NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A ROUNDUP: South Caldwell has wrapped up titles in baseball, softball

 

HobbsDailyReport.com

South Caldwell High — with a Northwestern 3A-4A baseball crown already in hand – is in hot pursuit of reaching a 20-win season.

The Spartans hammered Cape Fear 11-0 on Saturday at Fayetteville Sanford in their first game at the Bulldog Tournament, and they’ll play Sanford on Monday night at 7 p.m.

South Caldwell is 17-3 overall and Fayetteville Sanford is 15-2.

Brayden Woodell had the only hit on Saturday for Cape Fear, which fell behind 3-0 in the first inning.

The Spartans led 8-0 after a four-run fifth inning and scored three more runs in the sixth inning.

South Caldwell had 12 hits, touching Kyle Molivas for 10 hits, eight runs (four earned) over 4 2/3 innings.

The Spartans reached 10 or more runs for the sixth time this season and won by a shutout for the sixth time.

South Caldwell will be the No. 1 seed for the Northwestern 3A-4A tournament, which begins April 30, and has already locked up the conference’s No. 1 4A playoff bid.

Second-place Alexander Central has secured the league’s No. 1 3A state playoff berth.

Alexander Central 11, St. Stephens 0, 6 inn. (Wednesday)

Left-hander Bryson Hammer threw a no-hitter, walking one and striking out 11, as the Cougars won a road conference game.

Seth Sigmon hit a home run and drove in six runs for Alexander Central, which finished second in the league, and Bryon Younts had three hits and three RBIs.

Jake Speaks took the loss for the Indians, going 3 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits, eight runs (all earned) with five walks and two strikeouts.

St. Stephens 10, Newton-Conover 0 (Tuesday)

Josh Kidd went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs, Chance Benfield added two hits and two RBIs and Owen VanSickle homered and had another hit and drove in two runs as the Indians cruised to a non-conference home win.

Julian Peissel pitched six innings, allowing six hits, walking one and striking out six to gain a win for St. Stephens.

Ethan Hollar went 2-for-3 with a double for the Red Devils, who made five errors.

Bailey Sims took the loss after pitching 2 2/3 innings. He gave up three hits and three runs (one earned).

Alexander Central 7, Freedom 3 (Monday)

Kade Smith went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs and Jacob Bebber had two RBIs as the Cougars won a home conference game.

Alexander Central had 10 hits, gaining a 5-0 lead with five runs in the second inning.

Easton Rhoney added two hits for the Cougars.

Brandon Pieto, Hunter Keller and Tristan Robinson had Freedom’s hits with Robinson driving in two runs and Pieto the other.

Alexander Central starter Dawson Elder (4-1) got a win, going five innings. He gave up three hits, three runs (one earned) with two walks and nine strikeouts.

Jeremy Simpson threw two-thirds of an inning to gain his second save of the season for the Cougars.

Freedom starter T.J. Twitty lasted one inning, giving up five hits, five runs (all earned) with three walks and one strikeout.

 

South Caldwell 5, West Caldwell 0 (Monday)

Austin Raynor hit a home run and drove in two runs and Owen Foxx did the same as the Spartans won a league game at home.

Ian Moretz added an RBI for South Caldwell, which scored one run in the first inning and two in the fourth and sixth innings.

Clay Canale went five innings, giving up no hits and walking there and striking out nine for the Spartans.

Devin Bumgarner, Colby Turnmire and Nick Kidd each had one hit for West Caldwell with Kidd taking the loss (four innings, four of five runs earned, four walks, nine strikeouts).

Watauga 5, St. Stephens 0 (Monday)

Sterling Sauls threw a complete game at St. Stephens as the Pioneers won a conference game.

Watauga scored twice in the sixth inning and three in the seventh inning.

The Pioneers won with just two hits, one by Tanner Craft and one by Sauls.

The Indians had five hits and Eli Walsh took a loss, throwing two innings. He gave up no hits, five runs (three earned) with eight walks and one strikeout.

J.D. Everett pitched five innings for St. Stephens, allowing two hits, walking three and striking out seven.

SOFTBALL

Spartans go unbeaten in league play

South Caldwell went 14-0 in the conference and finished three games ahead of second-place Alexander Central.

The Spartans own the top 4A state playoff bid and the Cougars have the top 3A state playoff bid.

The conference tournament won’t begin until April 30, with these unofficial pairings for first-round games:

No. 8 Hickory at No. 1 South Caldwell; No. 5 St. Stephens at No. 4 Watauga; No. 6 West Caldwell at No. 3 McDowell; No. 7 Freedom at No. 2 Alexander Central.

St. Stephens and West Caldwell shared fifth place and the tie would be broken by comparative records against Watauga (the Indians split with the Pioneers; the Warriors did not beat the Pioneers).

Official pairings won’t be released until Saturday.

Alexander Central 14, St. Stephens 3 (Wednesday)

Riding a seven-run sixth inning, the Cougars won a league game at St. Stephens, collecting 18 hits.

Alexander Central’s Faith Carrigan was the winning pitcher, throwing five innings. She gave up four hits, one run (unearned), walked one and struck out 10.

Mayson Lail pitched for St. Stephens, allowing 18 hits, 14 runs (10 earned) with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Alexander Central 13, Freedom 0, 5 inn. (Monday)

Leadoff hitter Lanie Goforth went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Carrigan was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Peyton Price had a hit and drove in three runs as the Cougars rolled in a home conference game.

Alexander Central had 15 hits and Carrigan and reliever Kara Hinkle combined to hold Freedom to two hits.

Morgan Maynor and Sarah Armentrout each had a hit for the Patriots, who fell behind 7-0 through three innings and gave up six runs in the fourth inning.

Carrigan gained a win, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out eight over four innings.

Hinkle gave up no hits in her one inning.

GIRLS SOCCER

Hickory, Watauga share league lead

There are two conference matches to go in the Northwestern 3A-4A chase for a title, with Hickory and Watauga tied at the top at 11-1-0 each.

The Red Tornadoes and Pioneers have split their regular-season meetings.

St. Stephens is 8-4-0 in the league and in third place, two up on Freedom (6-6-0).

Hickory 10, West Caldwell 0 (Wednesday)

Izzi Wood’s three goals sparked Hickory (1-2-1, 11-1-0) in a home conference victory.

Ayden Vaughan and Gloria Solis each added two goals and Madeline Pitts, Elizabeth Betancourt and Emily Snyder each scored one goal.

Sarah Harding and Taylor Rose combined in goal to post a shutout for Hickory.

Hickory 9, McDowell 0 (Monday)

Wood scored three times and Vaughan added two goals as the Red Tornadoes rolled to a conference win in Marion.

Jessie LaFrancis, Lauren Hayes and Solis each added a goal for Hickory.

Vaughan and Betancourt each provided two assists and LaFrancis and Brooke Rowland had one each.

Harding was in goal for a shutout for the Red Tornadoes.

– Information for the roundup includes reports by: Jonathan Watts, Alexander Central SID; Brian Jillings, Hickory girls soccer head coach; and Adam Windham, St. Stephens head baseball coach.

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