Buckingham baseball suddenly found itself in a tie ballgame with Randolph-Henry in the bottom of the fifth in the Class 2 state quarterfinals.
The Knights had work to do against a team they’d already beaten twice in the regular season.
From that moment on though, Buckingham left absolutely no doubt. The Knights scored four runs in the fifth to take control and then blew the game wide open with a six-run bottom of the sixth to finish off Randolph 11-1 and advance to the state semifinals.
No. 9 hitter George Hurt got the rally going with a single to center that scored Holden Tyson and loaded the bases. A bases loaded walk then made it 3-1 and Eli Bryant followed up with a single to left to bring another run across and then Hurt scored when Randolph Henry completed a double play.
In the sixth, Buckingham piled up the six runs with a string of base hits, highlighted by Tyson’s two-RBI single to left that finished off the game as the Knights reached a 10-run advantage.
Justin Gunter and Avery Schaeffer combined for a four-strikeout, one-run effort, allowing just three hits and two walks between them.
Nic Allen went 2-for-3 on the night. The Knights drew nine walks as a team, with Ethan Walter and Gunter drawing three each. Tyson and Hurt each finished with three RBI.
Buckingham will face Patrick County in the Class 2 state semifinals in Salem at 1 p.m.