Cougars made it that deep for ninth time
since 1984, Spartans for 6th straight year
HobbsDailyReport.com
Alexander Central High set up a shot at its 30th postseason baseball win since 1984 on Thursday night, nipping Cuthbertson 4-1 in Taylorsville in the second round of the state 3A playoffs.
Maddox Kerley threw 5 1/3 innings, scattering five hits, walking three and striking out three to collect his seventh win of the season for the West No. 3 seed Cougars (22-7).
Easton Rhoney, Cody Moose, Kade Smitth and Andrew Auton each scored a run for Alexander Central.
Reliever Dawson Elder pitched 1 2/3 innings for the Cougars, striking out two, to gain his second save of the year.
Alexander Central will be at home in the third round (must be played by Tuesday) against No. 11 East Rowan (17-10) or No. 6 Cox Mill (19-6), who play Friday night at Cox Mill.
Cox Mill has won three straight games and East Rowan has won seven of its last eight.
The Cougars are in the third round for the ninth time since 1984 and for the second straight season.
South Caldwell 4, Porter Ridge 2
The Spartans won a second round 4A game at home, advancing to the third round for the sixth straight season and 15th time since 1984.
Curtis Massagee had a key three-run double to lead South Caldwell (21-5), appearing in the state playoffs for the 35th time since 1984.
The fourth-seeded Spartans will play at home in the third round (must be played by Tuesday), facing No. 21 Greensboro Grimsley (13-11) or No. 6 Davie County (15-9), who play Friday night in Mocksville.
South Caldwell beat Grimsley in the second round, 3-0, last season.
North Davidson 18, Fred T. Foard 5, 5 inn.
Mason Everhart and Jake Brown each hit a grand slam at Fred T. Foard as the 11th-seeded Black Knights won a second round 2A playoff game.
Everhart also hit another home run as North Davidson (20-8) eliminated the sixth-seeded Tigers (16-6).
Everhart hit his grand slam in the first inning, and the Black Nights sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning and scored eight runs.
Brown’s grand slam came in the second inning.
Brandon Warlick got a win for North Davidson, going four innings and striking out five.
Jackson Perrell was 3-for-3 for the Black Knights, driving in three runs and scoring four.
North Davidson advances to face No. 3 West Wilkes, a 5-3 winner on Thursday at home over No. 30 Canton Pisgah.
Foard, making its 16th state baseball playoff appearance since 1984, lost in the second round for the second straight season. Two years ago, Foard advanced to the fourth round.
The Tigers were attempting to gain their 16th postseason win in 35 seasons. They’ve been to the third round four times in that span – 1984, 2009, 2013 and 2017.
West Wilkes 3, Hibriten 0
Third-seeded West Wilkes broke the visiting 14th-seeded Panthers’ win streak at four games, handing them a second round 2A loss by shutout.
Hibriten’s year began with its only other shutout loss of the season, 10-0 against South Caldwell.
West Wilkes (23-3) is at home in the third round (must be played by Tuesday) against No. 11 North Davidson.
The Panthers were eliminated in the second round for the second straight year and they haven’t gone deeper than that since back-to-back trips to the fourth round in 2008 and 2009.
SOFTBALL
Parkwood 14, Alexander Central 1, 5 inn.
Visiting Parkwood opened a 14-0 lead by the fifth inning in Taylorsville, rolling past the sixth-seeded Cougars in a second round 3A game.
After leading 1-0 through the first inning, the Rebels scored five runs in the third inning, six in the fourth inning and twice in the fifth inning.
Taylor Breidt went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Chloe Hardy added two hits and three RBIs and winning pitcher Anna Laney went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.
Laney pitched five innings, giving up three hits and one run (earned) with two walks and no strikeouts.
Alexander Central finished 19-7.
Parkwood (14-6) gets a third round game (must be played by Tuesday) against No. 19 Rockingham County or No. 3 West Rowan.
South Caldwell 5, Winston-Salem Glenn 1
Home runs by Regan Weisner and Addison Blair sparked the Spartans’ second round 4A victory in Hudson.
Fifth-seeded South Caldwell (19-3) will play No. 20 Winston-Salem Reagan of No. 4 Northwest Guilford in the third round (must be played by Tuesday), going to Northwest Guilford or facing Reagan at South Caldwell.
