High school playoffs: West baseball season ends; Cougars, Falcons, Mustangs advance in softball

Published 10:54 pm Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Staff report

Second round

Baseball

(17) South Point at (1) South Rowan, Thursday, 7 p.m.

(9) East Rowan at (8) Enka, Thursday, 7 p.m. (WSAT)

(14) Carson at (3) Kings Mountain, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

(18) NW Cabarrus at (2) Ledford, Thursday, 7 p.m.

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(29) Davie at (13) West Forsyth

 

Softball

(12) West Rowan at (5) Central Cabarrus, Friday, 6 p.m.

(17) East Rowan at (1) East Lincoln, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

(18) Carson at (2) Crest, Thursday, 6 p.m.

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(13) Piedmont at (4) Mooresville

 

Tuesday’s baseball roundup …

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan’s season ended with a 4-1 loss to South Point.

The 16th-seeded Falcons (15-11) had a chance for a big inning early, but rapped into a double play with the bases loaded and settled for one run in the bottom of the first.

That’s all they got against South Point hurler Jake Beaty. West had only one hit after the first inning.

Luke Graham, Noah Loeblein and Matthew Connolly had hits for West. Connolly had a single that scored Graham in the first inning.

Casey Gouge struck out eight and gave the Falcons a chance, but took the loss. Jake Blevins, another senior, came in to get the last out in the top of the seventh.

South Point  (15-7) got only four hits but made them count.

Seeded 17th, South Point plays at South Rowan on Friday.

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LANDIS — Chandler Oddie and Noah Washburn pitched for 3A West No. 1 seed South Rowan in a 23-1 romp against No. 32 West Charlotte.

They combined for 10 strikeouts in a five-inning game.

South (23-4) scored four runs in the first and three in the second and made it a romp with a 13-run third inning.

Finch McMillin, Ty Hubbard, Kane Kepley and Nathan Chrismon scored three runs each.

Chrismon, Hubbard, Colton Fisher and Cole Thomas had three RBIs each. Gabe Dial had two RBIs.

Fisher had three hits. Hubbard had two hits. Chrismon and Kepley had three steals each.

It was the 23rd victory for South, tying the school record set in 1996.

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GRANITE QUARRY — East Rowan, seeded ninth in the 3A West bracket, barely survived a first-round challenge from No. 24 North Gaston in extra innings.

No. 9 batter Tristan Miller delivered the game-winning hit in the eighth inning at Staton Field after a lead-off single by Nate Hayworth, a bunt single by Cameron Padgett and a walk to Austin Fulk loaded the bases.

East starter Cameron Padgett struck out 11 but reached his pitch-count limit (105) after getting the first out in the eighth.

Relief pitcher Logan Dyer quickly got in a jam in the eighth, but he got out of it with two strikeouts and eventually earned the win.

Padgett and Hayworth had run-scoring singles to account for East’s first two runs.

The Mustangs (24-4) had chances to end the suspense right away, but left six men on base in the early innings and had several more men cut down on the base paths.

East will play at No. 8 Enka on Friday.

Enka (12-9) won 6-3 against Erwin in the first round.

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CHINA  GROVE — Playing at home, No. 14 seed Carson took an exciting 3-2 win against North Henderson (16-9) in the first round of the 3A state playoffs on Tuesday.

Hayden Simmerson went the distance on the mound, striking out 12 and walking one. He allowed four hits.

At the plate, Simmerson produced two hits. Cameron Burleyson had two hits, including a triple. Aaron Coe had a double. The Cougars had seven hits.

Carson (17-10) took an early 3-0 lead and held on.

Left fielder Austin Efird made a key defensive play for the Cougars in the sixth, throwing out a runner at the plate to preserve a 3-2 lead. Burleyson made the tag.

Next for the Cougars is a trip to third-seeded Kings Mountain. Kings Mountain (18-5) beat Tuscola 4-3.

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INDIAN TRAIL — Bayden Hazlip pitched six strong innings and Parker Aderhold knocked in three runs as Davie upset fourth-seeded Sun Valley 6-4 on the road.

Davie (13-11) advanced in the 4A playoffs as a No. 29 seed. The War Eagles will take on a familiar opponent in West Forsyth on the road on Friday.

West Forsyth beat Cox Mill 10-3 in the first round.

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MIDWAY — With Terry Kaler and Dalton Hazlett combining for 14 strikeouts, 18th-seeded Northwest Cabarrus (15-8) edged 15th-seeded Oak Grove 2-1 in the 3A playoffs.

Jacob Allen and Trent Grigley had two hits for the Trojans.

Northwest goes to second-seeded Ledford on Friday. Ledford beat Hibriten 10-1.

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Other 3A playoff scores: Parkwood 10, Hickory 0; St. Stephens 5, Central Davidson 3; East Lincoln 8, Forestview 0; Eastern Guilford 7, Franklin 3; West Henderson 4, Asheboro 1; Foard 8, North Davidson 2; Crest 11, Rockingham County 4. North Lincoln played North Iredell.

 

Tuesday’s softball roundup …

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan, seeded 12th, hammered Eastern Guilford 10-0 in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.

Arabelle Shulenberger struck out eight and allowed only one hit.

Emma Clarke had four RBIs. She hit a three-run homer in the third inning after hits by Ashlee Ennis and Kenadi Sproul.

Brooke Kennerly followed a triple by Clarke with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

Karsen Simpson had two hit for the Falcons (19-5). Madelyn VonCanon scored two runs.

West plays at fifth-seeded Central Cabarrus (21-4) on Friday. The Vikings routed Fred T. Foard 18-4 in the first round.

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HENDERSONVILLE — Carson, seeded 18th in the 3A West bracket, won 9-5 on the road at No. 15 West Henderson.

It was 3-all after five innings, but a four-run sixth propelled the Cougars (13-11).

Lonna Addison struck out five and pitched a complete game.

Addison and Makayla Johnson had two RBIs each. Brooklyn Davis had two hits.

Johnson, Abbey Nixon, Holly Stowe and Allie Burns had doubles.

Next for Carson is a trip to No. 2 seed Crest (22-2). The Chargers beat Central Academy 7-1.

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WALLBURG — East Rowan, seeded 17th, also was a road winner, taking a 6-3 victory at No. 16 seed Ledford.

Eleni Miller pitched a complete game for East .

Kori Miller had three hits and scored two runs for the Mustangs (16-8).

Eleni Miller, Addie Plott and Liberty Schroeder had two hits each, Tiffin Jacobs had two RBIs.

Next for East Rowan is a game at No. 1 seed East Lincoln (22-0).

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SYLVA — Seventh-seeded Smoky Mountain edged 26th-seeded South Rowan 3-2 in the 3A playoffs. The Raiders finished 12-12.

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MOORESVILLE — Campbell Schaen and Morgan Smith combined on a one-hitter and Ellie Goins homered as fourth-seeded Mooresville handled Butler 7-0 in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

Brooke Piper had two hits for the Blue Devils (20-4).

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MONROE — No. 13 seed Piedmont eliminated 20th-seeded Davie 6-2 in the 4A playoffs. Sydney Dirks and McKenzie Mixon hit solo homers for the War Eagles (15-9).

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HUDSON — A.L. Brown, seeded 22nd, lost at No. 11 South Caldwell 8-5 in the 4A playoffs.

Kaylyn Belfield had two hits and scored twice for the Wonders. Lindsay Wolford knocked in three runs. Gracie Brown had two hits.