Stephen Crumpler pitches Louisburg past Hope Mills in the opening game of the state tournament in Leland. Cody Matthews prepares for action at shortstop. (Photo courtesy of Dixon Crumpler)
The girls on the Henderson-Vance 12-and-under All-Star softball team aren’t the only local diamond stars who advanced to a World Series last weekend.
Two Hendersonians, Stephen Crumpler and Cody Matthews, play key roles on the Louisburg All-Star team that won its first Dixie Youth Baseball Majors (11-12) state championship Saturday in Leland to claim a spot in next week’s 50th annual Dixie Youth World Series in Auburn, Ala.
Louisburg beat the Whiteville Optimists 4-1 in the third game of the best-of-three championship series to capture the first state title for any team from the North Carolina Dixie Youth League’s District 10, which includes Oxford, Youngsville and Bunn.
Mike Lloyd and assistants Bill Bolton and Greg Ayscue coach the Louisburg team.
Crumpler, the son of Henderson police Capt. Charles Crumpler, and Matthews wound up playing in Louisburg instead of Henderson this summer largely because they made friends with some the players while on a travel team last fall. Some Louisburg-area residents on the team are expected to attend schools in Vance County this year.
Crumpler and Matthews played on separate Louisburg rec league teams, and each was selected to play on the All-Star team, which won the district tournament in early July.
Crumpler pitches, plays first base and occasionally catches for Louisburg. Matthews plays shortstop.
The first game of the 16-team state tournament, against Hope Mills, reflected the key roles Matthews and Crumpler play. At one point Matthews teamed with second baseman Gray Ayscue to turn an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded, clearing the way for an 11-6 win behind Crumpler’s 12-strikeout pitching.
Louisburg went on to sweep Hope Mills, Eden YMCA (twice) and West Roberson (twice) by a combined score of 50-7 to reach the state championship series against Whiteville.
Crumpler pitched Louisburg to a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the final series Friday night. He allowed only two hits. Matthews had a put-out at second base for the second out of the sixth and final inning, and Crumpler got his 13th strikeout for the final out.
Each also contributed one of Louisburg’s four hits. Cameron Capell’s two-run single in the first inning supplied all of the offense Crumpler needed.
Whiteville won Game 2 by the same 2-1 score Saturday morning despite getting only two hits off Dillon Joyner. Both runs scored on passed balls.
Louisburg was shut out until the top of the sixth. Cody Young singled and scored, and Louisburg got the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base before Whiteville’s pitcher, Andrew Scott, induced a Crumpler ground-out to end the game. Scott allowed six Louisburg hits in the game.
In the final game Saturday, Cameron Capell launched a two-run home run in the first inning, and Louisburg never trailed. Young hit a two-out solo homer in the second, and Louisburg added a run in the fourth
inning when Tyler Bolton, who had walked, scored on a passed ball.
Chandler Lloyd pitched the complete game and kept Whiteville’s batters off-balance with breaking pitches. He allowed four hits and struck out eight.
The Dixie World Series starts Monday in Auburn; Louisburg opens against Wayne County, Tenn. The Henderson-Vance All-Stars are scheduled to open play against the Pacific Southwest champions in the Babe Ruth Softball World Series five days later in Cherry Hill, N.J.