Spartans, in playoffs for 7th straight year,
need win at Mooresville to reach state finals
HobbsDailyReport.com
MOORESVILLE – South Caldwell High has a chance to reach the state 4A softball championship series on Friday night.
After beating Mooresville 6-3 on Wednesday in Hudson to even the West 4A best-of-3 title series, it all comes down to Friday’s game at 6:30 p.m. at Mooresville.
The fifth-seeded Spartans are 22-4 and the third-seeded Blue Devils (27-4), who won the series opener 10-1 on Tuesday at home.
Friday night’s winner faces No. 4 Wilmington Hoggard (19-7) next week in a best-of-3 series for the state championship.
Hoggard advanced with a sweep in the East 4A finals, beating No. 2 Heritage 5-0 at Heritage and 4-3 on Thursday in Wilmington.
South Caldwell advanced with a big night by sophomore Jasmine Hall on Wednesday. She hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Spartans won in Hudson.
Hall has five home runs this season.
A two-run second inning that included a run-scoring single by Jenna Pittman helped South Caldwell gain a 6-0 lead.
Junior Anna Hall gave up nine hits, but Mooresville left nine baserunners stranded.
Friday’s game is the 49th postseason game for the Spartans since 1984. They’re 27-21 and in the state playoffs for the 19th time.
While making the postseason seven consecutive seasons, South Caldwell has picked up 21 of its 27 postseason victories in that seven-year stretch.