HS roundup: East Lincoln, Union Academy win North Carolina softball state championships
East Lincoln rallied for a come-from-behind victory in Game 2, then trounced Western Alamance in the deciding Game 3 to capture the 3A girls’ softball state championship Saturday.
The Mustangs, who lost the opening game of the best-of-3 series Friday night in extra innings, won their opening game Saturday 4-3, then took the second contest 12-7.
Western Alamance appeared headed to the state champion in Game 2, building a 3-0 lead over the Mustangs.
But East Lincoln scored four runs in the fifth inning, with Tatum Martin and Betsy Eatmon each delivering two-run hits.
The Mustangs held that lead into the seventh, when Western Alamance loaded the bases. But Mustangs’ pitcher Leah Correll got the final out for the victory.
That forced a second game, and East Lincoln was very much in control.
The Mustangs took the lead for good in the first inning, when Martin, Eatmon and Madison Currence delivered RBI hits. East Lincoln built the lead to 5-2 in the second inning, then exploded for five runs in the third inning for a 10-2 lead. Taniyah Thomas, voted the Most Outstanding Player of the 3A championship series, smacked a two-run double in the third.
From there, Correll nursed the lead and the Mustangs had their state title. Twice, Currence escaped from bases-loaded jams with key outs.
The victories put a big bookend on a huge athletic season at East Lincoln.
The school won the 3A football state championship in the fall, and their athletic teams had either deep playoff runs or high state rankings in several other sports, including tennis, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, baseball and girls’ soccer.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
Union Academy rolls to 1A state title
Union Academy rolled to its first North Carolina high school softball championship Saturday.
The Cardinals beat Calypso’s North Duplin High 7-4 in Game 2 of the teams’ best-of-3 NCHSAA 1A state championship series. On Friday, Union Academy took Game 1, 13-3.
Union Academy finished the season 26-4 and won its final eight games.
In the playoffs, the Cardinals outscored their opponents 78-11.
Saturday, North Duplin took a 3-2 lead through the fifth, threatening to force a deciding Game 3, but Gracie Hollingsworth hit a two-run homer and Riley Griffin scored on Gabriella Gama’s double to give Union Academy a 5-3 lead and enough cushion to win.
Hollingsworth, the Union Academy pitcher, was named championship MVP.
1A Soccer: Weather suspends final
Saturday’s NCHSAA 1A soccer final between Huntersville’s Christ The King and Woods Charter was suspended after five minutes of play due to weather. The game will resume Sunday at 1 p.m. at UNC-Greensboro.
2A Soccer: Manteo wins state title
GREENSBORO — The Manteo Redskins were trailing 1-0 at halftime of the 2A NCHSAA girls’ soccer championship to the defending champion Wheatmore Warriors. Five goals later, Manteo claimed the program’s first state championship with a 5-3 win at UNCG Soccer Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Manteo tied things up at 1-1 two minutes into the second half and took the lead for good at 3-2 with 14 minutes to play.
Manteo sophomore Kenzie Flynn was named MVP of the game after she found the net twice and assisted on another goal. That performance caps a tremendous year for Flynn who racked up 42 goals and 20 assists in 2023.
Teammate Kiley Eckard also netted a brace on Saturday and Abbi Calvio scored for the Redskins as well. Lizzie Mantz added an assist.
For the Warriors, Ellie Garrison Garrison scored twice and assisted Summer Bowman on Wheatmore’s other goal.
The win capped an undefeated season for Manteo at 25-0-2 and gave Wheatmore its first loss since May of 2021 and ended a 49-game winning streak.
— NCHSAA
2A Softball: West Stanly four-peats
DURHAM — The West Stanly Colts blanked the Midway Raiders 10-0 on Saturday at Duke Softball Stadium to sweep the 2A NCHSAA softball championship series.
The Colts started hot and turned 17 hits into 10 runs and ended the game after six innings. In the bottom of the first inning, Teagan Ritchie hit a one-out triple and scored in the next at-bat when Lily Huneycutt singled. Payton Little homered in the next at-bat to take a quick 3-0 lead.
That lead ballooned to 8-0 in the second inning thanks to RBIs from Kristen Smith, Lily Huneycutt, Carmen McRae and Aliyah Rush. The game ended in the bottom of the sixth as Brooklyn Lovin singled to center and Rush came around to score on an error on the play.
Lily Huneycutt, who was named MVP in the series, tossed a complete game in the circle and allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out 11 batters.
The win gives West Stanly 30 straight wins this season and six NCHSAA state championships in fast pitch softball since the switch from slow pitch in 1996. The Colts have now won four straight NCHSAA 2A softball championships (2019, Covid, 2021, 2022, 2023).
— NCHSAA
1A Baseball: Uhwarrie Charter wins state title
HOLLY SPRINGS — The Uwharrie Charter Eagles topped the North Moore Mustangs 8-1 on Saturday at Ting Stadium to earn the program’s second 1A NCHSAA baseball championship.
North Moore broke the ice as Bradley Mauldin hit an RBI double that scored Ethan Dunlap in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. The Eagles took control of the game in the third inning as each of the first three batters – Carter Brown, Jake Hunter and Landen Zephir – each had a base hit and came around to score. Ben Medinger also singled later in the inning and scored when Walker Wilkins doubled.
Brown, who was named MVP for the Championship Series, scored again in the fourth inning to push the lead to 5-1.
Medinger scored again in the fifth as well as Grat Dalton to give the Eagles a 7-1 lead and Troy Carver scored the final run of the game in the sixth.
Eagles pitcher Brett Smith tossed a complete game and gave up just four hits in the championship sealing win.
The Mustangs finished the season 22-10 and made their first appearance in an NCHSAA championship series. The Eagles also wrapped 2023 at 22-10.
— NCHSAA
2A Baseball: Burns wins state title
HOLLY SPRINGS — Another big inning propelled the Burns Bulldogs to 9-5 win against the South Granville Vikings and the 2A NCHSAA championship on Saturday at Ting Stadium.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead right away as Ben Mauney doubled in the first at-bat of the game and scored when Ethan Guy bounced out later in the inning. In the third, Burns blew the game open with a five-run rally. Colby Putnam, who was the MVP of the series, pushed across a pair of runs to start the third-inning rally and then scored when Reid Stroupe drew a bases-loaded walk.
Camden Mackall singled home Hagan Hoyle and Josh Taylor to put the Bulldogs in front 6-0 and they never looked back.
The Vikings fought to stay in the game and plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to RBIs from Riley Newton and Josiah Morris. South Granville added one run in fifth, sixth and seventh innings but never pulled any closer than four runs.
For the game, Marshall McGowan went 3-for-5 with two runs for the Bulldogs and six other Burns batters finished with a pair of hits, including Guy who finished with three RBIs.
The Bulldogs finished the season 28-4 while the Vikings ended 2023 with a record of 22-6.
— NCHSAA
3A Baseball: West Henderson wins state title
BURLINGTON — The West Henderson Falcons followed up Friday night’s 6-2 win with a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon at Burlington Athletic Stadium against J.H. Rose to win the 3A NCHSAA state championship.
The Falcons took the lead on Saturday in the bottom of the first inning as C Alex Anderson scored on an error. In the third, Anderson, who was named MVP of the series, singled home Eli Shinn to give West Henderson a 2-0 lead.
The Rampants cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth when Mitch Jones hit a solo home run to left field but that proved to be J.H. Rose’s only run of the game. Falcon starting pitcher Nicky Stanko earned the win as he tossed 6.1 innings and allowed the one run on seven hits.
For the game, SS Jackson Lyda and LF Jude Lyda each went 2-for-3. Rampants Jones, Ives Howard and Alex Popovich all pitched in a pair of hits.
West Henderson ended the season 27-5 and left Burlington with their second NCHSAA state championship and first since 1992. Rose, the 2021 state champions, finished 2023 at 26-4.
— NCHSAA
4A Baseball: TC Roberson wins state title
BURLINGTON — The T.C. Roberson Rams overcame an early hole to beat the Wake Forest Cougars 7-3 in Game 3 of the 4A NCHSAA championship series at Burlington Athletic Stadium.
The Cougars jumped out strong as Luke Stevenson hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. In the second, Lorenzo Lyles laid a bunt down the third base line that prompted an error and allowed Jake Parham to score the Rams’ first run of the game. In the next at-bat, Zeb Swangim doubled to center to score both Lyles and JT Gordon and tie the score.
In the fourth, the Rams loaded up the bases and Caden Davidson singled to score Carson Heath and give T.C. Roberson the lead. Two batters later, Micah Simpson hit a pinch-hit double that cleared the bases and put the Rams in front 7-3.
Simpson’s five RBI in the series earned him MVP honors.
For the Cougars, Stevenson finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
The Rams finished the season 26-8 and head back to Asheville with their fifth NCHSAA baseball championship. The Cougars wrapped the 2023 season at 26-7.
— NCHSAA
