Marvin Ridge edged Holly Springs 6-2 in Game 2 of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 7A baseball state championship, forcing a decisive Game 3 to determine the champion.
The Mavericks leaned on a stellar outing from Levi Kerr, who struck out 12 batters and added a timely triple off the right‑wall on the second pitch of the game.
Defensive Highlights
Alex Hampton made a spectacular grab in the bottom of the first inning that prevented a run from scoring, and the Mavericks built on that momentum with a series of hits and errors by Holly Springs in the third inning.
Holly Springs answered with a solo home run from Noah Rhoades to start the fifth, but Kerr’s dominance persisted as he closed the frame with three consecutive strikeouts, raising his total to seven in the first four innings.
After Kerr was removed following 4 1/3 innings, reliever Austin Martinez entered and the Mavericks’ defense tightened, with Caleb Renn stealing a home run from Kerr at the right wall in the sixth to halt a potential rally.
The win sets the stage for a winner‑takes‑all Game 3, where Marvin Ridge aims to capture its first championship since 2016, while Holly Springs hopes to claim its first title since 2011.