NCHSAA STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP- SUMMARIES
CLASS 1-A: SOUTH STANLY EVENS SERIES WITH 2-0 WIN OVER CAMDEN
RALEIGH— Meredith Martin’s single in the seventh inning drove in the only runs of the game as South Stanly nipped Camden 2-0 Saturday afternoon in the second game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championship series.
The win by the Rowdy Rebel Bulls evened the series at a game apiece. The decisive game three in the series will be Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The Rowdy Rebel Bulls broke the scoreless tie with four consecutive singles in the seventh, with Martin’s driving home two runs.
Haley Carpenter went two for three and stole two bases for South Stanly, now 26-7 overall while Camden is 17-12.
Steely Russell was the winning pitcher, striking out nine while not walking a batter and yielding just three hits. Rachel Gillken got the loss.
In the opening game, Gilliken was the winning pitcher and also drove in three runs to lead Camden to an 11-4 victory. Gilliken went the distance on the mound, scattering eight hits and striking out four.
Lindsay Russell and Erin Forbes each had two hits for the winners. The Bruins scored in five different innings and took complete command with four runs in the sixth.
Allison Smith had two hits for South Stanly and Haley Starnes had two runs batted in the opener. Emily Hearne was the losing pitcher.
CLASS 2-A: BEDDINGFIELD TAKES 2-A SOFTBALL TITLE WITH 3-2 VICTORY
RALEIGH— Wilson Beddingfield held on to post a 3-2 victory over Madison on Saturday afternoon in the second and final game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A softball championship series.
The win gave Beddingfield its first NCHSAA state softball title in a sweep of the series in two straight tight games, finishing a 28-4 season.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring double by Jenna Pate, and then made it 2-0 in the fourth.
Madison cut it to 2-1 in the fifth on a single by Hannah Anders that drove in a run, but Beddingfield answered in the home half of the frame on an RBI single by Candace Wilkins. Wilkins also had a great diving catch in the outfield that saved a run.
Jessica Roberts of Madison knocked in a run to make it 3-2 in the seventh, but that was as close as the Lady Patriots could get. Jenna Pate was the winning pitcher, giving up just three hits while striking out two and walking one, while Allie Leake was charged with the loss.
In the opening game earlier on Saturday, freshman Caroline Smith drove home Nickie Womble with the winning run to lift Beddingfield to a 1-0, 10-inning triumph.
Brooke Jones was the winning pitcher for Beddingfield, striking out 11 and limiting Madison to four hits while improving her record to 13-1. Jones was named as the Most Valuable Player of the championship series. Leake was the losing pitcher, fanning eight.
Ashley Warren had three hits for Beddingfield in the first game and Smith had two. Jessica Roberts had two of the Lady Patriots’ four hits.
Madison closed the season with a 23-5 record in the most successful season in school history.
CLASS 3-A: AYCOCK EVENS SERIES WITH 4-3 WIN OVER FRED T. FOARD
RALEIGH— Ivy Hartzell had a pair of hits and drove in two runs to help lift Pikeville Charles B. Aycock to a 4-3 decision over Newton Fred T. Foard the second game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A softball championship series.
The victory earned Aycock a split in the best of three series. The third and final game in the series will be Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Aycock is now 30-3 overall while Foard is 26-5.
Hartzell’s two runs batted in the first opened the scoring for the Golden Falcons, who then made it 4-0 in the second as Meredith Burroughs and Brooke Bell drove in runs. Foard answered with three in the third, keyed by a two-run home run by Ashley Oliver, but that was as close as the Tigers could get.
Brooke Bell was the winning pitcher, allowing four hits while striking three, walking one and hitting a batter. Lexi Shubert, with nine strikeouts and a walk while giving up five hits, got the loss.
Foard had won the opening game of the series earlier on Saturday by 1-0 in nine innings, snapping a 26-game Aycock winning streak. Senior first baseman Rebecca Rowe drove home the only run of the game. Rowe’s base hit to right scored courtesy runner Jessie Miller, who was running for pitcher Shubert, who had doubled. Shubert was the winning pitcher, striking out 11 and walking only one, and also had two hits.
Mackenzie Dziendziel also had two hits for Foard in the opener.
CLASS 4-A: PORTER RIDGE TAKES CROWN WITH 2-0 VICTORY OVER HOLLY SPRINGS
RALEIGH— Lexi Davis of Porter Ridge was the Most Valuable Player of the championship series as Indian Trail Porter Ridge blanked Holly Springs 2-0 on Saturday afternoon for the second straight time in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A softball championship series.
Davis, who was named the Southern Carolina Conference Player of the Year four consecutive years, pitched both of the 2-0 shutouts, giving up only four hits in the two games. She fanned eight in the decisive game while outdueling Erica Nunn, who struck out nine and gave up just four hits. Nunn was the only Golden Hawk to hit safely, getting both Holly Springs hits.
Porter Ridge made it 1-0 in the top of the first on a double by Courtney Price, who moved to third and then scored on passed balls. The Pirates’ other run came in the fourth when Tara Loken singled and later scored on a bunt single by Bobbi Jones.
Porter Ridge finished the year at 33-1, with all the pitching victories by Davis, in winning its first NCHSAA state softball title while Holly Springs wound up 24-5.
In the opener, Porter Ridge failed to get a hit, but put together a couple of runs in the first inning and made them stand up for a 2-0 victory. Nunn of Holly Springs was masterful in the circle, striking out 10 and walking only two, but Porter Ridge used an error and a sacrifice fly, among other things, to score its runs.
Jenna Firestein and Kayla Minyard were the Golden Hawks to hit safely in the game.
