1A Softball Game 1 – North Stanly dominates Whiteville 6-2
RALEIGH, N.C. – North Stanly cruised to a 6-2 victory over Whiteville in game 1 of the NCHSAA 1A State Championship Series. The Comets got behind 2-0 early as Whiteville plated two runs in the bottom of the third, but responded in the next inning to tie the game at 2 on their way to the opening game victory.
Whiteville jumped on the board first as the Wolfpack got a lead-off single in the third from Santana Best. Best came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Kourtney Grainger. Sage Mclelland added another run, plating Grainger with a stand-up double to give the Wolfpack a 2-0 lead.
North Stanly stormed back in the next inning as Sam Hogan led off with a double and Mimi Selke followed that up with a single of her own. Merris Talbert stepped in and slapped a ball into right field for a two-run single to tie the game.
The Comets opened the bottom of the fifth with a Weslyn Almond double to left. Then a pair of errors by the Wolfpack on a grounder to short by Payton Landis scored Almond to give the Comets their first lead of the game, 3-2. They added three more runs in the frame with Selke ripping a two-run single with one out and Jada Jordan’s two-out RBI single.
1A Softball Game 2 – Whiteville bats come alive, blast North Stanly 12-0 to force game 3
RALEIGH, N.C. – With their backs against the wall, trailing a 1-0 in the best-of-three series for the 1A State Championship, Whiteville’s bats woke up early, scoring five runs in the opening inning on the way to a 12-0 victory in five innings.
The Wolfpack batted around in the top of the first inning, as Laura Thompson led off with a double, Kourtney Grainger and Sage McLelland then singled with the next two batter drawing walks. All five came around to score in the frame, giving Whiteville a 5-0 lead before heading out to the field.
Whiteville batted around again in the fifth inning when Ivy Hayes reached on an error to lead off. The Wolfpack sacrificed her into scoring position, and Raeganne Sholar singled to bring her around. Santana Best and Lauren Hilbourn added two-out singles in the inning before Laura Thompson drew a walk, Kourtney grainger cleared the bases with a double to make it 10-0. Sage McLelland launched a two-run homer to score Grainger and bring the game to a close in five innings.
Hayes was brilliant in the circle as well. She limited the Comets to just two hits while striking out six in her five innings of work. Sam Hogan and Merris Talbert were the lone Comets to get hits off the Whiteville junior.
With the win, Whiteville evens the series at a game a piece, forcing the decisive game three this afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at NC State’s Dail Softball Complex.
1A Softball Game 3 – North Stanly outlasts Whiteville 4-2 to win in 11 innings
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Comets of North Stanly captured their first NCHSAA fast-pitch state championship, hanging on to beat Whiteville 4-2 in an 11-inning thriller in the series finale.
Merris Talbert went 11 innings for the Comets, hurling eight strikeouts while allowing just two runs, both earned, two walks and seven hits in the outing. She was matched almost pitch for pitch by Whiteville’s Ivy Hayes who also went 11-innings, giving up 12 hits, and four runs, all earned. Hayes only walked one while striking out eight.
It was a pitcher’s duel until the final inning. In the top half of the 11th North Stanly got a leadoff single from Payton Landis. Then Alexa Sells dug in and launched one out of the park to give the Comets a 3-1 lead. Sells was named the series M.V.P. for what turned out to be the game-winning homer. Mimi Selke added to the Comet lead when she reached with a single in the inning and scored on an RBI single by Jada Jordan.
With a 4-1 lead and three outs to get, Talbert went back to work in the circle against the Wolfpack. Laura Thompson reached with a one-out single. She scored on an RBI single by Sage McLelland to trim the Comet advantage to 4-2 with one out in the inning. However, Talbert reached back to get a little extra for the next two batters, striking them both out to close out the win and series for North Stanly.
The two teams swapped runs in the third inning. North Stanly scratched first with Sam Hogan leading off with a double before scoring on an RBI single by Jordan. Whiteville answered with Santana Best leading off with a single. She was bunted into scoring position by Lauren Hilbourn and scored on a two out single by Kourtney Grainger to tie the game at 1.
2A Softball Game 1 – South Granville cruises to a 3-0 win over Parkwood
GREENSBORO, N.C. – South Granville is familiar with the NCHSAA Softball Championships, they’ve won the last two at the 2A level. They certainly showed their comfort with the big stage in game one of the 2017 edition of the State Championship Series, cruising past Parkwood 3-0.
After a leadoff single by Emma Jones in the bottom of the first, Megan White ripped a two out double to score Jones and give the Lady Vikings a 1-0 lead. The Vikings didn’t score again until the fifth when Brianne Coleman ledoff with a single and Jordan Talley launched a two-run homer to put the Vikings up 3-0.
Miranda Baker was superb in the circle for South Granville. Baker spun a complete game, two-hit shutout. She struck out three on the evening while only walking one. She stranded five Parkwood runners on base.
South Granville has the opportunity to sweep the best-of-three series in game two on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro.
2A Softball Game 2 – Parkwood scraps their way to a game three with a 3-2 win over South Granville
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Parkwood got a big performance out of junior pitcher Caroline Ruth as she held the two-time defending 2A Champions, South Granville to just seven hits and two runs while going 2 for 3 at the plate with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Ruth provided the framework for a 3-2 Rebel win that forced a decisive game three in the 2A State Championship Series.
The two teams traded runs in the early going with Parkwood grabbing a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Baylee Morton doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score eventually on a fielding error. South Granville answered in the next inning with Emma Jones singling with one out before Viking pitcher Miranda Barker helped her own cause with an RBI single to tie the score.
South Granville took the lead in the top of the fifth as Megan White left the yard with a solo shot to make it 2-1. Parkwood put together a two-out rally in the fifth to tie it at two as Amber Briggs got things started with a single before Mary Pierce Barnes smacked a double to bring her around.
Parkwood snatched the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Ruth led off the inning with a double. She eventually scored the game-winning run when Allie Griffin ripped a single with two outs in the inning to put the Rebels up 3-2.
2A Softball Game 3 – Parkwood thumps South Granville 7-2 to win first championship
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Parkwood Rebels exploded for 5 runs in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie, capitalizing on three South Granville errors in the frame, on their way to a 7-2 game three win over the Vikings and the school’s first fast-pitch softball state championship.
Things started out smoothly in the fifth inning for the Vikings, as Miranda Barker retired the first batter of the inning without incident. However, that’s where the normalcy stopped.
A usually solid defensive unit committed three errors behind her, as Chloe Hardy and Amber Briggs reached on errors. Amber Briggs singled to load the bases. It looked like Barker might be able to work around the trouble as Hardy was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning, but Barker hit Amber Parker forcing in a run to make it 2-1.
Barker then walked opposing pitcher Caroline Ruth forcing in another run, bringing up Baylee Morton with the bases jammed. Morton unloaded on a double, clearing the bases bringing in three runs and pushing the score to 6-1 in favor of the Rebels late in the game.
South Granville answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth as Emma Jones singled and came around to score on a two-out double by Ally Goss. The Vikings couldn’t manage any further progress and Parkwood tacked on another run in the top of the seventh, as Baylee Morton doubled and eventually came around to score on the fifth South Granville error of the night.
Morton was named M.V.P. of the series for Parkwood. In the series clinching game she went 3 for 4 with a run scored and three RBI. Parkwood finished the season 27-3 on the year.
3A Softball Game 1 – Orange holds off Piedmont 3-2 on a two-run HR by Davidson
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Orange Panthers got their 3A State Championship Series off to a good start as Mia Davidson’s two-run shot in the sixth lifted them to a 3-2 win over Piedmont in game one.
Davidson’s two run shot to center field gave Orange a 3-2 lead, plating Hayley Funk who singled earlier to lead off the inning. The bomb by Davidson handed a one-run lead to Kristina Givins who worked around a two-out double by Kristen Delbene and a two-out walk, to preserve a 3-2 victory and 1-0 series lead for Orange.
Piedmont did all of their damage against Givins in the third inning. Kyrah Phelix led off with a single and Avery Bellai drew a walk to put two on with no one out. Gracie Gibson singled to bring both runners home with one out and lift the Piedmont side to the lead for the time.
Orange took the early lead as Abigail Hamlet singled off the pitcher’s glove with one out in the bottom of the first. She scored on an RBI single up the middle by Jaden Hurdle. Givins got the win, working around nine Piedmont hits in seven innings, allowing just the two runs.
Orange has an opportunity to close the best-of-three series with a win in game two on Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm at Dail Softball Field on the campus of NC State University in Raleigh.
3A Softball Game 2 – Orange sweeps Piedmont with a 4-1 victory
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Orange Panthers captured the school’s first fast-pitch softball state championship with a 4-1 win in game two, sweeping the series over Piedmont.
Orange jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning as Mia Davidson drew a leadoff walk and Abigail Hamlett singled. The pair came around on Jaden Hurdle’s RBI single.
Davidson later scored again in the seventh as she was walked with two outs following a Hayley Funk single. Funk and Davidson scored on Hamlett’s two-out double, pushing the Orange advantage to 4-1.
Piedmont’s lone run came in the third inning as Kyrah Phelix had a leadoff single. She advanced on Kristen DelBene’s two-out single before Gracie Gibson singled sending Phelix across the plate to cut the Orange lead to 2-1.
For the second in as many outings, Kristina Givins was outstanding in the circle for Orange. Givins scattered six hits with only a single run. She struck out one, walking only two.
Davidson was named the series M.V.P. drawing three walks on the day in game two. She homered in the sixth inning of game one to give Orange a 3-2 victory.
4A Softball Game 1 – North Davidson blanks Cape Fear 4-0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The North Davidson Lady Knights came out swinging in the second inning, pushing across three runs in the frame to jump out to an early lead over Cape Fear on their way to a 4-0 shutout win in Game 1 of the NCHSAA 4A Softball State Championship Series.
Haden Womble led off the inning for the Knights with a single. That was followed by a stolen base for Womble, and a single by Sydney Snyder to move Womble to third. Knights first baseman, Olivia Coleman stepped in and drilled a single plating both runners and giving North Davidson the 2-0 lead. Colman later came around to score on a two-out single by Faith Jarvis.
The Knights added another run in the sixth as Snyder drew a one-out walk, coming around to score on an RBI groundout by right fielder Lexi Bryant to make it 4-0.
North Davidson got a fantastic pitching performance in the circle by Regan Spencer. Spencer threw a complete game shutout, striking out five Colt batters and only allowing two hits and a single walk.
North Davidson improves to 26-7 on the year and is one win away from closing out the best-of-three 4A State Championship Series. Cape Fear dropped to 28-2 on the year. Game two is scheduled for 11:00 am tomorrow morning at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro.
4A Softball Game 2 – North Davidson holds off Cape Fear 3-2 to sweep
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Davidson got their bats stared early, pushing a run across in the bottom of the first and another in the bottom of the second on their way to a 3-2 series sweeping victory over Cape Fear in the 4A State Softball Championship. The win gave North Davidson the school’s second fast-pitch state championship, their first since winning the 4A title in 2010.
Faith Jarvis opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff double for the Knights. Jarvis came home to score the game’s first run on a two-out RBI single by designated player Katie McNeill.
North Davidson followed almost an identical script for their run in the second as Syndey Snyder doubled to open the inning, this time scoring on an RBI groundout by Lexi Bryant to take a 2-0 lead.
Cape Fear did not go quietly as the Colts battled back in the sixth. Haley Cashwell started the inning off with a single, reaching second on an error while Bri Bryant drew a 1-out walk. Both came around to score, Cashwell on an RBI by Sammi Jo Loney and Bryant on an RBI groundout by Alyssa Goshorn to tie the game at two.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Autumn Stover got things started for the Knights with a leadoff single. Katie McNeill moved her up with a ground out and then Snyder drove her home with a two-out RBI single to put the Knights ahead for good 3-2.
Kaitlyn Knuckles pitched all six innings for Cape Fear. She kept the Colts in the game while their bats warmed up. Knuckles allowed three runs, all earned, including eight hits, with a walk and a strikeout.
Reagan Spencer pitched well for the Knights but ran into trouble in the sixth, where she was removed after giving up a pair of runs. Spencer was named the series MVP for her performance in the pitching circle over the two-game set. McNeill took over going the remaining 1.1 innings, retiring all four batters she faced including two strikeouts. She was credited with the win.
