The Mathews Blue Devils made it to last Wednesday’s regional semifinals against William Campbell High, one win away from earning a ticket to the state baseball tournament. But the game didn’t turn out the Blue Devils’ way, as they fell to the Generals, 6-5.

The home-team Generals scored first with three in the bottom of the second. A two-run double by Zack Jarosz in the top of the third sparked a four-run inning that would give the Devils the lead, but after the Generals tied it in the bottom half of the inning and scored two more in the fifth, the Devils would have no response. Starting pitcher Willie Fernald allowed three earned runs and struck out three over four shaky innings, and was tagged with the loss. Jarosz and Austin Kemp both drove in two runs each.

With a trip to the regional semifinals as well as a Conference 42 trophy under the Devils’ belts, it’s no question that this season will not be forgotten by the players and the fans. Mathews was s...