GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — If J.H. Rose’s baseball team and North Duplin’s softball teams are going to win state championships, they both will have some catching up to do.

J.H. Rose dropped a 6-2 decision to West Henderson in Friday’s first game of the Class 3-A state baseball championship best-of-3 series at Burlington Athletic Stadium in Burlington. North Duplin’s softball team dropped a 13-3 decision to Union Academy in six innings in the Class 1-A softball best-of-3 state title series at NC State.

Rose’s loss ended a 13-game win streak for the Rampants (26-4), who came in seeking the program’s eighth state championship (1975, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2021).

Rose will play again Saturday at 2 p.m. If they win that game, a deciding third game would be played Saturday at 8 p.m.

West Henderson star catcher Alex Anderson hit a solo home run in the first inning to give the Falcons a quick 1-0 lead. A two-run triple in the fourth by Falcons pitcher Truitt Manuel helped his own cause as the lead extended to 4-0.

Rose got on the board with an RBI single in the fifth by Alex Popovich. Owen Boyd later singled in Ives Howard to cut the deficit to 5-2.

North Duplin (23-4) held strong through the early innings, trailing 5-3 after four innings. That included a solo home run in the first inning by Gacie Hollingsworth, an RBI single by Addy Higginbotham that tied the game at 2-2 after two innings and an inside-the-park homer by Kasey Jones.

However, Union Academy (25-4) powered through for seven runs in the fifth inning and another run in the six to enact the 10-run rule.

North Duplin lost its first game of the East Regional best-of-3 series with East Columbus before winning the next two games to advance to the state final. North Duplin plays again Saturday at 11 a.m. with a deciding game scheduled for 2 p.m.

3A Baseball Championship:  1 J.H. Rose vs. 3 West Henderson | Burlington Athletic Stadium, Burlington

Burlington Athletic Stadium Facility Map

Game 1: Friday: West Henderson 6, J.H. Rose 2
Game 2: Saturday – 2:00 p.m. West Henderson – Home Team
Game 3: Saturday – 8:00 p.m.** J.H. Rose – Home Team

1A Softball Championship: 4 North Duplin vs. 11 Union Academy | Dail Softball Stadium, NC State University

Game 1: Friday: Union Academy 13, North Duplin 3
Game 2: Saturday – 11:00 a.m. Union Academy – Home Team
Game 3: Saturday – 2:00 p.m.* North Duplin – Home Team