HobbsDailyReport.com
Alexander Central won its 23rd softball game of the season on Tuesday, a three-inning romp past Statesville to open the North Piedmont 3A-4A tournament.
Chesney Millsaps threw a three-inning one hitter on Tuesday, and Julie Gast drove in three runs as top-seeded Alexander Central High pounded eighth-seed Statesville 15-0 in the North Piedmont 3A-4A softball tournament in Taylorsville.
Millsaps had two hits and drove in two runs and struck out four in a first-round victory that advances the Cougars (23-2) to a Wednesday semifinal at 4:30 p.m. at Lake Norman.
Alexander Central faces either No. 5 North Lincoln or No. 4 West Iredell – they played Tuesday at West Iredell (no report) — for a berth into a Thursday 6 p.m. final at Lake Norman.
The other Wednesday semifinal that will follow the 4:30 p.m. game is No 3 Lake Norman (19-4) versus No. 2 Mooresville (16-3).
Alexander Central and Mooresville, both 4A schools, shared the regular season title but the Cougars locked up the league’s No. 1 state 4A playoff bid because they swept the Blue Devils in the regular season.
The top-finishing 3A team was West Iredell at 8-6 in the league with North Lincoln next among 3As at 6-8
Tuesday’s other games:
No. 2 Mooresville 5, No. 7 North Iredell 3: The Blue Devils won at home, beating the Red Raiders (2-15) for the third time this season.
Mooresville won the earlier games 12-0 on the road and 6-0 at Mooresville.
No. 3 Lake Norman 10, No. 6 South Iredell 5: The Wildcats scored their third win of the year over the Vikings (7-13) to advance.
In the regular season, Lake Norman downed South Iredell 7-6 at Lake Norman and 14-7 in Barium Springs.