He wasn’t worried about the night’s big matchup against the Triangle’s top hitting team in Leesville Road, nor the four runs he gave up in the third inning. And after his Golden Hawks came back to defeat Leesville Road 9-4, he’s not concerned about the ?upcoming best-of-three game series for the 4-A East crown and a spot in the NCHSAA baseball championship.

The unflappable senior struck out 15 batters on Tuesday, leaving him confident in the challenges his team will face when going up against Wilmington Ashley in the next round.

“Beating a team twice is not as easy as you think – and us getting beat twice is definitely not easy,” Rodon said. “You won’t beat us twice. It’s hard. It’s pretty much impossible.”

Rodon has reasons to feel confident after the way his team came back from an ?early deficit on Tuesday.

Pitching has never been an issue for Holly Springs (21-3) which has only given up four or more runs in four of its games this season. But heavy hitting is what quickly took the sails out of Leesville Road (22-4) just after the Pride had taken a 4-1 lead in the top of the third.

Holly Springs shortstop A.J. Sconzo led off with a ?single, which was followed up by a Justin Manning double. Rodon, who knows his days as a hitter are numbered no ?matter if he attends N.C. State or heads to the minor leagues next year, drove them both in with a double.

Designated hitter Mike Roach appeared to have grounded into the inning’s second out, was safe thanks to a throwing error by Leesville’s Ryan Mulligan. Pinch-runner Jordan Hinton scored on the play to even the score at 4-4.

Senior Kevin Fortier, the seventh batter in the Hawks’ lineup, blasted a two-run ?homer well past the left-field wall to put Holly Springs ahead for good. Joey Roach also drove in a run in the ?inning, giving his team six in the bottom of the third.

“They swung the bat really, really good tonight – probably as good as they have all of the playoffs” Leesville Road coach Chad Smothers said. “All the credit goes to them. They went down, bounced back, got back in it and took ?command of the game.”

The Hawks added two more in the fourth on another error at third base and a passed ball.

Rodon struck out at least two batters in every inning, including three in the second, and six of the game’s first seven batters.Rodon has started in three of his team’s first four rounds, but will likely be back in the field if the 4-A East final series begins Thursday night.

“You’ve got to pitch your best if he’s available,” Holly Springs coach Rod Whitesell said. “It worked out that he was available for the first two because it got backed up a day. And (in the third round) Manning pitched great. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Manning, but it’s just one of those things where if you’ve got an ace and he’s available in an elimination game, you’ve got to use him.”

Whitesell said ideally he would like for the best-of-three series to be played Thursday, Friday and (if necessary) Saturday. The Thursday and Saturday games would each be at Holly Springs, since the Hawks have the higher playoff seed. But the game dates and times must be agreed upon between the schools.

Manning, a UNC Wilmington recruit, would likely get the start for the Hawks should the series start Thursday.

Leesville Road’s Austin Berrios took the loss for the Pride, giving up five earned runs in 2?1/3 innings. Berrios, Mulligan and Matt Saylor each had an RBI.