The softball season opener for 2024 Class 2A state champion Southwestern Randolph didn’t go well in a 15-4 loss at North Stanly in a rematch of last year’s West Regional finals.
The Cougars didn’t begin the season until late last week because the school’s girls’ basketball team had been in the state playoffs.
** Uwharrie Charter Academy upended host North Stanly 2-1 in eight innings as Kenzie Duty pitched a complete game.
Randleman topped Western Alamance for the second time this season, winning 9-4 on the road as winning pitcher Kinzie Ivey homered, tripled and drove in five runs.
The Tigers drilled visiting Southern Alamance 11-2 when winning pitcher Ivey supplied three hits.
** Asheboro has been scoring at a high clip, scoring at least 20 runs in four of its five games. That includes a doubleheader sweep of visiting Thomasville by 22-6 and 20-1.
** Gracie Smith knocked in five runs and Aubrie Kauffman scored three runs when Uwharrie Charter Academy defeated host Chatham Charter 15-8.
** Providence Grove won twice at home, nipping Chatham Charter 4-3 and Eden Morehead 7-2.
Baseball
Rusty Wheless scored two runs and Jake Hunter and Brett Smith combined on a seven-hitter as Uwharrie Charter Academy defeated host Asheboro 6-4 in a rescheduled game.
In an 11-0 trouncing of visiting Chatham Central, Hunter tripled and drove in two runs and Logun Wilkins pitched a five-inning complete game with eight strikeouts.
** Randleman upended up visiting Asheboro 13-3 as John Kirkpatrick drove in three runs and scored three times. Jake Riddle recorded nine strikeouts in the five-inning complete game.
** Sean Jennison drove in four runs in Wheatmore’s 12-6 home loss to Central Davidson.
Wheatmore’s Sean Jennison and Clay Hill were credited with a five-inning combined no-hitter when the Warriors handled host Thomasville 10-0.
** Providence Grove collected a couple of late-week victories, with Jacob Flinchum homering Cannan Sheppard and Chase Collings combining on the mound to top visiting Cedar Ridge 8-3.
Then in a 7-2 home decision against Surry Central. Andrew Thomas didn’t allow an earned run in six innings on the mound with eight strikeouts.
Girls’ soccer
Jaira Arellano provided two goals and an assist when Asheboro defeated visiting Randleman 5-1.
Asheboro’s 3-0 shutout of host Southwestern Randolph came with four saves from goalkeeper Emma Little and goals from Grace Bigelow, Anson Frazier and Karen Cox.
** Taryn Waugh’s five goals led Providence Grove past host Southeast Guilford 6-0.
It was Rylee Stover with five goals and Kaylan Currin with four goals in the Patriots’ 10-1 domination of visiting Jordan-Matthews.
** Natalie Bowman’s four goals and Jocelyn McDowell’s three goals were among highlights in Wheatmore’s 10-1 romp at Thomasville. Bowman racked up four goals in a 6-1 home triumph against East Davidson.
Boys’ golf
Wheatmore’s Ryan Marshall and UCA’s Coen Branson shared honors with 40s in a Piedmont Athletic Conference match at Colonial Country Club. UCA was the team winner at 179, with Wheatmore’s 182 the runner-up scoring among seven teams.
