HobbsDailyReport.com
Bryson Hammer limited Freedom to two hits over six innings on Monday afternoon, leading visiting Alexander Central High to a 10-0 victory that pulled the Cougars into a tie for second place in Northwestern 3A-4A baseball.
Hammer walked four and struck out 10 as Alexander Central (8-1, 4-1) won its fifth straight game and knocked Freedom (6-2, 4-1) out of a share of the league lead with idle South Caldwell.
The Cougars and Patriots have non-league games on Tuesday – Alexander Central goes to Lake Norman (6 p.m.) and Freedom is at Patton (6:30 p.m.) – before they both return to conference play on Friday with McDowell at Alexander Central (6 p.m.) and Freedom going to South Caldwell (6:30 p.m.).
The Cougars had 12 hits on Monday, two each by Byron Younts and Josh Jacobs. Jacobs drove in two runs.
The only hits off Hammer and reliever Nate Moretz, who pitched one inning, were by Tyler Delay and Brandon Pieto.
The game was scoreless until the Cougars scored five runs in the third inning. They had two runs in the sixth inning to go up 7-0 and got their final three runs in the seventh inning.
Hunter Smith, the Patriots’ starter, took the loss. He went three innings, allowing eight hits, five runs (all earned) with no walks and three strikeouts. Freedom used three additional pitchers.
At 6-2 overall, Freedom has already surpassed its win total of last season (5-16) as it goes for its first winning season since going 14-12 in 2000.
Trojans, Rebels switch sites
The South Fork 2A game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday between Bandys and West Lincoln, originally scheduled at Bandys, will be played at West Lincoln.
Bandys (7-0, 4-0) shares the South Fork 2A lead with North Lincoln while West Lincoln (4-3, 2-2) is in fifth place.
The Trojans-Rebels game scheduled April 20 will now be played at Bandys.
GIRLS SOFTBALL
Alexander Central 12, Freedom 1
Chesney Millsaps went 4-for-5 with an RBI and threw a complete game, striking out 10, as the Cougars won on the road in a Northwestern 3A-4A game.
The victory moved Alexander Central – 4-1 in the conference — with a half-game of league-leading (and idle) McDowell (4-0) and left the Patriots, who shared second place with the Cougars and South Caldwell, in fourth place at 3-2.
Alexander Central had 18 hits with Julie Gast going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Lanie Goforth, Alexis Walter, Mattie Starnes, Ashley Seagle and Gracie Rhoney each adding two hits.
Goforth, Gast, Walter, Kelsea Dejarnette and Starnes each had two RBIs for Alexander Central.
Freedom had three hits, two by Myra Twitty and one by Morgan Maynor.
The Patriots led 1-0 after one inning, and the Cougars scored at least one run in every inning after that.
Alexander Central led 2-1 through two innings, 4-1 after three innings and 9-1 after six innings.
Ellie Tanner took the loss for Freedom. She threw a complete game, allowing 12 runs (all earned) with two walks and three strikeouts.
Alexander Central’s next game is Wednesday at home at 6 p.m. against Cannon-McMillian (Pa.) and Freedom is at home on Wednesday at 6 p.m. for a non-league game with Patton.
Bandys now at West Lincoln
The South Fork 2A game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday between Bandys and West Lincoln, originally scheduled at Bandys, will be played at West Lincoln.
West Lincoln, 3-1 in the league, is part of a five-way tie for first place with East Lincoln, Maiden, Newton-Conover and North Lincoln. Bandys, 1-3 in the league, is in sixth place.
The Trojans-Rebels game scheduled April 20 will now be played at Bandys.
Bandys is in a stretch of seven straight road games.
BOYS GOLF
West Lincoln wins by 3
Bauer Galloway was medalist in a nine-hole South Fork 2A match at River Run, leading West Lincoln to a three-stroke victory over Lake Norman Charter.
Will Carpenter and Dalton Adams of the Rebels shot 42s, tying for fourth place.
Carter Busse led Lake Norman Charter with a round of 38 and the Knights had four golfers in the top 10.
Connor Bain of North Lincoln trailed only Galloway, shooting a 37.
SOUTH FORK 2A
(9 holes at River Run)
Team scores: 1. W Lincoln 154; 2. Lake Norman Charter 157; 3. E. Lincoln 180; 4. N. Lincoln 181; 5. Bandys 190; 6. Maiden 192; 7. Newton-Conover 206; 8. Lincolnton 279.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Bauer Galloway (WL) 34; 2. Connor Bain (NL) 37; 3. Carter Busse (LNC) 38; 4. Ian Johnson (LNC) 39, Brandon Spinks (LNC) 39, Will Carpenter (WL) 39, Dalton Adams (WL) 39; 8. Lance Rowe (EL) 41, Jace Arko (LNC) 31; 10. Chase Lackey (NL) 42, Ramsey Coltrane (WL) 42.