Daily Roundup: May 16, 2023

SOFTBALL

No. 15 Topsail 9, No. 23 Holly Springs 0

Third round NCHSAA 4A playoffs

***Click here to view a gallery of 28 photos from the action***

Kennedy Sloan turned in another incredible performance in the circle to lead the Pirates to an easy win that put them into the Elite 8 for the second time in three seasons.

Sloan threw a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and no walks. In her three playoff victories, the junior has allowed three runs with 25 strikeouts and three walks in 21 innings. 

“I think I’ve been getting more movement and spin on my ball,” said Sloan, who had her fifth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.

Topsail (14-6) sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run bottom of the second inning that increased its lead to 6-0.

Leadoff batter Zoey Vincent finished 2-for-3 with a walk, four stolen bases and four runs scored. Sloan went 3-for-4 with a double.

Emmy Clark and Jaylyn Noble both worked a pair of walks and crossed the plate once. Clark drove in a pair of runs with a single in the third inning. 

Olivia Smark collected two hits, including a double.

“We’ve really come together as a team and we’re doing a lot of good things,” Topsail interim coach Michael Carter said. “We’re running bases well, we’re being very aggressive and we have terrific pitching. Everything is kind of working on all cylinders.”

The Pirates will travel to No. 11 Wakefield on Friday at 6 p.m. The Wolverines advanced with a 5-1 win over No. 14 Garner. 

BASEBALL

No. 1 New Hanover 9,  No. 25 Southern Alamance 2

Third round NCHSAA 4A playoffs

***Click here to view a gallery of 18 photos from the action***

UNC Greensboro signee Sean Smith was dominant in his six innings on the mound, and the Wildcats scored five runs in the opening two innings to cruise into the fourth round.

Smith scattered three hits and struck out nine batters before turning things over to the bullpen. The only run he allowed was unearned.

New Hanover (24-2) wasted little time giving him some run support. Luke Nixon led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk. Bromley Thornton was hit by a pitch, and Conner Marren beat out an infield single to load the bases.

A fielder’s choice from Jack Cuba allowed Nixon to cross the plate. Smith then helped himself with a two-out, two-run single to left field.

Marren drove in a pair of runs with a two-out base hit an inning later to increase the lead to 5-0.

Marren and Oakley Rempel both collected two hits and finished with two RBI. Nixon, Thornton and Toby Southerland all crossed the plate twice.

The Wildcats will be back at home Friday night against No. 4 Wake Forest. The game time will be announced Wednesday. 

No. 14 Garner 2, No. 11 Topsail 1

Third round NCHSAA 4A playoffs

***Click here to view a gallery of 25 photos from the action***

Both teams got impressive outings from their starting pitchers, but a two-out RBI double from Garner’s Henry Gardner in the fourth inning proved to be the difference.

In his final high school start, Topsail (16-9) lefty Cooper Cavanaugh struck out 14 batters and didn’t issue a walk in 6 1/3 innings. Only one of the runs he allowed was earned.

Cavanaugh finished the season with a 1.41 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings.

The Pirates tied the score at 1-all in the third inning. Luke Keenan singled to center field and then stole second base. He advanced 90 feet on a balk and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

Garner (17-6) righty and N.C. State commit Jaxon Lucas threw a complete game with 12 strikeouts. Two of the five hits he allowed were to Grady Swinson.

No. 1 Greenville Rose 14, No. 8 South Brunswick 8

Third round NCHSAA 3A playoffs

The Cougars build an 8-6 lead before surrendering eight unanswered runs in the season-ending road defeat.

Freshman shortstop Grady Sotriffer went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and one run scored. Will Lamiman drove in three runs and Patrick Boldt finished with two RBI.

South Brunswick (15-9) scored four runs in the third and fifth innings. Boldt ripped a two-run double to tie the score at 6-all. Dow Pender followed with an RBI ground out that allowed Sotriffer to score the go-ahead run. 

Boldt later crossed the plate on an error. The lead was short lived, as Greenville Rose (23-3) responded with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The big hit was a three-run home run junior UNC commit Andrew Wallen.

In his final high school game, South Brunswick standout Walker Jenkins went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and one run scored.

No. 4 Wake Forest 11, No. 12 Hoggard 1 (6 innings)

Third round NCHSAA 4A playoffs

The Vikings managed only four hits against right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lovelace.

The Radford signee threw a complete game with nine strikeouts.

Wake Forest (22-4) scored one run in the bottom of the first inning and then tacked on four runs in the third and fifth innings to put the game out of reach.

Luke Vargo doubled in the sixth inning and scored Hoggard’s (17-9) only run on an error. Logan Ponnett, Cam Mathews and Damian Bounds had the other hits.

BOYS GOLF

NCHSAA 4A State Championship

at Pinehurst No. 8 (Par 72)

In his final high school round, Hoggard senior John Logan shot a 2-under-par 70 to finish in a tie for sixth place.

Logan moved up 25 places by shooting the lowest score in the field on the final day of the event. His round included four birdies, including one on No. 18.

The North Alabama signee was six stroke behind freshman Daniel McBrien of Holly Springs, who finished the tournament at 4-under and won the title in a playoff.

Hoggard finished in a three-way tie for eighth place in the team standings after shooting 317. Joining them were Apex Friendship and Green Level.

Dylan Lewis carded a 76, while Maddux Cook finished with a 79. The duo, which finished tied for 32nd, each had one birdie on their card.

The Vikings’ other counting score was a 92 from Jackson Hoyle.

Carson Etters of New Hanover shot 80 for the second consecutive day, while Laney’s Dylan Workman shot 87.

Pinecrest won the team title by two strokes over Green Hope.

NCHSAA 3A State Championship

at Foxfire Golf Club (Par 72)

North Brunswick sophomore Ethan Trexler improved by three strokes on the second day of the play by shooting 80 to finish 47th in the field of 84 players.

Trexler’s lone birdie came on the par-3 13th hole. 

Teammate Nathan Winchester finished 48th after carding an 85 that did feature three birdies.

Terry Sanford junior Ethan Paschal claimed the individual title on the fourth playoff hole. He was part of a three-way tie at 4-under with David Gee of Fred T. Foard and Tyler Jones of Jacksonville. 

Terry Sanford also cruised to the team title by 31 strokes over Stuart Cramer.

BOYS TENNIS

No. 1 Cape Fear Academy 5, No. 4 Arendell Parrott Academy 1

Semifinals NCISAA Division II playoffs

The top-seeded Hurricanes had no trouble advancing to the championship match for the fourth straight postseason. 

Hayes Gilbert and Ben Kane cruised to an 8-0 victory at No. 2 doubles. The teams of Cole Stockman/Grant Kleppinger (8-3 at No. 1) and Nikita Ivanov/Max Sherman (8-2 at No. 3) also won to give the home team a quick 3-0 lead.

CFA (15-1) got a 6-1, 6-0 victory from Kane at No. 5 singles and a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 2 from Stockman to clinch the match.

Ivanov (No. 4) and Max Weckel (No. 6) each won their first set and were up in the second set when play was stopped. Gilbert had a 5-4 lead at No. 1.

The Hurricanes will face off against No. 3 Greensboro Day School on Saturday at Cary Academy. The match time will be announced Wednesday. 

CFA has gone 1-2 in the championship match dating back to 2019. They won the title in 2021.

BOYS LACROSSE

No. 1 Cape Fear Academy 16, No. 4 Forsyth Country Day 5

Semifinals NCISAA Division II playoffs

A quest for a second straight state title remained alive with a lopsided home victory. 

CFA (12-2) is back into the title game for the seventh straight postseason. They lifted the trophy in 2022 and 2017.

Goalie Kaleb Belle turned in an excellent performance by making seven saves and not conceding a goal. 

The offense was paced by Luis Gonzalez, who led all players with six points on five goals and one assist. Kyle McCarthy finished with three goals and one assist.

Jacob Borstad won 12 faceoffs and added one goal and one assist.

The Hurricanes also got one goal a piece from Miles Gibson, Noah Law, Graham Leonard, Blake O’Keefe, Connor O’Keefe, Baden Salinas and Nick Spinola.

CFA will host second-seeded Greensboro Day School in the championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday.

GIRLS LACROSSE

No. 2 Cardinal Gibbons 19, No. 9 Topsail 4

NCHSAA 4A East final

The best season in school history came to a close against the defending state champions.

Cardinal Gibbons has won five of the past six title. 

Topsail (19-3) trailed 11-1 at halftime. They were more competitive in the second half, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

No individual stats were provided.

 

 

 

 

 

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