Prep roundup: Shutouts dot early softball results

Randleman’s Addyson Dees celebrates the final out of last week’s PAC softball victory at Eastern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Many area teams have completed two weeks of competition in spring sports.

While a few days of scheduled competition were dashed because of inclement weather, here are some recent highlights:

Softball

Southwestern Randolph began its season with a pair of victories in Piedmont Athletic Conference play under new coach Toby Strider.

The Cougars rolled 20-0 at Trinity, with Macie Crutchfield and Alyssa Harris combining on a perfect game, and then defeated visiting Providence Grove 11-1.

Crutchfield struck out 10 Providence Grove batters.

** Randleman was off to a 4-0 start after PAC triumphs by 3-0 at Eastern Randolph and 5-4 vs. visiting Wheatmore.

Against Wheatmore, Kaylie St. John drove in four runs with three hits.

** Uwharrie Charter Academy won its first three games by shutouts, including last week by 5-0 against visiting South Stokes and 16-0 at Trinity.

Baseball

Randleman swept a PAC doubleheader at Eastern Randolph in a series reconfigured because of the basketball state playoffs, winning 12-2 and 2-0 last Thursday.

Seth Way struck out 14 in a three-hitter in the nightcap. Jake Riddle scored three runs in the first game.

Earlier in the week, Randleman smacked host Asheboro 15-4 with Riddle driving in four runs.

** Southwestern Randolph won 8-1 and 7-6 against Providence Grove in PAC games.

In the first matchup, Jake Lunsford pitched six innings and also had a triple. Later in the week, Lunsford drove in two runs.

** Wheatmore recorded 9-6 and 9-7 PAC victories against Trinity.

Payton Mooney knocked in three runs in one game and Sean Jennison drove in two runs in the other game.

** Uwharrie Charter Academy won a showdown between 2023 state champions by defeating visiting The Burlington School 2-1 by scoring one run in each of the final two innings.

Alex Carver pitched the final two innings for the victory.

UCA won last year’s Class 1-A title in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, while TBS is the reigning Class 2-A champion in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. The teams were supposed to meet March 1 in Burlington, but that game was rained out.

In its season opener, UCA won 6-4 against visiting Central Davidson behind pitching from Jake Hunter and Logun Wilkins. The Eagles dropped their final game of last week by 3-1 at North Stanly.

Girls’ soccer

Wheatmore, a state finalist in Class 2-A the past two years, opened the season by trouncing visiting East Davidson 9-0.  Ellie Garrison posted six goals and Maggie Messner had two goals.

In the next game, the Warriors lost 8-1 to visiting Northwest Guilford. Garrison had the lone Wheatmore goal.

** Asheboro defeated host Southwestern Randolph 3-0 as Jaira Arellano notched two goals and Abeni Hernandez had the other goal.

Asheboro won its first three games of the season before losing 5-0 to visiting Sun Valley.

** Providence Grove topped visiting Southern Guilford 9-0 with Taryn Waugh posting three goals.