How Burns baseball punched its ticket to NCHSAA 4A championship series

Burns baseball is back in familiar territory. For the third time in four seasons, the second-ranked Bulldogs will play for an NCHSAA state title, this after completing a sweep of their best-of-three 4A West championship series with a 16-6 victory over No. 4 Lincoln Charter.

The win comes on the heels of Burns’ 3-1 win in the series opener Tuesday, May 19. Burns (25-3) will vie for its first title since 2023 when it faces Bunn next week in the 4A state championship series. Much like the Bulldogs, Bunn swept the 4A East regional finals over Southwestern Randolph.

STANDARD IS GREAT: Names have changed for Burns baseball, but standard remains the same PLAYING INSPIRED BASEBALL: Burns, Stuart Cramer baseball play on after Storm coach's tragic death The Bulldogs finished with 13 unanswered runs after Lincoln Charter scored five runs to take a 6-3 lead in the second. After a bases loaded walk trimmed Burns’ deficit to two, Drew Dixon put his team up for good with a bases clearing double. The Bulldogs all but put the game away in the fifth, taking advantage of five walks, a hit batsman and two base hits to plate seven runs and extend their lead to 14-6.

Mason Bralley capped the night with a two-run homer, part of a 2-for-5 outing with two RBIs and three total runs. He also spent extensive time on the mound, allowing one run (none earned) on six hits with five strikeouts. Dixon was 3-for-5 with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored.