By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Right-hander Julian Peissel helped St. Stephens High start its baseball season red-hot on Tuesday with two-hit pitching over four innings in a 12-1 home victory in five innings over South Iredell.
Peissel struck out 11, walked three and gave up an earned run as the Indians (1-0) rolled. He threw strikes on 48 of 77 pitches and was backed by St. Stephens scoring six runs in the third inning and five in the fourth inning.
The Indians had five hits and drew 11 walks with Alan Spinak taking a loss for the Vikings. He gae up two hits and walked three over 2 1/3 innings.
Justin Skews, Peyton Young, Will Everett, Luke Young and James Tate each had an RBI for St. Stephens Young scored three runs and added two stolen bases.
The Indians are coming off an 11-4 record that included a 5-0 start under head coach Jimmy Bowman.
St. Stephens is at home on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., facing Bunker Hill.
North Iredell 13, Lincolnton 3
Senior Anson Strange had three hits, scored three times and drove in three runs to spark the Raiders’ road victory.
Junior Dan Lloyd added two hits and drove in three runs and winning pitcher Cole Johnson added two hits.
Johnson, a junior, threw four innings and gave up two hits. He walked one and struck out five.
North Iredell (1-0) plays at home on Wednesday (7 p.m.) against West Rowan while the Wolves are at home on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against Highland Tech.
Maiden 12, South Caldwell 7
The Blue Devils won their season-opener, winning for the 16th time in 21 games since Dustin Hull became head coach.
Maiden has won five straight games dating back to last season, when it went 9-5. The Blue Devils started 4-0 a year ago.
Maiden plays at Fred T. Foard on Wednesday at 7 p.m. while South Caldwell faces Draughn at 6:30 p.m. in Hudson.
Bandys 10, Freedom 0, 5 inn. (Monday)
Junior right-hander Cade Spencer threw a complete game, giving up only two hits and striking out 13, as the Trojans opened their 13th season under head coach Frank Porter.
Porter, after guiding Bandys to a 6-8 record last season, has 124 career wins. He goes for No. 125 on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.) against visiting East Lincoln.
On Monday, Spencer did not walk anyone and was backed by an offense that posted three runs in the fourth inning and five in the next at-bat.
Sophomore Alex Robinson had three hits and drove in three runs for Bandys with senior Parker DeHart adding three hits, two RBIs and scoring four runs.
Freedom plays its first home game on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., facing Crest.
Hickory 10, Draughn 5 (Monday)
The Red Tornadoes collected 10 hits en route to winning their season opener at home and collect career win No. 484 for head coach David Craft.
Hickory (1-0) scored seven runs in the second inning and three in the third inning.
Draughn (0-1) scored all of its runs in the fourth inning.
Freshman Tate Jensen had two hits for the Wildcats and freshman Jacob Mull drove in two runs. John Robert Abernathy took the loss, going two innings and allowing eight hits, six earned runs and walking six.
Hickory was 4-9 last season and scored 10 or more runs only twice.
The victory was No. 464 for Craft as head coach at his alma mater. He is in his 32nd year in that role and he is in his 34th year as a head coach.
Hickory plays Newton-Conover at Hickory at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and Draughn travels to play South Caldwell on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Newton-Conover 6, Statesville 5 (Monday)
The Red Devils started head coach Cory Nunley’s 18th year with a victory at home.
Newton-Conover won on a walk-off passed ball that scored Enrique Mendoza, snapping an losing streak of eight games that dated back to last season.
Owen Cannon, who combined with Noah Cannon and Jorge Blasdel to post 18 strikeouts, was the winning pitcher for the Red Devils.
Newton-Conover went 1-13 last season.
The Red Devils go to Hickory for a game at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and the Greyhounds – after falling 10-0 to Winston-Salem Atkins on Tuesday, face North Lincoln on Friday in a Western Foothills 3A opener (6:30 p.m.) at Statesville.
SOFTBALL
Bandys 5, St. Stephens 0
Caroline McIntosh drove in two runs to spark the Trojans’ home win to open the season.
Paige Barrymore and Avery Alexander each drove in a run for Bandys.
Riley Fox pitched five innings and struck out five for the Trojans, who scored one run in the second inning and two in each of the next two innings.
Mayson Lail had 11 strikeouts for the Indians, pitching six innings.
Bandys out-hit St. Stephens 5-4 and the Trojans survived making four errors.
St. Stephens is at home for a 5 p.m. game against Maiden on Thursday.
The Trojans play Thursday at 5:30 p.m., on the road at Fred T. Foard.
Alexander Central 9, Maiden 0
Faith Carrigan allowed only two hits over five innings, pitching the Cougars past the visiting Blue Devils. She threw strikes on 48 of her 66 pitches.
Carrigan walked none and struck out 11 before Kara Hinkle closed with no-hit pitching over the final two innings.
Carrigan, batting cleanup, had three hits and drove in three runs and Ava Chapman had two doubles and two RBIs, as did Darcy Childers.
The Cougars collected 14 hits.
Miranda Valerio and Kyley Callahan, batting 1-2 in Maiden’s order had hits.
Tristan Smalling took a loss for the Blue Devils (six innings, six hits two earned runs).
Alexander Central grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning with three runs and was up 7-0 after scoring three runs in the fifth inning.
Maiden plays at St. Stephens on Thursday (6 p.m.), and the Cougars face Carson on Friday at 6 p.m. in Taylorsville.
West Wilkes 10, Ashe County 0
A 10-run fifth inning by West Wilkes sent Ashe County, playing at home, to a loss.
Ashe County plays at West Wilkes on Tuesday (6 p.m.).
GIRLS SOCCER
East Burke 2, Draughn 1
The Cavs opened the season with a road victory with Ashley Hernandez and Isabella Cato each scoring.
Cora Hunt scored for Draughn.
East Burke will play Freedom on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Catawba River Soccer Complex.
Draughn is at home on Wednesday, playing Patton.
Alexander Central 7, Davie County 2
Sarah Icard scored three goals as the Cougars won in Mocksville.
Also scoring for Alexander Central: Jasmine Ambrocio Lilly Cornett, Haley Queen and Temona Helton.
The Cougars travel to play South Iredell on Friday at 6 p.m.
Fred T. Foard 5, Newton-Conover 0 (Monday)
Ofelia Tamas had two goals as the Tigers opened their season with a victory at Newton-Conover.
Alexis Woglemuth, Julia Chesson and Lily Spangler each added a goal for Fred T. Foard.
Woglemuth had three saves in goal for the Tigers while Kayla Martinez-Garcia made six saves for the Red Devils.
Foard plays at A.C. Reynolds on Wednesday and the Red Devils visit Lincoln Charter for a 5 p.m. match on Wednesday.
Maiden 6, North Gaston 0 (Monday)
Led by Kylin Wayne and Liz Mroz, the Blue Devils scored a shutout win at North Gaston.
Wayne had two goals and an assistand Mroz scored once and had three assists to spark the Blue Devils.
Vanessa Cespedes, Bella DeMartino and Annalee Smith each added a goal for Maiden.
Emma Shokes had three saves for the Blue Devils.
Maiden is at home on Wednesday (5 p.m.), playing Cherryville.
- Contributing to this report were: Jonathan Watts, Alexander Central SID; Jan Davis, St. Stephens softball head coach; Jimmy Bowman, St. Stephens baseball head coach; David Craft, Hickory baseball head coach; Cory Nunley, Newton-Conover baseball head coach; Stan Elliott, Fred T. Foard soccer head coach.
