East Lincoln baseball turns page, rolls past Forestview in playoff opener
DENVER — East Lincoln baseball standout Garrett Michel has spent much of the 2022 season letting his bat do the talking. Heading into play Tuesday, the Virginia Tech recruit’s 16 home runs ranked third nationally, according to MaxPreps.
But as Michel and his teammates prepared for their 3A baseball playoff opener against Forestview, the Mustangs’ senior slugger didn’t need swift hands to set the tone. His words said enough.
“I told the team they seeded us wherever they did based on our regular season. But that’s gone,” Michel said. “We’re 0-0, we have to come out here and go 1-0. (Late season losses) happened for a reason and we grew from them, and that’s what is going to help us in the playoffs.”
Consider East Lincoln’s late season woes as good as flushed.
More: NCHSAA baseball, softball playoff brackets unveiled. What's on deck for area teams?
More: Vote for Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties' Athletes of the Week, May 2-7
More: 'Four years went into that swing': Burns' Webb delivers in clutch for dramatic win in SPC final
More: Agosta brothers' 'twin telepathy' aiding East Gaston baseball's pursuit of history
Five runs in the fifth broke things open for the Mustangs, who advanced to the second round courtesy of an 8-0 win.
“Regular season is done and over. Conference tournament is done and over. We did some things that hurt us, but those things that hurt us are going to help us grow as a team as we move on in the playoffs,” said East Lincoln baseball coach Chris Matile. “A lot of these guys were around last year when we made a run at the playoffs. I know they’re all excited about the opportunity, and we have some young kids in key positions that just got to do what they do, nothing else. If we can have that mindset, we’re going to be OK.”
The work of Isaac Armstrong helped matters, East Lincoln’s junior hurler ceded no runs on four hits and struck out 11. He also had two hits, one a solo home run in the sixth inning.
“Especially when I get the start, I always try to do everything I can (at the plate and on the mound) and try to help my team,” Armstrong said. “Finishing the season not so strong, coming back and getting a win like this is a big momentum boost for us.”
Tree Spees also went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Graham Smiley added two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Mikey Ross and Seth Haigler added a hit apiece.
“You walk me and there are guys one through nine who can put a barrel on a baseball and make teams pay,” Michel said. “You’ve seen it time after time, me and Isaac get walked and those guys come in and do their job. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.”
Seeded 11th, East Lincoln travels to No. 6 Eastern Guilford on Friday. “We’re alive for another day. Survive and advance, that’s the name of the game,” Matile said.
More: Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland county players to watch in NCHSAA baseball playoffs
Baseball
3A West
(17) South Point 4, (16) West Rowan 1: South Point had only two hits, but scored the game’s last four runs in advancing to a second-round matchup with top-seeded South Rowan. Jake Beaty needed only 85 pitches, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts.
(9) East Rowan 3, (24) North Gaston 2 (8 innings): Ashton Pope pitched 7.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on 11 hits and struck out, while Nate Williams had an RBI double in a losing cause. North Gaston’s season ends at 11-11.
(5) North Lincoln 7, (28) North Iredell 4: North Lincoln earned its third hard-earned win over conference rival North Iredell. The Knights move on to play No. 12 Crest in the second round.
(12) Crest 11, (21) Rockingham County 4: Tucker McSwain earned the win, with Brayden Blaylock, Ethan Hayes, Connor Gantt, Vari Green and Cole Drewery collecting hits for the Chargers.
(3) Kings Mountain 4, (30) Tuscola 3: Aided by Tuscola miscues, Kings Mountain scored four runs in the first and held on late. Zane Brockman pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. He also had two of the Mountaineers’ three hits. The Mountaineers take on Jesse Carson in round two.
2A West
(1) Randleman 15, (32) Lincolnton 0: Lincolnton’s season ends at 13-9.
(16) East Gaston 12, (17) Pine Lake Prep 11 (8 innings): Down by four runs on two occasions, East Gaston erased deficits in the seventh and eighth innings. Parker Agosta was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Logan Agosta (double, triple, two RBIs, run), Daniel McClellan (double, three runs), Liam Brady (two runs), Dylan Howell (double, three RBIs, run) had two hits apiece for the Warriors, who set a school record for wins (20) in a season. East Gaston moves on to play top-seeded Randleman.
(9) Bandys 10, (24) Shelby 1: Luke Williams had three hits for the Golden Lions in a losing cause. Shelby’s season ends at 14-11.
(3) Burns 6, (30) West Wilkes 5: Facing elimination, the Bulldogs rallied for two runs in the seventh to advance. Camden Mackall’s single with the bases loaded allowed Burns to walk off with the win, setting up a second-round matchup against No. 19 Trinity. Colby Putnam went 3-for-4 on the night, while Joseph Webb had two hits for Burns.
(7) Lincoln Charter 7, (26) Surry Central 5: Lincoln Charter jumped out to a 7-1 lead and withstood a late rally. Tyler Steele was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Donovan Davis and Dylan Verdi each earned an RBI base hit. The Eagles will host No. 23 Forbush in the second round.
1A West
(3) Cherryville 10, (30) Piedmont Community Charter 0: Eli Newsome and Collin Robinson combined for a two-hitter as Cherryville pushed on to round two. Newsome went four innings, allowing no runs on two hits and struck out seven. Landon Hahn was 3-for-3 with a double, triple, an RBI and three runs scored. Will Heavner (home run, four RBIs, two runs) and Collin Huss (double, two runs) collected two hits apiece for Cherryville, which next plays Mountain Island Charter. Piedmont Community Charter’s season ends at 10-10.
(19) Mountain Island Charter 8, (14) Starmount 7: Leonard Hadley was 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs to lead the Raptors. Mountain Island Charter moves on to face Cherryville.
(2) Draughn 10, (31) Highland Tech 0: Highland Tech’s season ends at 7-16.
Softball
3A West
(1) East Lincoln 16, (32) West Charlotte 0: Leah Correll and Madison Currence combined for a no-hitter, pacing East Lincoln to a first round win. Correll finished with three strikeouts in two innings of work, with Currence striking out seven of 11 batters faced. Taniyah Thomas was 3-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored. Taliyah Thomas was 2-for-2 with a triple, home run and three RBIs. Hailey McFadden had two triples, two RBIs and two runs scored. Bailey Hardin added two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. The Lady Mustangs move on to face No. 17 East Rowan.
(8) Hibriten 9, (25) Kings Mountain 0: Kings Mountain’s season ends at 10-12.
(13) Oak Grove 10, (23) North Gaston 0: Oak Grove’s Mary Peyton Hodge hurled a no-hitter, ending North Gaston’s season at 13-11.
(14) North Lincoln 6, (19) Enka 0: North Lincoln moves on to face No. 3 North Buncombe in round two.
(6) Rockingham County 8, (27) Forestview 2: Forestview’s season ends at 13-11.
(11) Stuart Cramer 6, (23) St. Stephens 0: Emma Donaldson allowed no runs on four hits and struck out four in a winning effort. She also had a hit and two runs scored. Hadley Womack was 2-for-4 with a home run, while Andrea Detweiler also finished 2-for-4 for the Storm, which advance to take on No. 6 Rockingham County.
(2) Crest 7, (31) Central Academy 1: Aidan Ledbetter allowed one run on four hits, striking out six. Sara Rose Warlick had three hits for the Chargers, including a two-run homer. Riley Parker, Taylor Black, Alexis Shope, Molly Beam, Mackenzie Clark and Jourdan Martin also contributed to the effort. Crest hosts Jesse Carson in second round competition.
2A West
(24) Wilkes Central 6, (9) Lincoln Charter 2: Lincoln Charter’s season ends at 14-5.
(6) Bandys 16, (27) East Gaston 0: East Gaston’s season ends at 12-13.
(7) Burns 5, (26) Pine Lake Prep 0: Sayge Strange allowed no runs on four hits and struck out nine. She also handled her business with the bat, hitting two home runs and drove in four. Also contributing were Hunter Morgan (3-for-4, double) and Chloe Hull (1-for-3, double, RBI). Burns will host either Owen or Morehead in the second round.
(15) R-S Central 5, (18) West Lincoln 1: West Lincoln’s season ends at 19-7.
1A West
(8) Cherryville 12, (25) Swain County 2: The Lady Ironmen host No. 24 North Stokes in the second round.
(11) South Stokes 9, (22) Highland Tech 0: Highland Tech was no-hit in a first round loss at South Stokes. Its season ends at 10-9.
(7) Mountain Island Charter 26, (26) Piedmont Community Charter 4: Reagan Hart was 3-for-5 with a double, four RBIs and three runs scored, with Camden Gerland going 2-for-3 with a double, home run, seven RBIs and three runs scored in the Raptors’ first-round win. Lilyan Helms (three runs) and Nora Bryant (double, triple, three RBIs) each finished with two hits as well. Mountain Island Charter hosts No. 10 Queens Grant in the second round.
(2) East Wilkes 18, (31) Bessemer City 1: Bessemer City’s season ends at 3-15.
More: Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland players to watch as NC high school softball playoffs begin
You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA baseball: East Lincoln rolls past Forestview in playoff opener
