RALEIGH—Alexander Central moved a step closer to a seventh state crown as the Lady Cougars advanced into the championship game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex with a pair of wins on Friday night.

       Chelsea Wilkinson pitched both of the hard-earned victories for Alexander Central, now 30-1 on the year. She struck out 13 in Alexander’s opening 6-2 win over defending champion North Davidson and helped her cause with a pair of hits, including a home run, and three runs batted in. Then she outdueled Erica Nunn of Holly Springs in a 3-0 game that went nine innings. Wilkinson fanned 18  and limited Holly Springs to three hits while Nunn struck out 14.

       Holly Springs had won its opener, scoring in the first and nipping Clayton 1-0. Nunn struck out 15 and limited Clayton to one hit.

       Then in the elimination game, North Davidson scored in the bottom of the ninth to oust Clayton 3-2. Mackenzie Houser was the winning pitcher while Nicole Bond got the loss. Jesse Plemmons had two hits for North, while Jenna Harris had two hits for Clayton, which finished 16-11 overall.

       Alexander Central will await the winner of the loser’s bracket final between North Davidson (28-2) and Holly Springs (23-2), set for 11 am Saturday. The championship in the double elimination tournament will be at 1:30, with a second game at 4 p.m. if Alexander loses.

       The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.

D.H. CONLEY MOVES INTO 3-A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

       RALEIGH –  Greenville D.H. Conley’s Shannen Adams had three hits and three runs batted in to lead Conley to the championship game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A softball championships after Friday night action at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.

       Conley downed East Rowan 4-3 in the winner’s bracket final Friday night, with Adams getting the game winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sarah Langley, Kate Hanley and Taylor Matthews all had two hits for the winners and Sarah Christian picked up the pitching victory. Kayla Kirk had two RBI for East Rowan.

       Conley had won its opening game over Southern Vance 5-0 while East Rowan was rolling past Crest 10-0 in five innings. East hit Crest with a seven-spot in the fifth and Chelsea White of East Rowan retired the last 13 batters she faced. Stephanie Sides led the winers with three hits.

       In the elimination game, Southern Vance got a no-hitter and 13-strikeout performance from Jordan Garrett to oust Crest, 6-0. Crest finished 22-5 on the season.

       Megan Hight had two hits and drove in three runs for Southern.

       Southern Vance (24-4) will face East Rowan (25-3) at 11 am on Saturday for the right to advance to play against Conley at 1:30.

       The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.

 

PISGAH OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION KEYS 2-A VICTORIES

       RALEIGH – In a sport where pitching and defense usually dominates, Canton Pisgah exploded for 24 runs in a pair of wins on Friday night in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.

       Pisgah won its opening game by 14-9 over Central Davidson, led by Jamie Geouge’s three hits and five runs batted in. Then the Black Bears amazingly broke open a 2-2 game in the seventh with eight runs to roll past Eastern Randolph 10-2 and improve their record to 23-4.

       Mahaila Irvin had a homer and two runs batted in for the winners while Micah James went two for two with a homer and two RBI. That offset Eastern Randolph’s Dallas Heaton’s 19th homer of the year as she went two for two.

       Heaton pitched a shutout in Eastern’s first game, a 1-0 victory over Swansboro while limiting the Pirates to three hits. Brittany Rush drove home the only run of the game in the second inning.

       Swansboro blanked Central Davidson 2-0 in the elimination game as Jamie Rodel scattered four hits and fanned 13.  Emma Comer was the losing pitcher as Central ended the season with a record of 26-5.

       Swansboro (23-7) will face Eastern Randolph (29-3) Saturday morning at 11 o’clock in the loser’s bracket finals, with the winner advancing to face Pisgah for the championship.

       The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.

PAMLICO MOVES INTO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 1-A

       RALEIGH – Pamlico won a pair of tight 2-1 decisions on Friday night  to advance to the finals in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.

       Pamlico opened with a 2-1 decision over Princeton, with Katie Lachman getting the pitching victory and also getting two hits and an RBI. Megan Gerrell had three hits and Katlyn Peedin two for Princeton, which outhit the winners 8-6.

       Then in the winners’ bracket finals Pamlico edged three-time defending state champ East Surry 2-1, with Lachman outdueling Beth Isaacs, who fanned 12. Lachman and Taylor Andrews each had run-scoring hits in the first.

       East Surry beat Murphy in its opener by a 6-2 count, with Isaacs the winning pitcher and Brittany Henry the loser. Lacie Clayton had a pair of hits for Murphy while Jessica Barker had two for East.

       In a wild elimination game, Princeton carried a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning before Murphy rallied in a battle of Bulldog teams. Brittany Henry’s bases loaded hit and then an error in the outfield helped tie the game. But Peedin’s slow rolling infield hit in the bottom of ninth drove home Ashleigh Mayes with the winning run. Murphy ended the campaign 25-4.

       East Surry (26-5) and Princeton (22-6) will square off at 11 am Saturday in the loser’s bracket final for the right to advance against Pamlico (26-4) in the championship game.

       The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.

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