway, which entered the decisive matchup one win away from the state championship series, finished the season 20-9 overall after capturing both the Carolina Conference regular season and tournament championships with an 11-1 league mark.
Despite the loss, the Raiders once again established themselves among the top baseball programs in the state under head coach Justin Carroll, advancing to the regional finals for the second consecutive season.
“We didn’t quit,” Carroll said earlier in the postseason while reflecting on the team’s growth throughout the year. “We kept playing throughout the season.”
Midway and Whiteville entered Saturday’s contest with momentum split evenly after the Raiders claimed a 4-0 win in Game 1 before the Wolfpack rallied late for a 5-4 victory in Game 2 to force the winner-take-all matchup.
The Raiders looked poised for another battle early Saturday.
After both Carson Tew and Tanner Williams were retired to open the top of the first inning, Wesley Tew reached with a single before Midway stranded him following a pop out to right field.
Camden Wilson got the start on the mound for the Raiders and Midway turned a double play in the bottom of the first inning, but Whiteville still managed to strike first after a Wolfpack baserunner advanced to third and later scored on a double for a 1-0 lead.
Midway answered in the second inning when Cameron Register delivered a double that brought Wilson home to even the score at 1-1.
Whiteville regained the advantage in the bottom half of the inning after a single plated another run, giving the Wolfpack a 2-1 edge heading into the third.
With two outs in the top of the third, Wesley Tew blasted a home run over the fence to tie the game once again at 2-2 and briefly swing momentum back toward the Raiders.
The Wolfpack responded quickly.
Whiteville erupted for four runs in the bottom of the third inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Tylae Rose, to take a commanding 6-2 lead.
Both offenses continued producing runs throughout the remainder of the game, but the Raiders were unable to fully recover from Whiteville’s big inning as the Wolfpack advanced with the 14-8 victory.
Sidney Miller earned his first win of the season for Whiteville after pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits. Luke Merritt paced the Wolfpack offensively with two hits and three runs scored, while Wyatt Torelli added three hits and two RBIs.
Carroll said earlier in the series that he did not believe Midway’s graduation ceremony the previous evening would impact his team entering Game 3, and the Raiders continued battling offensively throughout the night despite facing an early deficit.
The loss also marked the final high school game for Midway’s seven graduating seniors, a group that helped continue the program’s rise into one of the top contenders in eastern North Carolina.
The Raiders’ postseason run included victories over Greene Central, Northwood and Princeton before the season-ending series against Whiteville.
Whiteville advanced to the NCHSAA 3A state championship series seeking the program’s 10th state title. The Wolfpack previously captured championships in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 and will face East Rutherford in the state finals at North Main Athletic Park in Holly Springs.