NEWTON GROVE — North Duplin went after the “double” on the baseball and softball diamond Tuesday evening at Hobbton High School
Co-Carolina 1A champions in baseball, the Rebels (18-3 overall) advanced to the tournament championship with an 8-5 conquest of Hobbton on Tuesday evening. Theywill face nemesis Rosewood (17-6) in the title tilt.
The victor clinches the league’s automatic qualifying bid to the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs, which start May 9.
Game time is 6 p.m.
Unbeaten in league play, the Rebl softball team posted a 6-0 shutout over Union. The victory sets up a showdown against Rosewood, which eliminated Hobbton.
First pitch is 6 p.m.
Baseball
Erik Rosas retired 11 of 12 batters over three-plus innings and benefited from an inning-ending double play in the third as North Duplin advanced to the tournament final for the second consecutive year.
Rosas yielded five runs (three earned) on seven hits, issued one free pass and struck out 12 during his six-inning stint.
In his second mound appearance in as many days, Esteban Santos Clark earned the save. The right-hander tossed an inning of one-strikeout relief.
Rosas (8-1) and Clark combined to throw 81 strikes.
Similar to Monday’s home win, North Duplin bolted to a three-run lead and extended it to 6-1 after four innings.
Hobbton climbed to within 6-4, but could get no closer.
Richard Noble (RBI) and Tanner Kornegay (RBI) pounded out two hits apiece. Hunt Pate, Brady Byrd, Tyler Johnsey (three RBI) and Wesley Holmes each contributed one hit.
Byrd stole three bases, while Noble had two.
Softball
Lilly Fulghum hurled a four-hit shutout inside the circle.
The freshman right-hander recorded 10 strikeouts, gave up one free pass and retired the final eight batters she faced.
Offensively, Fulghum batted 2-for-3 with a two-RBI home run in the sixth inning. She plated Outlaw, who started the inning with a lead-off triple.
Outlaw batted 2-for-3 and swatted a first-inning, bases-clearing blast that scored Riley Hatch. Hatch doubled and stole third base.
Kasey Jones went 1-for-3 with a fourth-inning RBI that drove home Fulghum. Ady Spence provided two hits, while M’chelle Jaco contributed a sacrifice RBI groundout.
North Duplin (16-2) recorded its sixth shutout of the season and picked up its fifth consecutive win over Union.
