NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 4-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
BUTLER EDGES CHAPEL HILL IN 4-A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
RALEIGH—Defending state champion Matthews David Butler rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the sixth inning and edged Chapel Hill 3-2 to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A softball championship at Walnut Creek Softball Complex on Saturday.
Pitcher Ashton Ward of Butler was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the second straight year as Butler won its second straight state title, finishing a 29-0 season. She went the distance on the mound, yielding five hits and fanning 13 in posting her 26th victory of the year.
Sarah Rapp was big for Butler in its rally. Her hit started the two-run comeback that knotted the score in the sixth and then she had the game-winning infield hit that plated Melinda Collins, who had singled off losing pitcher Samme Lisowsky. Chapel Hill wound up with a 25-7 record.
Chapel Hill led 1-0 after one inning and then made it 2-0 in the third when Rachel Sawyer doubled and later scored on a single by Rachel Brocious.
Chapel Hill’s only other loss in the tournament was on Friday night, a 7-1 14-inning marathon against Bulter. That had dropped the Tigers into the loser’s bracket final game earlier on Saturday.
Chapel Hill moved into the championship game by edging North Davidson 1-0 as Lisowsky picked up the pitching victory. Katie Bennett scored the only run of the game in the fourth inning on an error after reaching base via a single.
Sawyer and Brocious each had two hits in that Tiger win, while Elisha Elliott and Brittany Mallory each had a pair of hits for North Davidson, which finished its year 30-3. Danielle Glosson was the losing pitcher.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2007 STATE 4-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Chapel Hill 3, Fayetteville Pine Forest 0
Matthews David Butler 2, North Davidson 0
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
David Butler 7, Chapel Hill 1 (14 innings)
ELIMINATION GAME
North Davidson 1, Pine Forest 0 (9 innings)
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
Chapel Hill 1, North Davidson 0
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
David Butler 3, Chapel Hill 2
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 3-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
SOUTHWESTERN RANDOLPH TAKES 3-A TITLE OVER D.H. CONLEY
RALEIGH – Natalie Haithcox and Holly Berry had two hits apiece to lead Southwestern Randolph to a 2-0 victory over Greenville D.H. Conley in the finals of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex on Saturday.
Anna Maness, who had an excellent all-around tournament for Southwestern, came on to pitch the final two innings in relief in the final and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Valerie Campbell was credited with the win.
It was Southwestern’s first NCHSAA state softball title since 2001 as the Lady Cougars completed a brilliant 30-1 season.
Breanna Andrews had two hits for Conley, which finished its season 27-4. Sue Ann Riggs was the losing pitcher.
Conley had advanced to the championship game in the double-elimination tournament with a 1-0 victory over defending state champion Kings Mountain earlier on Saturday in the loser’s bracket final. Brittany Sutton went the route on the mound for the winners and struck out 18. Allison Brown collected two of Conley’s three hits.
Morgan Childers, who struck out 11, got the loss for Kings Mountain.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2007 STATE 3-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Greenville D.H. Conley 1, Harnett Central 0 (9 innings)
Southwestern Randolph 2, Kings Mountain 1 (9 innings)
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
Southwestern Randolph 4, D.H. Conley 0
ELIMINATION GAME
Kings Mountain 2, Harnett Central 0
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
D.H. Conley 1, Kings Mountain 0
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Southwestern Randolph 2, D.H. Conley 0
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 2-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
LEONARD FIRES NO-HITTER IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR CENTRAL DAVIDSON
RALEIGH – Sophomore Chelsea Leonard of Central Davidson fired a no-hitter in the finals of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A softball championships at Walnut Creek Softball Complex on Saturday as Central blanked South Brunswick 4-0.
Leonard struck out 18 and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player as Central Davidson completed a 32-1 campaign.
The Spartans broke a scoreless game open with four runs in the sixth, as Ashley Hulin and Erin Cole had key hits in the frame.
South Brunswick, which ended its season 26-5, had earned a berth in the finals with a 1-0 win over Bunn earlier on Saturday in the loser’s bracket finals of the double-elimination event.
Candace Piner was the winning pitcher as South pushed across the only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Jenna Kasmierczak, who had singled, stole home.
Ashley Driver was tagged with the loss for Bunn, which ended 20-9 overall.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2007 STATE 2-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Bunn 1, South Brunswick 0
Central Davidson 5, Smoky Mountain 0
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
Central Davidson 5, Bunn 0
ELIMINATION GAME
South Brunswick 2, Smoky Mountain 0
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
South Brunswick 1, Bunn 0
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Central Davidson 4, South Brunswick 0
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS—FINAL
CRIST’S THREE RUN HOMER LIFTS PENDER TO VICTORY
RALEIGH – Sophomore first baseman Guss Crist blasted a three-run walk-off home run in the eighth inning to propel Pender to a 3-1 win over North Moore and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A softball championship at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
Crist was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament as Pender won its second straight state title and finished 28-2 overall.
Britney Roper of Pender and Allison Braswell of North Moore locked into the pitcher’s duel that was scoreless at the end of the regulation seven innings. Then North Moore took a 1-0 lead in the eighth and set the stage for Crist’s heroics in the bottom half of the frame.
North Moore, which dropped a 5-3 decision to Pender on Friday night in the tournament, finished with a 26-8 record.
Jasmine Covington had driven in three runs earlier in the day as North Moore ousted Swain County 4-1 in the loser’s bracket final to advance to play Pender. Braswell was the winning pitcher in that one while Kristen Cook took the loss for Swain, which ended the year 24-7.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2007 STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
Pender 6, Gates County 2
North Moore 3, Swain County 0
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
Pender 5, North Moore 3
ELIMINATION GAME
Swain County 4, Gates 2
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
North Moore 4, Swain County 1
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Pender 3, North Moore 1 (8 innings)
