Local Digest

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 10, 2006 2:12 PM

• Print
• Email

Wayne Country Day erupted for six third-inning runs and cruised past Village Christian 12-2 in the regular-season finale for both teams Tuesday afternoon.

Ryan Ford (two RBI), Travis Davis (two RBI) and Kyle Pender each provided two hits for the Chargers. Sam Steed batted 1-for-3 and Joseph Cha added a hit in two at-bats.

Kevin Herring seized the pitching win in relief of Davis, who yielded one earned run and struck out two in two innings of work. Herring allowed one hit in a three-inning stint.

Pender finished up with three strikeouts in two innings on the mound.

"I gave Herring and Pender some work yesterday because I'm probably going to need them in the playoffs," said WCDS head coach Michael Taylor. "They haven't pitched much this year."

Trailing 1-0 after 21/2 innings, the Chargers busted loose in the third.

Pender slapped a lead-off single to right field and moved to second on Cha's sacrifice bunt. Cameron Ford and Sam Steed each walked to load the bases, and Ryan Ford drilled a two-RBI single.

Steed scored on Davis' sacrifice fly and Village committed an infield error to allow two more runs to cross the plate.

"They got a little wild," said Taylor. "We did play small ball to get some runs in, too."

Wayne Country Day, ranked among the state's top five 1-A teams, carries an 11-9 record into the postseason. The Chargers are expected to receive an at-large bid to the 12-team tournament, which will be released later today by the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association selection committee.

Village Christian 010 010 0 -- 2 4 3

W. Country Day 006 150 x -- 12 8 1

Leading hitters -- W. Country Day -- Ryan Ford 2-3, 2 RBI; Travis Davis 2-3, 2 RBI; Kyle Pender 2-3; Sam Steed 1-3, RBI; Joseph Cha 1-2.

IP H R ER BB SO

Wayne Country Day

Davis 2 3 1 1 2 2

Kevin Herring (W) 3 1 1 1 2 1

Pender 2 0 0 0 3 3

Rebels escape

in extra innings

CALYPSO -- North Duplin benefited from two eighth-inning wild pitches and escaped Spring Creek 10-9 in Carolina 1-A Conference play Tuesday evening.

Trailing 9-7, Doug Lloyd started the game-winning rally with a lead-off single. Wade Sasser cranked out a base hit and Lloyd advanced to third base when the Gators misfired on a pickoff attempt to get Lloyd at second base.

Robert McCullen doubled to score Ryan Killette, who replaced Sasser at second base. The Rebels picked up their second Carolina Conference win two wild pitches later.

Lloyd led North Duplin with four hits, including a double, in five plate appearances and picked up the mound win. Sasser (two RBI) batted 2-for-4. McCullen doubled twice and plated two runs in a 3-for-4 outing.

The Rebels' Trey Beavers tied the game at 7-7 with a two-out, two-run home run in the seventh.

North Duplin (7-11, 2-7 Carolina) is scheduled to complete a suspended game today at Rosewood.

Timothy Rogers, Ray Grady and Steven Best each had two hits for Spring Creek, which fell to 2-21 overall and 1-8 in the Carolina Conference. Best also rapped a solo home run.

The Gators entertain North Johnston today.

Spring Creek 500 101 02 -- 9 8 4

North Duplin 100 013 23 -- 10 11 3

Leading hitters -- Spring Creek -- Timothy Rogers 2-4, 2 RBI; Ray Grady 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Steven Best 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI. North Duplin -- Doug Lloyd 4-5, 2B; Wade Sasser 2-4, 2 RBI; Robert McCullen 3-4, 2 2Bs, 2 RBI; Trey Beavers 1-3, HR, 2 RBI (seventh inning, two outs).

IP H R ER BB SO

Spring Creek

Brogden 5 5 2 2 4 5

Casey 2 4 5 4 3 0

Grady 1/3 2 3 2 0 0

North Duplin

Bennett 0 1 1 1 0 0

Lloyd (W) 8 7 8 7 5 2

Princeton clips

archrival at home

PRINCETON -- Princeton tallied three runs in the sixth inning and dealt Rosewood a 5-2 loss on the Carolina 1-A Conference scene Tuesday afternoon.

Dustin Pate homered and singled in three at-bats for the Bulldogs. Teammate Kyle Harmon tripled in three plate appearances.

David Smelter, Brantley Ellis and Taylor Allen (RBI) each doubled for the Eagles.

Allen suffered the mound loss.

Rosewood 010 010 0 -- 2 5 1

Princeton 001 103 x -- 5 6 0

Leading hitters -- Rosewood -- David Smeltzer 1-3, 2B; Brantley Ellis 1-3, 2B; Taylor Allen 1-2, 2B, RBI. Princeton -- Dustin Pate 2-3, HR; Kyle Harmon 1-3, 3B.

IP H R ER BB SO

Rosewood

Allen (L) 51/3 6 5 3 1 2

Bunn 2/3 0 0 0 0 2

Tennis

Spring Creek

ousts SE Halifax

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek opened defense of its eastern dual-team championship with a 5-1 victory over Southeast Halifax in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A playoffs Tuesday afternoon.

"I thought we played pretty well," said Gators coach Robert Jones. "I told them at the beginning of the match not take them for granted. Southeast traveled two and a half hours, and had nothing to lose.

"I thought they (Southeast) played hard."

Daniel Correll pulled out a second-set tiebreaker at No. 3 singles which sealed Spring Creek's fourth playoff victory in its last five tries. Correll turned back Kevon Dickens 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Cliff Wilson, Justin Smith, Jonathan Sutton and Frederick Ellis each posted a straight-set shutout. Ellis did not lose a game at the No. 6 slot.

The doubles were not contested.

Spring Creek (8-6) travels to either Gates County or Williamston next Tuesday afternoon.

Southeast Halifax's Desmond Lowe prevailed in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 2 singles.

Spring Creek 5

Southeast Halifax 1

Singles -- No. 1 Cliff Wilson (SC) d. Edward Alston 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 Desmond Lowe (SEH) d. John Potts 6-4, 1-6, 7-3; No. 3 Daniel Correll (SC) d. Kevon Dickens 6-2, 7-6 (3); No. 4 Justin Smith (SC) d. Latif Darden 6-1, 6-0; No. 5 Jonathan Sutton (SC) d. Willie Hawkins 6-0, 6-3; No. 6 Frederick Ellis (SC) d. Tremaine Williams 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- Not contested.

Records -- Spring Creek 8-6, Southeast Halifax 0-5.

Rosewood falls

in opening round

HAMPSTEAD -- Drew Kriger emerged the lone singles winner in Rosewood's 7-1 loss against Topsail in opening-round play of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A dual-team playoffs Tuesday afternoon.

Kriger defeated the Pirates' Coby Moeller 6-3, 6-0.

Topsail won five of six singles matches and two doubles matches.

Rosewood finished the year 10-7.

Topsail 7

Rosewood 1

Singles -- No. 1 Chris San Miguel (T) d. Ty Johnson 6-2, 7-5; No. 2 Carter Luhring (T) d. Daniel Ellis 6-1, 6-1; No. 3 Josh Grant (T) d. J.P. Cummins 6-2, 6-2; No. 4 Drew Kriger (RHS) d. Coby Moeller 6-3, 6-0; No. 5 Smith Reynolds (T) d. Trevor Morris 7-6 (0), 6-2; No. 6 Charles Ather (T) d. Josh Fail 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles -- No. 1 San Miguel-Grant (T) d. Johnson-Ellis 10-5; No. 2 Luhring-Taylor Dalrymple d. Cummins-Kriger 10-2.

Note -- No. 3 doubles not contested.

Records -- Rosewood 10-7, Topsail 3-0.

Softball

North Duplin

routs Gators

CALYPSO -- North Duplin right-hander Jessica Pridgen recorded 11 strikeouts and surrendered just four hits in a 10-2 victory over Carolina 1-A Conference rival Spring Creek.

Pridgen retired the Gators in order in four of the final six innings. She just missed tying her season high of 13 strikeouts set against Clinton in the Rebels' season opener.

Heather Hudson and Elizabeth Lane (two RBI) led North Duplin with two hits each. Jodie Williamson tripled and plate a run. Kristen Jones doubled in three at-bats.

Pridgen (RBI), Jenny Coley (RBI) and Julie Ivey each contributed offensively against Gator right-hander Lorenda Brogden. Brogden allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits and struck out four in six innings of work.

North Duplin (15-4, 7-2 Carolina) is scheduled to complete a suspended game this afternoon at Rosewood. The Rebels lead 6-0.

Panthers nip

Ayden-Grifton

KENLY -- Brandy Edwards delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning and North Johnston clinched a share of the Carolina 1-A Conference title with a 7-6 victory over Ayden-Grifton.

The Chargers claimed a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh.

Freshman second baseman Casey Creech ignited the Panthers' rally with a one-out single and moved to third on Robyn Creech's double to center field. Whitney Parrish (2-for-4) tied the game at 6-6 with a two-RBI double to center field.

Samantha Holland replaced Parrish at second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Edwards, who batted 2-for-4, drove home Holland to seal the Panthers' comeback.

Kayla Whitley smacked a three-run home run -- her only hit of the game -- to give North Johnston a 4-0 lead after four innings.

Amber Weaver emerged the winning pitcher in relief of right-handed starter Jessica Narron.

The Panthers (16-6, 8-1 Carolina) conclude regular-season play today at Spring Creek.

Soccer

North Lenoir

advances in 1-A/2-A

LaGRANGE -- North Lenoir tallied three second-half goals and eliminated Cedar Ridge 4-0 from the N.C. High School Athletic Association Classes 1-A/2-A playoffs Tuesday evening.

The Hawks (22-0-1) face either Raleigh Charter or West Stokes in a second-round game Friday or Saturday in Wheat Swamp.

Helena Davis collected North Lenoir's lone first-half goal.

Haley Bright, Katie Maloney and Jordan Hudson each scored in the second half. Bright and Maloney boosted their season totals to 31 goals apiece.

Febe Barraza earned the shutout in goal.

Chargers dump

Patriots in CPIC

Junior Georgia Crow provided two goals and one assist in Wayne Country Day's 4-1 victory over Coastal Plains Independent 1-A/2-A Conference rival Faith Christian-Rocky Mount on Monday afternoon.

The state-ranked Chargers benefited from a second-half own goal and Stephanie Knutson concluded the scoring with a goal in the 60th minute.

Virginia Best dished out two assists while Whitney Nagel recorded one assist.

Keepers Ellen Elmore and Caroline Lewis combined for 11 saves in goal.

"(The) game was very one-sided," said first-year Chargers coach Paul Estrada. "I'm estimating we had the ball 60 percent of the game. Not only that, but we won a majority of the 50-50 balls.

"Kayla Flanagan, Lewis, Danielle Holland and Molly Peacock put on a clinic on how to contain (defensively)."

Wayne Country Day (12-6, 7-3 CPIC) is expected to receive an at-large bid to the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A playoffs. The tournament committee is expected to release the pairings for the 12-team field this afternoon.

Babe Ruth Majors

Grantham 22, Spring Creek Blue 0 -- Keenan Wynn hit for the cycle -- single, double, triple and home run. Jeremy Taylor, Taylor Brock and Jacob Sasser (triple) each contributed two hits. Carl Johnston and Wesley Grady each doubled, while David Joyner singled. Sasser fired a no-hitter and struck out 11 for Grantham, which improved to 9-2 overall.