Brooks Brannon ties his father's home runs record in Randleman's state semifinal win

RANDLEMAN — Brooks Brannon ended Wednesday night's NCHSAA 2A state semifinal opener with a home run to left field that gave Randleman its fifth straight playoff game win with a run-rule shutout, 12-0 over Community School of Davidson.

It also gave him a share of the North Carolina high school baseball record for home runs in a season.

The other share belongs to his father, Paul.

Brannon's blast was his 20th of the season, pulling him even with his dad's record from 1989 when he played for Kings Mountain.

"It's an honor that I can be up there with him," Brannon told SportsTone after the game. "To have both our names in the record books, it's just awesome."

The top-seeded Tigers (30-1) will play CSD at Moore Park in Mooresville on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Game 2 of the best-of-three series to determine who will play in the state championship.

If the Spartans manage to beat the Tigers on Thursday, the series will return to Randleman for a tiebreaker Saturday.

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Randleman loaded with hitters

Paul Brannon wasn't optimistic about his son's chances to join him atop the state record list.

"Before the season, he was like, 'There's no way you're going to do it. ... You're going to hit 10 and they're going to start walking you,' " Brooks Brannon said.

"I've gotten a few intentional walks, but not a whole lot and I'm grateful for it."

Brannon has the protection of deep bats in the Randleman lineup. The Tigers' team batting average is .415 and they've scored 354 runs this season — two shy of Murphy's single-season runs record from 2018.

A state-record 63 of those runs scored belong to Trey Way, who crossed the plate twice Wednesday night with a single and a home run.

Randleman also owns the state record for home runs in a season with 59. Brannon hit a pair of three-run dingers Wednesday to go with Way's long shot.

The Tigers (30-1) have outscored their state playoff opponents 65-0 in pursuit of a second straight NCHSAA championship. They're on a run of six straight shutouts and one more will tie for the state's second-longest shutout streak.

Brannon's 20 home runs have helped Randleman set a state team record with 59 on the season, and his three hits Wednesday leave the senior catcher bound for UNC just three shy of the individual hits state record of 65. That's stood since New Hanover's Shawn Gallagher set it in 1995.

"It's surreal," Brannon said of the record season punctuated by the record he now shares with his father.

"The fact that my teammates are as good as they are, it just makes it a whole lot easier. ... It takes the weight off my shoulders of having to perform."

The Tigers used their formidable mix of hitting, pitching and defense to clobber Community School of Davidson, a No. 15 seed with a 17-7 overall record.

Hunter Atkins, Braylen Hayes and Trey Way had two hits apiece as Randleman took a 5-0 lead in the first inning.

Western Carolina commit Ryan White pitched for his 13th win of the season Wednesday after entering the game with a 0.27 ERA. Seth Way struck out both batters he faced in relief.

"They attack the zone, they compete and throw offspeed for strikes in any count," Tigers coach Jake Smith said of his pitching staff.

"On the flipside, offensively, putting the pressure on teams that early changes the approach at the plate."

Randleman will look to continue its dominant play in Game 2. A win then would make Wednesday's romp the Tigers' last home game.

It's a big way to go out in front of yet another crowd of more than 1,000 spectators.

But the Tigers aren't looking back.

"We're looking forward to the challenge," Smith said.

Sports editor Monica Holland can be reached at mholland@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Courier-Tribune: Randleman baseball's Brooks Brannon ties his dad's home run record