NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 4-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP — DAY ONE
NORTH DAVIDSON STAYS UNBEATEN WITH TWO WINS IN 4-A
RALEIGH –North Davidson ran its perfect record to 31-0 and moved 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.
North Davidson got a no-hit performance from Hannah Alexander in its opener, 10-0 five-inning decision over Asheville T.C. Roberson as the Lady Black Knights pounded out 17 hits. Katie Vick drove in three runs and Maggie McDowell had two RBI for the winners in that one.
Then North exploded for three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth in a 7-3 victory over Harnett Central in the winners’ bracket final. Tess Swing was the winning pitcher, fanning 14, and Shaundee Woosley and Vick had three hits apiece.
North is in the Saturday championship game at 1:30, awaiting the winner of the losers’ bracket final between Harnett Central (23-6) and T.C. Roberson (26-3).
Harnett Central won its opener, beating Fuquay-Varina 5-1 as Mary Katherine Pegram was the winning pitcher and also had two hits. That dropped Fuquay-Varina into the losers’ bracket, where it was eliminated by T.C. Roberson 5-2. Kaitlyn Ramsey was the winning pitcher, striking out seven, while Heather Ratcliffe got the loss.
Fuquay, which was the fourth seed from the Tri-Nine but got hot in the playoffs, ended its year at 17-13.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 3-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP–DAY ONE
SOUTHWESTERN RANDOPH MOVES INTO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
RALEIGH — Pitcher Julia Calicutt tossed a pair of victories as Southwestern Randolph advanced
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.
Southwestern scored five runs in the first inning of the opening game and held on to beat South Johnston 5-1, and then the Lady Cougars grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first two innings of the winners’ bracket final and held off East Rowan 3-2.
Erin Billups had a pair of hits, including a home run, and three RBI for the winners in game one while freshman Hagan Kiser had three hits. Kaylee King and Cynthia Hayes each had two hits in the win over East Rowan.
East touched up Callicutt for 14 hits, including three by Kayla Kirk, but the Lady Cougars held on to win.
Southwestern Randolph, which won the NCHSAA state title in 2007 and ’09 and is now 24-4, awaits the winner of the losers’ bracket final Saturday morning between East Rowan (25-2) and Crest (24-2).
East had won its first game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, rallying to beat Shelby Crest 2-1 Kirk had two hits and drove in the tying run in the seventh and then a bases loaded walk ended the game. Chelsea White was the winning pitcher while Bailey Smith got the loss.
That put Crest in the elimination game but the Chargers responded with a huge eight-run second and then added six in the sixth for a 16-6 victory shortened by the 10-run rule.
Hannah Thompson led the winners with a perfect three for three while South Johnston’s Anna Reaves had three hits in four trips. South Johnston finished the season 22-10.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 2-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP — DAY ONE
CENTRAL DAVIDSON IN FINALS SEEKING FOURTH STRAIGHT CROWN
RALEIGH — Central Davidson put itself in position to win a fourth consecutive state championship with 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.
Central won its opener 5-0 over Boonville Starmount behind a 14-strikeout performance by Carley Tysinger, and then defeated Eastern Randolph 5-4, rallying from a 4-0 deficit with two in the sixth and two in the seventh to advance to the championship game.
Tysinger and Nicole Perry each hit home runs for Central in the win over Starmount. Jack Byrd’s double was a key blow in the sixth for Central in its rally past Eastern and losing pitcher Dallas Heaton. Tysinger got the win for Central.
Central Davidson (26-4) will await the winner of Saturday morning’s losers’ bracket final between Eastern Randolph (28-3) and South Lenoir (19-5) in the championship game at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon.
Eastern dropped South Lenoir into the losers’ bracket with a 6-1 victory in its opening game. Heaton got the win while Faith Turner was the loser. Heaton also helped her own cause with a three-run homer while Turner had two hits for South Lenoir. A solo homer by Jasmine Jones accounted for the only South run.
But then South stayed alive with a tough 3-2 victory over Starmount in an elimination game. Turner was the winning pitcher and also had two hits.
Starmount’s season ended with a 27-6 record.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS–DAY ONE
EAST SURRY MOVES INTO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 1-A BEHIND SHELTON
RALEIGH–Senior pitcher Hayley Shelton fired a pair of shutout victories for East Surry on Friday night in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex to put her team in the championship game.
Shelton, who has been the Most Valuable Player of the last two 1-A state finals, both of which East Surry won, shut out Swain County 1-0 in her first game and then blanked Midway 2-0. Shelton fanned 11 and allowed only one hit against Swain, outdueling Swain pitcher Shelby Parker, who yielded just three hits.
Julianne Bullington’s double scored Morgan Chilton with the only run of the game in the sixth.
Then Shelton shut out Midway, fanning seven and scattering six hits. Lauren Smith was the losing pitcher and Michaela Slatniske had two of Midway’s six hits.
East Surry (26-6) advances to Saturday’s 1:30 championship against the winner of the 11 am elimination game between Midway (21-7) and Swain (23-5).
Williamston had dropped a 3-2 eight-inning decision to Midway to fall into the loser’s bracket. Karson Barnes of Midway drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth against Williamston after Elizabeth McCullen, who had three hits for the winners, had knocked in the tying run.
Then in the elimination game, Swain’s Shelby Parker was the winning pitcher while Kayla Myers went two for three and scored twice. Cassie Harrell was two for three for Williamston, which finished its season 18-9.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the host city sponsors for the championships.
