Oxford Prep sweeps opening round of NCHSAA Playoffs
May 10—OXFORD — Oxford Prep and Clover Garden School are separated by 72 miles, with one school located within the confines of Granville County and the other off of I-85 in Burlington.
On Tuesday, they shared the connective tissue of the NCHSAA Playoffs, as the Griffins participated in postseason contests at each institution, vying for a spot in Friday's second round in baseball and softball.
As the No, 5 seed in the 1A East Region, the Oxford Prep softball program welcomed Union High School to town for their opening round tilt.
After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second frame, the Griffins found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the game's late innings, trailing 3-2 with only nine offensive outs remaining.
With their backs against the wall, Oxford Prep responded the way they have all season, with three runs over the fifth and sixth frames to secure a 5-3 advantage.
A two-run home run from junior catcher Kaeli Gilleland was the catalyst for the Griffin offense that compiled five hits in the win.
Heading into the top of the seventh, freshman hurler Addyson Faucette was three outs shy of finishing off a dominating performance in her first ever postseason contest. Faucette continued what she had done over the previous three frames, shutting down the Spartans' offense for
Oxford Prep's third playoff win in program history.
The freshman allowed just three hits and two earned runs on the afternoon, thanks in part to her command, which led to 10 strikeouts over 24 batters faced.
Sophomore center fielder Marleigh Swanner aided Faucette with her performance at the plate, adding in one hit and one run batted in.
With the opening round in the rearview, Oxford Prep will maintain home field advantage on Friday, as No. 12 Riverside-Martin heads to Granville County following an 18-0 win over KIPP Pride.
Meanwhile, in Alamance County, another star pitcher was toeing the rubber in hopes of sending the Griffin baseball program to the second round of the NCHSAA Playoffs.
Junior Forrest Capps earned the nod after impressing in the regular season with a 5-1 record and 2.25 earned run average.
In his 17th career appearance on the mound, Capps turned in a career-best outing, tossing a complete game shutout to lead Oxford Prep to a 1-0 victory. Over seven innings, he allowed just three hits and five total baserunners, holding the Grizzlies to a .125 average.
In the opposing dugout, Clover Garden starter and fellow junior Lucas Roney matched Capps' performance for the first six innings, allowing just four hits, while striking out four batters.
Heading into the seventh inning knotted at zero, just four base runners had reached scoring position.
Enter sophomore center fielder Drew West.
West stepped to the plate in the top half of the seventh, searching for his first hit in three tries. With one out and a 1-2 count, he sent the ensuing pitch back where it came from, tallying a single up the middle.
In the span of eight pitches, West single-handedly put the Griffins in position to score the game's first run, securing his second and third stolen bases on the afternoon. His aggressiveness and speed paid dividends, as the Grizzlies' catcher airmailed the third base bag on the stolen base attempt, allowing West to scamper home for the 1-0 advantage.
Holding a slim lead, Capps headed back to the mound, three outs away from a first round win. He would retire Clover Garden in order on just six pitches to snap a three game losing streak for Oxford Prep.
Assisting Capps at the plate was sophomore Will Brooks, who recorded a game-high two hits while stealing one base in the win.
With the victory, the Griffins secured their 10th win of the season, their first campaign in program history with double digit wins.
On Friday, they will compete for a spot in the third round of the NCHSAA Playoffs with a road contest against Triangle North Athletic Conference foe Voyager Academy. Oxford Prep sits at 0-15 all-time against the Vikings, including 2-0 and 15-0 losses earlier this season.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m. in Durham.
