McDowell scores 26 runs in first baseball game of season
HobbsDailyReport.com
PORTER
Bandys High had an eight-run fifth inning on Wednesday en route to a 12-0 victory over visiting West Iredell that gave Trojans head coach Frank Porter his 100th career baseball win.
Bandys had 11 hits and winning pitcher Alex Reavis checked the Warriors on one hit.
Colin Hammonds took the loss for West Iredell.
The Trojans — 20-5 last season when they started 8-0 – are 100-109 under Porter, who is in his ninth season as head coach.
Bandys (1-0) is at home Thursday at 7 p.m., facing West Caldwell, and West Iredell plays Polk County on Saturday at 2 p.m. at West Wilkes.
Mooresville 11, Alexander Central 4
Catcher Davis Turner went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs to spark the visiting Blue Devils’ season-opening win.
Mooresville had 10 hits and broke a scoreless tie with a seven-run fifth inning.
Three Blue Devils pitchers limited the Cougars to five hits with Byron Younts driving in a run with a hit and Jacob Bebber also driving in a run for Alexander Central, which made four errors.
Mooresville starter Justin Portis worked 3 2/3 innings and got a win. He struck out eight and walked one and did not allow a hit. Jackson Reid and Nick Merriman pitched the rest of the way for the Blue Devils.
Reliever Jeremy Simpson, the second of six pitchers used by Cougars head coach Pete Hardee, took the loss. He gave up four runs, all earned, over two-thirds of an inning.
Alexander Central starter Bryson Hammer struck out eight and walked two and gave up three hits over four innings.
Hardee, in his fourth season at Alexander Central, has 418 career wins after the Cougars went 22-8 last season.
The Cougars play at West Forsyth on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Hickory 3, Newton-Conover 0
Garrett Heckler and William Stewart combined on a shutout as the Red Tornadoes (2-0) won on the road.
Heckler threw three innings and Stewart gained a save, pitching four innings.
Zach Smith led Hickory with a double.
The win boosted Red Tornadoes head coach David Craft to 444 wins at HHS and he has 464 career victories.
Hickory is at home Friday at 5:30 p.m. to play North Lincoln while the Red Devils play at St. Stephens on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
St. Stephens 5, Bunker Hill 3 (6 inn.)
The Indians scored three of their runs in the third inning and won their opener on the road.
The game was the debut of Todd Setzer as head coach at Bunker Hill, who replaced Marty Curtis after Curtis retired after 35 years as Bears skipper (455 wins).
No other game details were available.
St. Stephens went 12-10 last season and is starting its fourth year under head coach Adam Windham (48-67).
The Indians are at home on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., facing Newton-Conover, and the Bears play on Friday at 6 p.m. at Maiden.
West Lincoln 18, East Burke 0 (5 inn.)
The Rebels had a 12-run first inning in Icard and got their second win of the season.
Emery Propst had the only hit for the Cavs and Austin Teague took the loss.
No other game details were available.
West Lincoln next plays on Tuesday at 4 p.m., facing East Lincoln on the road to start its South Fork 2A schedule.
East Burke will play Burns in Icard on Thursday.
Cherryville 5, East Lincoln 3 (10 inn.)
The Ironmen scored two runs in the seventh inning to tie it 3-all and force extra innings and then beat the Mustangs.
Freshman Graham Smiley had three hits, freshman Garrett Michel added two hits and Gabe Duncan had two hits for East Lincoln.
Junior Noah Sigmon took the loss for the Mustangs, going two innings and giving up two runs (both earned).
The Mustangs, 10-13 last season, started their 13th season under head coach Chris Matile (230-137).
East Lincoln plays South Iredell on Friday at 4 p.m. at East Lincoln.
Lake Norman Charter 11, Queens Grant 3 (6 inn.)
The Knights had 12 hits – two each by Nick Clark, Drew Gugino, Jake Monti and Jared Ryan – to win their opener on the road.
Senior Logan Ansted picked up a win and pitcher Michael Ritch gave up six hits and five runs (all earned) for Queens Grant.
Ritch and reliever Jacob Beard threw seven wild pitches, five by Beard.
The Knights are at home Thursday at 4 p.m., facing Mountain Island Charter.
Lincoln Charter 10, Maiden 0 (5 inn.)
Lincoln Charter opened a 4-0 lead after one inning and had a five-run fifth inning to beat the visiting Blue Devils and open the season.
Dylan Dodson had three hits and six RBIs for the Eagles and Spencer Bright added two hits and drove in four runs for Lake Norman Charter.
The Blue Devils, 5-17 last season, made their debut under new head coach Doug McRee. McRee, a former head coach at Bandys, is returning to the game after replacing David Williams, who left Maiden to become head baseball coach at A.C. Reynolds.
Maiden is at home on Friday at 6 p.m. and plays Bunker Hill.
McDowell 26, Black Mountain Owen 0 (5 inn.)
The Titans scored nine runs in the third inning and 15 in the fourth to overpower visiting Owen.
Ethan Hamm was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and Brycen Seymore went 4-for-5, scored five runs and drove in six for the Titans.
Juan Campos and Billy Cessna combined on a no-hitter for McDowell with Campos striking out nine over four innings.
The Titans, 11-14 last season, play at Patton on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
North Lincoln 11, Forestview 3
The Knights opened with a road victory, picking up their 19th win in their last 21 games.
North Lincoln went 25-4 last season, falling to Ledford twice to end the season. They are 101-92-1 as head coach Jon Carpenter starts his eighth year as head coach.
The Knights face Hickory on the road on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
South Iredell 19, Patton 0 (5 inn.)
The visiting Vikings had a seven-run first inning and added eight runs in the third inning to roll past Patton.
Three South Iredell pitchers combined to check the Panthers on four hits while Matt Sherrill, Brock Mokoff and Hiroki Murkami each had threee hits for the Vikings. Sherrill and Murkami each drove in four runs and Mokoff had three RBIs.
Gunnar Grady worked two innings, giving up five hits and 10 runs (four earned) for Patton.
The Panthers, 12-12 last year, are at home Friday at 6:30 p.m., playing McDowell.
North Iredell 9, Watauga 1
At North Iredell, the Red Raiders won their opener and were helped by five Watauga errors.
Mason Staz, Kolen Ponder and Ben Gaither each drove in a run for North Iredell, which had five hits.
Gaither was the winning pitcher, striking out 12 and walking one, and pitched six innings.
Watauga, 5-16 last season, has lost eight straight games dating back to last season.
The Pioneers go to West Wilkes on Friday for a 4:30 p.m. game.
West Caldwell 12, West Wilkes 6
The host Warriors had a 10-run fifth inning, wiping out a 4-1 deficit, as they won their opener to start Jason Bumgarner’s second season as head coach with a victory.
West Caldwell went 3-20 last year – beating Hibriten, Freedom and Hickory – and its next game is Thursday at 7 p.m. at Bandys.
SOFTBALL
Alexander Central 12, West Wilkes 1 (5 inn.)
An eight-run third inning sparked the host Cougars as they opened the season with a win.
Ashley Seagle went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs and Mattie Starnes had two hits and two RBIs for Alexander Central, which had 11 hits.
Sophie Nichols had two of West Wilkes’ six hits.
Faith Carrigan worked five innings to get a win for Alexander Central, allowing six hits. She struck out three and walked two.
The Cougars touched West Wilkes starter Carly Parsons for seven hits and eight runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings. She struck out five and walked three.
Alexander Central, coming off a state championship season, plays at Bunker Hill on Thursday at 6 p.m.
East Burke 17, Freedom 5 (5 inn.)
Ashlyn Stilwell pitched five innings with five strikeouts and was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, leading the Cavs’ home win.
Lexi Seagle added a double and two RBIs and Daniel Fox went 3-for-4 with a double and drove in three runs for East Burke.
East Burke plays at Hickory on Monday at 4:15 p.m., and Freedom is at Paton next Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Mooresville 2, East Lincoln 1
The Blue Devils scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to win.
Katelynn Crowe had two hits and drove in East Lincoln’s run.
Payton Baker pitched six innings for the Mustangs, giving up seven hits.
East Lincoln is at home Friday at 5 p.m., facing North Gaston.
South Caldwell 8, Hibriten 4
The Spartans erased a 2-1 deficit on the road, scoring five runs in the fifth inning, to win their opener.
Jasmine Hall went 3-for-5 and drove in a run, Katie Spears had two hits and four RBIs and Lauren Spears drove in two runs for South Caldwell.
Jillian Jones, Abby Reeves, Davis Walker and Peyton Boggs each had two hits for Hibriten.
Jenna Pittman pitched a complete game and got a win for South Caldwell while Jones took the loss for the Panthers.
South Caldwell, the defending champ in the Northwestern 3A-4A, will play host to the Spartan Classic on Saturday.
Hibriten faces St. Stephens in Lenoir on Friday at 6 p.m.
North Lincoln 13, South Iredell 1 (5 inn.)
A seven-run fourth inning led the Knights to a victory on the road.
North Lincoln touched South Iredell starter Graycie Bustle for 13 runs, 10 of them earned.
The Knights and Maiden shared last year’s South Fork 2A title.
North Lincoln goes to Hickory on Friday for a game at 5 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Hickory 9, Crest 0
Izzy Wood scored six goals, leading the Red Tornadoes (2-0) past the visiting
Chargers.
Ayden Vaughn, Jess LaFrancis and Madeline Mosteller each added a goal for the Red Tornadoes, and LaFrancis (2), Vaughn, Lauren Hayes, Addie Barrier, Elizabeth Betancourt and Madeline Pitts each had assists for HHS.
Sarah Harding and Taylor Rose combined in goal for a shutout for the Red Tornadoes, who play
Fred T. Foard on the road Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Freedom 3, East Burke 2
The Patriots opened the season with a victory over the Cavs.
Freshman Pachia Vue and senior Jennifer Xiong scored for East Burke and Xiong and sophomore Andie McNeil made three saves.
Freedom plays Patton on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Catawba River Soccer Complex while East Burke’s next match is next Wednesday at 6 p.m. against South Caldwell in Icard.
North Lincoln 6, St. Stephens 2
Sophomore Hailey Hunter had three goals and an assist, leading the Knights to a home victory.
Addie Reid, a freshman, had three assists for North Lincoln, and Morgan McPeak made eight saves for the Knights.
North Lincoln, which finished sixth last season in the South Fork 2A, will play Stuart Cramer on Friday at 6 p.m. at North Lincoln.
BOYS LACROSSE
Lake Norman Charter 20, Phoenix Montessori 7
Micah Stechmiller scored six goals to lead the Knights’ victory in a season-opening match.
Lake Norman Charter’s next match is Monday at 7 p.m. at home against Mooresville.
— Wednesday’s roundup information was contributed by: Benny Lytton, Bandys SID; Alexander Central SID Jonathan Watts; Hickory baseball coach David Craft; Lake Norman boys lacrosse coach; East Burke athletic director James Childers and game information posted by schools on their MaxPreps pages.
