HobbsDailyReport.com
The Tigers completed a suspended game from Thursday on Friday, holding off St. Stephens 16-14 to wrap up the Northwestern 3A-4A baseball title.
HICKORY – Fred T. Foard High had a wild finish to its Northwestern 3A-4A baseball season on Friday afternoon.
Going back to St. Stephens to resume a game suspended on Thursday, the Tigers had a 13-run lead in the fourth inning when the game halted but won 16-14 to wrap up the league title.
Foard (14-5-1, 12-2) has secured the crown even if second-place South Caldwell (15-4-1, 10-3) beats Watauga in Hudson in a Saturday 3 p.m. game.
The Tigers had already wrapped up the league’s No. 1 state 3A playoff bid. They got that by winning the title, with Hickory (10-4) the next closest 3A team in the standings.
Foard is the No. 1 seed for next week’s conference tournament, facing No. 8 Freedom in the first round on Tuesday.
The league is expected to release its tournament pairings later Saturday. There are potential for two ties, Hickory and South Caldwell for second and Watauga and St. Stephens for fifth place.
If Hickory and South Caldwell tie for second, here’s how the tie would be broken for conference seeding: They both split with Foard, they both split with each other and a comparison of records against fourth-place Hibriten would be needed – No. 2 to Hickory by going 2-0 versus the Panthers to the Spartans’ 1-1.
If Watauga and St. Stephens share fifth, they split in the regular season and both were swept by Foard – No. 5 to Watauga by virtue of going 1-1 against Hickory to the Indians’ 0-2 against the Red Tornadoes.
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A STANDINGS
(thru Friday)
Foard 12-2
S. Caldwell (4A) 10-3
Hickory 10-4
Hibriten 8-6
Watauga (4A) 5-8
St. Stephens 5-9
Patton 3-10
Freedom 1-12
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT MATCHUPS
(final seeds to be confirmed, locations to be announced)
Tuesday’s first round
No. 8 Freedom at No. 1 Foard
No. 5 Watauga at No. 4 Hibriten
No. 7 Patton at No. 2 S. Caldwell or Hickory
No. 6 St. Stephens at No. 3 S. Caldwell or Hickory