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

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Offense unloads, Red Springs wins Game 4 of Golden Leaf Championship series
Title is just one win away for Red Robins!

By Chase Murphy | The Robesonian | Aug. 18, 2025

ANGIER — Okay, deep breath. We’re okay. The Red Springs Red Robins are okay. I’ll admit it — after last night’s 1-0 gut punch, I didn’t sleep much. I kept seeing Dan McSwain walking off the mound, the Bulls celebrating, and my mind started running all the what-ifs.

But tonight? Tonight the Robins reminded me why they’re the best team in the Tobacco State League. They hit, they battled through some shaky pitching moments, and they walked out of Angier Baseball Park with a 7-4 win and a 3-1 series lead. Just one more to go, folks. One more.

It wasn’t easy. Bulls center fielder David Purvis looked like Superman, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and two RBIs. Every time he came up, my stomach flipped. But Red Springs answered with a balanced attack: Josh Fleisher homered, Bruce Browning went deep and knocked in two, and Danny Abell and Mario Sanchez added clutch RBIs to keep the lead safe.

On the mound, it was “all hands on deck.” Shane D’Ovidio bent but didn’t break, and the bullpen did just enough to stitch it together until Juan “Wizard of 0’s” Hartman came on for the save.

So here we are — one win from the Golden Leaf Champions Cup. I’m not saying it’s over (I’ve learned better than to do that). But I can finally breathe again. The Robins are back on schedule.

Game 5 is tomorrow night, right here in Angier. And if things go right, I’ll be writing about a dogpile in the infield and a trophy coming back to The Nest. The first one since the 1940s.

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Game 5: Taking Home A Trophy or Going Back to Red Springs?

By Chase Murphy | The Robesonian | Aug. 19, 2025

ANGIER — Tonight could be the night. The Red Springs Red Robins are just nine innings away from bringing home the town’s first Tobacco State League championship since the old Class D days of 1948 and 1949. One more win, and The Nest can finally celebrate like it’s been waiting to for decades.

But the Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls aren’t going to just hand it over. They’ve made this whole run about proving people wrong, and a win tonight would extend their Cinderella story and push the series back to Red Springs for a Game 6.

The Pitching Matchup
Luke Restivo, RHP, Red Springs — Restivo has been nails this postseason (2-0), a far cry from his uneven 5-6 regular season. He set the tone in Game 1 and now has a chance to pitch his way into Red Springs history.

Jason Roberts, RHP, Angier-Fuquay Springs — Roberts took the loss in that Game 1 blowout, but to be fair, he only gave up 3 runs before the bullpen imploded. His regular season (6-5) was steady, and the Bulls will be counting on him to give them length and a shot to steal this one late.

What’s at Stake
For Red Springs: A championship clincher on the road, ending generations of waiting.

For Angier-Fuquay Springs: Survival. Win, and suddenly there’s a Game 6 back in Red Springs with all the pressure squarely on the Robins.

First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at Angier Baseball Park. I’ll be honest — my hands are already clammy typing this. I can practically hear The Nest back home holding its collective breath.

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With Game 5 of the Golden Leaf Champions Cup being a potential clincher for Red Springs, we'll take you inside the press box with illustrious summer intern Chase Murphy of The Robesonian. Enjoy his "scribbles" as the game unfolds ...

Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Pregame:

I’m here early, perched in the Angier-Fuquay Springs press box with about a dozen other folks, and my nerves are already tap-dancing on the floorboards. This isn’t a palace of glass and chrome — it’s a wooden shack with a humming fan in the corner, smelling like popcorn and the pregame meal they brought in for press from a nearby wings restaurant.

I’ve lined up my pencils in a neat little row, like soldiers waiting for orders. Each one sharp, each one ready, though I know by the third inning I’ll have chewed half of them to stubs. I’m already wondering if there’s enough caffeine in this town to get me through nine innings of what feels like the biggest game of my life. (It's hard to believe I'll be heading back to college next week. Where did the summer go?)

The Robins are up 3-1 in the series. One more win and they bring the Golden Leaf Champions Cup back to Red Springs. I keep telling myself I’m just here to observe, to take notes. But my stomach is in knots, and my scorebook is already smudged from sweaty palms.

If this is what pregame feels like, I don’t know how I’ll survive the ninth inning.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Top 1st: Ken Rogers slaps a leadoff single and has me out of my chair — but he’s cut down trying to swipe second. A promising spark fizzles. Scoreless after a half inning. Everybody knew he was going to try and steal.

Bottom 1st: I swear Billy Moore and David Purvis are haunting my dreams. They’ve been a menace all series hitting 3-4, and Purvis cashes in again with an RBI. Bulls draw first blood. Red Springs trails 1-0 after 1.

Bottom 3rd: Here we go again. Two outs, but Joey Hatfield legs out an infield single for Angier-FS. And now the heart of the order is looming — Moore striding in, Purvis lurking on deck. My pulse is already racing.

End 3rd: Moore dumps another single (of course he does), but Red Springs pitcher Luke Restivo digs deep and coaxes Purvis into a groundout to finally end it. I exhaled so loud everyone in the press box turned around. Still 1-0 Bulls as we head to the 4th.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

End 5th: Good grief. We can’t get a thing going with the bats — it’s like Roberts has us hypnotized. Still chasing one run, 1-0 Angier after 5.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Top 6th: At last, a spark. Ken Rogers legs out a one-out single — pure hustle — then takes off for second on the next pitch. Everybody knew he was going to try and steal. It didn't matter. Safe! I nearly spilled my sweet tea on the scorebook. First Robin in scoring position all day, and this press box suddenly feels like it’s tilting forward with hope.

Top 6th (cont.): Could this be it? After Rogers hustles into scoring position, Josh Fleisher works a walk — cool as you like. Two Robins aboard, one out. This creaky little press box is shaking as folks stomp and holler below. The air smells like popcorn and tension. Can Red Springs string it together right here and flip the script?

Top 6th (cont.): Heartbreak tease as Steve Bowser pops out — groans all around, I thought we’d blown the chance. But then… oh my word. Justin Stubbs, the same guy who started the summer 1-for-20 and nearly lost his spot on the team, ropes a double down the line. Both runners tear around and score. I’m pounding the desk, my pencil nearly snapped in half. Red Springs 2, Angier 1!!! This press box is rattling like a tin roof in a thunderstorm.

Press Box Note: Stubbs isn’t just hot — he’s lava. He’s hitting .431 this postseason with 3 homers and 16 RBIs. Every time he steps in now, the entire town leans forward. If there’s an MVP for this Robins run, it’s him.

Top 6th (wrap-up): Bruce Browning flails at strike three to end the inning, but who cares? The Robins finally cracked through. Stubbs delivers, and we’ve got the lead — 2-1, Red Springs.

Pitch Count Watch: Restivo has been steady, just 54 pitches through five. He’s got more in the tank, but this is baseball in August and nothing’s ever safe. The lead is ours… for now.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Bottom 6th: Here we go… the game hanging by a thread, and I've got the munchies. Next break I am buying a bag of that popcorn I've been smelling all game long. If there is any left... Angier sends up the meat of their order — Hatfield, Moore, Purvis. If Restivo can navigate this minefield, the Robins might just be on their way. Every pitch feels like it’s carrying the whole season.

Bottom 6th (disaster edition): Oh no. It couldn’t have gone worse. Hatfield sneaks a single, Moore follows with another — that man is everywhere — and then Purvis draws a walk. Suddenly the bases are loaded, nobody out. The Bulls fans are stomping, the bleachers are rattling, and this press box feels like it might tip over. Restivo stands on the mound staring into the dugout, and the bullpen is scrambling. Bases loaded, no outs.

Bottom 6th (fallout): Somehow, we escape with only a bruise. Nick Judd lifts a sac fly — Hatfield trots home — and I was bracing for a crooked number. But Restivo steadies, the defense tightens and the bleeding stops right there. It’s a brand-new ballgame, 2-2 heading to the 7th. My scorebook looks like it’s been through a storm. I am no longer hungry for popcorn. Or anything. I'm just a college kid. I can't take all of this.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Bottom 7th: My stomach dropped — Angier had runners perched on second and third, one swing from breaking it open. Enter Dane O’Farrell, striding in from the pen like a firefighter running to a blaze. He douses it — Hatfield flies out, Moore rolls one to the dirt, inning over. I’m pounding the desk again, this time in relief. Still 2-2 after seven.

Press Box Note: Don’t let the seed fool you — Angier might be a No. 10, but they scrap like junkyard dogs. Every out feels like a tug of war. Off to the 8th, nerves frayed and pencils chewed. Should have bought that popcorn. Now they are out downstairs.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Top 8th: Here we go again, Ken Rogers drops in a one-out single — the kid just wills his way on base. Now the question hanging in this dusty little press box: what do you do with him? He’s 1-for-2 stealing today, so the risk is real. Do you roll the dice on another steal, bunt him over old-school, or trust the bats to move him along? Half the guys in here are arguing like it’s a church softball game. I don't think Ken cares what his coaches tell him. He's probably going to go for it. I'd send him. He's a speed demon.

Top 8th (cont.): Interesting. They aren't even holding Rogers on. Are they just conceding the base?

Top 8th (cont.): I was halfway out of my seat — Rogers takes off, the catcher fumbles it and just like that he’s standing on second. The whole press box groaned and then my little corner of Red Springs press and rooters roared at once. One out, tie game, Rogers in scoring position. Now it’s on Fleisher and Bowser to deliver. This little shack feels like it might levitate off its cinder blocks. Are you sure there isn't any more of that popcorn anywhere?

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Top 8th (eruption): Josh Fleisher delivers! Rogers comes charging home on Fleisher's clean single to left, and Angier makes the desperate throw to the plate. Too late. Rogers slides in safe, the Robins take the lead and Fleisher alertly trots into second on the play. The dugout is alive, the press box is shaking, and I’m yelling into my notes — 3-2 Red Springs, one out, runner on second.

Top 8th (cont.): Chaos! Steve Bowser takes one off the arm — plunked clean, no doubt about it — and now the Robins have two aboard. And here comes the man of the hour, Justin Stubbs. The press box leans forward like church pews before communion. He’s hitting .431 this postseason, he’s already ripped the go-ahead double today… and now he can blow this thing open. Come on Stubbs! Oh wait, I'm not supposed to cheer in here. Screw it. Come on Stubbs!

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Top 8th (wrap): Bowser’s bruise puts two on, Stubbs looms… but Angier somehow wriggles free. We strand ‘em. Still, the lead is ours — 3-2 Robins heading to the bottom half.

Bottom 8th: My nerves are shredded. Dane O’Farrell looks as calm as a cat curled on a couch, retires the first two like it’s nothing. Then the roof starts leaking — single, and another single after Bill Lane takes over. Suddenly it’s 1st and 3rd, two gone, the crowd howling. Enter Bob Hoyle. He stares down Nate Barone, and with one vicious swing and a miss, the inning is dead. The whole press box just about collapsed in relief.

Heading to the 9th: One more inning. Three more outs. A summer’s worth of sweat and storylines hanging on the edge. Red Springs 3, Angier 2. The Golden Leaf Champions Cup is three outs away.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Top 9th: The Robins go quietly — no insurance, no breathing room. Just three meek outs and a long walk back to the dugout. It stays 3-2 Red Springs.

Bottom 9th preview: And now it’s all here. Three outs between the Robins and a championship. The crowd in Angier is on its feet, stomping the bleachers like a drumline. My little press box shakes with every clap.

Who writes the ending — the scrappy No. 10 Bulls, pushing the series to Game 6 in Red Springs, or the summer-long dreamers wearing Red Robins uniforms? Either way, I may not survive this half-inning with my voice, my pencil or my sanity intact. Thank the Lord they had more sweet tea in the mini-fridge up here.

Bottom 9th (set-up): Spots 9-1-2 are due up for Angier-Fuquay Springs — the bottom of the order trying to flip it back to the top. And from the Red Springs bullpen strides Juan Hartman, the “Wizard of 0’s.” He’s been nails all year, the kind of closer you trust with the keys to the city. Three outs for glory. Three outs for the Golden Leaf Champions Cup.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Bottom 9th (first out): One down! Grounder to short, defensive replacement Mario Sanchez scoops, fires to Bowser at first — 4-3 if you’re scoring at home. The Robins are two outs away and I just realized I’m standing, not sitting. This press box is creaking under the stomps from below, and I swear I can hear my own heartbeat louder than the crowd. Two outs to glory.

Bottom 9th (second out): Fly ball, Maxwell’s out! Stubbs camps under it, squeezes tight, and suddenly we’re one heartbeat away. Two gone, one to get. The Robins are perched on the edge of forever. This press box is a madhouse — scorebooks slamming shut, old-timers gripping their caps, me chewing what’s left of my last pencil. One out to go!!

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Bottom 9th (final showdown): And how fitting is this? The line spins back around to Joey Hatfield, batting second, the same guy who’s sparked trouble all night. If he sneaks aboard, the monsters — Moore and Purvis — are waiting with hungry eyes. Goodness, my hands are shaking as I write. One out to glory, but the path runs right through the heart of Angier’s order. This press box is dead silent now, every breath held, like the whole town’s leaning over the railing for this pitch.

Bottom 9th (disaster strikes): Oh no, no, no. It should’ve been over — routine grounder, 6-3, curtain call. Instead, Fleisher sails the throw and Hatfield winds up standing on second. My scorebook has a big ugly “E” and my stomach’s in knots. And now, of course, here comes Billy Moore. This game has had more twists than a country back road, and the biggest menace in the series is striding to the plate with the tying run in scoring position. Goodness help us.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Bottom 9th (the gauntlet): Here comes Billy Moore, the nightmare of this series. But Hartman, the Wizard? He saves his best for last. Moore smokes one, exit velo 102.5, but Sanchez is there. Glove down, transfer smooth and over to Bowser — out at first. Game over.

Final: Red Springs 3, Angier-Fuquay Springs 2. The Robins are champions of the Tobacco State League, winner of the Golden Leaf Champions Cup. Hartman’s final pitch? A 95.4 MPH comet — the hardest ball he’s thrown all season, and it came on the last swing of the summer. This press box shook like a thunderclap when Bowser squeezed it.

Press aren't supposed to cheer. I cheered. And held back tears. Yeah. It means this much to me.

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Scribbles from the Press Box — by Chase Murphy

Postgame Note: Funny game, baseball. The Robins dogpile as champions, but the scoreboard flashes Game MVP: Jason Roberts from Angier-Fuquay Springs. Can’t argue — he pitched his guts out, scattering hits and making our bats look like broomsticks most of the day. If Angier had found one more timely swing...

Golden Leaf Champions Cup — Game 5 Final

Red Springs 3, Angier-Fuquay Springs 2
Series: Red Springs wins 4-1

MVP Honors Split:

Game MVP: Jason Roberts (Angier) — He absolutely earned it despite the loss. Seven innings, only five hits allowed, kept Red Springs’ offense bottled up until Stubbs’ dagger in the 6th. Game Score 60, tough luck loser.

Series MVP: Justin Stubbs (Red Springs) — Hitting .423 with 3 HR and 16 RBI this postseason, including the clutch 2-run double in the 6th that swung this game (and the series).

Turning Points

Stubbs’ 2-out double (6th inning): Down 1-0 and looking flat, Stubbs delivered the championship swing — a laser double scoring Rogers and Fleisher.

O’Farrell’s fireman act (7th): Entered with runners at 2nd and 3rd, no outs. Got Hatfield and Moore to strand them both, preserving the 2-2 tie.

Hartman’s ninth (9th inning save): Even with Fleisher’s error putting the tying run at second, Hartman induced Moore’s 102.5 EV grounder that Sanchez and Bowser turned into the title-clincher. Dog pile at the mound ensued.

Red Springs Heroes

Ken Rogers (RF): 3-for-4, 2 runs, 2 SB — the spark plug.

Josh Fleisher (SS): 1-for-3, RBI single in the 8th gave them the lead — and thankfully redeemed his late error.

Pitching Staff: Restivo battled through 6 innings, then O’Farrell, Hoyle and Hartman combined for three shutout frames.

Chase Murphy’s Last Press Box Scribble (Postgame)

“This old Angier press box shook one last time when Bowser squeezed the throw from Sanchez. Red Springs — the 2025 Golden Leaf Champions. Stubbs might’ve been the series MVP, but tonight belongs to all of them. Rogers ran, Restivo fought, O’Farrell doused the fire, Hartman slammed the door, manager Elijah Crabtree put it all together. The Robins played the game the way it’s meant to be played. From May to August, we lived and died with every pitch — and tonight, we get to live as champions.”