Prep roundup: Cardinal Gibbons, Raleigh Charter reach tennis finals
Cardinal Gibbons and Raleigh Charter easily advanced to the N.C. High School Athletic Association boys’ dual-team tennis finals in their classifications with 6-0 victories Wednesday.
Cardinal Gibbons, the 2014 3A champion, topped Cameron Union Pines to earn a berth against Marvin Ridge in Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. championship match at the Burlington Tennis Center. Cardinal Gibbons beat Marvin Ridge 6-0 in last year’s final.
The Crusaders cruised, dropping only eight games in five of the six singles matches. Brody Chapman battled to a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Alfredo Quiros at No. 4 singles.
Coach Andrew Tuttle said Kyle Fitzgerald and Louie Velasco, the Crusaders’ Nos. 5 and 6, played particularly well, but he was pleased with the entire squad.
Raleigh Charter blanked Durham Voyager to set up a 1A title showdown Saturday. Raleigh Charter’s Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 singles players – Joseph Fisher, Harrison Tseng, Cole Esleeck and Dennis Smith – remained undefeated with victories.
“Our guys have played well all year,” said coach Ryan Griffin. “We have improved quite a bit. Our practices are extremely competitive.”
Freshmen Tseng and Fisher won the doubles title last week and No. 1 Abichiran Baskaran, a sophomore, lost in the singles semifinals.
Baseball: Garner came from four runs down in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 victory over Scotland in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A baseball playoffs. The Trojans scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Logan Torruella’s high-hopping infield hit and a resulting throwing error plated the tying and winning runs.
Garner will play Greater Neuse 4A rival West Johnston on Friday. West Johnston nipped Greenville Rose 2-1 Tuesday night when Noah Liles hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the 14th inning. West Johnston’s Thomas Coggburn started and pitched the first seven innings. Dalton Mundy pitched the next seven.
Holly Springs had the potential tying run thrown out at the plate for the final out in a 3-2 loss at Winterville South Central Pitt. Holly Springs trailed 3-0 and had the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh. Chase Hetzel hit a two-run double, but the runner from first was out at home.
Corinth Holders’ Jake Lewis shut out Rockingham County in the final three innings as the Pirates took a 6-3 win. Mason Cooper had a single and a double and Nick Peach has two hits and 2 RBI.
Softball: West Johnston scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to nip Millbrook 4-2 in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A playoffs. Megan Mills struck out 13 and allowed two hits in the victory.
Clare Zureich allowed one hit and struck out 11 as Cardinal Gibbons defeated Eastern Wayne 14-0 in a 3A game stopped after five innings.
Taylor Drayton struck out eight as Cleveland defeated Rockingham County 4-0. Alliyah Sands had a two-run homer in the win.
Knightdale coaches: Alex Von Hoeny, who started the Knightdale High wrestling program, is returning to lead the varsity program. Hoeny was coach from 2004 through 2012. He had five wrestlers who had more than 100 career wins.
The Knights’ new swim coach is Blake Addison, an eight-year veteran of USA Swimming coaching.
Daniels Kearnes, the Knights junior varsity cheerleading coach in 2014, will be the head coach in 2015-16. He is a former N.C. State cheerleader.
NCISAA lacrosse: The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association boys’ and girls’ lacrosse tournament will continue Thursday. The Ravenscroft boys will play at Charlotte County Day at 5 p.m. and the Ravenscroft girls will be at Durham Academy at 5:30.
This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 11:46 PM with the headline "Prep roundup: Cardinal Gibbons, Raleigh Charter reach tennis finals."