Prep softball: Cougars’ bid for state-title repeat to begin at home

Defending Class 2A softball state champion Southwestern Randolph will have at least three home games in the state playoffs if it advances based on the pairings and brackets that were revealed Monday.

The Cougars are seeded No. 4 in the West Region. They open the postseason Tuesday night at home vs. No. 29 Chase.

The winner moves into Friday’s second round against either No. 13 Bunker Hill or No. 20 Maiden. West Wilkes is the No. 1 seed in the West Region.

Also in Class 2A, No. 15 seed Randleman opens at home vs. No. 15 Rutherfordton-Spindale Central. The winner would meet No. 2 West Caldwell or No. 31 Eden Morehead in the second round.

No. 25 Providence Grove heads to eighth-seeded East Rutherford for the first round.

In Class 1A, Uwharrie Charter Academy takes the No. 4 seed for the West Region, with a home matchup against 29th-seeded Bradford Prep. The winner has Friday’s second-round matchup with either No. 13 Starmount or No. 20 Rosman.

Eastern Randolph was slotted as the No. 28 seed, visiting fifth-seeded Bethany Community.

Regular season

UCA halted Southwestern Randolph’s unbeaten Piedmont Athletic Conference mark with a 5-4 victory on Emory Johnson’s game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the conference schedule last week.

The Cougars finished with a one-game margin atop the PAC standings ahead of Randleman.

Earlier in the week, third-place UCA thumped host Wheatmore 13-1.

** Randleman’s Kinzie Ivey pitched a complete game and notched three hits at the plate in a 7-2 road triumph against Providence Grove.

** Fourth-place Providence Grove’s Campbell Ziemba’s three runs batted in and Lara Wiseman’s three runs scored were clutch in an 8-3 victory at Eastern Randolph.

** Sixth-place Eastern Randolph handled host Trinity 18-2 with Hailey Ritter knocking in five runs and Wynne Bartholow driving in four runs.

** Kiayla Burnette homered and Savannah Heiney drove in four runs when fifth-place Wheatmore rolled 18-0 at last-place Trinity.

** Asheboro’s season ended with a 15-0 loss to Ledford in the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The Blue Comets finished 3-16.