Bogeys, Clovers, Set to Meet in Championship After Dominate Playoff Runs

The playoffs are underway, and with the best of the best competing against each other for a spot in the finals, this past week has given Old North State League fans plenty to cheer about. Each division had two teams in the quarterfinals facing off in a best-of-three format that determined who would move on; the semi-finals and finals followed the same format, so the quarter final-winning teams faced off against one another to determine who would find themselves in the finals.  

The quarterfinals saw fan favorites from across the league go head-to-head, as the Lexington Flying Pigs won out over the Hendersonville Honeycrisps in the Western Division. Game 1 of the quarterfinals was a close one at 2-0, but the Flying Pigs were in full control during Game 2, winning the contest by a score of 9-2. 

The Flying Pigs awaited the winners of the Central Division, a title that would belong to the Clayton Clovers as they beat the Reidsville Luckies in what was a must-watch match-up all season long. The Clovers seemingly had something to prove to the competition throughout their quarterfinals matchup, winning both games in demanding fashion by putting up double digit runs both nights. Game 1 saw a score of 13-4 in favor of the Clovers, and Game 2 was much of the same, with Clayton putting up 12 runs to secure the series via a 12-1 win. 

The success of Clayton seemed to rub off on the other side of the bracket, as the Tarboro River Bandits took control of the Northeast division with wins over the New Bern Southpaws; Game 1 saw the Bandits hold the Southpaws scoreless while cruising to a 6-0 victory, but  Game 2 was a nail-biter that ended with a score of 7-6 in favor of the River Bandits. 

In the last match-up of the quarterfinals, the Sandhills Bogeys and Brunswick Surfin’ Turfs represented the Southeast division. This series, like the others, would only need two games to determine a winner, as the Bogeys’ offense showed up and showed out for a chance to play in the semi-finals. Game 1 was decided by a score of 11-6 while Game 2 ended with an 8-2 win for the Bogeys, securing their spot in the semifinals, where they would go on to face the Tarboro River Bandits. 

The Bogeys would keep their championship hopes alive against the Tarboro River Bandits in the semifinals, taking the series in two games. The first game, played at Tarboro Municipal Stadium, saw the Bogeys win in blowout fashion, securing a 9-1 on Tarboro’s home field. The same would not be said for Game 2, as Sandhills showed up to clinch at home, but ended up finding themselves in quite the game that ended in a 10-9 victory in their favor. 

The Bogeys’ play garnered them a spot in the finals and a date with the winner of the game between the Lexington Flying Pigs and the Clayton Clovers, who had a couple of close games themselves. It seemed as though the Clovers were the favorites heading into this matchup based on each teams’ respective wins and losses record, which proved to be a pretty good indicator as to how this series was going to play out. Their first game was a close one, as the Clovers edged out the Flying Pigs by a score of 6-5, but it was all Clovers in Game 2 as they clinched their own spot in the finals with a convincing 9-5 victory over Lexington. 

The final series between the Clovers and Bogeys to determine a champion is slated to begin tonight, August 1st, at East Clayton Community Park. With both teams having such dominate playoff runs, it’ll be a lot of fun for fans to see who pulls it out and is crowned champions of the Old North State League. Make sure you check out the Finals on Foul Pole Sports and follow along on social media, you won’t want to miss these next few games!