NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—DAY TWO
ALEXANDER CENTRAL UPENDS NORTH DAVIDSON FOR 4-A CROWN
RALEIGH— Christina Krider had two doubles and scored the winning run in the seventh as Alexander Central rallied past North Davidson 3-2 in the championship game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex on Saturday.
North had scored twice in the sixth inning of the decisive game to take a 2-1 lead before the Lady Cougars rallied. Chelsea Wilkinson, who went the distance on the mound for the winners, was the tournament Most Valuable Player as Alexander completed a 31-2 season.
Robyn Stanek had three hits and Emory Byrd two for North, the defending state champions who finished the year with a record of 30-3.
North Davidson had forced the final game by giving Alexander its first loss of the event, 2-1, as sophomore pitcher Eliza Davis outdueled Wilkinson, despite Wilkinson’s 15 strikeouts.
Page Wall and Haley Price each had run-scoring hits in the sixth that provided the North runs. Lauren Elder had a double and RBI for Alexander.
North Davidson ousted Holly Springs 4-0 in a Saturday morning elimination contest to set up the matchup with Alexander, winners now of seven NCHSAA titles.
Alexander Central had won both of its games on Friday night, with Wilkinson getting both pitching victories in a 6-2 victory over North Davidson and then an 18-strikeout, three-hit 3-0 shutout of Holly Springs.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
D.H. CONLEY WINS 3-A TITLEOVER SOUTHERN VANCE
RALEIGH – Pitcher Sarah Christian of Greenville D. H. Conley was named the Most Valuable Player as she fired a five-hit shutout against Southern Vance in a 5-0
championship game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A softball championships Saturday at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Christian outdueled Jordan Garrett of Sothern, who also yielded just five hits, striking out nine, and led her team at the plate with a pair of hits.
Katrina Hudson knocked in both runs for Conley to lift the Vikings to the state title. Conley wound up 27-4 on the season while Southern Vance was 26-5.
Southern Vance had moved into the finals with an easy 10-1 victory over East Rowan in a Saturday morning elimination game, and then Garrett tossed a 1-0 shutout at Conley to give the Vikings their first loss of the tournament and force the final contest.
D.H. Conley shut out Southern Vance 5-0 in its Friday night opener and then beat East Rowan 4-3 in the winner’s bracket final, with Shannen Adams getting the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
IRVIN HIT DRIVES IN GAME WINNER TO LIFT PISGAH TO 2-A TITLE
RALEIGH – Sophomore catcher Mahaila Irvin’s hit down the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the seventh drove home the winning run from first base as Canton Pisgah edged Swansboro 4-3 on Saturday to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A softball championship at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Irvin, who had two hits in three trips to the plate in the final, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player as the Black Bears finished with a 24-4 mark.
In the championship game, Swansboro built a 3-0 lead before the Black Bears tied it with three in the home half of the sixth and won it in the seventh.
Logan Mathews was the winning pitcher for Pisgah while Jaimee Radel took the loss, although she had 10 strikeouts.
Kaitlyn Hannah drove home two runs for the winners while Jamie Geouge was one for three with an RBI.
Radel led the Pirates, who finished 23-8 overall, with two hits and two runs batted in.
Swansboro qualified for the championship with a 6-1 morning victory over Eastern Randolph, ending ER’s season with a 29-4 mark. Carly Schott was a perfect three for three and drove in three runs for the winners, while Nicole Newman had two hits. Radel got the win.
Jana Cheek and Kaitlyn Scheuering each had a pair of hits for Eastern Randolph.
Pisgah’s offense had exploded in its two wins on Friday night. The Black Bears downed Central Davidson 14-9 in their opener and then broke open a 2-2 game in the seventh with eight runs to roll past Eastern Randolph 10-2.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
EAST SURRY WINS THREE GAMES SATURDAY TO WIN 1-A CHAMPIONSHIP
RALEIGH – East Surry came from the loser’s bracket and won three games on Saturday to capture the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
The Cardinals, who have now won four straight NCHSAA state crowns and six overall, beat Pamlico in the decisive game 9-5.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, East Surry scored three in the fifth and three in the sixth to take command. But Pamlico rallied with three runs of its own in the seventh and had the tying run to the plate before the Cards stopped the rally.
Beth Isaacs was the winning pitcher and went two for three with two runs batted in for East, which wound up 29-5. Outfielder Kelsey Wilson was selected as the Most Valuable Player.
Katie Lachman, the losing pitcher, and Taylor Andrews each had two hits for Pamlico which finished 26-6 overall.
East forced the decisive game in the double-elimination event with a dramatic 7-5 victory over Pamlico earlier in the afternoon, rallying for three runs in the top of the seventh. Isaacs, who was the winning pitcher and struck out 10, had a key two-run single in the frame. Isaacs and Christian Smith were both two for three for the winners.
Pamlico had taken a 5-4 lead with a three-run sixth.
East Surry moved to the championship game with a 2-1 victory over Princeton in a morning elimination contest. Isaacs was the winning pitcher, striking out nine and holding the Bulldogs to four hits. Wilson’s infield hit scored Evelyn Wells with what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the fourth, breaking a 1-1 tie.
Tori Paul had an RBI hit for Princeton, which finished the year 22-7 overall.
Pamlico had won a pair of tight 2-1 decisions on Friday night to advance to the championship game, opening with a win over Princeton behind the pitching and hitting of Lachman, and then edging East Surry.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
