HobbsDailyReport.com
Asheville and Mint Hill won deciding games on Wednesday night in the Area IV American Legion baseball playoffs, eliminating Lincoln County and Caldwell County, respectively.
For complete scores and pairings from the Area IV American Legion baseball playoffs, check out an earlier post on the website.
West No. 4 Asheville rode reliever Jack Ponder’s 15 strikeouts in six innings to an 11-3 victory over visiting Lincoln County in Game 5 of a best-of-5 first round series.
East No. 6 Mint Hill beat West No. 3 Caldwell County 13-8 at Independence High in another Game 5 to advance.
Asheville (11-10) advances to play East No. 1 Union County (18-2) in the second round, with Game 1 of that best-of-5 series scheduled Thursday at 7 p.m. at Marvin Ridge High.
Mint Hill (11-10) plays the opener of its second round best-of-5 series against the Gaston Braves (17-5) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Belmont Abbey Yard, the home field of Belmont Abbey College.
Ponder came on in the fourth inning for Asheville, which had a six-run seventh inning, led 8-3 at one point, and added three runs in the eighth inning.
East No. 5 seed Lincoln County — which rallied for a 2-2 tie in games after falling in the first two games — finished 11-13.
Caldwell County (11-10) worked out of a bases-loaded jam against Mint Hill and was tied at 5 before Mint Hill got a two-run double from Kobe Phillips to go up 7-5.
The second round series, all best-of-5, are scheduled to begin Thursday with these additional matchups: East No. 4 Gastonia against West No. 1 Cherryville and East No. 3 Shelby against West No. 2 Taylorsville.
On Thursday night at 7 p.m., it will be Gastonia at Cherryville (at Cherryville High) and Shelby at Taylorsville (at Alexander Central High).