No. 4 East GASTONIA (16-12)
vs. No. 3 West CALDWELL COUNTY (18-9)
Game 1, Wednesday at M.S. Deal Stadium, Granite Falls: Caldwell County 8, Gastonia 0
Game 2: Thursday at Gastonia, Sims Park, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Friday at M.S. Deal Stadium, Granite Falls, 7 p.m.
Game 4, if needed: Saturday at Gastonia, Sims Park, 7 p.m.
Game 5, if needed: Sunday at M.S. Deal Stadium, Granite Falls, 7 p.m.
HobbsDailyReport.com
GRANITE FALLS – Cy Smith and Landon Biddix combined on a no-hitter on Wednesday night as Caldwell County Post 29 blanked visiting Gastonia 8-0 to open a semifinal playoffs series in Area IV American Legion baseball.
Smith struck out 13 over six innings, and Biddix finished up at M.S. Deal Stadium as Caldwell County, a West No. 3 seed, improved to 18-9.
Post 29 travels to Sims Park in Gastonia for Game 2 of a best-of-5 series on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Gastonia, seeded No. 4 from the East, is 16-13.
Game 3 is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Friday at M.S. Deal Stadium.
Smith worked with an early lead after Jack Stevens’ single in the first inning drove in a run, and Caldwell County led 3-0 after a two-run triple by Jackson Brown.
Post 28 added three runs in the fifth inning, boosting its lead to 6-0, and handed Gastonia starter Austin Mitchell a loss. He went four innings, giving up seven hits, three runs (two earned) and struck out five.
The shutout was Caldwell County’s second on the field this season. Post 29 blanked Henderson County 10-0 last Sunday in a second-round playoff game and advanced via two forfeits that closed the series.
Post 29 is 7-2 in its last nine games, sweeping Pineville in three games in the first round. After losing back-to-back games against Henderson County in the second round, Caldwell County has won four straight games.