HobbsDailyReport.com
Friday’s win in the Northwestern 3A-4A softball tournament gave South Caldwell its fourth straight in the league.
MORGANTON – South Caldwell High’s softball team is in a rut – a very good one – after winning the program’s fourth straight Northwestern 3A-4A tournament title on Friday night.
The top-seeded Spartans toppled No. 2 Fred T. Foard 13-3 in five innings at Patton to leave this version of the Northwestern 3A-4A (a new one starts in August due to statewide realignment) with a tournament crown in each year.
South Caldwell (19-6), the regular season champion, had 12 hits to overwhelm the Tigers (14-7).
After leading 3-2 through two innings, the Spartans scored six runs in the bottom of the third to lead 9-2.
Foard finished with only five hits.
South Caldwell — coached by a Casey Justice, a former athlete at the school – heads into the state playoffs as the league’s No. 1 4A team. Foard goes in as the top 3A team.
The Spartans won the first Northwestern 3A-4A tournament, in 2014, by beating St. Stephens. They won over Freedom the next year and, last year, nipped St. Stephens 6-5 to win the tournament as a No. 3 seed.
In this season’s tournament, South Caldwell outscored three opponents 36-6.
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Tuesday’s results
(at higher seeds)
No. 1 S. Caldwell 10, No. 8 Hickory 0
No. 5 St. Stephens 1, No. 4 Freedom 0
No. 2 Fred T. Foard 6, No. 7 Patton 3
No. 3 Hibriten 8, No. 6 Watauga 1
Wednesday’s semifinal results
(at Catawba Meadows)
No. 1 S. Caldwell 13, No. 5 St. Stephens 3
No. 2 Fred T. Foard 19, No. 3 Hibriten 12
Friday’s title game
(at Patton)
No. 1 S. Caldwell 13, No. 2 Fred T. Foard 3, 5 inn.