PrepsNow best of the week: baseball, softball and girls’ soccer title venues set
The destinations for the N.C. High School Athletic Association baseball, softball and girls’ soccer championships have been finalized.
The girls’ soccer titles will be at N.C. State on Saturday at times to be determined.
The softball championships return to N.C. State and UNC Greensboro, the same as last year.
The baseball championships – often the most difficult to pin down because of minor league seasons and college postseasons – will be split between a familiar host, the Carolina Mudcats, and a new one, the Burlington Athletic Stadium. That stadium is home to the Burlington Royals, a Rookie League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.
Heritage records: The Heritage softball team hit 63 doubles this season, good for 10th-most in NCHSAA history. The eight doubles against Sanderson on April 8 is tied for second most in a single game.
On March 18, Heritage hit three consecutive home runs – by Jordan Gontram, Laura Williams and Grace Valchar – which also tied a record. Gontram’s .469 career batting average, 37 doubles and 136 runs batted in places her in the top 10 all-time in all three categories.
On April 15, Imani Rochelle tied the state record for triples in a game with three against Leesville Road. She has a 20-game hit streak entering next year.
Performers of the week
Baseball: Corinth Holders’ Tyler Brown pitched a complete game in a third-round 3-1 win at Northern Guilford, and in the fourth round, Tate Proctor blasted a two-run home run to break open a five-run eighth inning to upset West Brunswick 9-5. Kahlil Hodge went 3-for-3 with a home run.
South Granville’s Holden Laws struck out four in two innings of relief to pick up the fourth-round 8-5 win against Fairmont.
Green Hope’s Chris Joyner had a complete game to defeat J.H. Rose 2-1 in the fourth round Friday.
Softball: Jordan-Matthews’ Holly Clark went 3-for-3 with two home runs and pitched the Jets to a 12-3 third-round win against North Johnston.
Fuquay-Varina’s Cassidy Keith held Wakefield to five hits in a 7-1 third-round win. Teammate Cathan Soto had three RBIs on the week.
Megan Mills had an RBI and nearly pitched West Johnston to a victory over D.H. Conley in the third round. Wake Forest’s Chelsey Cunningham pitched a five-hitter in a 6-0 third-round win against Hoggard.
Lee County’s Whitney Sanford pitched a two-hitter in a 4-0 third-round win against Cleveland. South Granville’s Megan White homered in an 11-3 third-round win against Bunn.
Girls’ soccer: Middle Creek’s Kylie McElroy had the overtime game-winner in a 1-0 third-round win against Cardinal Gibbons. Goalkeeper Carolina Lauer kept Panther Creek off the board during PKs of a 3-2 (3-0) win in the fourth round.
Athens Drive’s Karly Evancho had the only goal in a 1-0 fourth-round win against Leesville Road. Panther Creek’s Emily Moxley had the only goal in a 1-0 third-round win against Sanderson.
Boys’ lacrosse: Cardinal Gibbons faceoff specialist Trevor Kirsch was MVP of the NCHSAA 4A championship, and Mark Schachte had four goals. Carrboro’s Logan Marro had two goals in a 16-3 loss.
Ravenscroft goalie Will Bird made 14 saves in the NCISAA D-I championship, a 9-7 win over Christ School. Teammate Spencer Beller had three goals.
Girls lacrosse: Cardinal Gibbons’ Erica Skowron was the MVP of the NCHSAA title game with eight goals and two assists.
Track and field champs: The list of area track and field champions is lengthy. Three-time individual champions include Leesville Road’s Nevada Mareno (4A girls 800, 1,600 and 3,200) and Hillside’s Marcus Krah (4A boys long jump, triple jump, 110 hurdles).
Winning two titles were: Cleveland’s Sydni Fields (3A girls 100 and 300 hurdles); Carrboro’s Magnus Herweyer (2A boys shot put, discus); Middle Creek’s Terrell Adams (4A boys shot put, discus); Trinity Academy Ralegih’s Christian Pigues (NCISAA 1A/2A boys 800 and 1,600).
In ambulatory and wheelchair races, Apex’s Cara King, North Johnston’s Dylan Pinder, Hillside’s Desmond Jackson and Broughton’s Omar Sanchez combined for 14 gold medals.
Other individual champs included: Leesville Road’s Shelbi Chapman (4A girls 300 hurdles); Green Hope’s Jayquan Williams (4A boys 800); Cardinal Gibbons’ Connor Lane (4A boys 3,200); Millbrook’s Elijah Cole (4A boys pole vault); Person’s Dontavian Smith (4A boys 200); Rocky Mount’s Sherrod Greene (3A boys shot put) Southern Nash’s Nadir Thompson (3A boys 200); Southern Nash’s Jaquay Mitchell (3A boys triple jump); Northwood’s Tessa Sheets (3A girls pole vault); Northern Vance’s Mya Daye (3A girls 100); Cary Academy’s Olivia Frazier (NCISAA 3A girls 1,600); Ravenscroft’s Carson Carnahan (NCISAA 3A girls shot put); Ravenscroft’s Charlette Wade (NCISAA 3A girls long jump); Cary Academy’s Sarah Bodmer (NCISAA 3A girls 3,200); O’Neal School’s Toyin Koleoso (NCISAA 1A/2A girls 300 hurdles); St. David’s Madison Welsh (NCISAA 1A/2A high jump).
Send nominations each Saturday to mblake@newsobserver.com.
Best of this week
Baseball: Tuesday-Saturday – NCHSAA best-of-three East regional final series.
4A - 3-Hoggard vs. 4-Green Hope
G1: at Hoggard, Tue. 6 p.m.
G2: at Green Hope, Thur. 6 p.m.
G3: at Hoggard, Fri. 6 p.m.
3A - 17-Topsail vs. 19-Corinth Holders
G1: at Topsail, Tue.7 p.m.
G2: at Corinth Holders, Fri. 7 p.m.
G3: at Topsail, Sat. 3 p.m.
2A - 4-Edenton Holmes vs. 15-South Granville
G1: at Holmes, Tue. 6 p.m.
G2: at South Granville, Wed. 6 p.m.
G3: at Holmes, Fri. 7 p.m.
1A - 1-Whiteville vs. 7-East Carteret
G1: at Whiteville, Tue. 6 p.m.
G2: at East Carteret, Thurs. 6 p.m.
G3: at Whiteville, Sat. 6 p.m.
Softball: Tuesday-Saturday – NCHSAA best-of-three East regional final series.
4A - 1-Cape Fear vs. 2-D.H. Conley
G1: at Cape Fear, Tue. 7 p.m.
G2: at Conley, Thur. 7 p.m.
G3: at Cape Fear, Fri. 7 p.m.
3A - 1-C.B. Aycock vs. 3-Topsail
G1: at Aycock, Tue. 6 p.m.
G2: at Topsail, Wed. 6 p.m.
G3: at Aycock, Thur. 6 p.m.
2A - 2-South Granville vs. TBA
Schedule not set.
1A - 1-Princeton vs. 7-North Duplin
G1: at Princeton, Tue. 6:30 p.m.
G2: at North Duplin, Thur. 6:30 p.m.
G3: at Princeton, Fri. 6:30 p.m.
Girls’ soccer: Tuesday – NCHSAA East final (4A: Middle Creek at Athens Drive, 6:30 p.m.; 3A: Swansboro at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.; 2A: First Flight at Carrboro, 6 p.m.; 1A Whiteville at Franklin Academy, 6 p.m.). Saturday – NCHSAA championships at N.C. State.
J. Mike Blake: 919-460-2606, @JMBpreps
This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "PrepsNow best of the week: baseball, softball and girls’ soccer title venues set."