The Tobacco State League: A Summer With the Red Springs Red Robins

[AZTarHeel]

Three on top with one game left in TSL regular season
Red Springs survives middle game at Angier-Fuquay Springs, 7-4

Chase Murphy | Summer Intern | The Robesonian | July 21, 2025

Red Springs pounded out 15 hits and survived a late Angier-Fuquay Springs rally to claim a 7-4 win on the next-to-last night of the Tobacco State League regular season.

Catcher Mike Adams went 4-for-5, and the Red Robins broke things open with a five-run fifth. Justin Griffis laced a two-run double during that stretch. Griffis, Scott Ward, Bruce Browning and Danny Abell each had two-out RBIs.

The win lifts Red Springs to 30-23. Sanford and Warsaw also have the same 30-23 mark, so the regular season title could go to one, two, three -- or even four teams -- after tomorrow night's TSL finales. Who knows how tiebreakers will be sorted out for playoff seeding.

Of concern to Red Springs, pitcher Dave Colvin once again had to leave early with back spasms. Colvin has battled flare ups all season, and the spasms sent him to the dugout in the fourth inning Monday. He's the Robins' No. 3 starter.

It will be intriguing to see how Red Springs handles tomorrow's game against Angier. No. 4 Shane D'Ovidio and No. 5 fill-in George Youngblood are the only starting arms fully rested. Would the Robins pitch ace Dan McSwain on short rest, knowing they will have a 4-5 day break before the playoffs start?

Tobacco State League Scoreboard | Monday, July 21
Red Springs 7, Angier-Fuquay Springs 4
Clinton 8, Sanford 4
Whiteville 6, Warsaw 1
Dunn-Erwin 5, Smithfield-Selma 1
Rockingham 4, Lumberton 2

Tobacco State League Standings | One Game Left!!!
Red Springs 30-23
Sanford 30-23
Warsaw 30-23
Whiteville 29-24
Clinton 28-25
Lumberton 27-26
Dunn-Erwin 25-28
Rockingham 23-30
Angier-Fuquay Springs 22-31
Smithfield-Selma 21-32

Match-ups | Tuesday, July 22
Whiteville at Warsaw | 7:05 p.m.
Red Springs at Angier-Fuquay Springs | 7:35 p.m.
Sanford at Clinton | 7:35 p.m.
Dunn-Erwin at Smithfield-Selma | 7:35 p.m.
Lumberton at Rockingham | 7:35 p.m.

Expect lots of scoreboard watching during tomorrow's action!

Who you got? Who wins the regular season crown?

[AZTarHeel]

(not sure if anyone is actually reading this but this has been one of my favorite dynasties to play ... I've never seen standings so close at the top - the fun of a short season sprint!)

[StLee]

As of this reading, 4977 views with 61 posts. We're reading! Keep on chugging even if you do not get constant interaction. People are viewing what you have written and following along.

We REALLY do need the "Like" button back for these dynasty reports so that we can leave a like when we do not want to take the time to read.

I was thinking of your dynasty the other day. In the wild, I saw someone wearing a Holly Springs Salamanders t-shirt of the Coastal Plain League (https://coastalplain.com/).

[AZTarHeel]

Originally Posted by StLee

As of this reading, 4977 views with 61 posts. We're reading! Keep on chugging even if you do not get constant interaction. People are viewing what you have written and following along.

We REALLY do need the "Like" button back for these dynasty reports so that we can leave a like when we do not want to take the time to read.

I was thinking of your dynasty the other day. In the wild, I saw someone wearing a Holly Springs Salamanders t-shirt of the Coastal Plain League (https://coastalplain.com/).

Liked a reply

(Thanks for reading!)

[jksander]

Originally Posted by AZTarHeel

(not sure if anyone is actually reading this but this has been one of my favorite dynasties to play ... I've never seen standings so close at the top - the fun of a short season sprint!)

Just caught up on this ... can't wait to see if we end up with a couple playoffs to get into the playoffs

[AZTarHeel]

It's the final night of the 2025 regular season in the Tobacco State League. There's everything to play for if you're Red Springs, Whiteville, Warsaw and Sanford. Regular season title at stake. Bragging rights. Playoff seeding. Did we say bragging rights?

Thought it would be fun to showcase this special night through the eyes of The Robesonian's illustrious summer intern, Chase Murphy, who lives and dies with every pitch of his hometown team. He can get a little over the top (OK, a lot over the top) but he's a good kid. Hope you enjoy his "Scribbles from the Notebook" as he covers the action live from Angier-Fuquay Springs humble press box behind home plate...

Murphy has his own bragging rights at stake tonight. The Robesonian is based in Lumberton and most folks in the office root for the Auctioneers. A win by Red Springs tonight puts Chase's byline on the paper's front page - and Murphy claims a season's long bet with his sports editor that Red Springs would capture the regular season crown.

Red Springs wins = Murphy gets a free lunch at Roy's Country Corral. A loss, and he has to buy lunch for the editor, publisher and sports editor of the paper. That would be about half of his salary from the summer...


Roy's Country Corral in Lumberton. Good eatin'

[AZTarHeel]

View from the press box at Angier-Fuquay Springs. I see some Red Springs fans making their way into the ballpark


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX NOTEBOOK
Red Springs at Angier-Fuquay Springs | Tuesday, July 22, 2025 | Final Night of TSL Regular Season

Weather: Sticky. My scorebook is damp already.
Mood: Nauseous.
The Situation: Red Springs opting for rest over risk Tuesday night, handing the final start of the regular season to Shane D’Ovidio while ace Dan McSwain looks on from the dugout — his right arm in bubble wrap, his eyes locked on a postseason that promises fireworks.

Whether this is the right call will be debated on the porch at Ryker Hardware all week long... D'Ovidio is 5-4, 3.92 ERA

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY'S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End Top 1st

Red Springs 0, Angier-Fuquay Springs 0

Ken Rogers sets the tone with a leadoff double. Steve Bowser moves him over with a one-out single. Here we go, right? Nope. Stubbs flies out to right. Browning pops one up. Rally fizzles.

Leaving ducks on the pond with a chance to strike early… that could come back to haunt us. Still, D’Ovidio jogs out like it’s just another Tuesday. Ice in the veins? Or just heatstroke? Time will tell.

Also, the Bulls PA guy is playing Kenny Loggins between innings. “Danger Zone” is too real right now.


CHASE MURPHY'S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End of 1st

D’Ovidio Comes Out Dealing

Shane D’Ovidio just tossed a gem of a first inning. Two strikeouts, both looking — looked like his curveball has some extra bite tonight.

Press box AC is broken. Sweat ratio currently 70% baseball tension, 30% July in the Carolinas. Whiteville leads Warsaw 2-1 in the 2nd … Huge night in Tobacco country... Still 0-0 here...


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Top 2nd Ends

Red Springs 0, Angier-Fuquay Springs 0

Danny Abell leads off with a sharp single – but a few pitches later, it’s erased like it never happened. Double play.

Then Mike Adams — yesterday’s MVP — ropes a double into the right-field corner. Dude’s still locked in. But poor Shane D’Ovidio, forced to hit for himself in a scoreless tie, goes down swinging.

Quick Dugout Vibes Report: Stubbs looks antsy. Manager pacing. Bowser chewing his gum like it wronged him. McSwain, arms crossed, hasn't moved in 10 minutes.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End 2nd

Still Scoreless | D’Ovidio Dialed In

Two more strikeouts — that’s four through two innings — and a lazy grounder to third. Shane’s mixing speeds like a short-order cook at the Waffle House. Bulls hitters look lost. One guy swung through a 78 mph slider that might’ve clipped a mosquito.

TSL Scoreboard Check — Mid-Game Update
Whiteville 2, Warsaw 1 (T4)
Sanford 0, Clinton 0 (B3)
Red Springs 0, A-F Springs 0 (Top 3)

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Top 3rd

Red Springs 3, Angier-Fuquay Springs 0
Chaos in the press box (at least in my seat). Rogers rips his second double of the night. I fist-pumped dude next to me so hard I knocked over my Orange Crush. My stat sheet is now partially orange. So is his. I have a mess to clean up after the game.

Bowser comes through with a clean RBI single up the middle. Calm, veteran swing. That makes it 1-0. Then after a walk and a fielder’s choice… Bruce Browning steps in. The teenage outfielder from Greensboro — the “quiet kid with loud hands” — ropes a two-run double to right center. The dugout lost it. I did, too. (I know, I'm supposed to be impartial but well...)

3-0 Red Springs. The loudest this stadium’s been all night is for the visiting team. D’Ovidio sat on the bench calmly, chewing sunflower seeds like he was at a family reunion.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End 3rd

Red Springs 3, Angier-Fuquay Springs 1
It got dicey in a hurry. Back-to-back singles to open the inning. Shane hesitated covering first on a soft roller — ruled an infield hit, but easily could’ve been the first out. Then Chris Wreede boots a grounder at short, and suddenly it’s 3-1 with only one out.

And who steps in? Freakin’ Billy Moore. The guy with 10 home runs on a bad team. I audibly whispered “No, not him.” Fortunately, D’Ovidio jammed him inside, and Moore chopped one to first. Bowser took it himself. Crisis (barely) averted.

Still, the shutout’s gone. And this team’s margin is always razor-thin. I just scribbled the words “This inning could haunt us” in my margins — and circled it.

Sanford’s down 1-0 by the way … everything is leaning our way right now … man… I can’t take it …


CHASE MURPHY'S MID-4th MENTAL STATUS UPDATE
I have aged 14 years since first pitch. We’re up 3-1. Sanford is down. Warsaw is behind. If we finish this thing off, Red Springs might — might — be hanging a regular season championship banner. I just scribbled ‘2025 Champs??’ in my scorebook next to a mustard stain from my third hotdog. I’m not sure if I’ll be here next summer. But I know I’ll remember this night forever.

Also, I think I just high-fived the Bulls’ scoreboard operator by mistake.

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End Top 4th

Red Springs 3, Angier-Fuquay Springs 1

Mike Adams stays hot — rips another double into the left-field corner, his second of the night, and he didn’t even break stride rounding first. If we had a July MVP not named McSwain or Stubbs, it might be Adams. (Shane Hangen may have lost his starting job for the rest of the season).

But for the third time tonight, Red Springs leaves runners on. We are one clutch hit away from blowing this open. Instead, the Bulls are hanging around like that last gnat at a backyard cookout.

BTW, why is Adams batting eighth? He has eight hits in the last three games.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End Top 5

Red Springs 6, Angier-Fuquay Springs 1

I’m not even sure I’m writing anymore — these might be love letters disguised as game notes.

Danny “Freaking” Abell does it again. Another RBI with runners in scoring position. Cool as a side of slaw. Then Mike Adams — still batting eighth for some unknown cosmic reason — drives in another with his third double in two nights.

And THEN. The moment we’ll all remember.

With two outs and the pitcher up, Shane D’Ovidio — yes, Shane — ropes a single to center. Solid contact, straight through the box. The best part: third base coach throws up the stop sign for Abell. Everyone knows the CF has a cannon. Abell? He yeets the stop sign, rounds hard, heads for home, dives headfirst — SAFE.

Crowd gasps. Dugout explodes. I nearly spilled my 7th soda of the night.

The Vibe Check:
Abell flexing at home plate
Stubbs banging the dugout rail
D’Ovidio smiling like he just got away with something illegal
Bench yelling “That’s why you run through signs!!”


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Mid 6th

Red Springs 6, Angier-Fuquay Springs 1

One quiet inning for Shane, one for the bats. Nothing wrong with a little calm in the midst of the storm — just long enough to catch our breath and check the out-of-town scoreboards (and grab another cold dog and soda).

And guess what? Whiteville is up 3-2 on Warsaw in the 7th, and Clinton leads Sanford 2-0 in the 6th. The Robins, if this holds, are about to soar into the playoffs as regular season champs. They're out of Orange Crush. Time for a Sun Drop.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End 6th

Red Springs 6, A-F Springs 1

That’s now 6 innings from D’Ovidio, and maybe his best all-around outing of the season — not just on the mound, but at the plate too. He’s approaching 100 pitches, and you can tell his tank’s close to empty. But he just sent the Bulls down in order again. Total command.

Bullpen is stirring — Miguel Garcia and Dane O’Farrell both throwing. You have to think that’s the bridge plan. Garcia’s got the swing-and-miss stuff but can be wild, and O’Farrell brings the sinker when you need weak contact.

Meanwhile, McSwain hasn't even twitched. Arms folded. Focused. If he’s needed tonight, something went wrong.

Don’t jinx it, Chase. Don’t jinx it.

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Mid 7th

Red Springs 6, Angier-Fuquay Springs 1

We’re through the stretch — barely. The gentleman leading “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” sounded like he was being attacked by bees mid-chorus. Definitely not the high note of the night.

Red Springs 7th almost another blockbuster. Almost. Bruce Browning works a one-out walk and advances on a wild pitch — love to see him cause chaos with his legs. Then Mike Adams steps in, already 3-for-3, trying to put the game on ice.

And he nearly did. Smoked a ball to dead center. Off the bat, it looked gone. But the wind coming in from the church parking lot knocked it down at the warning track. Crowd ooooh’d. I groaned. Out three.

Still 6-1, and here comes Shane D’Ovidio back out for the bottom of the 7th — pitch count be damned. He's not giving up this game without a fight.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End 7th

Red Springs 6, Angier-Fuquay Springs 2

Whew. Shane D’Ovidio gives up a leadoff single and exits to a standing ovation from the Red Springs dugout (and a half-wave from the lady selling boiled peanuts behind third base).

O’Farrell enters and promptly makes things spicy: hit, walk, fielder's choice, run in. Tension levels spike. Then, just when I’m about to burn my scorebook in ritual sacrifice, he bears down and induces back-to-back grounders to shut the door.

Still 6-2. Still in control. But this game refuses to let go quietly. There are no smooth innings. Only minor disasters we escape from in dramatic fashion.

Scoreboard Watch
Whiteville 3, Warsaw 2 — Top 9
Clinton 3, Sanford 3 — Top 7 (Spinners get back into contention. Dang.)


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Mid 8th

Red Springs 6, A-F Springs 2

Rogers is quietly putting together a game MVP kind of performance: three hits, a stolen base, set the tone from the jump. He even gave the first baseman a nod after swiping second like, “Yeah. You saw that.”

But the offense couldn’t tack on. Still, no complaints. Four-run lead, six outs to go and the Red Springs bullpen is stacking arms like it’s Game 7.

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Bottom 8th

Enter Bill Lane: The lefty slinger. Soft-tossing but deceptive. Calls his curve “The Porcupine” because “it backs up and makes you nervous.” (That’s a quote from spring training. No one knows what it means.)

If Lane gets through the 8th, then cue the curtain: Juan “The Wizard of O’s” Hartman in the 9th — the closer with ice in his veins and no concept of fear.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — End 8th

Red Springs 6, Angier-Fuquay Springs 3

Bill Lane gets two quick outs, and I start scribbling “clean frame” in my notes. Then Billy Moore steps up, and I literally mutter “Not him again.”

Moore launches a hanging curve into the trees beyond left field. Glad I didn’t park in the lot back there. His 11th dinger of the year. No bat flip, just a slow walk and a cold stare toward the Red Springs dugout. Dude’s been a one-man thunderstorm all season.

But Lane recovers, gets the final out and that’s all the Bulls get. One run, no rally. The lead is down to three. But with Juan Hartman trotting in to finish the 9th, there’s still plenty of magic left in this script.

Scoreboard update: Whiteville hung on to beat Warsaw 3-2. We needed that! I thought I heard someone in the press box say Clinton scored in the eighth on Sanford to go up 4-3. TSL scoreboard still hasn’t updated on my phone. I’ve refreshed 14 times in the last minute. Still spinning. Hope the Sanford Spinners aren’t.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Middle 9th

Nothing for the Robins in the top of the ninth. The tension is palpable. People are staring at me with that look. What did I do? I am just here to cover a baseball game. (And cheer for the Red Robins to whip Angier-Fuquay Springs back to stone age).

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Bottom 9, One Out

Red Springs 6, A-F Springs 3

I almost lost it when Lane came back out to start the ninth. Skip, what are you doing?!? Four straight balls to the leadoff man. Elijah Crabtree might owe me a dry shirt.

But here comes Juan Hartman. Calm. Composed. Cap low over his brow like a sheriff in an old western. And the first batter taps into a routine grounder — one out. Two more to go.

And now — Dan McSwain is up and stretching. The ace. The 9-0 golden arm. He hasn’t moved all night. But he's ready if needed. That tells you just how much this win matters. They want the banner. They want the crown.

Some fans are standing now. Others haven’t been in their seats since the 6th. And I’ve officially chewed through my last pen cap.

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Bottom 9, Two Outs

Red Springs 6, Angier-Fuquay Springs 3

Joe Beach — decent hitter, good plate presence — had no chance. Swung so late the ump nearly called it strike three and four. Hartman’s fastball looked like it came out of a cannon. The crowd reacted before the swing finished.

Now it’s down to one. One out. Fans are stomping in the aluminum seats — thunder echoes from the Red Springs crowd behind third base. You can hear someone chanting “Let’s Go Robins” off-key but passionately.

I can’t even look at the scoreboard anymore. I’m just watching the mound. Watching Hartman. He looks like he was built for this moment...

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Bottom 9, Two Outs, Final Batter

Scoreboard Update:
Clinton holds on! Sanford’s rally dies with a strikeout. I actually stood up and shouted in the press box. I think I just got shushed by a 10-year-old (son of the scoreboard operator?) with a funnel cake.

And now, the math is done. The path is clear: One more out, and Red Springs is your outright Tobacco State League regular season champion.

Juan Hartman toes the rubber. The bullpen is empty. The dugout is quiet. McSwain’s stopped stretching. Everyone’s just… holding their breath.
One. More. Out.

[AZTarHeel]

CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Bottom 9, Two Balls, One Strike

Martin Hoyt steps in cold off the bench — gutsy move by the Bulls. He watches two borderline pitches miss. Tension tightens. But Hartman just uncorked a laser — 96 on the outside black. You could hear the pop of Adams' mitt from here.

Two more like that and Hoyt won’t be swinging — he’ll be blinking.
The whole Red Springs dugout is up now. Hands on the rail. Everyone on their feet. The cheap seats have gone from stomping to shaking. This is it.


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — Bottom 9, Two Outs, 2-2 Count
That swing had exit velocity — off the bat of nothing. Hartman gave him the heater or maybe the slider that rides late. Either way, Hoyt missed badly. Crowd roared. Dugout rattled. I may have accidentally kicked over my own chair.

It’s 2-2. Two outs. One strike away. The entire season, the summer, the late-night bus rides, the Ryker comeback, the Stubbs turnaround, the McSwain masterpieces… it all comes down to one pitch.

I’m not even writing anymore. I’m shaking. Someone hold my soda (I’m on my ninth).


CHASE MURPHY’S PRESS BOX SCRIBBLES — FINAL OUT
BOOM. Swing and miss.

The stadium lights flicker, the scoreboard flashes 6‑3 FINAL. For the first time since Red Robins teams won Tobacco State League championships in 1948 and 1949 —Red Springs will get another baseball banner. Your Red Robins are the outright 2025 Tobacco State League Regular Season Champions!!

I don’t know if my heart’s still beating. My soda’s flat. My scorebook is a mess. Most of the press box is frowning at me. I think that kid with the funnel cake just cursed at me. But who cares. This place is buzzing. This town is ours.

[AZTarHeel]

(If you made it this far, you deserve an Orange Crush!)

Red Robins Finish the Job, Claim TSL Regular Season Title

By Chase Murphy | Summer Intern | The Robesonian | July 22

ANGIER — The script couldn’t have been tighter. With the pressure mounting, the out-of-town scoreboard buzzing, and the bullpen on edge, the Red Springs Red Robins delivered their final statement of the regular season — a 6-3 road victory over Angier-Fuquay Springs that clinched the outright 2025 Tobacco State League regular season championship.

And fittingly, it was Shane D’Ovidio — the unsung southpaw — who set the tone.

“I'm just happy to help the team win,” D’Ovidio said postgame, moments after being drenched with orange sports drink and praise. “Nobody believed in us back in May. We believed in us tonight.”

⚾ Game Highlights:

• Shane D’Ovidio: 6.0 IP, 5 K, 1 ER, 1-for-2 with a 2-out RBI single (yes, the pitcher hit)
• Bruce Browning: 2-run double to spark a 3-run third inning
• Mike Adams: 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI — continuing his white-hot streak
• Ken Rogers: 3-for-5, 2 doubles, a stolen base, 5 total bases
• Danny Abell: 3-for-5, clutch RBI in the 5th
• Juan Hartman (SV #13): Perfect 9th, 2 Ks, final out via swing-and-miss heat

Manager Elijah Crabtree:
“That’s what it looks like when a team fights for each other. Every guy — from D’Ovidio to the last man on the bench — showed up for Red Springs tonight.”


Team photo of the Red Springs Red Robins

[AZTarHeel]

Playoff brackets set: Red Springs takes the No. 1 seed

The regular season ended on a dramatic note, and now the playoff brackets have been set for the finale of the Tobacco State League.

All 10 teams make the playoff field, with the top six getting a bye from the opening round. Here's the lineup:

Wildcard Round (Best of 5 -> I thought I made this Best of 3, oops)
#9 Smithfield-Selma vs. #8 Rockingham
#10 Angier-Fuquay Springs vs. #7 Dunn-Erwin
(note: teams with hyphenated names finish at the bottom of the league)

Quarterfinals (Best of 5)
#1 Red Springs vs. Smithfield-Selma/Rockingham winner
#2 Whiteville vs. Angier-Fuquay Springs/Dunn-Erwin winner
#3 Warsaw vs. #6 Lumberton
#4 Sanford vs. #5 Clinton

Semifinals (Best of 5)
If Red Springs advances, the Robins will play either Sanford or Clinton. Yikes. Sanford is a dangerous four-seed. Clinton is dangerous at 5.

Championship Series (Best of 7)
Semifinal winners

Red Springs is 4-2 vs Smithfield-Selma but went 2-4 against Rockingham

Will the extra rest help the Red Robins (who are pretty banged up in spots) or will the team get stale with essentially a week away from the game?

[AZTarHeel]

Both wildcard series going the distance
Two deciding Game 5s will be played on Wednesday, July 30

The fight to get into the Tobacco State League tournament quarterfinals is going down to the wire. After Tuesday's results, both wildcard series -- between Angier-Fuquay Springs & Dunn-Erwin as well as Smithfield-Selma & Rockingham -- are knotted up at two games apiece.

Top-seeded Red Springs awaits the winner of the Smithfield-Selma vs Rockingham series.

The most interesting wildcard game so far? Smithfield-Selma pounded out 20 hits and blitzed Rockingham 10-1 in game three. Jamal Thames went 4-for-5 with six RBIs for the Leafs. Lilian Miller also was 4-for-5 with two RBIs.

Smithfield hit three doubles but no triples or homers. Most of the game proved station-to-station.

Red Springs officials said starting pitcher Dave Colvin should be ready to go once the Robins' first playoff series begins this weekend. Colvin has had on-again, off-again hamstring issues this season. He exited his last start on July 21 after only 4.1 innings due to the hamstring.

[AZTarHeel]

Smithfield-Selma advances to face Red Springs
Leafs outlast Rockingham Eagles in wildcard series

Brent Duffy threw a three-hit shutout, and Smithfield-Selma kept its season alive with a 3-0 win over Rockingham in the deciding game of the Tobacco State League wildcard series.

The Leafs advance to face top-seeded Red Springs in the quarterfinals, which start Friday, Aug. 1.

Smithfield-Selma won two of three against Red Springs in mid-July. Duffy won both of his starts during the wildcard round, allowing just one run over 15 innings. Outfielder Eric Wells earned series MVP honors, hitting two home runs and driving home six. First baseman Ricky Diego had eight hits over the five games.

Red Springs went 31-23 during the regular season, winning the title outright on the final night. The Red Robins are expected to start Dan McSwain (9-0) in Friday night's opener.

The full quarterfinal lineup: Best of 5
(9) Smithfield-Selma vs. (1) Red Springs
(10) Angier-Fuquay Springs vs. (2) Whiteville
(5) Clinton vs. (4) Sanford
(6) Lumberton vs. (3) Warsaw