SOUTH FORK 2A ROUNDUP: E. Lincoln win over Maiden shakes up baseball race

As league schedule nears halfway point,

Blue Devils on top with Bandys, W. Lincoln in second

 

HobbsDailyReport.com

The race for a South Fork 2A high school baseball title closes in on the halfway point beginning on Thursday night.

Two key games on Tuesday night tightened the race, with East Lincoln handing Maiden its first conference loss, 8-7 in eight innings at East Lincoln, while West Lincoln kept Bandys from moving into a tie for first place with Maiden by beating the Trojans 5-3 at West Lincoln.

Bandys (7-2, 5-2) goes to Lake Norman Charter (6-5, 3-4) on Thursday (4 p.m. at Huntersville Athletic Park) tied for second place with West Lincoln (8-3, 5-2).

Maiden (6-3, 6-1), which still hasn’t played a game on its field because of water damage, is in first place as it heads into a non-conference home game on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. against Bunker Hill. The game will be played at Maiden Middle School.

Friday’s league schedule includes these 7 p.m. games – Newton-Conover at Maiden, North Lincoln at Lincolnton and East Lincoln at West Lincoln.

The conference plays a 14-game, home-and-away schedule.

East Lincoln 7, Maiden 6, 8 inn. (Tuesday)

Matt McCowan went 2-for-3, walked twice and scored two runs and Graham Smiley had two hits, walked once and scored a run as the Mustangs downed the Blue Devils at East Lincoln.

The loss was the first for Maiden (6-3, 6-1) in conference play but the Blue Devils held onto first place when West Lincoln beat Bandys.

Josh Stephens was East Lincoln’s winning pitcher.

Bain Sipe took the loss for Maiden.

Avery Scott went 3-for-3, drove in two runs and scored twice and Dylan Abernathy went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs for the Blue Devils.

Maiden will play a non-league game (4:30 p.m.) against Bunker Hill at Maiden Middle School on Thursday.

The Blue Devils have not yet been able to play on their home field, under repairs in the outfield for water damage.

East Lincoln, 5-5 overall after falling 14-4 at North Gaston on Wednesday, is 4-3 in the league and shares fourth place with North Lincoln.

The Mustangs are at West Lincoln on Friday at 7 p.m. in a conference game.

West Lincoln 5, Bandys 3 (Tuesday)

Chris Moxley checked the visiting Trojans on five hits, giving up three runs (two earned) and striking out eight as the Rebels (8-3, 5-2) moved into a tie for second place with the Trojans.

Seth Willis picked up a save, allowing no hits or runs and striking out one.

Moxley drove in two runs and Brandon Lail had a hit, walked twice, scored twice and drove in a run for West Lincoln.

Dylan Smith added an RBI for the Rebels.

West Lincoln is at home Friday at 7 p.m., facing East Lincoln in a conference game.

Bandys plays a league game Thursday at 4 p.m. at Lake Norman Charter (at Huntersville Athletic Park).

Lake Norman Charter 9, Lincolnton 6 (Tuesday)

Jake Monti broke a 4-all tie in the fifth inning with a two-run double, sparking the Knights’ home conference victory.

Lake Norman Charter (6-5, 3-4) finished with eight hits.

Logan Ansted started for the Knights, going 3 2/3 innings (five hits, four runs, six strikeouts).

Jared Ryan hit a third-inning home run and Peter Alperi went 2-for-4 for Lake Norman Charter.

The Knights face Bandys at the Huntersville Athletic Park at 4 p.m. on Thursday in a league game.

The Wolves (1-7, 1-6) are at home Friday at 7 p.m. in a conference game against North Lincoln.

North Lincoln 10, Newton-Conover 0, 6 inn. (Tuesday)

Four Knights – Daniel Carter, Jake Soorus, Matt Heavner and Seth Whitley – each had two hits and Carter and Whitley had RBIs in a home conference win over the Red Devils (0-10, 0-7).

Josh Allen worked five innings, allowing no hits or runs and walking one and striking out six for North Lincoln (7-4, 4-3).

North Lincoln, after winning 6-1 on Wednesday at East Gaston, goes to Lincolnton on Friday (7 p.m. for a league game).

Newton-Conover meets Maiden on the road in a conference game on Friday at 7 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Newton-Conover 11, West Caldwell 1

Grace Loftin threw five innings, allowing one run and one hit and striking out five, as the Red Devils won a non-league game.

Georgia Ingle went 3-for-3 with a triple and drove in three runs, and Loftin went 3-for-4 with a third-inning home run and three RBIs for Newton-Conover.

The Red Devils, who are in first place in the South Fork 2A, led 3-0 after one inning and 8-0 after three innings.

Newton-Conover is at home on Friday at 5 p.m., facing Maiden in a league game, and West Caldwell goes to Watauga for a 6:30 p.m. game in the Northwestern 3A-4A against Watauga.

Lake Norman Charter 12, Lincoln Charter 2

Jenna Carter had two of Lake Norman Charter’s six hits and Kristy Seifert had an RBI and was the winning pitcher in a non-league win at Lincoln Charter.

Rose Meli also drove in a run for Lake Norman Charter.

Seifert pitched three innings allowing five hits.

Lake Norman Charter scored seven runs in the third inning and five in the fourth inning.

Lake Norman Charter plays a conference game at Bandys on Friday at 6 p.m.

Lake Norman Charter 10, Lincolnton 2 (Tuesday)

Sophomore Kristy Seifert threw a complete game, striking out seven, as the Knights won a conference game at home.

Jenna Carter went 4-for-4 with six RBIs – hitting a grand slam – and Seifert had two hits and three RBIs and also hit a home run. Eric Fitzsimmons added three hits for Lake Norman Charter.

GIRLS SOCCER

Lake Norman Charter 4, Lincolnton 0 (Tuesday)

Ayden Yates had a goal and two assists, leading the Knights to a conference win at home.

Kasey Hahn scored on an assist by Yates to open the scoring and Yates scored for a 2-0 lead.

Annie Poteat’s goal, assisted by Yates, made it 3-0 and Lindsay Rich scored the final goal for Lake Norman Charter.

The Knights (2-8) travel to Bandys for a league match on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Lincolnton is at home on Thursday for a conference match against North Lincoln.

East Lincoln 3, Maiden 2 (Tuesday)

The Mustangs (6-3, 5-2) won a home conference match and are in third place at a half-match ahead of Maiden and West Lincoln.

Kassi Kiziah had both of the goals for Maiden (4-3-1, 3-2-0).

Gracie Arrowood and Providence Reed each had an assist for the Blue Devils while Marley Mingus made 12 saves.

East Lincoln is at West Lincoln in a conference match on Thursday at 6 p.m., and Maiden goes to Newton-Conover for a league match on Thursday at 6 p.m.

BOYS GOLF

Lake Norman Charter wins again (Monday)

Freshman Ben Bailey’s 37 led Lake Norman Charter to its fourth straight conference victory, a nine-hole match at Rock Barn in Conover.

Lance Rowe of East Lincoln was medalist with a 36.

Lake Norman Charter had four golfers finish in the top 10, including Carter Busse and Jace Arko part of a three-player tie for third with 38s.

Team scores: 1. Lake Norman Charter 153; 2. E. Lincoln 161; 3. Maiden, W. Lincoln 178; 5. N. Lincoln 180; 6. Newton-Conover 183; 7. Bandys 184; 8. Lincolnton 280.

Top 10 individuals: 1. Lance Rowe (EL) 36; 2. Ben Bailey (LNC) 37; 3. Carter Busse (LNC), Jace Arko (LNC), Kenan Lawing (M) 38; 6. Will Dalton (LNC), Drew Coppin (EL), Joseph Berry (EL) 40; 8. Luke Campbell (B) 41; 9. Lawson Harkey (WL), Holt Allison (N-C) 42.

Other top scores by team: Chase Lackey (NL) 43; Garrison Sides (L), Kaeden Locklear (L) 68.

Team standings through four conference matches: 1. Lake Norman Charter 793; 2. W. Lincoln 837; 3. E. Lincoln 843; 4. N. Lincoln 877; 5. Maiden 912; 6. Newton-Conover 939; 7. Bandys 968; 8. Lincolnton 1,388.

  • Information for the roundup includes reports by: Beth Arney, Newton-Conover softball; Kerry Ransenberger, Lake Norman Charter girls’ soccer; Valerie Norris, Lake Norman Charter softball; Bill Doherty, Lake Norman Charter baseball; Robbie Abernethy, Maiden baseball; John Markley, West Lincoln baseball; Lindsay Presnell, Maiden girls’ soccer; and Eric Johnson, Lake Norman Charter golf.

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