HobbsDailyReport.com
Pete Hardee, in his third season as head baseball coach at Alexander Central High and a former head coach at Watauga, is within a win of 400 for his career after the Cougars nipped Hickory 2-1 in eight innings on Wednesday night./WATAUGA DEMOCRAT PHOTO
All of the runs in a Northwestern 3A-4A baseball game in Taylorsville were scored in extra innings on Wednesday night as Alexander Central High nipped visiting Hickory 2-1 in eight innings.
Alexander Central stayed unbeaten (3-0, 1-0) by winning its league opener and set up a chance for head coach Pete Hardee to reach 400 career wins on Friday night when South Caldwell visits the Cougars for a 7 p.m. league game.
Hardee — whose prep head-coaching career includes stints at West Caldwell and then 20 seasons at Watauga before coming to Taylorsville three years ago — is unofficially 399-316 with 285 of those wins coming as head coach at Watauga.
On Wednesday night, Hickory scored in the top of the eighth for a 1-0 lead before the Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the inning to win.
Alexander Central had three hits – two by Josh Lafone and one by Bryon Younts – and benefitted from six errors by the Red Tornadoes.
MORE RESULTS
For more high school scores from Wednesday, see an earlier post on HobbsDailyReport.com.
Macory Mitchell and Pierson Hanvey each had two hits for Hickory and Bryce Stober and Jacob Fuller each had one.
There were two outs and two runners left on base when the winning run scored.
Bryson Hammer gained the win after throwing two-thirds of an inning in relief of Cougars starter Jason Cook, who went 7 1/3 innings and gave up six hits, walked two and struck out 10.
Hanvey went seven innings for the Red Tornadoes, giving up three hits, and he struck out 13. Jackson Palmer, who went two-thirds of an inning and gave up two runs (none earned) took the loss.
Hickory is at home Friday at 6:30 p.m. for a league game against St. Stephens/
Lincolnton 8, Newton-Conover 3
Lane Hoover had a double and triple that sparked the Wolves past the Red Devils in a South Fork 2A opener in Newton.
Lincolnton faces East Lincoln in a conference game Friday at 4 p.m. at Lincolnton while Newton-Conover is at home Thursday at 4:30 p.m. against Bunker Hill and then plays a league game Friday at 7 p.m. at Bandys.
North Lincoln 8, West Lincoln 3
At North Lincoln, the Knights got two-run hits by David Borges and Ty Lilly when they scored four runs in the fourth inning of a South Fork 2A victory.
Joey Cobb pitched 4 2/3 innings to gain a win for North Lincoln.
The Knights have a conference road game on Friday at 4 p.m., playing at Lake Norman Charter.
West Lincoln meets Maiden in a league game on Friday at 7 p.m. at West Lincoln.
Freedom moves start times up
Due to lightning complications of its home baseball field, Freedom has reset game times for four Northwestern 3A-4A games.
On Friday, McDowell will visit Freedom for a 4 p.m. start and the junior varsity game has been rescheduled for April 2 at 4 p.m. at Freedom.
The Patriots will be home against St. Stephens on Tuesday at 4 p.m., and the junior varsity game will be played at 4 p.m. at Morganton’s Shuey Field.
On March 20, Alexander Central will visit Freedom for a 4 p.m. start with the junior varsity game, also at 4 p.m., set for Shuey Field.
Watauga’s game at Freedom on March 28 will now start at 4 p.m., and the schools have agreed to play the junior varsity game after that and play until darkness becomes an issue.
SOFTBALL
Newton-Conover 17, Lincolnton 1
Newton-Conover’s No. 8 and No. 9 hitters combined for four hits and drove in six runs to spark a South Fork 2A victory over visiting Lincolnton in five innings.
Katelin Bradshaw, batting eighth, had two hits and three RBIs and No. 9 hitter Kayla Holler had the same as the Red Devils (2-0) rolled after scoring 15 runs in the third inning.
Three other players had two hits each for Newton-Conover – Maddie Carpenter, Kali Flanagan, McKenzie Johnson – and Emily Murphy and Flanagan each had two RBIs.
Lincolnton made six errors and had only three hits against Red Devils pitcher Destini Vines, who struck out seven.
Newton-Conover plays a South Fork 2A game at Bandys on Friday at 6 p.m., and Lincolnton is at home on the same night for a 5 p.m. league game against East Lincoln.
Alexander Central 19, Hickory 2
The Cougars scored 16 runs in the first inning en route to a blowout Northwestern 3A-4A victory in Taylorsville.
Julie Gast and Ashley Seagle each drove in three runs and Chesney Millsaps, Alea Speagle and Mattie Starnes each added two RBIs for the Cougars (1-1, 1-0), who had 12 hits.
Hickory made five errors and had four hits, one each by Jaiden Sipe, Mikayla Hill, Sierra Kennedy and Olivia Ramseur.
Alexander Central had three home runs, two by Millsaps and one each by Gast and Seagle.
Millsaps (1-1) got the win, allowing four hits over three innings and striking out four, and Kennedy took the loss for Hickory after allowing 12 hits, 19 runs (11 earned), walking seven and striking out one.
Alexander Central plays a 6 p.m. game at Mooresville on Thursday while Hickory is at home on Friday for a league game against St. Stephens.
East Lincoln 7, Lincoln Charter 6
Freshman Katelyn Crowe hit a two-run home run and Meredith Summey had a game-winning wall-off double as the Mustangs won a non-league game at home.
Sophomore Kylie Thress finished with two hits, one a double, and drove in a run for East Lincoln while Abbey Helms and Faith Cooke also drove in runs for the Mustangs.
Lincoln Charter led 4-1 through four innings and was ahead 4-3 until the Mustangs scored twice in the fifth for a 5-4 edge.
The Eagles were up 6-5 before the Mustangs scored a run in the sixth inning to tie it at 6.
Both teams had 10 hits.
Payton baker was the winning pitcher for East Lincoln, which plays Lake Norman Charter at East Lincoln at 5 p.m. on Thursday in a South Fork 2A game.
South Caldwell 17, St. Stephens 0
The Spartans scored all of their runs in the first two innings to drill the visiting Indians in a Northwestern 3A-4A game.
Lauren Moser took the loss for St. Stephens after giving up one hit, walking three and allowing eight runs. Reliever Baylee Bumgarner gave up five runs and 10 hits and walked three.
South Caldwell goes to Alexander Central for a league game Friday at 6 p.m., and St. Stephens plays at Hickory on Friday at 4 p.m.
Bunker Hill 18, Patton 2
The Bears opened their Northwestern Foothills 2A schedule by scoring 10 runs in the first two innings en route to a win on the road.
Bunker Hill led 3-2 after one inning and scored seven runs in the second inning.
Payton Bryant was the winning pitcher for the Bears, who have a home game Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against Sun Valley.
GIRLS SOCCER
Lake Norman Charter 1, Cox Mill 1
The Knights, playing at home, tied Cox Mill in a non-conference match.
Cox Mill (1-0-2) scored first – in the 30th minute – when Sarah McHall played a ball to Jordan Laubach, who scored from 20 yards away.
Lake Norman Charter’s goals came when Olivia Masterton’s pass was fielded by Ayden Yates, who scored from inside the penalty area.
Kaela Rasenberger had five saves for Lake Norman Charter while Naomi Fountain made three for Cox Mill.
The Knights are 1-0-1 heading into a Thursday match at 5:30 p.m. at Pine Lake Prep.
BOYS LACROSSE
Lake Norman Charter 20, Pine Lake Prep 1
Lake Norman Charter stayed unbeaten (4-0) with a road victory that featured seven goals by Micah Stechmiller and four by Zack Tubbs.
Luke Mostert provided four assists and Brandon Webster secured seven ground balls for Lake Norman Charter.
The Knights play Mooresville on Friday at 7 p.m. at Mooresville.
GOLF
Rebels edge South Point
West Lincoln shot a 161 to edge South Point by 36 strokes in a non-league match.
Ramsey Coltrane’s round of 36 led West Lincoln with Dalton Adams adding a 38 and Will Carpenter finishing with a 42 for the Rebels.