Grand slam by Greene helps East Burke rally, nip N-C by a run
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Parker Stybroski had three hits and drove in four runs and Cade Spencer hurled another complete game for Bandys High on Tuesday night, sparking a 12-2 victory at Lincolnton that helped created a five-way tie for first place in Catawba Valley 2A Athletic baseball.
Stybroski had two doubles and eight putouts at third base as the Trojans (4-2, 2-1) assured the league will not have a team go unbeaten in conference play.
Lincolnton (3-3, 2-1) was in first place alone coming in after outscoring two league opponents 22-3.
Zach Barnett added three hits and an RBI and Parker DeHart had two hits, one a triple, and drove in two runs for Bandys.
Lincolnton scored twice in the second inning, and the Trojans scored a run in the fifth inning. Bandys had a four-run sixth inning and scored seven times in the seventh inning.
Spencer, a right-hander, improved to 3-0 with another dominating outing. He allowed four hits, walked none and struck out four. He has a 0.74 ERA this season, allowing only six hits over 19 innings, and he has walked one and struck out 30.
Bandys, East Burke, Lincolnton, Maiden and West Lincoln share first place.
The teams tied for first will be reduced Friday night when Bandys visits Maiden (7 p.m.) while Bunker Hill is at East Burke, Lincolnton goes to West Caldwell and West Lincoln visits Newton-Conover.
East Burke 8, Newton-Conover 7
Cooper Greene hit a g0-ahead grand slam for East Burke as it won a Catawba Valley 2A game at home to sit in a five-way tie for the league lead.
Greene and Will Weidner pitched for East Burke (2-3, 2-1), which has won back-to-back one-run games.
Newton-Conover led 6-3 when the Cavs loaded the bases for Greene, whose home run put East Burke ahead 7-6.
The Red Devils scored for a 7-all tie before East Burke won to hand the Red Devils (3-3, 1-2) their second straight loss.
The Cavs are at home Friday (7 p.m., facing Bunker Hill, and the Red Devils have a non-league game at home on Wednesday (5 p.m.) against Hickory.
Maiden 10, West Caldwell 0, 5 inn.
Right-hander Tyler Hedgepeth had 11 strikeouts, walked one and threw a five-inning shutout as the Blue Devils won a Catawba Valley 2A Athletic game at home.
Maiden (3-4,2-1) scored four runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a walk to Quinn Rembert, a single by Nick Jarosynski and an error of a ball put in play by Hunter Townsend.
Jarosynski was 2-for-3, and Maiden did not have any errors as it secured its part of a five-way tie for the conference lead.
The Blue Devils’ other league win was a shutout — 9-0 over East Burke – and Maiden’s league loss was to West Lincoln, 5-2 on the road.
Maiden is at home Friday (7 p.m.) for a key league game against Bandys.
St. Stephens 15, North Iredell 2
The visiting Indians (5-0, 2-0) remained unbeaten hitting double digits in runs for the fourth time this season.
Peryton Young drove in two runs and allowed one hit over three innings to spark St. Stephens, 16-4 since Jimmy Bowman took over as head coach last season.
Julien Peissell went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Silas Icenhour had two hits, one a home run and drove in three runs for St. Stephens. Omar Cruz added two hits and Justin Barkley had two hits and two RBIs.
North Iredell (2-3, 0-2) had five hits with Tate Green driving in two runs. Lndon Lowtharpe, the Raiders’ starter, took the loss after going 3 2/3 innings. He allowed nine hits, nine runs (eight earned) with four walks and two strikeouts.
The Indians face archrival Hickory on Friday at St. Stephens (6:30 p.m.), and the Raiders have a league game (6:30 p.m.) at North Lincoln.
East Lincoln 10, Statesville 0, 5 inn.
Sophomore Trey Spees went 3-for-4 with a double and drove in three runs as the Mustangs (5-0, 2-0) remained unbeaten with a home Western Foothills 3A victory.
Isaac Armstrong, Carson Dahle and Graham Smiley each drove in a run for East Lincoln, which has outscored opponents 55-10 and played three five-inning games.
Kaden Scott picked up a win for the Mustangs, pitching five innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out eight as East Lincoln grabbed career win No. 263 for head coach Chris Matile.
The loss extended Statesville’s losing streak to 39 games dating back to the 2018-2019 season.
East Lincoln has a home game on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against Bunker Hill while Statesville faces Fred T. Foard on Friday night (6:30 p.m.) at Statesville.
Fred T. Foard 17, West Iredell 1
The Tigers gained career win No. 160 for head coach Channon Vogel (17th year) with a rout of the Warriors (1-4, 0-2), who have now been outscored 65-13 this season.
Sophomore Brandon Tramel went 4-for-4 with a triple, scored three runs and drove in two runs to spark Foard (4-1, 2-0 Western Foothills 3A).
Blake Powell, a sophomore, added two hits – including a triple—ad had three RBIs for the Tigers. Kylan Bolick provided two hits and drove in two runs, Connor Lail had a double and triple and Connor Peschel scored three runs for Foard.
Lane Essary threw two innings for the Tigers, allowing one hit. He walked two and struck out four.
Tyler Pass had West Iredell’s hit and Tyler Ribbeck took the loss (1 1/3 innings, six hits, five runs, all earned).
Foard scored five runs in the first inning and led 14-0 after a six-run third inning.
The Tigers play a league game at Statesville on Friday at 6:30 p.m., and the Warriors are at East Lincoln on Friday at 6 p.m.
North Lincoln 5, Hickory 0
The Knights (5-0, 2-0) survived making three errors and won at home in a Western Foothills 3A game.
North Lincoln had five hits—led by two from No. 5 hitter Caden Holbrooks, who also walked twice – and Hickory (2-3, 1-2) had four hits.
The Knights scored a run in the third inning and two in the fifth and sixth innings, and they have outscored two league opponents 15-0.
Landon Reeves threw five innings to gain a win for North Lincoln, allowing four hits, walking one and striking out 11.
Isaiah Littlejohn, Boone Herman, Tripp Young and Will Prince each had one hit for the Red Tornadoes, whose Will Banks (four innings, two hits, five walks, nine strikeouts) took the loss.
Hickory chases career win No.486 for head coach David Craft in a non-league game on Wednesday (5 p.m.) at Newton-Conover.
North Lincoln has a home conference game on Friday (6:30 p.m.) against North Iredell.
Alexander Central 10, North Davidson 1
A six-run seventh inning highlighted a non-conference road victory for the Cougars (5-0), who collected the 90th win for Pete Hardee as their head coach (unofficially, he has 453 career wins).
Caleb Williams had two hits and drove in two runs and Dusty Sigmon added two hits and an RBI for Alexander Central, which hit double-digit runs for the third time this season.
Starting pitcher Cade Miller got a win, throwing five innings. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out six.
The Cougars, who have outscored opponents 41-12, play North Davidson on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Taylorsville.
Draughn 9, Hibriten 6
The Wildcats (4-2) won a non-league game on the road behind Logan McGee’s three hits and two RBIs and a home run and strong relief pitching appearance by freshman Trey Jensen.
Jensen threw six innings, allowing five hits and one run. He walked three and struck out five.
Draughn scored twice in the fifth inning to lead 5-1 and added five runs in the seventh inning before the Panthers (4-3) scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Jacob Absher had three hits and an RBI for Hibriten with Connor Woodward adding two hits and Ethan Watson doubling and hitting a home run and collecting two RBIs.
Woodward was Hibriten’s losing pitcher, working three innings, and he gae up two hits and two run but none earned. Reliever Ryan Winkler allowed four hits and six runs (three earned).
The Panthers are at home Wednesday (4 p.m.) against West Wilkes while Draughn begins Western Highlands 1A/2A play on Friday (6 p.m.) at Black Mountain Owen.
Polk County 6, Patton 3
The Wolverines had a four=run fifth inning to lead 5-0 en route to a Mountain Athletic 7 2A-opening win at Patton (3-3, 0-1).
Brayden Pearson had two doubles and Reid Pons had two hits – one a double – and drove in two runs for the Panthers, who had won three of their previous four games.
Christian White took the loss in relief, going five innings. He allowed seven hits, five runs (one earned), walked four and struck out nine.
Patton plays at Polk County on Friday at 7 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Bandys 17, Lincolnton 3
The Trojans won a Catawba Valley 2A game on the road, improving to 3-0 in the league and 4-1 overall.
Bandys, atop the conference standings, has a non-league game at home on Wednesday (6 p.m) against North Lincoln before going to Maiden on Friday (6 p.m.) for a CVAC 2A game.
The Wolves, 1-1 in the league, have a non-conference game at Forestview on Wednesday (5 p.m.,) and battle West Caldwell on the road on Friday at 5 p.m.
West Lincoln 15, Bunker Hill 0
The Rebels had a nine-run first inning and rolled past the host Bears in a Catawba Valley 2A Athletic game.
Carolina Robinson led the Rebels with three RBIs while Farrah Richardson added two hits – one a double – and drove in two runs.
West Lincoln (2-1 in league) had eight players with at least one hit and nine with at least one RBI.
Harlie Burton allowed two hits over four innings for the Rebels, walked none and struck out seven.
West Lincoln plays at league game at Newton-Conover on Friday.
Maiden 5, West Caldwell 4, 9 inn.
Macy Michael went 3-for-5 and hit a home run as the Blue Devils won a home Catawba Valley 2A Athletic game in nine innings.
Madison Herms was the winning pitcher for Maiden, 2-1 in the conference, and Abbey Bowman took the loss for the Warriors, 1-1 in the league.
Alexandra Bell went 4-=for-5 for West Caldwell.
Maiden has a home conference game on Friday (6 p.m.) against Bandys while West Caldwell faces Lncolnton in Lenoir at 5 p.m. on Friday.
East Lincoln 19, Statesville 0, 5 inn.
Eleven of a dozen Mustangs who played scored a run as they routed the visiting Greyhounds in a Western Foothills 3A game.
Taliyah Thomas hit a home run, scored three runs and drove in three to spark East Lincoln (2-0 in league) with Tatum Martin, Val Lohler and Betsy Eatmon each adding two hits.
Leah Correll threw four innings for the Mustangs, striking out 11.
East Lincoln, after outscoring league opponents 36-0, plays Cramer in a non-conference game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at East Lincoln.
The Greyhounds (0-2 in league) have been outscored 38-0 in those games and they will play at home Friday at 6 p.m. against Fred T. Foard.
North Lincoln 12, Hickory 2, 5 inn.
The Knights broke a 2-all tie with five runs in the fifth inning of a Western Foothills 3A win at home.
Sierra Hill had two hits and Carlee Logan and Maddie Jones each drove in a run for Hickory (0-2 in league).
The Red Tornadoes have been outscored 29-2 in league games, and they play a non-conference game at home on Thursday (5 p.m.) against South Caldwell.
North Lincoln is 2-0 in the league and faces North Iredell on Friday at North Lincoln.
Fred T. Foard 10, West Iredell 0, 5 inn.
Kaithyln Leonhardt went 4-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs as the Tigers won a Western Foothills 3A game at home.
Sarah Leonhardt added two RBIs, Alyssa Smith had a double and drove in two runs and Riley Vogel doubled and had two hits for Foard, 2-0 in the league.
Kaylee Chapman gave up four hits and four earned runs for West Iredell, 0-2 in the league and outscored 20-0 in those games.
Smith walked two and struck out 11 as the Tigers’ winning pitcher.
Foard plays a conference game at Statesville on Friday (6 p.m.), and the Warriors play at East Lincoln on Friday (6 p.m.).
Patton 6, Polk County 1
Freshman Marleigh Carswell threw a complete home game, allowing five hits with no walks and six strikeouts, to lead the Panthers to a victory.
Hailey Snodgrass had a double and drove in two runs and Meredith Kearson added a double among her two hits for Patton, which had eight hits.
Patton faces Polk County on the road on Friday at 4 p.m.
Starmount 12, Ashe County 5
The Rams scored five runs in the fourth inning to go up 6-5 and added four runs in the fifth inning of a non-league win at Ashe County.
Nadilyn Eason had two hits and Adeline Bowers had a triple and drove in two runs for Ashe County.
Freshman Meleiah Lowell took a loss after going five innings. She allowed 10 runs (only one earned), walked two and struck out seven.
Ashe County plays its Northwestern 3A-4A opener on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at home against Alexander Central.
Maiden 11, Fred T. Foard 7 (Monday)
Averie Waddell, Macy Michael and Tristan Smalling each had two hits as the Blue Devils won a non-conference home game.
Smalling was the winning pitcher for the Blue Devils.
Riley Vogel went 3-for-3 for the Tigers and Addison Settlemyre added two hits.