RALEIGH — Katie Rosenberger singled home Guss Crist with the only run of the day as Pender shut out East Surry 1-0 in nine innings to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championship Sunday afternoon at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Britney Roper, who went the distance on the mound for the winners, was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship. She struck out seven and allowed only three hits in the final.
Pender, battling its way through the losers’ bracket, had forced the extra day of play by dealing East Surry its first loss of the double-elimination event on Saturday night 6-2 as sophomore Jennetta Robinson got a pair of hits and Roper earned another pitching victory.
East pitcher Brooke Honeycutt, who suffered her only two defeats of the season during the weekend after 21 consecutive victories, allowed only three hits through the first eight innings. But in the ninth, Crist singled to left, was bunted to second and then Mallory Phillips singled to center, advancing Crist to third and Phillips moving to second on the throw.
That set the stage for designated player Rosenberger’s game-winning single to right to win the championship for Pender.
Phillips went two for four for the victorious Patriots, who ended the season 25-6. Courtney Simmons had two of East Surry’s three hits as the defending state 1-A champs finished 31-3 overall.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2006 STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS — STATE SEMIFINALS
East Surry 5, Swain County 1
Jamesville 2, Pender 0
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
WINNERS’ BRACKET FINALS
East Surry 7, Jamesville 0
ELIMINATION GAME
Pender 3, Swain County 1
LOSERS’ BRACKET FINALS
Pender 4, Jamesville 0
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Pender 6, East Surry 2
SUNDAY’S RESULT
Pender 1, East Surry 0 (9 innings)
