RANDLEMAN – Randleman wrapped up another Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball championship by defeating visiting Providence Grove 8-1 on Friday night.
The Tigers improved to 10-0 in league play. Randleman will be the top seed for the PAC Tournament in a couple of weeks, a spot clinched because the Tigers beat Wheatmore twice.
Only Wheatmore can pull even with the Tigers, but that would require the Warriors winning their four remaining league games and Randleman losing twice to a sub-.500 Trinity team.
Randleman has lost just two conference games in a four-season span.
Jake Riddle struck out six without issuing a walk in the second meeting of the week with Providence Grove. Braxton Walker drove in three runs.
Randleman used Seth Way’s two-hitter with 13 strikeouts to defeat Providence Grove 1-0 earlier in the week. That performance outshined a strong effort from Patriots starter Andrew Thomas, who worked six innings and gave up one run.
In between the PAC victories, Randleman blanked host Southeast Guilford 4-0 in a non-conference game.
** Wheatmore did what it could during the past week, prevailing 8-4 in 14 innings at Southwestern Randolph and winning 20-10 in the rematch at home.
Ayden Byrd pitched eight innings of shutout relief in the extra-inning game.
In Wheatmore’s home game, Payton Mooney knocked in five runs and Byrd scored four runs.
** Uwharrie Charter Academy won twice against Eastern Randolph in PAC games that marked the first meeting between the teams since last year’s Class 1-A West Region finals, which also were won by UCA.
In a 7-1 home victory, the Eagles rode Walker Wilkins’ three hits and two runs scored along with Trey Kennedy’s two runs batted in.
Then Friday night at Ramseur, UCA withstood 12 Eastern Randolph hits to complete the series sweep with a 4-2 decision.
UCA ended the week with Saturday’s 6-4 victory against visiting North Stanly. That result was boosted by Trey Kennedy’s home run.
In between the league matchups with UCA, Eastern Randolph pulled out a 13-12, eight-inning triumph against Faith Christian in a non-league game between two Ramseur schools.
** Asheboro dropped a 1-0 decision at North Davidson despite Connor Adams’ solid pitching. He also had the only two hits at the plate for the Blue Comets.
In the rematch, North Davidson posted a 6-5 road victory in eight innings despite Camden Walker’s four hits and two runs scored and two runs batted in apiece by Ben Luck and Sam Gore.
