NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE 4-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES—GAME ONE
ARDREY KELL TAKES SERIES OPENER OVER SANDERSON
RALEIGH — Charlotte Ardrey Kell jumped on Sanderson early with four runs in the first and went on to record a 9-5 victory on Friday night in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A baseball championship series at Doak Field on the campus of N.C. State.
Kell led 6-2 after three innings before the Spartans came scrapping back with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames to cut it to 6-5. But then the Knights pushed three across in their half of the seventh, with a two-run triple by Josh Case the big blow.
Case and Alex Wood each had two hits for the winners, while Kyle Wood had three hits in four trips for Sanderson.
Ashton Lover was the winning pitcher for Kell, going the first five innings, and Alex Baker picked up the save. Charles Wolfe went the distance for the Spartans, yielding 11 hits while striking out six and walking five.
The Knights are now 26-8 overall and are going for their first NCHSAA baseball title in just their third year of existence. Sanderson is 19-12.
The 93rd annual baseball championships will continue with game two scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are serving as host city sponsors for this championship series. Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 4-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES—GAME ONE
Doak Field, N.C. State University
Charlotte Ardrey Kell 4 1 1 0 0 0 3 – 9 11 1
Raleigh Sanderson 0 2 0 1 1 1 0—5 8 2
WP—Ashton Lover (6-2). Save—Alex Baker/ LP—Charles Wolfe (7-7).
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STATE 3-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES—GAME ONE
LAKE NORMAN DOWNS EASTERN WAYNE 9-2
ZEBULON – Lefthander Nick Lomascolo scattered five hits in a route going performance and struck out eight as Lake Norman defeated Eastern Wayne 9-2 in the first game of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A baseball championship series on Friday at Five County Stadium.
Lomascolo got ample offensive support as Lake Norman scored in five of its seven at bats and blew it open with three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh.
Kevin Gradert and Nick Keith each had two hits for the winners, who were aided by five Eastern Wayne errors.
The Wildcats led 3-1 in the fourth and then got three unearned runs in the sixth. Eastern cut it to 6-2 in its half on a monster home run by Warrior slugger John Wooten, his 17th of the season.
But then the Wildcats scored three more in the seventh, with an RBI double by Joe Faist, another run-scoring double by Donnie Burt and a sacrifice fly by Keith accounting for the runs.
Josh Frederick suffered his first loss in nine decisions for Eastern. Walker Gourley also had two hits, including a triple for the Warriors.
Lake Norman, a school which is just seven years old and is in its first baseball championship, improved its record to 27-2 overall while Eastern Wayne is now 25-5 and seeking its first state crown since 1986.
The 93rd annual baseball championships will continue on Saturday morning with game two in the best-of-three series is set for at eleven o’clock.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are serving as host city sponsors for this championship series. Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 3-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES—GAME ONE
Five County Stadium, Zebulon
Lake Norman 0 1 1 1 0 3 3— 9 10 1
Eastern Wayne 0 0 0 1 0 1 0—2 5 5
WP—Nick Lomascola (9-2). LP—Josh Frederick (8-1). HR—EW, John Wooten in 6th with none on.
