Granite Bears break 93-year-old record with playoff victory

Mount Airy’s historic baseball season was extended with a first-round playoff victory on May 7.

The No. 1 Granite Bears quickly climbed to a 5-0 lead against No. 32 Langtree Charter. The visiting Lions battled back to cut the game to 6-5 in the top of the fifth inning, but the Bears responded with five runs across the next two innings to win 11-5.

Mount Airy improved to 22-1 overall to set a new school record for wins in a season. The previous record of 21 wins was set during the school’s 1931 state championship season, then was tied eight years later when the 1939 team also won a state title (via Mount Airy sports historian Doug McDaniel).

Tuesday’s playoff victory also marked the Bears’ 22nd-consecutive win.

Brison George earned the win on the mound for Mount Airy. The senior threw 3 1/3 innings and recorded four strikeouts, two bases on balls, one hit by pitch, and four runs allowed on one hit. Kamden Hawks pitched 1 2/3 innings, struck out three batters and walked one. Landon Cox pitched two innings and finished with three strikeouts, two bases on balls, and one run allowed on one hit.

Eight of Mount Airy’s nine hitters recorded one hit: George, Hawks, Cox, Landon Gallimore, Rylan Venable, Cameryn Wilson, Bryson Grey and Camdyn Easter. Hawks and Wilson led the team with three RBIs, followed by Cox with two, and Easter and Ian Gallimore with one.

A five-run first inning set the tone for the Bears. Venable and Ian Gallimore got on base via a single and base on balls respectively, then Hawks scored both with a double. A home run from Cox added two more runs, then Landon Gallimore later scored on a passed ball.

The Lions (4-18) hit a home run in the top of the second inning, but the Bears countered in the bottom of the inning when Camdyn Easter scored. The Lions added three runs off three hits and two bases on balls in the fourth inning to make it 6-4. The deficit was cut to one after the visitors scored again in the fifth inning.

Mount Airy quickly loaded the bases with Easter, Venable and Landon Gallimore in the bottom of the fifth. Ian Gallimore was hit by a pitch to bring his brother in, Wilson scored Easter and Venable with a single, then Ian scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Hawks.

The Bears tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning when Easter singled to score George.

Mount Airy will host No. 17 Highland Tech in the second round. The Rams (12-12) finished fourth overall and second among 1A teams in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference.

Highland Tech defeated No. 16 East Wilkes 7-0 in the opening round. East Wilkes, who Mount Airy defeated 8-1 and 13-3 earlier this season, was the only common opponent between the Rams and Granite Bears.

The winner of Mount Airy and Highland Tech will face the winner of No. 9 Thomasville (12-11) and No. 25 Leadership Academy (10-12).

Pitching

Langtree Charter

Aiden Gelpke — 1 IP, 0K, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 3H, 6R

Tanner Lewis — 3 1/3 IP, 7K, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 2H, 4R

Brandon MacDonald — 1 2/3 IP, 0K, 3 BB, 0 HBP, 2H, 1R

Mount Airy

Brison George — 3 1/3 IP, 4K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5H, 4R

Kamden Hawks — 1 2/3 IP, 3K, 1 BB, 0 HBP, 0H, 0R

Landon Cox — 2 IP, 3K, 2 BB, 0 HBP, 1H, 1R

Scoring

(32) Langtree — 0, 1, 0, 3, 1, 0, 0 — 5

(1) Mount Airy — 5, 1, 0, 0, 4, 1, X — 11