Prep Roundup: PAC softball race tightens after upset

Anaeli Puente Garza cuts between Randleman’s Jocelyn Segovia, left, and Lacy Nelson during last week’s game. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Fourth-place Eastern Randolph muddled the Piedmont Athletic Conference softball race by defeating first-place Southwestern Randolph 4-1 last week with Addie Flinchum striking out seven in the road victory.

Uwharrie Charter Academy closed within a half-game of Southwestern Randolph by week’s end. The teams will meet April 25 at Southwestern Randolph to end the regular season.

UCA nipped host Eastern Randolph 5-4 behind Mollie Bulla’s pitching. Jayla Hurley and Aubrie Kauffman both doubled and scored a run. Earlier in the week UCA, upended host Randleman 15-5 with Kenzie Hill driving in six runs.

UCA fell 4-2 in a non-conference game at Southern Alamance.

Southwestern Randolph recovered for a 7-0 non-league triumph at Chatham Charter with Macie Crutchfield’s nine-strikeout shutout and Alyssa Harris’ four hits, including two doubles.

** Randleman had an 8-2 non-conference home victory against Western Alamance with Kenzie Ivey striking out 12.

** Ruby Caudle threw a pair of PAC no-hitters for Providence. There was a five-inning version when the Patriots beat visiting Wheatmore 10-0. Caudle also homered. Then there was a 15-0 whipping of Trinity, aided by Cailyn York’s triple and double.

** Asheboro’s 23-5 non-league romp at Western Guilford came with winning pitcher Addison Allen’s home run, giving the Blue Comets their second victory of the season.

Girls’ soccer

PAC leader Wheatmore notched a couple of 2-1 victories.

The Warriors edged visiting Providence Grove 2-1 with Natalie Bowman scoring both goals and then topped visiting Trinity with Ellie Garrison scoring twice.

** Jazmin Palma scored four goals as Uwharrie Charter Academy whipped host Southwestern Randolph 9-0.

** Two goals apiece from Patience Keller, Taryn Waugh and Anaeli Puente Garza propelled Providence Grove’s 7-0 road victory against Southwestern Randolph. The Patriots notched another shutout with a 5-0 road stumping of Randleman as Waugh notched two more goals.

** Asheboro scored the final three goals in a 3-1 home victory against Ledford in Mid-Piedmont Conference play with goals from Itzel Macias, Penny Smith and GiGi Flores. The Blue Comets later lost 6-0 at North Davidson.

Baseball

Carter Brown drove in four runs as Uwharrie Charter Academy beat visiting Wheatmore on Friday. Trey Kennedy homered and Brett Smith was the winning pitcher.

Earlier in the week, UCA stymied Wheatmore in a 5-0 road victory.

Wheatmore racked up a 5-2 non-league road victory against Thomasville with Carson Work throwing 5 1/3 innings and Parker Kines supplying three hits.

** Providence Grove edged visiting Eastern Randolph 2-1 behind pitching from Jayten Beasley, Trevor Kirkman and Jacob Flinchum to split the PAC series. Eastern Randolph’s Alex Kivett posted three hits.

Eastern Randolph won the week’s first matchup with winning pitcher Samuel Asbill driving in two runs in a 4-3 home decision.

Eastern Randolph notched a 7-4 non-league triumph against visiting Greensboro Page with Will Stalker contributing three runs batted in and Cade McCallum and Asbill both scoring two runs. Chance Holdaway worked into the seventh inning for the pitching victory

** Southwestern Randolph claimed a 10-4 non-conference victory at Jordan-Matthews with Jake Lunsford’s triple helping him to five runs batted in. The Cougars followed that by topping visiting South Stanly 14-9 with Brady Armfield going 4-for-4 with two doubles and Zack Scruggs scoring three runs. Jonah Campbell and Austin Harvell homered.

Asheboro delivered an 11-1 whipping on Southwestern Randolph with Amara Godwin’s pitching and Ben Luck and Cohen Caviness both driving in two runs.