HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS: Alex Central rolls at Classic, runs win streak to 9

HobbsDailyReport.com

Top-seeded Alexander Central High had a seven-run third inning on Monday afternoon, rolling to its ninth straight victory by downing Newton-Conover 11-1 in five innings in the first round of the 28^th annual Catawba County Easter Baseball Classic.

The Cougars (12-1) – whose only loss came March 9 at home against South Caldwell – have outscored opponents 65-13 in a nine-game run that began with a one-run victory over Western Harnett that netted head coach Pete Hardee his 400^th career win.

Alexander Central, vying for its first Classic title since 2005, will try to stay in contention for its eighth Classic crown when it plays fourth-seeded West Lincoln (7-6) in a semifinal on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Legion Fairgrounds in Newton.

West Lincoln advanced by winning the last of four first-round games Monday, nipping fifth-seeded Hibriten 6-5.

Eighth-seeded Newton-Conover (0-11), which had its best Classic finish ever a year ago (fourth place) faces No. 7 St. Stephens (5-6) in a consolation bracket game on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

No. 1 Alexander Central 11,

No. 8 Newton-Conover 1, 5 inn.

Josh Jacobs hit a two-run single after consecutive singles by Byron Younts and Josh Lafone to open the game’s scoring with a 2-0 Cougars lead.

Pitcher Justin Cook helped himself with a RBI triple to push the lead to 3-0, and an RBI single by Jacob Bebber made it a 4-0.

Daniel Dessecker hit a ball that scored run two runs following a Newton-Conover throwing error before the next batter, Bryson Hammer, hit a RBI single to push the advantage to seven runs.

The Cougars added a run in the fourth on a RBI double by Jacobs to go up 8-0.

Jeremy Hubbard had an RBI single after back-to-back singles by Dessecker and Hammer then Younts’ two-run single helped secure the victory.

The Red Devils scored their only run in the fourth inning via an RBI single by Luke Canrobert.

No. 6 Hickory 6, No. 3 Fred T. Foard 1

The Red Tornadoes snapped the Tigers’ win streak at four games with a first-round Classic victory, advancing to play No. 2 Bunker Hill on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in a semifinal.

Hickory (7-6) gained an early 2-0 lead following an error and three straight hits. Bryce Stober reached on a one-out error before Macory Mitchell, Brody Scarborough and William Stewart each hit consecutive singles with Stober scoring on Stewart’s hit.

The Red Tornadoes added a run in the third inning for a 3-0 advantage on an RBI by Jackson Palmer. Scarborough singled, Stewart walked and Kevin Shuford was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Two batters later, Jackson Palmer earned an RBI when he was also hit by a pitch.

Foard (6-4) responded with a run in the bottom of the third inning thanks to three errors. Tate Beaver reached on a one-out error and scored on consecutive Hickory errors to trail 3-1.

Hickory added two runs in the sixth inning on a RBI single by Mitchell, who later scored on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Stober in the seventh inning gave the Red Tornadoes a five-run lead.

The Tigers threatened early but hit into double plays in the first two innings.

Caleb Peschel, Tanner Martin and Eli Carr each had a hit for the Tigers, who had won consecutive games over Bunker Hill, Hibriten, Draughn and East Burke.

Hickory senior pitchers combined to allow one unearned run on four hits and struck out five. Starter Jacob Fuller threw three innings and allowed one walk and struck out one.

Pierson Hanvey tossed the final four innings, allowing two hits while striking out four.

Mitchell and Fuller led the Red Tornadoes with three hits, including a double and RBI.

A second round win Tuesday by Hickory would give it a chance at a tournament-history best of 19 finishes in the top three.

The Red Tornadoes are the defending tournament champions, and only Alexander Central, with seven, has more Classic crowns than Hickory (6).

Foard has won the Classic twice, in 2007 and in 2014.

No. 2 Bunker Hill 4, No. 7 St. Stephens 2

The Bears prevailed in a back-and-forth opening game of the Classic, winning for the fifth time in their last six games and handing head coach Marty Curtis his 444^th career victory.

Bunker Hill (8-4), which last won the Classic in 2011, faces sixth-seed Hickory (7-6) in a semifinal on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

St. Stephens (5-6), which lost in last year’s Classic title game and last the title in 2016, meets No. 8 seed Newton-Conover in a consolation bracket game on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

The Indians grabbed a lead in the first two innings over the Bears.

St. Stephens grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning but the Bears answered in the bottom half of the inning for a 2-1 edge thanks to RBI hits by Carrington Chapman and Garrett Poovey.

J.D. Everett’s solo home run in the top of the second inning tied it at 2.

The Bears answered with a two-out single from Morgan Bumgarner and added a run in the bottom of the third inning.

Bunker Hill starting pitcher Thaxton Isenhour struck out 11 in a complete game victory, including a key strikeout in the sixth inning that left runners on the corners.

The Bears are trying to become the third team with five Classic titles, as Alexander Central has won seven, Hickory has won six and Bunker Hill and St. Stephens has won four each.

TONY CAUSBY CLASSIC

East Burke 6, West Caldwell 4

Johnny Shoemaker had three hits, Greyson Williams had two (one a double) and Hunter Lewis pitched a complete game as the Cavs won a first-round game at the Causby Classic at Patton.

Lewis allowed just three hits and struck out six.

East Burke led 2-1 after one inning, 5-3 after two innings and it was 6-4 after each team scored a run in the third inning.

Cy Smith had two hits and drove in a run for the Warriors.

The Cavs (4-8) stopped a three-game losing streak and they advance to face Patton (7-6) in a semifinal on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

West Caldwell (2-10) fell for the ninth time in 10 games and plays Chase (1-11) in a consolation bracket game Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Patton.

Lincoln Charter 14, Freedom 0, 5 inn.

The Eagles (8-2) had 14 hits — six of them doubles — as they dealt the Patriots (8-5) their second shutout loss of the season in a first-round game.

Spencer Bright had three hits and drove in three runs, Nate Callahan and Zach Horton added two hits and two RBIs each and Dylan Dodson provided two hits and an RBI for Lincoln Charter.

The only other game in which Freedom has not scored this season was March 19, a 10-0 home loss against Alexander Central.

Lincoln Charter advances to a semifinal on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. against Draughn (1-9), which picked up its first win of the season by beating East Lincoln 8-2 on Monday.

Freedom will play East Lincoln in a consolation bracket game on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at Patton.

BULLDOG EASTER INVITATIONAL

Bandys 12, Cape Fear 4

Mac Beam hit a home run and Elijah Carr had two hits, helping the Trojans (12-1) extend their win streak to four games with a victory at Fayetteville Sanford High.

Andrew Patrick and Alex Borst each pitched three innings for Bandys, which accepted an invitation to replace Freedom Christian for the remainder of the tournament after Christian fell on Saturday 8-0 to East Bladen.

The Trojans are in the Tuesday 4 p.m. game for fifth place against Midway, which fell 7-1 on Saturday to Fayetteville Sanford and beat Fayetteville Britt on Monday.

Bandys has scored 10 or more runs three times this season, outscored opponents 43-20 during its four-game win streak and is averaging nearly 8.2 runs per game this season.

Trojans head coach Frank Porter, in his ninth season, goes for career win No. 92 on Tuesday.

SHELBY EASTER TOURNAMENT

Burns 4, Watauga 3

The Bulldogs scored all of their runs in the fourth inning to nip the Pioneers in a first-round game of the Shelby Easter Tournament at Shelby High.

Wade Walker, Dalton Putnam and Colton Stroupe started the rally with singles to make it 1-0 before Thomas Bridges provided a run-scoring single.

A bases-loaded walk to Zach Wilson gave Burns a third run and the Bulldogs’ fourth came on a play at the plate.

The Pioneers (4-7) got a run in the fourth inning to chase Walker, the Burns starter, and Colby Ferguson came on in relief and eventually got a win.

Watauga was within a run in the seventh inning after a two-RBI double by Johnathan McClannon before Ferguson got a strikeout to end it.

Burns (9-5) advances to play the Kings Mountain-South Caldwell winner on Wednesday in a 4 p.m. semifinal.

Watauga plays Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in a consolation bracket game against the Kings Mountain-South Caldwell loser.