Spring Creek head coach Chad Kirby has his team off to a 2-2 start after a five-inning, mercy-rule victory over Hobbton on Tuesday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek head coach Chad Kirby has his team off to a 2-2 start after a five-inning, mercy-rule victory over Hobbton on Tuesday. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
NEWTON GROVE — Spring Creek cranked out four extra-base hits Tuesday evening and claimed an 11-1, mercy-rule triumph over Hobbton.
All nine starters contributed at least one hit for the Gators, who evened their worksheet at 2-2 this season.
Emily Williams and Jazmine Valentine (two RBI) logged two hits apiece. Angela Billareal, Emalia West, Gianna Evans (two RBI), Heather Alexander (RBI), Kyle Conpropst, Sarah Kirby (RBI) and Vanessa Duruttya each had one hit.
Valentine and Conprospt stole two bases apiece.
Hess emerged as the winning pitcher. The right-hander limited the Wildcats to an unearned run on one hit and sat down nine Wildcats on strikeouts.
Weather permitting, the Gators entertain Northern Nash today.
Hawks double up Saints
DUDLEY — North Lenoir seized command in the latter innings and turned handed Southern Wayne an 8-4 loss on the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex diamond Tuesday evening.
The Saints led 4-2 after four innings.
Directed by newly-minted head coach Cam Sherrer, the Hawks tallied a combined six runs in the final three innings. They won their second straight game in the series and eighth overall in 21 meetings since 2010.
Tyler Odom and Drew Sweet paced the Saints’ offense with two hits apiece. Braeden McKee batted 1-for-3 with a walk. Lead-off man Hayden Waller drew two walks and stole one base.
Kaeden Hinson and Jake Coates supplied one RBI apiece.
Sweet endured the mound loss. The senior right-hander yielded six runs (three earned) on five hits, walked two and logged six strikeouts during his five-inning stint on the bump.
Odom hurled one inning of one-strikeout relief. Waller posted one hit, one unearned run, one walk and one strikeout in one inning of work.
Carter Chadwick batted 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Hawks.
Mason Sasser emerged as the winning pitcher. He surrendered four earned runs on four hits, walked five and logged three strikeouts. Bullpen mates Wriston Honeycutt and Garrett Byrd combined for four innings of one-hit, five-strikeout relief.
Southern Wayne (1-1 overall) returns home Thursday for the completion of a suspended game with Rosewood. Play resumes at 5 p.m.
Wildcats blank Gators
NEWTON GROVE — Haley Ober-Ennis recorded 18 saves during Spring Creek’s 7-0 loss to girls’ soccer juggernaut Hobbton on Tuesday evening.
Nayeli Hurtado attempted the Gators’ lone shot on goal.
Weather permitting, Spring Creek (1-3-0 overall) entertains Northern Nash today. Kickoff is 5 p.m. in “The Swamp.”
Hunt turns back SW netters
WILSON — With the overall outcome determined, Southern Wayne avoided a shutout during doubles play Tuesday afternoon against Quad County 3A boys’ tennis rival Wilson Hunt.
The Saints’ No. 2 tandem of Aaron Whiting and Matthew Blizzard pulled off an 8-5 decision over the Warriors’ Gavin Harris and Jake Mauze.
SW head coach David Van Dyke awarded Whiting player-of-the-match accolades for the second time this season.
Hunt swept the singles courts.
The Saints (0-3 overall, 0-3 QCC) return home March 11 for a QCC match against Smithfield-Selma.
Hunt 8, Southern Wayne 1
Singles: No. 1 — Alex Ellis (H) d. Aaron Whiting (SW), 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 — Victor Gutierrez (H) d. Cameren Jones (SW), 6-2, 6-1; No. 3 — Anthony Romero (H) d. Tyshawn Melvin (SW), 6-0, 6-0; No. 4 — Gavin Harris (H) d. Matthew Blizzard (SW), 6-2, 6-1; No. 5 — Jake Mauze (H) d. Austin Sampsell (SW), 6-0, 6-0; No. 6 — Hunt d. Bryan Lopez (SW), 6-2, 6-0.
Doubles: No. 1 — Gutierrez-Romero (H) d. Jones-Melvin (SW), 8-0; No. 2 — Whiting-Blizzard (SW) d. Harris-Mauze (H), 8-5; No. 3 — Leo Jimenez-Ron McNeil (H) d. Sampsell-Ricardo Gabriel Lopez (SW), 8-0.
SC falls to Hobbton
NEWTON GROVE — Orrin Tickles collected Spring Creek’s lone hit Thursday evening during a 25-0, non-conference loss to former Carolina 1A baseball rival Hobbton.
Senior Garret Britt led the Wildcats’ offense with two hits, a walk and four RBI in four plate appearances. Hobbton scratched out six hits, but benefited from 13 walks and six Gator defensive miscues.
Tickles stole two bases for Spring Creek.
Nicholas Smith endured the mound loss.
The Gators (0-2 overall) return home Thursday for a non-conference encounter against Wayne Prep Academy. Game time is 4:30 p.m. in “The Swamp.”
