Local Preps Digest

By From staff reports
Published in Sports on May 17, 2009 2:00 AM

• Print
• Email

HOLLY RIDGE -- Freshman Duane Gurganus stroked a two-RBI, seventh-inning single as Spring Creek upset Dixon 5-4 in opening-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A baseball playoffs.

Dixon, the Coastal Plains champion, seized a 3-0 lead off Gators starter Paul Hayes through three innings. East Carolina signee Rookie Davis belted a two-run, first-inning home run. Chris Huie slapped a third-inning, solo homer.

Spring Creek (12-11 overall) battled back.

Lucas Potter doubled in the fourth inning and scored when the Bulldogs misplayed Hayes' routine ground ball. Eric Evans plated Hayes with a single to trim the deficit to 3-2.

Chris Boseman reached on error to start the Gators' fifth inning. Two outs later, Boseman scooted home for the game-tying run on Gurganus' base hit off Davis, who had relieved Dixon starter Patrick Batchelor.

Boseman and Corey Howell successfully reached base in the seventh before Gurganus provided his second hit of the night. Gurganus also claimed the mound win, working three-plus innings and yielding one run on two hits.

Spring Creek visits Carolina 1-A Conference rival North Johnston on Tuesday. First pitch is 7 p.m.

Rams advance

SNOW HILL -- Greene Central manufactured just two hits, but turned back Southern Guilford 6-2 in the NCHSAA 2-A playoffs on Friday evening.

Derek Grant and Alex Brann each collected a hit for the Rams.

Wes Sowers emerged the winning pitcher.

Greene Central (16-8 overall) entertains Hillsborough Orange on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Hawks roll in 5

LaGRANGE -- Five batters combined for 10 hits as North Lenoir dumped Reidsville 14-3 in their NCHSAA 2-A playoff game Friday evening.

Winning pitcher Mike Wetherington batted 2-for-3 with three RBI and logged a complete-game three-hitter on the mound. He recorded nine strikeouts and permitted three runs against the Rams.

Dejuan Gray (two RBI), Tyler Potter (four RBI), Najee Jackson (RBI) and Spencer Moye contributed two hits apiece.

North Lenoir (15-8 overall) visits Graham on Tuesday.

Softball

Saints defeated

WILSON -- Wilson Hunt capitalized on an eighth-inning error and claimed its first-ever Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference tournament championship with a come-from-behind, 2-1 triumph over Southern Wayne.

"It was a good, hard-fought contest all the way through," said Saints head coach Michael Wiggs.

Fourth-seeded Southern Wayne (12-13 overall) grabbed a 1-0 lead on Madison Davis' third-inning RBI groundout. The Warriors answered and tied the game on a wild pitch.

The teams battled through four scoreless innings until Tiffany Parrish reached on an infield error. Hunt pounded out back-to-back singles to end the game.

Kayla Gracyk paced the Saints' offense with two hits. Morgan Davis, Lauren Darden and Jordan Coor provided one hit apiece. Darden suffered the mound loss, giving up five hits to go along with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

Southern Wayne returns to action Tuesday at Northern Nash for an opening-round, N.C. High School Athletic Association playoff game. First pitch is 7 p.m.