NCHSAA STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP- FIRST DAY
CLASS 1-A, GAME ONE: NORTH STOKES 3, WHITEVILLE 0
RALEIGH— Sabrina Dodson hit a two-run home run in the fifth to help lift North Stokes to a 3-0 shutout of Whiteville on Friday night in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championship series at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Dodson’s two-run shot and a run-scoring single by Ashley Smith in the fifth broke a scoreless tie and the pitching of senior Lindsay Brown kept Whiteville at bay. She went the distance, striking out four and allowing only two hits. Sophomore Malerie Leviner was the losing pitcher.
Freshman Sage McLelland, who entered the game batting .531, had two hits in three trips for Whiteville, now 25-7. North Stokes improved to 27-3. Both teams are seeking their first NCHSAA state softball championship.
Game two in the best of three series is set for Saturday at 11 am, with a third game if necessary Saturday afternoon. The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau serve as host city sponsors for the championship.
CLASS 2-A, GAME ONE: EAST RUTHERFORD 2, SILER CITY JORDAN-MATTHEWS 1
RALEIGH— Savannah Davis was the winning pitcher and also had two hits to lead East Rutherford to a tight 2-1 decision over Siler City Jordan-Matthews on Friday night in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A softball championship series at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Matthews went the distance and struck out six en route to the victory while Holly Clark, who fanned 11, got the loss.
Ashlyn Vickers had two doubles in two trips for the winners while Jordan Gray also had two hits. The Jordan-Matthews attack was led by Mattie Poe’s two hits.
East improved its record to 26-3, while the Jets dropped to 23-5, suffering its fourth one-run loss of the year, and had a 13-game winning streak snapped.
Game two in the best of three series is set for Saturday at 11 am, with a third game if necessary Saturday afternoon. The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau serve as host city sponsors for the championship.
CLASS 3-A, GAME ONE: MONROE SUN VALLEY 6, PIKEVILLE CHARLES B. AYCOCK 5
RALEIGH— Courtney Dean’s triple in the bottom of the fifth drove in Hannah Adamcyzk with the go-ahead run as Monroe Sun Valley slipped past Pikeville Charles B. Aycock 6-5 on Friday night in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A softball championship series at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Adamcyzk had walked to set the stage for Dean’s game-winning hit.
Eight runs were scored in an explosive first inning that ended with Sun Valley up 5-3. A bases-loaded double by Bailey DeHart drove in three Sun Valley runs in the first. Aycock battled back with single runs in the second and third.
Brittney Pickett was the winning pitcher, improving her record to 15-5 while Allie Phillips (13-3) took the loss.
Cierra Harris and Keeley Fulghum had two hits apiece for Aycock, now 21-4 overall. Sun Valley improved to 25-5.
Game two in the best of three series is set for Saturday at 11 am, with a third game if necessary Saturday afternoon. The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau serve as host city sponsors for the championship.
CLASS 4-A, GAME ONE: ALEXANDER CENTRAL 4, FAYETTEVILLE CAPE FEAR 3
RALEIGH—Alexander Central scored three runs in the sixth and then had to hang on to edge Fayetteville Cape Fear 4-3 on Friday night in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A softball championship series at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
The victorious Cougars ran their record to 34-0 while Cape Fear suffered only its second loss against 26 victories.
The two teams were scoreless through three, with Cape Fear coming up with a big double palsy to stifle one Cougar threat, and the Colts scored a run in the fifth to tie the game at 1-1.
But Alexander Central scored a couple of unearned runs in the three-run sixth and then Cape Fear had a dramatic two-out rally in the seventh. The Colts put together three hits and a hit batsman, but wound up leaving the tying and winning runs on base.
Bailey Rhoney was the winning pitcher, improving her record to 17-0, while Mary Williams took the loss.
Bailey Sherrill had two hits for Alexander Central while Natalie Jones had two doubles in three trips for the Colts.
Game two in the best of three series is set for Saturday at 11 am, with a third game if necessary Saturday afternoon. The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau serve as host city sponsors for the championship.
