East Lincoln, McDowell also have home games as playoffs continue
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
St. Stephens High’s quest to play for a state baseball title continues on Thursday night.
The second-seeded Indians (10-3), after beating Carson 3-2 in eight innings in a first-round home game on Tuesday, play No. 7 Cuthbertson (13-2) at St. Stephens at 6:30 p.m.
Cuthbertson advanced with a 12-3 home victory over No. 7 Asheville.
St. Stephens beat Carson on a successful suicide squeeze bunt by Elec Marvin. The eighth inning started with Julien Peissel’s hard-hit ball that was not fielded cleanly. Brendan Abbey, pinch-running for Peissel stole second before Silas Isenhour got a bunt down for a hit that moved Abbey to third. Marvin’s bunt was toward first base and Abbey easily scored from third.
BOWMAN
If head coach Jimmy Bowman’s Indians win again, they’ll play a third-round game on Saturday — at home — against No. 11 Sun Valley (12-3) or No. 3 East Rowan (13-2), who play Thursday at East Rowan.
There are two others teams from Greater Hickory area leagues still alive, both playing home games on Thursday night — East Lincoln in 2A and McDowell in 4A.
East Lincoln (14-1, West No. 9 seed) will have first-pitch at 7 p.m. against No. 16 Ledford (11-3), which advanced by surprising top-seeded North Davidson 7-5. East Lincoln won 5-4 at No. 8 West Stokes to advance.
McDowell (13-1, West No. 2 seed) has won 11 straight as it prepares to entertain No. 7 Porter Ridge (13-2). The Titans opened the 4A bracket with a 5-1 home win over No. 15 Olympic while Porter Ridge downed No. 10 Ardrey Kell 9-5 at Porter Ridge.
If East Lincoln wins, it’s third-round game Saturday would be against No. 13 Forbush (10-5) or No. 5 West Wilkes (15-0). The Mustangs would go to West Wilkes and would be at home against Forbush.
McDowell will be at home Saturday if it wins, facing No. 11 Myers Park (13-2) or No. 3 Winston-Salem Reagan (13-2).
Tuesday’s other first-round games
West Wilkes 17, Fred T. Foard 2
Sophomore Carson Edmiston had a career night, improving to 6-0 by handcuffing the visiting Tigers and going 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs (one a grand slam) and driving in eight runs in a first-round 2A game.
West Wilkes (15-0) is the No. 5 seed and the loss left No. 12 Foard with a final record of 12-3.
The Tigers lost three of their last four games after starting 11-0, and they had allowed no more than eight runs in a game coming in.
Foard gave up only 43 runs this season, 32 of those coming in that final four-game stretch.
Forbush 8, Bunker Hill 0
Forbush, seeded No. 13, one-hit the host Bears and pounded out 12 hits to end Bunker Hill’s season in the opening round of the 2A playoffs.
Junior Spencer Hodges carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. It was broken up by Kaden Robinson’s infield single. After the Bears got another baserunner, reliever Henry Logan got the final three outs.
Logan helped the Falcons build an early lead, doubling in a run, and Adam Conrad had an early RBI-single and had another in the third inning.
Bunker Hill was shut out for the first time this season and lost two of its last three after starting 12-0. The Bears won a Northwestern Foothills 2A title.
East Lincoln 5, West Stokes 4
Graham Smiley’s seventh-inning home run gave the ninth-seeded Mustangs a 5-2 lead and they hung on for a first-round road victory in 2A.
Jordan Fisher pitched 6 2/3 innings for East Lincoln, which ran its win streak to six, and gave way to reliever Logan Palmer (save).
Fisher threw three wild pitches, hit two and walked four. He struck out six and gave up four runs, two earned.
Garret Michel walked twice for East Lincoln, which improved to 4-0 in one-run games this season, and he scored two times.
MORE COVERAGE: https://www.thestokesnews.com/sports/30666/wildcats-season-ends-with-playoff-loss
R-S Central 3, North Lincoln 1
The Hilltoppers, seeded No. 6 in the West 2A bracket, assured there will be a new state 2A champion by knocking off the visiting Knights (11th seed).
Only two other teams held North Lincoln (11-4) to one or fewer runs — East Lincoln beat Knights 8-1 on May 14 at East Lincoln and Lincolnton shut out North Lincoln 3-0 on June 4 in Lincolnton.
McDowell 5, Olympic 1
The second-seeded Titans (13-1) scored all of their runs in the fifth inning en route to a first-round home 4A victory.
Chapel Matson threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing one hit while walking two and striking out five, as McDowell ran its win streak to 11 games.
Matson, Three Young and Ethan Hensley each had two hits for the Titans, who held an opponent to one or fewer runs for the sixth time this season.
STATE BASEBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS
(Thursday’s games)
1A
EAST
No. 9 Hobbton (10-2) at No. 1 Perquimans (13-2)
No. 7 Bear Grass Charter (12-1) at Roxboro Community School (7-4)
No. 11 Princeton (9-5) at No. 3 E. Carteret (12-3)
No. 10 E. Wake Academy (8-2) at No. 2 Granville Central (8-7)
WEST
No. 8 Mountain Island Charter (11-2) at No. 1 Hayesville (14-1)
No. 13 N. Moore (9-4) at No. 12 Lincoln Charter (13-1)
No. 11 Murphy (13-2) at No. 3 Uwharrie Charter (11-1)
No. 7 Cherryville (14-1) at No. 2 E. Surry (14-1)
2A
EAST
No. 16 N. Pitt (9-2) at No. 9 E. Bladen (10-4)
No. 5 Roanoke Rapids (12-0) at No. 4 N. Lenoir (12-3)
No. 14 Whiteville (10-4) at No. 6 First Flight (14-0)
No. 15 SW Onslow (12-3) at No. 10 Randleman (14-1)
WEST
No. 16 Ledford (11-3) at No. 9 E. Lincoln (14-1), 7 p.m.
No. 13 Forbush (10-5) at No. 5 W. Wilkes (15-0)
No. 14 South Point (11-4) at No 6 R-S Central (13-2)
No. 15 S. Rowan (13-2) at No. 10 Oak Grove (11-3)
3A
EAST
No. 9 Northern Durham (12-2) at No. 1 Northern Guilford (15-0)
No. 13 Greenville Rose (11-4) at No. 12 SE Guilford (12-3)
No. 6 Asheboro (13-2) at No. 3 Greenville Conley (13-1)
No. 15 Clayton (11-4) at No. 7 Fayetteville Sanford (14-0)
WEST
No. 16 N. Henderson (11-4) at No. 9 Cox Mill (12-3)
No. 12 Marvin Ridge (11-4) at No. 4 Asheville Roberson (14-1)
No. 11 Sun Valley (12-3) at No. 3 E. Rowan (13-2)
No. 7 Cuthbertson (13-2) at No. 2 St. Stephens (10-3), 6:30 p.m.
4A
EAST
No. 16 Wilmington Hoggard (10-4) at No. 9 Scotland County (12-3)
No. 5 Pinecrest (14-1) at No. 4 Fuquay-Varina (11-3)
No. 14 Raleigh Broughton-No. 3 Wilmington Ashley winner vs. No. 11 Wilmington Laney (10-5), site TBD
No. 15 Purnell Swett (10-5) at No. 10 Middle Creek (11-4)
WEST
No. 8 Lake Norman (12-3) at No. 1 Providence (13-2)
No. 9 Hough (15-0) at No. 5 NW Guilford (12-3)
No. 11 Myers Park (13-2) at No. 3 Winston-Salem Reagan (13-2)
No. 7 Porter Ridge (13-2) at No. 2 McDowell (13-1), 7 p.m.
TUESDAY’S FIRST ROUND RESULTS
1A
EAST
No. 1 Perquimans 16, No. 16 Ocracoke 0
No. 9 Hobbton 6, No. 8 E. Columbus 0
No. 5 Roxboro Community 1, No. 12 Edenton Holmes 0
No. 4 Bear Grass Charter 2, No. 13 N. Duplin 1
No. 3 E. Carteret 8, No. 14 W. Columbus 5
No. 11 Princeton 5, No. 6 Tarboro 1
No. 10 E. Wake Academy 3, No. 7 Rosewood 2
No. 2 Granville Central 4, No. 15 Voyager Academy 1
WEST
No. 1 Hayesville 6, No. 16 Christ the King 1
No. 8 Mountain Island Charter 3, No. 9 N. Stanly 2
No. 12 Lincoln Charter 6, No. 5 Cornerstone Charter 0
No. 13 N. Moore 8, No. 4 Polk County 7
No. 3 Uwharrie Charter 11, No. 14 Chatham Charter 0
No. 11 Murphy 13, No. 6 Starmount 10
No. 7 Cherryville 6, No. 10 Pine Lake Prep 5
No. 2 E. Surry 3, No. 15 Community School of Davidson 2
2A
EAST
No. 16 N. Pitt 2, No. 1 McMichael 1
No. 9 E. Bladen 6, No. 8 Croatan 1
No. 5 Roanoke Rapids 7, No. 12 W. Craven 3
No. 4 N. Lenoir 6, No. 13 Providence Grove 2
No. 14 Whiteville 1, No. 3 Midway 0
No. 6 First Flight 6, No. 11 E. Duplin 5
No. 10 Randlemabn 17, No. 7 Reidsville 0
No. 15 SW Onslow 7, No. 2 N. Johnston 5
WEST
No. 16 Ledford 7, No. 1 N. Davidson 5
No. 9 E. Lincoln 4, No. 8 W. Stokes 2
No. 5 W. Wilkes 17, No. 12 Fred T. Foard 2
No. 13 Forbush 8, No. 4 Bunker Hill 0
No. 14 South Point 7, No. 3 Canton Pisgah 2
No. 6 R-S Central 3, No. 11 N. Lincoln 1
No. 10 Oak Grove 3, No. 7 Madison 2
No. 15 S. Rowan 6, No. 2 W. Stanly 2
3A
EAST
No. 1 Northern Guilford 10, No. 16 Cape Fear 0
No. 9 Northern Durham 5, No. 8 Wilson Hunt 2
No. 12 SE Guilford 5, No. 5 S. Brunswick 1
No. 13 Greenville Rose 7, No. 4 W. Johnston 0
No. 3 Greenville Conley 3, No. 14 Jacksonville 0
No. 6 Asheboro 5, No. 11 Hillsborough Orange 4
No. 7 Fayetteville Sanford 14, No. 10 Union Pines 6
No. 15 Clayton 9, No. 2 W. Carteret 3
WEST
No. 16 N. Henderson 6, No. 1 Crest 3
No. 9 Cox Mill 9, No. 8 Kings Mountain 4
No. 12 Marvin Ridge 2, No. 5 NW Cabarrus 1
No. 4 Asheville Roberson 12, No. 13 Mount Tabor 0
No. 3 E. Rowan 5, No. 14 Western Guilford 4
No. 11 Sun Valley 7, No. 6 SW Guilford 1
No. 7 Cuthbertson 12, No. 10 Asheville 3
No. 2 St. Stephens 3, No. 15 Carson 2, 8 inn.
4A
EAST
No. 16 Wilmington Hoggard 5, No. 1 Heritage 4
No. 9 Scotland County 12, No. 8 Cardinal Gibbons 8
No. 5 Pinecrest 9, No. 12 Wake Forest 3
No. 4 Fuquay-Varina 6, No. 13 Raleigh Leesville Road 5
No. 3 Wilmington Ashley (11-3) vs. No. 14 Raleigh Broughton (9-5), Weds.
No. 11 Wilmington Laney 5, No. 6 South Central 0
No. 10 Middle Creek 6, No. 7 Raleigh Millbrook 1
No. 15 Purnell Swett 5, No. 2 Fayetteville South View 3
WEST
No. 1 Providence 2, No. 16 Jamestown Ragsdale 1
No. 8 Lake Norman 3, No. 9 Cary 1
No. 5 NW Guilford 12, No. 12 Hopewell 0
No. 4 Hough 1, No. 13 E. Forsyth 0
No. 3 Winston-Salem Reagan 4, No. 14 Greensboro Grimsley 0
No. 11 Myers Park 9, No. 6 Durham Jordan 1
No. 7 Porter Ridge 9, No. 10 Ardrey Kell 5
No. 2 McDowell 5, No. 15 Olympic 1
