Benfield leads St. Stephens past archrival Hickory in baseball
HobbsDailyReport.com
Maddox Kerley was cooking on Thursday night.
Kerley, a junior pitcher for Alexander Central High, threw a no-hitter against visiting Watauga as the Cougars won a Northwestern 3A-4A baseball game 5-0.
Alexander Central improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Alexander Central had five hits, two by Bryson Hammer, and he drove in three runs and Jason Bebber added an RBI.
The Cougars scored two runs in the first inning, a run in the third inning and two more in the fifth inning.
Watauga (1-2, 1-1) made three errors and Alexander Central made two, with the Pioneers leaving four base runners stranded.
Cougars starter Sterling Sauls took the loss, going three innings. He gave up four hits, three runs (two earned), walked one and struck out two.
Alexander Central plays Saturday at 2 p.m. at Providence in a non-league game, and Watauga is at home on Tuesday (6:30 p.m.) for a conference game against McDowell.
St. Stephens 13, Hickory 3, 5 inn.
Chance Benfield had a double and triple, scored three runs and drove in two, helping St. Stephens rout visiting Hickory.
The Indians scored two runs in the first and two in the second for a 4-0 lead, and they led 8-0 after adding four runs in the third inning.
St. Stephens’ Garvin Marley and Jake Speaks combined on a five-hitter and only one of Hickory’s runs were earned.
Marley threw five innings, giving up three runs, and he walked three and struck out two. Speaks walked one in his only inning.
In addition to Benfield, the Indians got two hits and an RBI by Josh Kidd, Matt Walker drove in two runs, and J.D. Everett and Karsten Klingenberg added an RBI each.
St. Stephens had eight hits and the Red Tornadoes (2-2, 0-2) made seven errors.
William Stewart went 2-for-3 for Hickory.
Garrett Heckler pitched one inning and took the loss. He gave up one hit, four runs (one earned) and walked one.
The Indians scored four runs on three hits and four walks against Blake Kiser in one inning, and they had four hits, five runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings against Macory Mitchell, who walked four and struck out four.
St. Stephens went up 8-0 with a four-run third inning when Owen Van Sickle and Eli Walsh walked. They were advanced by a sacrifice bunt by Matthew Hancock before Benfield doubled for two runs. Klingenberg’s single scored Benfield and Kidd’s single scored Klingenberg.
The Indians (3-1, 2-0) play a conference game on Tuesday at Freedom at 6:30 p.m. while Hickory at Statesville on Monday (4:30 p.m.) and then a league game on Tuesday at home against South Caldwell (6:30 p.m.).
South Caldwell 10, McDowell 7
The Spartans survived a seven-run bottom of the sixth inning, tying it at 7, and won a Northwestern 3A-4A game in Marion.
South Caldwell (4-0, 2-0) had nine hits with Jarrett Pritchard driving in three runs and Curtis Massagee driving in two. Hunter Ingle had two hits and an RBI for the Spartans and Isiah Kirby added two hits and drove in a run.
Chapel Matson led McDowell (2-2, 0-2) with two hits and three RBIs and Gage Gentry had two hits and drove in two runs.
Ian Moretz, pitching one-third of an inning, got the win in relief of Isaac Bush, who started for the Spartans and went 5 2/3 innings (four hits, seven runs, two walks, 10 strikeouts).
Justin Davis took the loss in relief for the Titans, going three innings. He allowed four hits, five runs (four earned), walked four and struck out four.
McDowell starter Brice Seymore went four innings, giving up five hits, five runs (all earned), walking five and striking out five.
SOFTBALL
Alexander Central 10, Watauga 0, 5 inn.
Leadoff hitter Lanie Goforth had two hits and drove in four runs to spark the Cougars’ home victory in a Northwestern 3A-4A game.
The Cougars had 11 hits, including a 3-for-3 day by Ashley Seagle, and Alexa Rash had two hits. Jasime Parker added two RBIs for Alexander Central.
Watauga had three hits and made three errors, falling behind 3-0 by the second inning.
Alexander Central scored five runs in the fourth inning and got two in the second for invoke the 10-run rule.
Faith Carrington (2-1) struck out seven as the winning pitcher for the Cougars.
Jada Wilson took the loss for the Pioneers (1-2, 1-1), going three innings. She gave up six hits, six runs (four earned) with no walks and two strikeouts.
Alexander Central plays West Wilkes on Friday at 6 p.m. in a non-league game in Taylorsville.
Watauga is at home on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. conference game against McDowell.
- Information for the roundup includes reports by Adam Windham, head baseball coach at St. Stephens; Jonathan Watts, baseball and softball, Alexander Central SID; and Jim Bowman, South Caldwell baseball.
