Southern Wayne junior Jake Coates swatted a first-inning, grand slam during non-conference play against Northern Nash on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne right-hander Jocelin Aguilar fires a pitch toward the plate during first-inning action against county rival Spring Creek on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s AnnMarie Howard scores on a wild pitch as Southern Wayne pitcher Jocelin Aguilar applies the tag Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s AnnMarie Howard watches the pitch while Southern Wayne first baseman Megan Long gets ready defensively Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne shortstop Morgan Brinberry catches Spring Creek’s Nhayiris Gadea as she attempts to steal second base Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne left fielder Avery Jennette picks up a ball that landed just inside fair territory during opening-inning action against Spring Creek on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek junior Emily Williams connects on a first-inning hit against Southern Wayne on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Sarah Hess, right, easily takes second base as Southern Wayne shortstop Morgan Brinberry fields the ball. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne freshman Reagan Stribble fires a pitch toward the plate during second-inning action against Spring Creek on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Morgan Brinberry stretches to hit a pitch during the first inning against Spring Creek on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek right-hander Emily Williams unloads a pitch during play against county rival Southern Wayne on Friday evening. Williams recorded 11 strikeouts. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne, North Duplin and Spring Creek each concluded the first week of regular-season play unbeaten on either the baseball or softball diamond.
Jake Coates swatted a first-inning grand slam and helped propel the Saints past perennial Class 3A baseball power Northern Nash, 9-2, at the Doyle Whitfield Athletic Complex on Friday evening.
The Rebels withstood a fifth-inning rally and turned back East Central 2A baseball member South Lenoir, 7-6, in Calypso.
Emily Williams tossed a complete-game, two-hitter as the Gators rolled past Southern Wayne, 17-2.
Directed by first-year head coach Elvia Rodriguez Mejia, the Southern Wayne girls’ soccer team is 2-1-0 overall after a 5-0 road win at James Kenan.
According to MaxPreps.com, North Duplin (0-2-0) dropped a 2-1 decision to South Lenoir. Details were not reported.
Gators-Saints softball
DUDLEY — Spring Creek erupted for seven runs in the opening inning and collected its second consecutive victory over Southern Wayne.
Jasmine Valentine, who transferred from Wayne Country Day, provided three hits and four RBI for the Gators. Catcher Mattie Staps contributed three hits and two RBI. Sarah Hess (RBI) and Nhayiris Gadea (two RBI) supplied two hits apiece.
Emily Williams, Heather Alexander, AnnMarie Howard and Angela Billareal each collected one hit.
Williams recorded 11 strikeouts inside the circle.
Lead-off batter Reagan Stribble posted two hits for the Saints. The freshman right-hander worked four innings and posted five strikeouts in relief of starter Jocelin Aguilar.
Aguilar retired three Gators on strikeouts.
Spring Creek (2-0 overall) travels to Hobbton on Tuesday and entertains Southern Wayne on Wednesday. The Saints (1-1) entertain Neuse Six 2A powerhouse Princeton on Monday.
Saints-Knights baseball
DUDLEY — Coates’ “clear-the-bases” shot highlighted a six-run uprising by the Saints, who are off to a 3-0 start. The junior outfielder concluded the night 2-for-3 with a run scored and four RBI.
Left fielder Dylan Daniels and catcher Alex Ferrell provided two hits apiece. Lead-off batter Hayden Waller and Drew Sweet (RBI) each collected one hit.
Tyler Odom supplied two RBI, while Cuyler Daly plated one run.
Odom toed the rubber for 5 1/3 innings. He limited Northern Nash to an earned run on four hits and logged eight strikeouts in the scorebook.
Ferrell tossed 1 2/3 innings of one-hit, three-strikeout relief.
Southern Wayne plays host to North Lenoir on Tuesday. First pitch is 6:30 p.m.
Rebels-Blue Devils baseball
CALYPSO — North Duplin built a six-run advantage during the first three innings against South Lenoir, which had won six consecutive meetings in the series.
Leading 1-0, the Rebels plated four runs in the second inning.
Wesley Holmes, Esteban Santos Clark, Brady Byrd and Richard Noble each cranked out a hit during the rally. The Rebels capitalized on a hit batsmen and two walks, including a bases-loaded RBI at-bat by Austin Duff.
The Blue Devils closed the gap to 6-5 in the fifth.
In the bottom half of the inning, Noble provided a much-needed insurance run with a two-out, RBI single that scored Clark. Noble ended the night 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Holmes and Byrd each turned in a two-hit effort.
Noble (1-0) threw a complete-game seven-hitter on the mound. The right-hander permitted six runs (four earned) and retired seven South Lenoir batters on strikeouts.
North Duplin (3-0 overall) begins a four-game road swing Tuesday at county rival James Kenan. First pitch is 6 p.m.
Saints-Tigers soccer
GOLDSBORO — Amya Smith recorded 10 saves between the pipes and filed a clean sheet as Southern Wayne blanked James Kenan, 5-0, in their battle at the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex on Friday evening.
Allya Segura posted a hat trick (three goals), while Kely Barrios doled out four assists.
Karen Flores registered one goal and one assist. Angelica Venegas notched one goal.
The Saints dropped a 4-1 decision to county rival Goldsboro on Thursday.
Flores scored off an assist from Aracely Perez.
Smith had four saves.
Southern Wayne begins a three-game road swing Tuesday at South Lenoir.
