Top 3 batters in lineup combine for 8
hits, drive in 7 runs in win at Avery County
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Getting eight hits and seven RBIs from the top three spots in its batting order, West Caldwell High rolled to a 19-9 victory over Avery County on the road Monday night to snap a 33-game baseball losing streak.
Junior Ashton Minton went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, junior Jace Bumgarner doubled twice and had two RBIs, and senior Quinton Ford went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for the Warriors (1-11).
West Caldwell had not won since April 22, 2019 when it beat Patton 12-0 in a holiday tournament. The Warriors closed that season with losses to Bandys, Chase and South Caldwell.
The losing streak extended to eight games when the Warriors went 0-5 in a COVID-interrupted season in 2019-2020. They were then 14-0 the next season and started this season 0-11.
West Caldwell plays a Catawba Valley 2A Athletic game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at home against East Burke.
The victory at Avery County saw the Warriors jump to a 6-0 lead, and they scored two runs in the third inning – making it 8-2 – and nine runs in the seventh inning.
Avery County (0-9) tied it at 9-all with three runs in the fifth inning.
West Caldwell had 14 hits with senior Brayson Edminston going 2-for-5 with an RBI, senior Ty Winebarger driving in two runs and freshman Cam Baucom providing two hits.
Sophomore Blake McElyea picked up a win after pitching 3 2/3 innings. He gave up eight hits, six runs (one earned), walked one and struck out seven.
Winebarger worked 2 2/3 innings, giving up no hits, three runs (one earned) with three walks and five strikeouts.
Watauga moves game up
Due to a forecast for rain on Thursday, the A.C. Reynolds at Watauga game has been moved to Wednesday at 5 p.m.
The Pioneers have a Northwestern 3A-4A game at Hibriten on Tuesday (6:30 p.m.).
SOFTBALL
Maiden 15, Lincolnton 2, 5 inn.
Madison Herms limited the Wolves to one hit and Macy Michael and Tristan Smalling each had two hits as Maiden won on the road.
The Blue Devils improved to 4-2 in the Catawba Valley 2A Athletic. They are in third place behind Bandys and West Lincoln.
Savannah Heavner took a loss for the Wolves, 1-3 in the conference.
Maiden is at home Tuesday at 6 p.m. for a league game against Newton-Conover while the Wolves go to West Lincoln (6 p.m.) for a conference game on Tuesday.
West Lincoln 14 Bessemer City 0, 5 inn.
The Rebels scored nine runs in the second inning of a non-league win on the road.
Gracie Elmore had two hits to lead West Lincoln. She drove in two runs, and West Lincoln had 10 other players each drive in a run.
Farrah Richardson added two hits for the Rebels.
Freshman Stacia Cowan allowed one hit over four innings and gained a win. She walked none and struck out five.
The Rebels are at home Tuesday (6 p.m.), facing Lincolnton in a Catawba Valley 2A Athletic game. They are in second place, one game back of Bandys, and will play the Trojans at West Lincoln on Friday (6 p.m.).
Spartans now home on Friday
South Caldwell’s conference game against Ashe County, scheduled on Friday, has been moved to Hudson.
The return game will now be at Ashe County on April 26.
South Caldwell plays for the Northwestern 3A-4A lead on Tuesday (6 p.m.), facing fellow power Alexander Central in Taylorsville.
GIRLS SOCCER
Maiden 1, West Lincoln 0, 2 OTs
The Blue Devils won on a goal by Delaney Mosley, assisted b Stephanie Rameriz.
Emma Shokes had four saves for Maiden, 2-0-0 in the Catawba Valley 2A Athletic and tied for first place with Newton-Conover.
Maiden plays at West Caldwell in a league match (5:30 p.m.) on Tuesday, and the Rebels, 0-2-0 in the conference, have a conference match (5 p.m.) at Bunker Hill.
Postponements, etc
The St. Stephens at East Lincoln match in the Western Foothills 3A that did not get in on Friday will be played on April 28 in Denver, N.C.
The Indians and Mustangs play April 26 in Hickory.
Hickory leads the conference at 3-0-0 with East Lincoln at 2-0-0.
On Tuesday, East Lincoln visits North Iredell (6 p.m.), and the Indians are at home (6 p.m.) against Statesville.
— The Bandys at Maiden match on Thursday will now be played on Wednesday at 5;30 p.m., and the Bunker Hill at East Burke match set for Thursday has been shifted to Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Icard.
In order to play the Catawba Valley 2A Athletic match, East Burke postponed (no date) a home match against Patton.
BOYS GOLF
East Lincoln wins at River Oaks
East Lincoln, led by a nine-hole round of 37 by Trent Wharton, won a Western Foothills 3A match by six strokes over North Lincoln at River Oaks.
The Mustangs finished at 167 and the Knights at 173.
Fred T. Foard had three in the top 10 to finish third at 174, with Max Cranford (36) earning medalist, Jay Busic finishing third at 38 and Preston Setzer (41) tying for sixth place.
Cam Peacock’s 40 was the top round for North Lincoln.
The next Western Foothills 3A meet is Thursday, an 18-home match at Catawba Country Club that begins at 2:30 p.m.
Team scores: 1. E. Lincoln 167; 2. N. Lincoln 173; 3. Fred T. Foard 174; 4. W. Iredell 183; 5. N. Iredell 197; 6. Hickory 199; 7. St. Stephens 208; 8. Statesville 225.
Individual top 10: 1. Max Cranford (FTF) 36; 2. Trent Wharton (EL) 37; 3. Jay Busic (FTF) 38; 4. Cam Peacock (NL), Chase Barnes (WI) 40; 6. Preston Setzer (FTF), Conley Killian (NL) 41; 8. Taylor Gregory (WI), Sam Buckner (S) 42; 10. Brixtan Bumgarner (NI) 44.
Other best scores, by team: Cole Burgess (H), Jack Tomlinson (H) 45; Carter Gscheidmeier (SS), Carson Larson (SS) 50.
