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The Burlington School throttles Trinity School in second round of state baseball playoffs

david kehrli, times-news
·4 min read
The Burlington School baseball team huddles for a postgame conversation following an 11-0 victory in five innings against Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill in the second round of the NCISAA state playoffs.
The Burlington School baseball team huddles for a postgame conversation following an 11-0 victory in five innings against Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill in the second round of the NCISAA state playoffs.

Thunderstorms held off under weary skies at Joe Davidson Park on Thursday afternoon.

That didn't prevent The Burlington School baseball team from bringing thunder and lightning to the ballpark in the form of a balanced offensive explosion and a dominant pitching performance from Tucker Holland.

All nine Spartans starters reached base and four different batters homered in an 11-0 five-inning victory against Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill in the second round of the NCISAA Class 2-A state playoffs.

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“It’s hard (to face our lineup),” Holland said. “I see those guys every day and we do a lot of short skill work. We don't go live as much as we'd like to, but I know from a pitching standpoint when I have faced those guys live, it's tough.”

The Spartans (18-6) will play host to John Paul II Catholic in a quarterfinal matchup 3 p.m. Saturday at Joe Davidson Park. The Saints (15-8) defeated Harrells Christian Academy 8-5 in a second-round game Wednesday.

With each swing of a Spartans bat, it seemed lightning struck, as the Spartans finished with five home runs and nine hits.

“We've been working at our approaches,” TBS coach Chad Holland said. “We took all week to really kind of go back to ground zero and build those swings back up and we really saw the examples of those (in this game). One through nine, we have a strong lineup as anybody else in the state right now.”

Landon Parker homered twice — a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run blast in the third — to finish with a team-high three RBI.

“(Parker) has been all-state every year since the seventh grade,” Chad Holland said. “Now COVID hurt things, but he can realistically be a five-time all-state player which is unheard of. He's been my most consistent hitter his whole career, doesn't matter what year. I can really depend on him. That's why he hits in the two- or three-hole every game.”

Will Keziah opened the scoring with a solo shot over the fence in the first inning, Zack Cimino hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Will Stadler ripped a two-run home run in the third. Seniors Sammy Edwards (two RBI), Max Gustafson and Wagner Morrissette (one RBI) supplied one hit apiece.

The Burlington School senior Wagner Morrissette waits for a pitch against Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill.
The Burlington School senior Wagner Morrissette waits for a pitch against Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill.

“Last year we made it to the state championship, but I think our hitting was something that we needed to improve," Morrissette said. "So, that's what we tackled in the offseason. Got some transfers in here and we all bang it one to nine (in the lineup). It definitely helps, especially in the playoffs when you need that jolt, that home run every now and then.”

With each pitch thunderously slung by the left arm of 6-foot-5, 235-pound Holland, Trinity batters were sat down on strikes 14 times.

“Strikes early in counts and really getting into good 1-2 pitcher counts,” Chad Holland said of his pitcher. “He’s pretty much un-hittable (at) 1-2. Just his overall composure and control.”

The Burlington School junior pitcher Tucker Holland readies before throwing a pitch to Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill.
The Burlington School junior pitcher Tucker Holland readies before throwing a pitch to Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill.

In five complete innings, Holland allowed just one hit, coming in the second inning when he hung a slider. That seemed to light a fire under the junior, who proceeded to rattle off strikeout after strikeout to the Lions (8-13).

“(It upset me) a little bit,” the Arkansas commit said. “All due respect to Trinity — they’re well-coached and I have a lot of respect for those kids — but I came into (this game) kind of thinking perfect game. I saw an opportunity for a lot of strikeouts and hopefully give up no hits, so it was kind of upsetting. I threw a bad pitch and he did what he was supposed to, so credit to him.”

After playing for a state championship a season ago, the Spartans say they’re hungry to return to that stage and finish the job this time around.

“In our training facility, we still have the runner-up trophy sitting right as soon as you come in,” said Morrissette, a Maryland commit. “It’s just kind of a reminder of, ‘Hey, this is how close we were last year. I think it's motivated all of us, even the new guys. They're kind of feeling what we felt last year when we made it but we couldn't bring home the ring. We’re even hungrier than we were last year because we know what it's like.”

David Kehrli is a sports reporter at the Burlington Times-News and USA Today Network. You can reach him at david.kehrli@thetimesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidKehrliTN. Subscribe to the Burlington Times-News here.

This article originally appeared on Times-News: Burlington School baseball trounces Trinity School in NCISAA 2nd round