Eastern Randolph’s softball team has had lots to cheer about this season despite last week’s loss to Southwestern Randolph. (File photo)
RANDLEMAN – Randleman avenged a loss from three nights earlier to defeat visiting Trinity 6-1 on Friday night and secure another Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball championship.
The Tigers (17-4 overall, 10-2 PAC) won their regular-season home finale. They’ll be the top seed for the conference tournament as a prelude to their bid for a third consecutive Class 2-A state championship.
Second-place Trinity won 3-2 earlier last week behind Cade Hill’s complete-game pitching and Landon Mowery’s home run. The Bulldogs went up 3-0 on Randleman starter Seth Way and held on.
Randleman has completed its regular-season conference schedule, while the other six teams all had two games to play entering this week. Trinity, Uwharrie Charter Academy and Providence Grove can all finish in second place.
** Providence topped Eastern Randolph 7-3 at home with Tyler Foust going 3-for-3 and scoring two runs and Lemuel Coltrane driving in two runs. Three nights later on the road, the Patriots upended Eastern Randolph 4-3. Andrew Thomas and Andrew Canter picked up the pitching victories as the Patriots reached the 12-win mark – two more than all of last season.
In between those outcomes, Providence Grove dropped an 8-3 home decision to Burlington Williams in non-league play.
** UCA beat Wheatmore twice last week, winning 1-0 at home behind Jake Hunter’s three-hit pitching.
In the rematch, Carter Brown homered in a 7-2 road victory that included Brett Smith’s complete-game pitching.
In between, UCA’s Ben Medinger hit a two-run, first-inning home run in a 5-2 non-league home triumph against Ledford.
** In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Asheboro lost 1-0 at Ledford and then pulled out a 5-4 home victory against the same opponent. Tanner Marsh and Davis Gore homered in the Asheboro victory, which marked just the team’s second triumph in its last eight outings.
Softball
Southwestern Randolph suffered its first loss of the season with Friday night’s 3-0 home setback to Hickory Ridge.
It was a non-league showdown between teams that both held 16-1 records when the game was finished.
Hickory Ridge scored one run in the third inning and two more in the seventh.
Southwestern Randolph won the previous two days in PAC play to clinch the regular-season crown. The Cougars topped host Eastern Randolph 4-0 and visiting Wheatmore 9-0. Macie Crutchfield struck out 13 Eastern Randolph batters and Alyssa Harris fanned 12 Wheatmore batters.
** Skyler Pugh and Addie Flinchum homered as Eastern Randolph nipped host Uwharrie Charter Academy 9-8.
Also last week, the Wildcats defeated Wheatmore 7-0 with Flinchum hitting a home run and Logan Beaver scoring two runs. Pugh and Flinchum combined to strike out 19 batters.
** UCA had a better result with a 13-8 home victory against Randleman with Kynley Brewer rapping three hits and scoring two runs. Also, UCA drubbed visiting Trinity 24-0 with Brewer homering and driving in three runs. Emory Johnson also homered and Kaitlyn West was credited with a three-inning no-hitter.
** Providence Grove senior pitcher Emma Mazzarone eclipsed the 800-strikeout mark for her career while throwing a no-hitter in a 16-1 road romp against Trinity. She posted 12 strikeouts.
Providence Grove suffered a 5-4, eight-inning loss at Southern Guilford in a non-league game despite Gracie Smith’s two runs batted in.
** Asheboro’s 11-10 non-conference victory against visiting Wheatmore came with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Avery Dykes had four hits and scored two runs for Wheatmore.
Girls’ soccer
A matchup between the PAC first-place and second-place teams didn’t turn out to be much of a showdown as undefeated Wheatmore whipped host Providence Grove 10-1 last week. Summer Bowman scored five goals and Ellie Garrison had four goals.
