Local preps digest

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 6, 2008 4:47 AM

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From staff reports

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Alex Casey emerged an offensive leader and the winning pitcher as Spring Creek throttled Ayden-Grifton 12-2 on the Class 1-A Carolina Conference baseball scene Friday evening.

Offensively, Casey batted 2-for-3 with four RBI and three stolen bases. Defensively, the senior right-hander threw a complete-game, two-hitter and yielded one earned run. He fanned four Charger batters in the mercy-rule shortened contest.

Timmy Rogers added two hits and two stolen bases in two at-bats. Lee Coates contributed two hits. Anthony Brogden and Dontay Boseman recorded one hit apiece.

Spring Creek (5-9 overall, 1-1 CC) entertains Eastern Wayne on Monday. First pitch is 5 p.m.

Chargers get CPIC win

GREENVILLE -- Wayne Country Day began defense of its Coastal Plains Independent 1-A Conference regular-season crown with a 14-1, five-inning victory over Oakwood on Friday afternoon.

Ryan Ford (two RBI) cranked out two triples and finished with three hits. Cameron Ford batted 3-for-3 with an RBI, while David Wilson collected two triples in three at-bats.

Cory Robert contributed two hits and three RBI. Cameron Strickland drove in two runs.

Jack Scott permitted three hits and posted 10 strikeouts in a four-inning stint. Kevin Herring threw a perfect fifth and logged two strikeouts.

The Chargers (2-7 overall, 1-0 CPIC) entertain Faith Christian-Rocky Mount at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Dawgs top Rebels

CALYPSO -- Ryan Daughtry and Mike Radford combined for a four-hitter as defending Carolina 1-A Conference champion Princeton knocked off North Duplin 7-3 on Friday evening.

Daughtry surrendered three hits and an earned run in two-plus innings. Radford worked the final four-plus innings, registering seven strikeouts and giving up two earned runs on one hit.

Chris Hinton walked twice, tripled and scored a run for the Dawgs, the reigning N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A state champions. Benton Meyers homered, tripled and finished with two RBI. Daughtry homered, while Radford batted 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Kameron Harrison doubled in four at-bats.

Billy Mello stole two bases and finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Doug Lloyd added two hits.

North Duplin (2-6 overall, 0-2 CC) visits Ayden-Grifton on Tuesday, while Princeton (6-5, 2-0) travels to North Johnston.

Hawks edge THS

TARBORO -- Stephen Pridgen and Mike Wetherington each smashed a home run as North Lenoir slipped past Tarboro 4-3 on the Municipal Stadium diamond Friday evening.

Pridgen finished 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Hawks, who improved to 9-0 overall and 2-0 against Eastern Plains 2-A Conference opposition this season. Tyler Potter, Cory Johnson and Brandon Whitehurst provided two hits apiece.

Matt Kennedy picked up the mound win, giving up one hit and fanning five Viking batters in six innings. John Alphin threw the seventh for the save.

North Lenoir entertains North Pitt on Tuesday.

Rams top Cougars

SNOW HILL -- Greene Central erupted for 15 runs combined in the second and third innings, and turned back Goldsboro 19-5 on the James R. Fulghum Athletic Complex diamond Friday evening.

Steven McDonald rapped an inside-the-park home run for the Rams, who evened their Eastern Plains 2-A Conference worksheet at 1-1. Trey Beaman added one hit and two RBI.

Scott Murphy claimed the mound win, striking out four and surrendering three runs (one earned) on four hits.

Darren Pittman led the Cougars with two hits. Donald Lewis, Marquise Dance, Alex Aldridge and Keith Jackson supplied one hit apiece.

Dance took the mound loss.

Greene Central (8-5 overall) entertains Tarboro on Tuesday, while Goldsboro (0-6, 0-2 EPC) welcomes Farmville Central the same evening.

Soccer

WCDS escapes in OT

ROCKY MOUNT -- Virginia Best tallied the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute as Wayne Country Day edged Faith Christian-Rocky Mount 2-1 in overtime Friday afternoon.

Eighth-grader Mack Thompson put the Chargers in front 1-0 in the 12th minute. The Patriots answered with a game-tying penalty kick just six minutes into the second half.

The teams played on an even keel until Best struck in OT off Brooke Norris' assist.

"By far, this was our best performance," said WCDS head coach Baron Heinemann. "Although we fell a bit flat in the second half, the defense remained solid. Shelle Anderson put forth a fantastic effort and saved us on numerous occasions."

WCDS keeper Ellen Elmore notched 13 saves.

The Chargers (5-1-1, 3-0 CPIC) entertains Hobgood on Tuesday.

Warriors blitz Saints

Eastern Wayne logged three goals within a three-minute span and cruised past Southern Wayne 5-0 on the Little Big Horn pitch Friday evening.

Mary Catherine Hollowell opened the scoring in the 20th minute off a corner from Kelsey Griffith. Sophomore Brandi Dean broke through one minute later off an assist from Emily Sparks.

Dean collected her second goal in the 23rd minute off Hollowell's assist. She completed her natural hat trick (three consecutive goals) with an unassisted mark in the 35th minute.

Griffith converted a 28-yard direct free kick in the 53rd minute.

The Warriors owned a decisive 21-2 edge in shots and attempted seven corner kicks. Sophomore keeper Danielle Daniel earned her third shutout of the season.

Eastern Wayne (6-3 overall) improved to 5-1 in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play and visits Princeton on Monday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Softball

N. Lenoir routs THS

LaGRANGE -- Timon Jones delivered three hits and three RBI as North Lenoir drilled Tarboro 16-1 on Friday evening.

Kayla Sutton (RBI), Brittany Barrett (two RBI) and Erin Deal (three RBI) contributed two hits apiece. Amber Best doubled and drove in three runs in one at-bat.

Deal emerged the winning pitcher, striking out six and limiting the Vikings to two hits.

North Lenoir (6-4 overall, 2-0 EPC) visits North Pitt on Tuesday.

Gators go down

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Ayden-Grifton pitcher Lindsey Smith recorded nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort as the Chargers dealt Spring Creek a 7-2 loss in Carolina 1-A Conference play Friday.

Kristin Smith led the Gators with one hit and an RBI.

Spring Creek hurler Casey Coor threw five-plus innings and fanned four Charger batters. Elizabeth Edwards threw one-plus innings of relief.

Spring Creek (1-8, 0-1 CC) welcomes county foe Eastern Wayne on Monday. First pitch is 5 p.m.

Princeton triumphs

CALYPSO -- Princeton pushed across two seventh-inning runs and doubled up North Duplin 4-2 in their Carolina 1-A Conference contest Friday evening.

The Rebels' Ashley Cartwright (RBI) just missed hitting for the cycle with a single, double and home run in a 3-for-3 outing. Brittney Coley added one hit in three at-bats.

Jessica Pridgen posted nine strikeouts and yielded four runs (one earned) on five hits. The left-handed hurler was victimized by four errors.

Bulldawg hurlers April Keene and Traci Bridgers combined for seven strikeouts. Keene permitted three hits, while Bridgers gave up one.

North Duplin (4-3 overall, 0-1 CC) visits Ayden-Grifton on Tuesday, while Princeton (4-4, 1-0) faces defending conference champion North Johnston.

JV sports

* Eastern Wayne girls soccer 1, Princeton 1 -- Grace Russo collected the Warriors' lone goal in the final two minutes of regulation. Tiffany Toy recorded nine saves in goal. Eastern Wayne (2-0-4 overall) and Princeton meet again Monday at Princeton.

* Eastern Wayne baseball 15, Southern Wayne 2 (5 inn.) -- Robert Faucette slugged two home runs, including a grand slam, in a three-hit outing for the Warriors. Erasmo Ponce mashed a home run, while Greg Simms pounded out three hits. Hunter Newsome contributed two hits. Zach Beachem claimed the mound with a complete-game, six-strikeout effort. Miles Bradshaw doubled and Derek Whitman had two hits for the Saints. Eastern Wayne (8-4 overall) remained unbeaten in five Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference contests this season.

Middle schools

* Rosewood baseball 15, Brogden 5 -- Ian Speight and Nathan Huyser cranked out two hits apiece for the Eagles. Will Winslow, Taylor McGill, John Winslow, Blake Weaver and Camron Smith each contributed one hit. Speight emerged the winning pitcher, striking out four and giving up two hits. Rosewood (2-4-1 overall) visits Dillard for a doubleheader on April 10.

* Princeton softball d. Selma (no score) -- Hannah Woodard and Megan Gerrell pounded out five hits apiece. Nicole Melvin and Randy Hearn each posted four hits.