HobbsDailyReport.com
Lake Norman is the top seed for the North Piedmont 3A-4A baseball tournament.
The North Piedmont 3A-4A’s baseball and softball tournaments begin on Monday with four games in each.
The pairings were finalized on Sunday with the top seeds Lake Norman in baseball and Alexander Central in softball.
First-round baseball games on Monday, all with 7 p.m. starts, are No. 8 Statesville (1-17) at No. 1 Lake Norman (19-3), No. 5 North Lincoln (13-6) at No. 4 Mooresville (12-11), No. 7 West Iredell (1-13) at No. 2 Alexander Central (16-8) and No. 6 North Iredell (7-14) at No. 3 South Iredell (15-7).
There was one tie in the final baseball standings – West Iredell and Statesville for seventh place – and West Iredell gained the No. 7 seed in a draw (the Warriors and Greyhounds split in the regular season and had the same records against the rest of the conference’s team, requiring a draw).
Lake Norman has secured the league’s No. 1 state 4A playoff bid and South Iredell has the top 3A bid unless a lower-seeded 3A team wins the tournament.
Alexander Central is the No. 1 seed as the North Piedmont 3A-4A softball tournament begins on Monday.
In softball, the first-round Monday games, all at 5 p.m., pit No. 8 Statesville (3-18) at No. 1 Alexander Central (22-2), No. 5 North Lincoln (9-11) at No. 4 West Iredell (10-7), No. 7 North Iredell (2-14) at No. 2 Mooresville (15-3) and No. 6 South Iredell (7-12) at No. 3 Lake Norman (18-4).
The only tie in the regular season standings was atop the standings between Alexander Central and Mooresville. The Cougars swept the Blue Devils in the regular season, gaining the top seed.
Alexander Central owns the league’s No. 1 4A bid via its sweep of Mooresville in the regular season. The top 3A playoff bid belongs to fourth-seeded West Iredell unless a lower-seeded 3A team wins the tournament.
The semifinals and finals move to Mooresville for baseball and to Lake Norman for softball. Semifinals are on Tuesday and title games on Thursday at those locations.
NORTH PIEDMONT 3A-4A TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
BASEBALL
Monday’s games
No. 8 Statesville (1-17) at No. 1 Lake Norman (19-3), 7 p.m.
No. 5 N. Lincoln (13-6) at No. 4 Mooresville (12-11), 7 p.m.
No. 7 W. Iredell (5-18) at No. 2 Alexander Central (16-8), 7 p.m.
No. 6 N Iredell (7-14) at No. 3 S. Iredell (15-7), 7 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinals at Mooresville
W. Iredell-Alexander Central winner vs. N. Iredell-S Iredell winner, 4:30 p.m.
Lake Norman-Statesville winner vs. N. Lincoln-Mooresville winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday’s championship at Mooresville
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Monday’s games
No. 8 Statesville (3-18) at No. 1 Alexander Central (22-2), 5 p.m.
No. 5 N. Lincoln (9-11) at No. 4 W. Iredell (10-7), 5 p.m.
No. 7 N. Iredell (2-14) at No. 2 Mooresville (15-3), 5 p.m.
No. 6 S. Iredell (7-12) at No. 3 Lake Norman (18-4), 5 p.m.
Tuesday’s semifinals at Lake Norman
Statesville-Alexander Central winner vs. N. Lincoln-W. Iredell winner, 4:30 p.m.
N. Iredell-Mooresville winner vs. S. Iredell-Lake Norman winner, after 4:30 p.m. game
Thursday’s championship at Lake Norman
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.